Appeal Request

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06607721
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: July 11, 2023
• Document Release Date: February 10, 2022
• Case Number: F-2016-02378
• Publication Date: August 25, 2016

Approved for Release: 2022/02/08 C06607721
August 15, 2016
(b)(6)
Central Intelligence Agency
Agency Release Panel
do Michael Lavergne
Washington, DC 20505
5-page letter
RE: MDR Appeal of Case EOM 2016-00530, the "Space Event Report: Luna 8-3
December 1965 (issued 3 November 1966)."
Greetings Michael Lavergne.
I am appealing the withholding of materials in the above MDR case. The withholding reasons
cited are 3.3(b)(1) and 3.5(c) of the Executive Order.
This should be relatively simple to provide argumentation documentation for further release.
Materials come from the CIA itself, from NSA and DIA on uncrewed lunar missions, as well as
other materials, including those (for example, NORAD Weekly Intelligence Reviews) declassified
by ISCAP.
Special note: A CD-ROM�with 13 documents burned onto it�is included with this MDR
appeal packet.
However, I must tell you Michael that it seems to me that the processing of this document for
public release was very poorly done. The factors that result in this conclusion should become
obvious as you go through the materials I am going to highlight here in my document
argumentation for more content release. Please keep in mind this is meant to be representative,
and not exhaustive.
--The map when Luna-8 impacted the Moon (page 15) is complete& redacted. Are you
kidding me? I can tell you that maps in Top Secret codeword documents that display in
graphic form where Soviet spacecraft landed/impacted the lunar surface have been
released prior to. This includes both CIA and NSA documenation.
a)�Office of Intelligence's Weekly Review from 10 December 1965 (acquired via CIA's
FOIA electronic reading room on the Web) shows an unexpurgated map of where Luna 8
impacted the Moon. On page 5.
b)�In a document released to me by NSA from 19 October 1972 (there are no
identifiable classification stampings, but most likely "Top Secret Zarf Umbra") on the
Luna 18 mission (which also crashed on the Moon) you can see on page 5 of the attached
PDF that not only Luna 18's trajectory and impact point, but also also Luna 15's crash
point and Luna I6's successful landing zone.
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What this means is that maps showing lunar spacecraft trajectories to impact or landing
on the Moon's surface can be released.
--Launch time of Luna 8 already disclosed. Via ISCAP decision, a batch of NORAD
Weekly Intelligence Reviews (WIR) have been declassified and released to me. In the 10
December 1965 edition, it states that "Luna 8, Soviet lunar probe which was launched
from Tyuratam at about 1040Z[ulu], crashed into the Moon on 6 December..."
--Rocket system to launch Luna 8 previously described. The same aforementioned 10
December 1965 NORAD WIR states that it was the 55-6 with a "heavy Venik third stage,
and injected into a transfer trajectory toward the Moon by the Soviets' fourth deep space
stage."
--Tyuratam launches detected by RADINT from both Diyarbakir and Shemya Island.
In the NORAD WIR for 15 October 1965, there is a listing ("Missle Range Firing Log")
from Tyuratam (Earth orbital, lunar�like Luna 7, and missile testing), and it states at the
bottom of its notes, "Diyarbakir & Shemya RADINT."
--How lunar windows are derived. An article by James Burke entitled "Seven Years to
Luna 9" that appeared in the Summer 1966 issue of CIA's Studies in Intelligence
(acquired via the CIA's FOIA electronic reading room on the Web) devotes a lot of its
exposition on how these "windows" were derived. Indeed, a number of the NORAD
WIRs that I have enclosed have mentions about upcoming lunar windows for anticipated
launches towards the Moon, and their length duration.
--What happened to Luna 8. Stating that the spacecraft "crashed" is not the end of the
description. I will be pointing out CIA, NORAD WIR and DIA materials that discuss
what happened.
a)�The NORAD WIR from 11 February 1966 has a table entitled "The Soviet Lunar
Record" (page 33 actual) where we read for Luna 8: "Impacted on Moon, apparently at
desired speed, but its transmissions ceased at, or shortly after, touchdown." In the 1972
DIA Fact Book on World Communist Forces, we read for Luna 8: "Impacted Moon, but
transmissions ceased shortly after touchdown."
b)�In the forementioned Weekly Review of 10 December 1965, we read that the Soviet
attempted to contact the spacecraft: "Efforts to contact Lunas 7 and 8 after impact
suggested that these two came close to success."
What this means is that Luna 8 impacted the Moon, perhaps near the desired descent rate,
and began transmitting for a few seconds from the surface before ceasing. Soviet
authorities attempted to revive/contact the craft without success. All of this can be
released by CIA's declassification authorities in the Luna 8 "Space Event Report."
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--Characterstics of Lunar Missions (specific/generic) that have been released
previously. In this section, I will be detailing SIGINTT1ELINT materials that have been
released on Soviet lunar spacecraft missions.
a)�Intercepted telemetry/SIGINTduring preparations and ascent. The complete start-
up and launch sequence (up through fourth stage MECO/payload separation) for another
Soviet lunar mission (Luna 20) shows the capability of American SIGINT intercepts
This partiocular report was received from NSA by me, and it is dated 5 December 1972.
