![]() On July 19, 1969, the third day of the Apollo 11 mission, the New York Times published four stories about Luna 15 and published the full text of the telegram from the Russians. ![]() ![]() The Luna 15 mission made the front pages of newspapers around the world. Luna 15, at least to start, succeeded in making sure the Soviet Union’s space program wasn’t overlooked while Apollo 11 dominated the news worldwide. Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins, NASA said, would have neither opportunity nor time to look out the window in search of the rival spacecraft. NASA said Luna 15 and the Apollo spacecraft would not come anywhere near each other. It was the first time in the 12 years of space travel that the world’s two space programs had communicated directly with each other about spaceflights while they were being flown. The Soviets promptly sent a telegram-one copy to the White House, one copy to Borman’s home near Houston’s Manned Spacecraft Center-with details of Luna 15’s orbit and assurances that if the spacecraft changed orbits, fresh telegrams would follow. In an unprecedented move, NASA asked Borman to call Soviet contacts from his just-finished trip and see if they would supply data on Luna 15. ![]() NASA, at least publicly, was mostly concerned that Russian communications with Luna 15 might interfere with Apollo 11.
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