Luna-Apparat I (N1-L3) with Alexei Leonov, Vladimir Shatalov and Pyotr Klimuk launch toward the Moon. This will mark the first Soviet cosmonaut on the Moon since the previous mission (Luna-Orbita XII with Vladimir Komarov and Aleksandr Serebrov orbited the Moon).
Leonov will become the third man (after Apollo XI) and the first Soviet on the Moon, Klimuk will join him on the surface in the Lunniy Korabl (LK) while Shatalov will remain in the Lunniy Orbitalny Korabl (LOK).
The launch date is on the 25th October 1969 on the anniversary of the October Revolution, it will take four days for the L3 stack to reach the Moon. Landing is planned at the 100 hour mark, which should be on the 29th October.
It's a great day for launch; The N1 rocket takes off from a specially designed pad:
Tower clear!
Orbit insertion burn:
On the way to the Moon:
Entering Earth eclipse area, Moon is in sight:
...to be continued!