| .....Luna
2 was the second of a series of
spacecraft launched in the direction of
the Moon. The first spacecraft to land on
the Moon, it impacted the lunar surface
east of Mare Serenitatis near the
Aristides, Archimedes, and Autolycus
craters. Luna 2 was similar in design to
Luna 1, a spherical spacecraft with
protruding antennae and instrument parts.
The instrumentation was also similar,
including scintillation- and geiger-
counters, a magnetometer, and
micrometeorite detectors. The spacecraft
also carried Soviet pennants. There were
no propulsion systems on Luna 2 itself. .....After launch
and attainment of escape velocity on 12
September 1959, Luna 2 separated from its
third stage, which travelled along with
it towards the Moon.
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