3 July 1969: Thirteen days before the triumphant launch of Apollo 11, the second test launch of the Soviet N1 rocket—their analog of the Saturn V—from the Kazakh S.S.R.'s Baikonur Cosmodrome ended in disaster; engine cut off occurred just after the rocket cleared the tower, causing it to fall back to earth & explode, destroying launch pad 110 East; unburnt rocket fuel fell like rain for half an hour.
Commentary: Unlike the highly publicized American Apollo program, the Soviet lunar programs were conducted under extreme secrecy, not being publicly acknowledged 'til 1990, under glasnost in the waning days of the Soviet Union. The aftermath of the dramatic failure of the N1-5L was photographed by American spy satellites, confirming that the Soviets were indeed attempting their own moonshot.
Bonus! Destination Moon Song o' the Day: N1-5L
Matt Munro, "From Russia with Love" from Best of Bond… James Bond: 50th Anniversary Collection (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)
Semper Exploro.
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