Soviet secret documents published for Moon Base: That is why the program was eventually canceled

Russian agency Roscosmos has published 46 documents, as well as photos, illustrations and videos of the Soviet Union's lunar programme, which in the late 1960s was the first in the world to create an astronomical observatory on earth's natural satellite. Observatory name is supposed to be “Luna-16”

The proposed technical and organisational management of the works will provide real opportunities to create the first lunar observatory since 1968. Such an observatory will become a prototype for future lunar stations designed to perform a permanent and comprehensive service of the Sun, Earth, Planets and Stars “, says in a document signed by Central Institute of Scientific Engineering Research Director Yuri A. Mozart in 1967.

The moon station's “Masa is eight tonnes, past time on the moon is 20 days, and the number of cosmonaut scholars is 3,”, the document says.

But between 1969 and 1972, all the launchs of the N-1 super heavy vehicle from the Bayconur cosmodrium failed, so the Soviet lunar program was shut down.