Luna 1, also known as Mechta (Russian: Мечта [mʲɪt͡ɕˈta], lit.: Dream), E-1 No.4 and First Lunar Rover, [4] was the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of Earth's Moon, the first spacecraft to leave Earth's orbit, and the first to be placed in heliocentric orbit.

Luna 1 was the first spacecraft to reach the Moon, and the first of a series of Soviet automatic interplanetary stations successfully launched in the direction of the Moon. The spacecraft was sphere-shaped.

Luna 1 (launched January 2, 1959) was the first spacecraft to escape Earth’s gravity. It failed to impact the Moon as planned and became the first artificial object to go into orbit around the Sun.

Jan 2, 2024 · The Luna 1 spacecraft broke free of Earth’s gravity – 65 years ago – on this date, to head toward the moon. Many believe this craft – launched by the Soviet Union – was supposed to hit ...

Luna-1: USSR launches the first artificial planet On Jan. 2, 1959, the USSR launched the first spacecraft beyond the Earth orbit into a trajectory around the Sun. The E1 No. 4 probe was designed to hit the Moon but missed it due to navigational errors.

Luna 1 (also known as the First Cosmic Ship, [3] Cosmic Rocket [4] and Mechta [4] (Russian: Мечта, Literal translation: Dream)) was a space probe of the Soviet Union. [5] It was the first mission in the Luna programme [5] and it was the first spacecraft to reach the Moon.

Apr 8, 2025 · In 1959, the USSR's Luna 1 was the first spacecraft to fly by the Moon. In 1966, Luna 9 achieved the first soft landing and in 1969, the U.S.'s Apollo 11 achieved the first human landing. In the decades since, many nations have contributed to lunar orbiters and landers.

On January 2, 1959, the Soviet Union launched Luna 1, a spacecraft that forever changed humanity’s understanding of space. Luna 1 was the first human-made object to reach the vicinity of the Moon and the first to orbit the Sun.

Jan 4, 2025 · Luna 1 was the first space vehicle to reach escape velocity and leave Earth’s gravitational field; the first to reach the vicinity of the Moon, and the first man-made device to orbit the Sun. The Chief Designer, Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, photographed in 1938.

Jan 14, 2023 · The Ye-1 series of soviet lunar probes were the first attempt to reach the surface of the moon. Only one of four probes was successfully launched, receiving the name Luna 1 (also called " Lunik 1 " in western media), but missed the moon.