Luna 1 was a Soviet space probe that became the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon. Launched in January 1959 and also known as Mechta, or Dream, it was meant to strike the Moon but passed it at a distance of several thousand kilometers after a guidance error. It was the first spacecraft to reach escape velocity from Earth, and it went into orbit around the Sun, becoming the first artificial planet. Instruments on board measured radiation and the solar wind, and a sodium vapor cloud released by the probe helped scientists track it. Luna 2 later became the first spacecraft to hit the Moon, in September 1959.
Before and after
- 1959Construction of Boryspil International Airport
- 1959Founding of York University
- 1959Invention of Dijkstra's algorithm
- 1 January 1959Castro's revolution takes power in Cuba
- 2 January 1959Launch of Luna 1
- 2 February 1959Dyatlov Pass incident
- 8 February 1959Birth of Mauricio Macri
- 9 April 1959Death of Frank Lloyd Wright
- 15 April 1959Birth of Emma Thompson
More in Universe & space
- 1 May 1949Discovery of Nereid
- 20 August 1977Launch of Voyager 2
- 28 July 1989Discovery of Galatea
- 23 July 1995Discovery of Comet Hale-Bopp
- 15 May 2005Discovery of Hydra
- 10 September 2005Discovery of Dysnomia
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.