The First Thing to Reach the Moon
In 1959, a Soviet probe crashed into the Moon, scattering metal badges stamped with the emblem of the Soviet Union across its surface.
What was reported
On 14 September 1959, the Soviet probe Luna 2 hit the Moon near the craters Archimedes and Autolycus, becoming the first human-made object to reach another world. The Jodrell Bank radio telescope in England tracked its signal until it stopped.
On board were two metal spheres made of pentagon-shaped pennants engraved with the Soviet coat of arms, designed to burst apart on impact and scatter across the surface.
Explanations offered
The pennants probably vaporised in the high-speed crash, though some may have survived. Days later, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev gave a replica to US President Eisenhower. Luna 2 also confirmed that the Moon has no strong magnetic field.
- When
- 14 September 1959
- Where
- Palus Putredinis, the Moon
- Witnesses
- Soviet controllers and astronomers in Britain
- Status
- Confirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.