# Soyuz 7K-L1 No.4L

> failed 1967 Soviet test spaceflight

**Wikidata**: [Q3488773](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3488773)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_7K-L1_No.4L)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/soyuz-7k-l1-no-4l

## Summary
Soyuz 7K-L1 No.4L was a failed Soviet test spaceflight launched on September 27, 1967. It was an instance of the Soyuz 7K-L1 spacecraft class, a vehicle designed for crewed lunar flybys, which was propelled by a Proton-K carrier rocket.

## Key Facts
- **Entity Type:** Instance of a Soyuz 7K-L1 spacecraft and a vehicle designed to fly in space.
- **Launch Date:** September 27, 1967.
- **Launch Site:** Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 81/23.
- **Carrier Rocket:** Proton-K.
- **Operator/Country:** Soviet Union.
- **Mission Outcome:** Failed test spaceflight.
- **Intended Purpose:** Part of the Soyuz 7K-L1 program intended for crewed lunar flybys.

## FAQs
### Q: What was Soyuz 7K-L1 No.4L?
A: Soyuz 7K-L1 No.4L was a Soviet spacecraft launched in 1967 for a test flight. It was a specific unit of the Soyuz 7K-L1 class, which was developed for potential crewed missions to fly by the Moon.

### Q: When was Soyuz 7K-L1 No.4L launched?
A: The spacecraft was launched on September 27, 1967, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 81/23.

### Q: What rocket was used to launch Soyuz 7K-L1 No.4L?
A: The spacecraft was launched using a Proton-K carrier rocket, a Russian (formerly Soviet) launch vehicle.

## Why It Matters
Soyuz 7K-L1 No.4L represents a critical, albeit unsuccessful, component of the Soviet Union's ambitious space exploration efforts during the Cold War. As an instance of the Soyuz 7K-L1 class—a series specifically engineered for the crewed lunar flyby mission profile—this vehicle illustrates the intense technological race to achieve lunar milestones. The mission utilized the Proton-K rocket, highlighting the heavy-lift capabilities the Soviets were attempting to master for deep space travel. While the flight resulted in failure, its historical significance lies in its role within the broader Zond program (the public designation for 7K-L1 flights), which aimed to send cosmonauts around the Moon before the United States could land astronauts on it. This mission serves as a data point in the engineering challenges of the 1960s space race, specifically regarding the reliability of the Proton rocket and the 7K-L1 spacecraft systems.

## Notable For
- Being an early test flight of the **Soyuz 7K-L1** hardware.
- Utilizing the **Proton-K** rocket as a launch vehicle for a lunar-capable spacecraft.
- Launching from **Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 81/23**.
- Being explicitly classified as a **failed** test spaceflight in historical records.
- Representing the Soviet **crewed lunar flyby** program efforts in 1967.

## Body
### Classification and Design
Soyuz 7K-L1 No.4L is classified as an instance of the **Soyuz 7K-L1** spacecraft class. This class of vehicle was designed by the Soviet Union specifically for the purpose of executing a **crewed lunar flyby**. As a spacecraft, it falls under the broader category of vehicles or machines designed to fly in space.

### Mission Specifications
The mission utilized a **Proton-K** carrier rocket, a heavy-lift launch vehicle previously used in Soviet operations. The specific launch details are as follows:
*   **Point in Time:** September 27, 1967
*   **Start Point:** Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 81/23
*   **Significant Event:** Rocket launch

### Outcome
Despite the successful launch of the Proton-K rocket carrying the spacecraft, the mission is recorded as a **failed 1967 Soviet test spaceflight**. The mission was part of the Soviet Union's broader efforts to test the 7K-L1 variant of the Soyuz spacecraft.

## References

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