Cameras for Manned Lunar Program?

I was very excited to see the Astro X camera (designed for use by cosmonauts in the cancelled USSR Manned Lunar Program in the late 1960's) on this website.

I am looking for any information on the camera designed for the Lunniy Korabl; the spacecraft designed to transport cosmonauts to and from the Lunar Surface.

There was a prototype installed above the hatch exterior seen with blue stripes in the attached photo.



There was a paper presented by V.V. Molodtsov on 27 May, 2004 at the Northwest Astronautics Federation on 27 May, 2004 titled "О подготовке телевизионной аппаратуры для полета человека на Луну". I have not been able to find a copy of this report.

If anyone can provide more information on this camera, or the Astro X camera, I would be grateful.

David L. Rickman
549 Caribou Road
Asheville, NC 28803
USA

David,

I've been curious, and checked the KMZ factory site since they did a lot of stuff for space program and did find this information:


http://www.ussrphoto.com/UserContent/15112011_k2.jpg

Киноаппарат К2 (16ЛК-К2) был предназначен для киносъемки космонавтом-оператором на поверхности Луны, в условиях глубокого вакуума и больших перепадов температур.
Moviecamera K2 (16LK-K2) was made for shooting movie by cosmonaut-operator on the surface of the Moon in conditions of deep vacuum and big temperature differences.

Аппарат имел два переключающихся объектива, электропитание от источника в скафандре космонавта, полностью герметичную конструкцию со специальной теплозащитой.
Перезарядка кинопленки не предусматривалась. После окончания съемок, замок крепежной ленты, опоясывающий киноаппарат, освобождался, после чего корпус распадался на две половины, а кассета забиралась для возврата на Землю.

Camera had two switching lenses, power drawn from a source in the spacesuit of the cosmonaut, and had a vacuum-proof sealed design with special heat insulation. The reloading of film was not meant to happen. After the cassette was finished, the lock of the holding ribbon encircling the camera would release after which the body would split into two halves and the cassette was retrieved for transport back to Rarth.

В связи с тем, что советская программа высадки человека на Луну была свернута, киноаппарат был изготовлен только в опытном образце.
Since the Soviet program of putting a man on the moon was discontinued, the camera was made only in a prototype form.

Разработчики: В. Бусыгин, Г. Алексеев
Developer: V. Busigin, G. Alkseev

Дизайн: Е. Жердев
Design: E. Zherdev.

Source: http://www.zenitcamera.com/archive/space/k.html

Thank you, Vlad! This is amazing information, and completely unexpected!!

Now there are two cameras to replicate for my project, and one more still a mystery.

Many Thanks for this information!!!

David

Glad to help! Will keep looking for that third television camera.

Cheers,
Vlad