[FPSPACE] Zond 4

[Saunders B.Kramer Sr.]

Zond 4, an unmanned Soviet spacecraft was launched 180 deg away from 
the position of moon. It did NOT go out as far as lunar orbit, reaching 
193,000 miles (intentional)  and then returning to Earth with the 
intent of a reentry and landing in the USSR.  Guidance failed and it 
ended up in an elliptical orbit around the Earth and remained there for 
years. Would have to search my records to see if it ever reentered.
I recall offhand (but not positive as I write this) that there were 
prerecorded voice communication with Zond 4. None of these remarks are 
guesswork. I was in the aerospace industry at the time and we had a 
long running contract with the appropriate agencies to examine USSR  
space activity and was aboard right after the Zond 4 launch.  Didn't 
stay long, didn't like the nut that was running the program.

Saunders Kramer
















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