Luna 1
Luna 1, also known as Mechta (Russian: Мечта [mʲɪt͡ɕˈta], lit.: Dream), E-1 No.4 and First Lunar Rover, was the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of Earth's Moon, the first spacecraft to leave Earth's orbit, and the first to be placed in heliocentric orbit. Intended as a Moon impactor, Luna 1 was launched as part of the Soviet Luna programme in 1959.
A museum replica | |
| Mission type | Lunar impactor |
|---|---|
| Operator | Soviet Union |
| Harvard designation | 1959 Mu 1 |
| COSPAR ID | 1959-012A |
| SATCAT no. | 00112 |
| Mission duration | Approximately 62 hours |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Ye-1 |
| Manufacturer | OKB-1 |
| Launch mass | 361.3 kilograms (797 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 2 January 1959, 16:41:21 UTC |
| Rocket | Luna 8K72 |
| Launch site | Baikonur, Site 1/5 |
| End of mission | |
| Last contact | 5 January 1959 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Heliocentric |
| Semi-major axis | 1.146 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.14767 |
| Perihelion altitude | 0.9766 AU |
| Aphelion altitude | 1.315 AU |
| Inclination | 0.01° |
| Period | 450 days |
| Epoch | 1 January 1959, 19:00:00 GMT |
| Lunar flyby (failed impact) | |
| Closest approach | 4 January 1959 |
| Distance | 5,995 kilometres (3,725 mi) |
A malfunction in the ground-based control system caused an error in the upper stage rocket's burn time, and the spacecraft missed the Moon by 5,900 km (more than three times the Moon's radius). Luna 1 became the first human-made object to reach heliocentric orbit and was dubbed "Artificial Planet 1" and renamed Mechta (Dream). Luna 1 was also referred to as the "First Cosmic Ship", in reference to its achievement of Earth escape velocity.