The Luna 1 spacecraft marked the first of a series of Soviet automatic interplanetary stations successfully launched in the direction of the Moon.
The sphere-shaped spacecraft was equipped with mercury-oxide batteries, silver-zinc accumulators, four antennas, radio equipment, a tracking transmitter, and telemetry systems.
What Was Its Mission?
Luna 1 was designed to impact on the Moon and carried a suite of scientific instruments:
Magnetometer: Measured magnetic fields
Micrometeorite detectors: Gathered data on small particles
Ion traps: Measured solar wind and plasma
Geiger and scintillation counters: Monitored cosmic radiation levels
To break free of Earth’s gravity, the rocket was fitted with a third stage, Block E, which also released a glowing sodium cloud visible from Earth to study gas behavior in outer space.
However, a delay in the Block E engine burn caused Luna 1 to miss its intended target, the Moon. Instead, it flew past the Moon and entered a heliocentric orbit around the Sun, becoming a pioneer in interplanetary exploration.
The Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy of the USSR. Maquette of the automatic unmanned interplanetary station Luna 1 launched by the USSR on January 2, 1959.
© Sputnik / David Sholomovich
Luna 1’s Legacy
The spacecraft delivered key data on Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts, held by the planet’s magnetic field.
It also proved the Moon lacks a detectable magnetic field, and measured solar wind properties.
Most importantly, Luna 1 paved the way for the Luna 2 mission, which became the first spacecraft to impact on the Moon’s surface on September 14, 1959.