LUNA 2 PROBE 1959

LUNA 2

• The Luna 2 probe was launched by the Soviet Union and crash landed on the moon's surface on September 12, 1959.

SUMMARY

• The Luna 2 probe was the first spacecraft to ever reach the surface of the moon. The Luna 2 aircraft was a spherical shape with antennas sticking out of it. The launch was originally scheduled for September 9, but it failed to reach full thrust at ignition. It delayed the flight three days. The aircraft finally launched to the moon September 12, 1959. It took 36 hours for it to land on the moon.

SUMMARY

• The Luna program was a series of robotic spacecraft missions to be sent to the moon. They were all designed as an orbiter or a lander. Fifteen of the missions were successful. The estimated cost of the Luna program was about $4.5 billion.

MVP

• The Luna program was directed by Sergei Korlev, who was an aeronautical engineer.