# Luna 19

> space probe

**Wikidata**: [Q950112](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q950112)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_19)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/luna-19

## Summary
Luna 19 was a Soviet space probe launched on September 28, 1971, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It was part of the Luna program and designed to explore the Moon from orbit.

## Key Facts
- Launched on September 28, 1971, from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 81/24
- Launched using a Proton-K carrier rocket
- Manufactured by NPO Lavochkin
- Part of the Luna program series
- Preceded by Luna 18 and succeeded by Luna 20
- Had a COSPAR ID of 1971-082A
- Classified as both a space probe and an artificial satellite

## FAQs
### Q: What was Luna 19's mission?
A: Luna 19 was a Soviet space probe designed to orbit the Moon and conduct scientific observations of the lunar surface from orbit.

### Q: When and how was Luna 19 launched?
A: Luna 19 was launched on September 28, 1971, from Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 81/24 using a Proton-K carrier rocket.

### Q: What type of spacecraft was Luna 19?
A: Luna 19 was a space probe, specifically an unmanned robotic spacecraft designed to explore outer space rather than orbit Earth.

## Why It Matters
Luna 19 represents an important milestone in lunar exploration as part of the Soviet Union's Luna program. As a lunar orbiter, it contributed to our understanding of the Moon's surface and environment from a vantage point in orbit. The mission demonstrated the Soviet Union's continued capability to launch sophisticated space probes to the Moon during the space race era. Luna 19's successful launch and operation helped advance the technology and techniques needed for robotic exploration of celestial bodies, paving the way for future lunar missions and expanding our scientific knowledge of Earth's natural satellite.

## Notable For
- Part of the historic Luna program that achieved many lunar exploration firsts
- Successfully launched to lunar orbit in 1971 during the height of the space race
- Manufactured by NPO Lavochkin, a key Soviet aerospace design bureau
- Used the reliable Proton-K launch vehicle for its journey to the Moon
- Represented continued Soviet commitment to robotic lunar exploration following earlier Luna missions

## Body
### Launch Details
Luna 19 was launched on September 28, 1971, from Site 81/24 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The launch vehicle was a Proton-K rocket, a reliable Soviet carrier rocket that had been in use since the 1960s for various space missions.

### Technical Specifications
The spacecraft was manufactured by NPO Lavochkin, a prominent Soviet aerospace design bureau responsible for many of the USSR's planetary exploration missions. As a space probe, Luna 19 was designed to operate beyond Earth orbit, specifically to enter lunar orbit and conduct scientific observations.

### Mission Context
Luna 19 was part of the broader Luna program, a series of robotic spacecraft missions launched by the Soviet Union between 1959 and 1976. The program achieved many significant "firsts" in space exploration, including the first human-made object to reach the Moon's surface and the first photographs of the far side of the Moon.

### Mission Sequence
Luna 19 followed Luna 18 in the mission sequence and was succeeded by Luna 20. This continuity in the Luna program demonstrates the systematic approach taken by Soviet space scientists in exploring the Moon through a series of increasingly sophisticated missions.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Luna 19",
  "description": "Soviet space probe launched on September 28, 1971, to explore the Moon from orbit",
  "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_19",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1062",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_19"
  ],
  "additionalType": "space probe"
}

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013