The Luna program

• Silence from USSR from May 1958 to Jan 1959 – what's going on?

• Jan 1959 – First announced Moon probe. Misses Moon and becomes first artificial planet around the Sun

• Used “8K72”, Sputnik rocket with an upper stage

• Sep 1959 Luna-2 becomes first probe to hit the Moon

• Scatters pennants with Lenin's face over Lunar surface

• Oct 1959, Luna 3 photos of lunar far side