2nd January 1959: USSR launches Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon

Luna 1, also known as Mechta (Russian for "Dream"), was planned to crash into the Moon before which its range of instruments and communication were intended to study cosmic rays, solar wind, magnetic fields, and ionizing radiation.

Luna 1 itself did not feature a propulsion system, so relied on a carrier rocket to deliver it to lunar orbit. Launched shortly before 11pm local time on 2 January 1959 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in modern-day Kazakhstan, the signal to stop firing one of the rockets was sent too late meaning that the spacecraft had more velocity than intended. Consequently Luna 1 missed the Moon by almost 4,000 miles. Despite this deviation from the original plan, Luna 1 became the first human-made object to reach the Moon, opening a new era of lunar exploration.

Although Luna 1 didn’t impact the Moon, it was still able to relay valuable information about the conditions in outer space. It was unable to detect a lunar magnetic field, enabling scientists to determine the upper limit of its strength, and conducted the first direct observations of a strong flow of ionized plasma emanating from the Sun known as solar wind. Combined with temperature and pressure readings, Luna 1 enhanced global understanding of the challenges associated with interplanetary travel.

Having failed to achieve its intended lunar orbit, Luna 1 sped past the Moon and became the first human-made object to reach heliocentric orbit. It remains in orbit around the Sun, between the orbits of Earth and Mars. A second Luna mission in September successfully reached the surface of the Moon.