Mission Summary
The initial spacecraft of the modified Soviet E-1A series, this mission sought to reclaim momentum following the near-miss of Luna 1 earlier that year. Known internally as Luna E-1A No. 1 (and classified by NASA as Luna 1959A), the upgraded 853-pound (387 kg) metallic sphere was optimized to achieve the world's first physical impact on the lunar surface. It carried specialized tracking equipment alongside a signature gaseous sodium canister designed to produce a highly visible tracking cloud in deep space.
Operational issues plagued the mission before it even left the ground. Ground crews originally scheduled the launch for June 16, but a careless fueling mistake by an officer forced a full two-day delay after the booster was loaded with the wrong grade of RP-1 propellant.
Liftoff from Baikonur Cosmodrome finally proceeded smoothly on June 18 until the upper atmospheric phase of flight. Exactly 153 seconds after launch, a critical yaw gyroscope failed, causing the core stage of the Luna 8K72 carrier rocket to veer sharply off course. An automated safety system quickly cut engine thrust, sending the rocket crashing into the wilderness 522 miles (841 km) downrange.
Sources and notes can be found on the Sources page.
