Luna 2 (Ye-1A 6)
The Ye-1A series of soviet lunar probes were attempts to reach the surface of the moon. Two were launched, but only the second was successuful and was named Luna 2 (also called "Lunik 2" in western media). Luna 2 became the first human made object to reach the moon.
The Ye-1A series were improved versions of the Ye-1 series. The payload consisted of including scintillation counters, geiger counters, a magnetometer, Cherenkov detectors, and micrometeorite detectors. It also carried two sphere-shaped Soviet pennants, with the surface covered by identical pentagonal elements, which were to be shattered on impact.
The Ye-1A 5 probe was launched on 18 June 1959, but the mission failed due to a booster suffering a failure of the yaw gyro and veering off its flight path ending in flight termination after 153 seconds.
Luna 2 (Ye-1A 6) was successfully launched on 12 September 1959. On the way to the moon, it provided measurements of the Van Allen radiation belt. Luna 2 impacted the lunar surface as the first man-made object on 13 September 1959 after a flight of 1.5 days.
Nation: | USSR |
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Type / Application: | Lunar impact |
Operator: | |
Contractors: | OKB-1 |
Equipment: | scintillation counters, geiger counters, a magnetometer, Cherenkov detectors, micrometeorite detectors |
Configuration: | |
Propulsion: | None |
Power: | Batteries |
Lifetime: | 1.5 days |
Mass: | 390 kg |
Orbit: |
Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
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Luna (2a) (Ye-1A 5) | 1959-F03 | 18.06.1959 | Ba LC-1/5 | F | Vostok-L | |
Luna 2 (Ye-1A 6) | 1959 ξ 1 | 12.09.1959 | Ba LC-1/5 | Vostok-L |