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Today in History: Soviet Luna 2 Becomes First Craft to Reach Moon

By Drooid · Sep 13, 2026, 10:35 AM UTC · How we work

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Summary

Story summary

On 13 September 1959, the Soviet Union’s Luna 2 probe slammed into the Moon, becoming the first human-made object to reach another celestial body. Launched as part of the Luna programme, the E-1 No.7 spacecraft traveled roughly 384 000 km, impacted the lunar surface, and proved unmanned missions could reach extraterrestrial targets.

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Story summary

On 13 September 1959, the Soviet Union’s Luna 2 probe slammed into the Moon, becoming the first human-made object to reach another celestial body. Launched as part of the Luna programme, the E-1 No.7 spacecraft traveled roughly 384 000 km, impacted the lunar surface, and proved unmanned missions could reach extraterrestrial targets.