may 1, 1959 - Luna

Description:

Luna 1 was the first (unmanned) spacecraft to reach the vicinity of Earth's Moon, and the first spacecraft to be placed in heliocentric orbit. Intended as an impactor, Luna 1 was launched as part of the Soviet Luna programme in 1959.

A malfunction in the ground-based control system caused an error in the upper stage rocket's burn time, and the spacecraft missed the Moon by 5,900 km (more than three times the Moon's radius). Luna 1 became the first human-made object to reach heliocentric orbit and was dubbed "Artificial Planet 1"[5] and renamed Mechta (Dream).[6] Luna 1 was also referred to as the "First Cosmic Ship",[5] in reference to its achievement of Earth escape velocity.

Its successor Luna II was the first craft to (crash) land on another body, and Luna III was the first to ever see the far side of Earth's moon.

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