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Luna 3
Spacecraft
A Soviet spacecraft that made history in 1959 by capturing the first-ever photographs of the Moon's far side, revealing previously unseen features of our natural satellite.
Key Facts
organization | USSR |
orbital regime | Inner System |
learn more | Wikipedia |
launched | 1959-10-04 |
decommissioned | 1959-10-22 |
launch mass | 278.5 kg |
Mission Timeline
Launched
October 4, 1959 at 00:43 UTC
Luna (The Moon)
Flyby
Luna 3 made history by capturing the first-ever photographs of the Moon's far side during its flyby on October 7, 1959, revealing previously unseen lunar features to human eyes.
Decommissioned
October 22, 1959 at 00:00 UTC
Luna 3, which took the first photographs of the Moon's far side, completed its mission when its orbit decayed and it re-entered Earth's atmosphere between 1960-1962.
Related Spacecraft
Luna 2
Launched in 1959
The first spacecraft to intentionally impact another celestial body, Luna 2 struck the Moon's surface near the Aristides, Archimedes, and Autolycus craters on September 14, 1959, delivering Soviet pennants to the lunar surface.