Such intercepts began well prior to Luna 8, as evidenced via a discussion by Burke in his
forementioned Studies in Intelligence article that (page 4) for the October 1960 launch
attempt, "Intercepted telemetry showed that the loaded upper stages weighed more than
thirty tons..." Furthermore, another NSA document released to me (originally issued in
February 1972) about Luna 20 that it was recognized by US analysts that the Russians
engaged in electronic "on-pad simulations" prior to actual launching to make certain all
the equipment was operating properly. In this report it states the electronic on-pad
simulation took place on 2 February, and the actual launching on 14 February.
What this means is that materials regarding telemetry intercepts on the launch pad,
including electronic on-pad simulations prior to actual launching for Luna 8 can be
released.
b)�Intercepted telemetry/SIGINT in transit to, and at lunar distances. In the
aforementioned Burke article, it states that Asmara, Ethiopia was used to monitor Soviet
lunar probes going outwards to the Moon, and was in the business of interceptings signals
(that is, telemetery) from the Soviet spacecraft. On page 17, we read: "Luna 5 gave the
Asmara station its first real chance to perform. The station inercepted both of the two
spacecraft signals several times during the mission, and both Asmara and Jodrell Bank
[UK] were listening during the final approach to the Moon. The telemetry data were like
those from Luna 4, with minor changes..." Additionally, a July 212, 1969 memorandum
from Kissinger to Nixon states the following about the Luna 15 mission: "SIGINT has
revealed that the attempted soft landing of Luna 15 this morning was a failure. Signals
from the spacecraft ceased just prior to touchdown indicating a hard landing. Attempts
[by the Soviets] to activate the craft failed."
What this means is that all discussions about telemetry intercepts from Luna 8, whether
in transit to the Moon, or during its descent sequence to the lunar surface, can be
released.
c)�Yevpatoriya (in the Urkaine's Crimea) identried as the deep space tracking facility
for the USSR for lunar missions. There are exceptionally numerous reports that one can
acquire via the CREST facility (in College Park, Maryland) on Yevpatoriya and its
connection with the lunar program. I typed in "Soviet deep space tracking network" and
many titles came up via the search engine on the CIA's FOIA electronic reading room on
the Web. Indeed, in the 18 June 1965 WIR (page 14) we read: "The amount of time that
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Luna 6... would be visible from the Soviets' tracking facility in the Crimea was less than
it would have been for any of the lunar launches of 1963 and 1964 and the first two of
this year [1965]..."
d)�Soviet lunar chronologies previously released. The following NORAD WIRs have
a continuing updated set of Soviet lunar chronologies. These include 18 June 1965 (last
page), 15 October 1965 (last page), 11 February 1966 (page 33), 25 Feburary 1966 (last
page).
e)�Reason(s) to use 51-degree parking orbit for Luna 8. In the 3 December 1965
WIR, it states the following: "The Soviets, if they do launch a probe on 2 December,
may inject it into a 51-degree parting orbit, as they did with their 3 Venus probe
aMempts in November, instead of the customary 65-degree orbit. Use of a 51-degree
instead of a 65-degree reduces thrust requirements by only a miniscule amount, but it
does make it more difficult for the US to detect and track the vehicle on its initial (Zero)
orbit...." In the 10 December 1965 WIR, it confirms that the spacecraft's "parking orbit
has an Equatorial inclination of 51.8 degrees instead of 65 degrees noted on previous
Soviet lunar probes... the lower inclination permits a slightly heavier payload and better
tracking from the deep-space tracking facilities in the Crimea."
I think I have provided a superlative amount of evidence that the Agency Release Panel
should be able to declassify extensive swaths of this Space Event Report on Luna 8.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Sincerely,
(b)(6)
Peter Pesavento
Attachment�CD ROM
On the CD-ROM:
--Kissinger H. "Memorandum for the President. Subject: Luna 15." July 21, 1969.
[Special note: All NORAD WIRs released by ISCAP]
--NORAD Weekly Intelligence Review, 6/66, 11 February 1966.
--NORAD Weekly Intelligence Review, 25/65, 18 June 1965.
--NORAD Weekly Intelligence Review, 42/65, 15 October 1965.
--NORAD Weekly Intelligence Review, 50/65, 10 December 1965.
--NORAD Weekly Intelligence Review, 49/65,3 December 1965.
--NORAD Weekly Intelligence Review, 8/66,25 February 1966.
--National Security Agency. [Title redacted, but on the results of SIONT processing of
the Luna 18 mission] 19 October 1972. 5 pages.
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CD-ROM contents, continued:
--National Security Agency. [Title redacted, but on the results of SIGINT processing of
Luna 20 mission] 26 December 1972. 14 pages.
--Central Intelligence Agency. Office of Current Intelligence: "Soviet lunar probe fails to
soft-land." Weekly Review, 10 December 1965. pp. 4-5.
--National Security Agency. [Title redacted, but on the results of STUNT processing of
the Luna 18 mission] 19 October 1972.
--Defense Intelligence Agency. DE4 Fact Book on Communist World Forces. (Excerpt
of "Spacecraft Luna") 1 October 1972.
--Burke J. "Seven Years to Luna 9." Studies in Intelligence (Summer 1966), pp. 1-24.
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P. Pesavento
1028
USPS TRACKING NUMBER
9500 1156 0478 6228 01 oft-.
II
20505
Central Intelligence Agency
Agency Release Panel
do Michael Lavergne, DIRG/Information & Privacy Coordinator
WaShington, DC 20505
AU. STAGE
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$2.45
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