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| A cover commemorating Luna 2, postmarked in Moscow with a hand cancel on September 16, 1959, and a black "Soviet Space Rocket on the Moon" postmark. |
Luna 2 was a Soviet unmanned lunar probe launched from Baikonur on September 12, 1959. It became the first human-made object to reach the surface of another celestial body, impacting the Moon on September 14, 1959.
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| Photo: Luna 2, the first to reach the surface of the moon in space flight history. |
After launch, Luna 2 traveled toward the Moon and released several instruments and scientific packages. It carried magnetometers, radiation detectors, and micrometeoroid detectors, among other equipment, to investigate the space environment between Earth and the Moon. The spacecraft also carried spherical pennants bearing the Soviet emblem, which were designed to reach the lunar surface with the probe.
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| A Luna 2 commemorative cover featuring two red "Soviet Space Rocket on the Moon" postmarks. |
Luna 2 impacted near the boundary between Mare Imbrium (Sea of Rains) and Mare Serenitatis (Sea of Serenity) at approximately 21:02 UT on September 14. The impact confirmed that the Moon had no significant global magnetic field and provided measurements of the lunar environment and solar wind.
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| Photo: Sodium cloud formed by Luna 2 on September 12, 1959. |
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| A postcard commemorating Luna 2, featuring a black "Soviet Space Rocket on the Moon" postmark. |
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| A Luna 2 First Day Cover postmarked in Moscow with a hand cancel on November 1, 1959. |
