Luna 2 impact

Luna 2 · 1959 CE · The Moon

Luna 2 impact — Luna 2 · 1959 CE · The Moon — Recorded expedition route · schematic map

Reach the Moon’s surface.

Historical context

Luna 2 was designed to reach the Moon's surface with little margin for error. Its impact struck a propaganda blow and carried Soviet pennants to another world.

The voyage, step by step

  1. Aimed at the Moon

    12 September 1959

    On 12 September 1959 Luna 2 is launched on a direct trajectory meant to end in a collision.

  2. Thirty-four hours of coasting

    1959 CE

    The probe crosses the gap to the Moon in a day and a half, trailing another sodium cloud for the telescopes.

  3. Witnessed from Cheshire

    1959 CE

    The great dish at Jodrell Bank follows the signal and hears it stop at the predicted instant.

  4. First impact on another world

    13 September 1959

    At 22:02 Moscow time on 13 September it hits the marsh of plains between Archimedes and Autolycus.

  5. A gift in Washington

    1959 CE

    Two days later Khrushchev lands in the United States and hands Eisenhower a replica of the pennant sphere.

Outcome

First human-made object to hit the Moon.

Luna 2

Soviet probe that made the first human-made impact on another world, hitting the Moon in September 1959.

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Sources

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