Luna 1
Luna 1 — the first spacecraft to escape Earth's gravity and pass the Moon (launched 2 January 1959). Probably meant to hit the Moon, it missed by 5,995 km on 4 January and went into orbit around the Sun, between Earth and Mars — the first human-made object to do so. Its instruments found no detectable lunar magnetic field and detected the solar wind streaming through interplanetary space.
Key facts
Mission & specifications
Mission
- Operator
- OKB-1 (USSR)
- Launched
- January 2, 1959
- Status
- Completed
Trajectory
- Distance from the Sun
- 0.997 AU
- Computed from the cached position
- Distance from Earth
- 5,485,669 km
- Computed from cached positions
- Distance from Venus
- 0.299 AU
- Computed from cached positions
Mission
Luna 1 was the first spacecraft to escape Earth's gravity and reach the Moon's neighbourhood. Launched on 2 January 1959 from Baikonur, the 361 kg sphere was probably meant to hit the Moon: it was travelling fast enough, and it carried a package of metal emblems bearing the Soviet coat of arms. Instead it passed 5,995 km from the lunar surface on 4 January, about 34 hours after launch, and carried on into orbit around the Sun, between the orbits of Earth and Mars — the first human-made object to do so. On its way out, 113,000 km from Earth, it released a kilogram of sodium gas. The glowing orange cloud, as bright as a faint star, let astronomers see where the spacecraft was, and doubled as an experiment on how gas behaves in space. Its instruments delivered two lasting results: the Moon has no detectable magnetic field, and a solar wind — a steady stream of ionised gas from the Sun — flows through interplanetary space. Controllers kept in touch for about 62 hours, until its batteries ran down on 5 January 1959. Luna 1 is still in orbit around the Sun.
- 1959Luna 1 launches toward the Moon from the Baikonur CosmodromeLaunch
The 361 kg sphere reaches escape velocity and separates from its upper stage.
- 1959A cloud of sodiumMilestone
113,000 km from Earth it releases a kilogram of sodium gas, a glowing trail astronomers can follow.
It misses the Moon by 5,995 km, about 34 hours after launch, and goes on into orbit around the Sun.
- 1959Last contactMission end
Its batteries run down about 62 hours after launch.
Images
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