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Luna 2
Spacecraft
Luna 2 was the first spacecraft to successfully reach the Moon's surface, impacting in the Palus Putredinis region on September 14, 1959 after delivering Soviet pennants to the lunar surface.
Key Facts
organization | USSR |
orbital regime | Inner System |
learn more | Wikipedia |
launched | 1959-09-12 |
decommissioned | 1959-09-13 |
launch mass | 390.2 kg |
Mission Timeline
Launched
September 12, 1959 at 06:39 UTC
Luna (The Moon)
Impactor
Luna 2 became the first spacecraft to reach the Moon's surface on September 14, 1959, making a high-speed impact near the Palus Putredinis region.
Decommissioned
September 13, 1959 at 21:02 UTC
Luna 2 became the first spacecraft to reach the Moon's surface when it impacted near the Mare Imbrium region at 21:02 UTC on September 13, 1959.
Related Spacecraft
Luna 3
Launched in 1959
The first spacecraft to photograph the Moon's far side, Luna 3 launched in 1959 and transmitted 17 low-quality images back to Earth, revealing previously unseen lunar features and marking a significant milestone in lunar exploration.
