50 years ago: Luna 1 escapes Earth’s gravity

William Atkins
Friday, 02 January 2009 23:05

Science - Space

However, because of this human-induced error, the little probe missed the Moon by about 5,995 kilometers 3,725 miles).

This closest point to the Moon was reached on January 4, 1959.

Consequently, Luna 1 became the first spacecraft built by humans to enter a heliocentric orbit—an orbit about the Sun.

It that point, it was renamed Mechta by the former U.S.S.R. It still is in orbit about the Sun.

Luna 1 takes about 450 days to orbit the Sun, being in an orbit that takes it between the orbits of the Earth and the planet Mars.

For additional information on the Luna program by the Soviet Union, please go to “Luna Missions.”

The pioneering flight of Luna 1 helped to secure Soviet Union/Russian space history, with its historic 1961 space flight of Yuri Gagarin, the first person in space, aboard Vostok 1.

Also read NASA's "Yuri Gagarin: First Man in Space."