Status
Success
Luna-3
Launch Time
Sun Oct 04, 1959 00:43 UTC
Sun Oct 04, 1959 00:43 UTC
First probe to fly over the far side of the Moon. First pictures of the far side of the Moon.
Rocket
Mission Details
Luna-3
This probe was launched onto a free-return trajectory around the moon and its purpose was to photograph its far side, which was sunlit at the time. It took 29 pictures covering 70% of the moon's far side and transmitted them when it came back near Earth, but due to poor signal strength only 17 poor-quality pictures were successfully sent. Nevertheless, after image stitching and computer enhancement they created an Atlas of the Far Side of the Moon, which was very exciting for everyone worldwide. It showed a mountainous surface, very different from the near side.
Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 279.0 kg
Trans Lunar Injection
Location
Site 1/5, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Stats
1959
19th orbital launch attempt
Vostok
7th mission
4th mission of 1959
2nd successful mission
2nd consecutive successful mission