Luna 10 conducted extensive research in lunar orbit, gathering important data on the strength of the Moon's magnetic field, its radiation belts, and the nature of lunar rocks (which were found to be comparable to terrestrial basalt rocks), cosmic radiation, and micrometeoroid density. Perhaps its most important finding was the first evidence of mass concentrations (called "mascons") — areas of denser material below the lunar surface that distort lunar orbital trajectories.
Luna 10 conducted extensive research in lunar orbit, gathering important data on the strength of the Moon's magnetic field, its radiation belts, and the nature of luna?r rocks (which were found to be comparable to terrestrial basalt rocks), cosmic radiation, and micrometeoroid dens:ity. Perhaps its most important finding .was the first evidence of mass concentrations (called "mascons") — areas .of denser material below the lunar surface that distort lunar orbi.tal trajectories.