Luna 2

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Luna 2 or also Lunik 2 was the second Soviet spacecraft launched to the Moon launched on September 12, 1959. It was the first spacecraft to reach the lunar surface. It has impacted Moon on September 13, 1959. Luna 2 had similar design as Luna 1 (Luna 1). Instruments were also similar to Luna 1. There were no propulsion system. 

Luna 2: I am not sure whether this picture is actually correct, minimally design should be similar to the previous mission Luna1

Luna 2 carried 5 instruments to perform different type of test while it was on the way to the Moon.
  • the Geiger counter was the primary objective of the mission
  • the scintillation counters to measure ionizing radiation
  • the Cherenkov radiation detectors to measure electromagnetic radiation caused by charged particles
  • STS-5 gas discharge counters powered by 360 V battery
  • three component fluxgate magnetometer
The last transmission came about 55 km from the lunar surface. The impact was possible only to observe visually from Earth, so the spacecraft released a sodium vapor cloud that was observed from observatories in Alma Ata, Byurakan, Abastuma, Tbilisi, and Stalinabad.

Luna 2 has shown time variation in the electron flux and energy spectrum in the Earth's Van Allen radiation belt. Emphasize the Earth's belt, as Luna 2 was also searching for the Van Allen radiation belts around the Moon, which was not observed.
Despite the partial failure of Luna 1, Luna 1 achieved the first observation of the solar wind and made a fly by around the Moon. Luna 2 finished the task. Even it can seem that mission was based on shoot and hope but all these attempts were needed to get a mankind on the Moon. 

 Luna carried 2 Soviet spherical pennants onboard. Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev gave copy of the pennant as a gift to the American president Dwight D. Eisenhower on September, 15, 1959.

Copy of the pennant

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