Sept. 12, 1959: Luna 2 launches

<p>Less than two years after the successful launch of Sputnik 1, the Soviet Union put a spacecraft on the Moon. Launched Sept. 12, 1959, Luna 2 traveled over 30 hours to crash-land on the lunar surface. The impact happened at a speed of about 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) per second, and represented the first contact<a class="more-link" href="https://www.astronomy.com/today-in-the-history-of-astronomy/sept-12-1959-luna-2-launches/">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">"Sept. 12, 1959: Luna 2 launches"</span></a></p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.astronomy.com/today-in-the-history-of-astronomy/sept-12-1959-luna-2-launches/">Sept. 12, 1959: Luna 2 launches</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.astronomy.com">Astronomy Magazine</a>.</p>