Luna 1, also known asMechta (Russian:Мечта[mʲɪt͡ɕˈta],lit.:Dream),E-1 No.4 andFirst Lunar Rover,[4] was the firstspacecraft to reach the vicinity of Earth'sMoon, the first spacecraft to leave Earth's orbit, and the first to be placed inheliocentric orbit. Intended as a Moon impactor,Luna 1 was launched as part of theSovietLuna programme in 1959.
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 reachheliocentric orbit and was dubbed "Artificial Planet 1"[5] and renamedMechta (Dream).[6]Luna 1 was also referred to as the "First Cosmic Ship",[5] in reference to its achievement of Earthescape velocity.
The satellite and rocket carryingLuna 1 was originally referred to as the Soviet Space Rocket by the Soviet Press.[1] Pravda writerAlexander Kazantsev called itMechta (Russian:Мечта, meaning 'dream').[7][8] Citizens of Moscow unofficially deemed itLunik, a combination of Luna (Moon) andSputnik.[7] It was renamed toLuna 1 in 1963.[1]
Luna 1 was designed to impact the Moon, delivering two metallic pennants with theSoviet coat of arms that were included into its payload package.[2] It also had six instruments to study the Moon upon its suicidal approach. The flux-gatemagnetometer was triaxial and could measure ± 3000gammas. It was designed to detect lunar magnetic fields.[9][10] Two micrometeorite detectors, developed by Tatiana Nazarova of the Vernadsky Institute, were installed on the spacecraft. They each consisted of a metal plate with springs and could detect small impacts.[10] Four ion traps, used to measure solar wind and plasma, were included. They were developed by Konstantin Gringauz.[10] The scientific payload also included two gas-dischargeGeiger counters, a sodium-iodidescintillation counter, and aCherenkov detector. The upper stage of the rocket contained a scintillation counter and 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of sodium for a gas-dispersion experiment.[2][1]
The spacecraft weighed 361.3 kilograms (797 lb) at launch.[1] It was about 1.22 metres (4.0 ft) in diameter.[11]
Luna 1 was launched at 16:41 GMT (22:41local time) on 2 January 1959 fromSite 1/5 at theBaikonur Cosmodrome by aLuna 8K72 rocket.[1] The first three stages operated nominally. The Soviet engineers did not trust automated systems for controlling the engine burns, so they communicated to the rocket via radio. The signal to stop firing the engine Block E stage was delayed,[12] and the prolonged burn imparted an extra 175 m/s toLuna 1.[1]
ConsequentlyLuna 1 missed its target by 5,995 kilometers (3,725 mi). The spacecraft passed within 5,995–6,400 kilometers (3,725–3,977 mi) of the Moon's surface on 4 January after 34 hours of flight, and then became the first human made object to leave Earth's orbit on January 6, 1959.[2][1]Luna 1 ran out of battery power on 5 January, when it was 597,000 kilometers (371,000 mi) from Earth, making it impossible to track further.[1][13] The batteries were designed for a minimum of 40 hours but lasted for 62.[13]
Luna 1 became the first artificial object to reach theescape velocity of the Earth,[14] along with its carrier rocket's 1,472-kilogram (3,245 lb)[2] upper stage, which it separated from after being the first spacecraft to reachheliocentric orbit.[1] It remains in orbit around the Sun, between the orbits of Earth and Mars.[2]
At 00:57 GMT on 3 January 1959, at a distance of 113,000 kilometres (70,000 mi) from Earth,[1] 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) ofsodium gas was released by the spacecraft, forming a cloud behind it to serve as an artificialcomet. The cloud was released for two purposes: to allow visual tracking of the spacecraft's trajectory[16] and to observe the behavior of gas in space.[2] This glowing orange trail of gas, visible over theIndian Ocean with the brightness of a sixth-magnitude star for a few minutes, was photographed by Mstislav Gnevyshev at the Mountain Station of the Main Astronomical Observatory of theAcademy of Sciences of the USSR nearKislovodsk.[17]
While traveling through the outerVan Allen radiation belt, the spacecraft'sscintillator made observations indicating that a small number of high-energyparticles exist in the outer belt. The measurements obtained during this mission provided new data on the Earth's radiation belt andouter space. The craft was unable to detect a lunarmagnetic field which placed an upper limit on its strength of 1/10,000th of Earth's.[2][18] The first-ever direct observations and measurements ofsolar wind,[4][2] a strong flow ofionized plasma emanating from the Sun and streaming through interplanetary space, were performed.[2] The ionized plasma concentration was measured to be some 700 particles per cm3 at altitudes of 20,000–25,000 km and 300 to 400 particles per cm3 at altitudes of 100,000–150,000 km.[17] The spacecraft also marked the first instance of radio communication at the half-million-kilometer distance.
Some doubted the veracity of the Soviets' claim of mission success.Lloyd Mallan wrote about it in a book calledThe Big Red Lie. Many in the West did not receive transmissions from the spacecraft even though the Soviets publicized them before the flight. By the time the Earth rotated so that scientists in America could pick up signals from the spacecraft, it was already 171,000 kilometers (106,000 mi) away.[19] In May 1959 several hearingsSoviet Space Technology before theCommittee on Science and Astronautics and Special Subcommittee on Lunik Probe of theUnited States House of Representatives attested the achievements of the Soviet mission and its sophisticated guidance technology.[20]
The Soviet Union issued stamps to commemorate their success.[21]
Reichl, Eugen (2019).The Soviet Space Program: the Lunar Mission Years 1959–1976. Translated by David Johnston. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing.ISBN978-0-7643-5675-9.LCCN2017955750.
Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated inunderline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed initalics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in (brackets).
