Luna 1 was the first spacecraft to leave the gravitational influence of Earth. Also in 1959, Luna 2 was the first spacecraft to reach the surface of another celestial body, impacting the Moon, and Luna 3 returned the first images of the far side of the Moon.

Overview

Orbital and suborbital launches

Main articles: 1959 in spaceflight (January–June) and 1959 in spaceflight (July–December)

Deep Space Rendezvous

Date (GMT) Spacecraft Event Remarks
4 January Luna 1 First Lunar flyby Failed impactor, closest approach: 6,000 kilometres (3,700 mi)
4 March Pioneer 4 Lunar flyby Closest approach: 60,200 kilometres (37,400 mi)
14 September Luna 2 First Lunar impact Landed in Mare Imbrium, first spacecraft to reach the surface of a celestial body
6 October Luna 3 Lunar flyby First Circumlunar flight, returned 29 pictures including first images of the far side of the Moon; closest approach 6,200 kilometres (3,900 mi)

Orbital launch summary

By country

  Soviet Union
  United States
Orbital launch attempts by country in 1959
Country Launches Successes Failures Partial
failures 		Remarks
 Soviet Union 4 2 2 0
 United States 19 8 9 2

By rocket

Rocket Country Launches Successes Failures Partial failures Remarks
Atlas-Able  United States 1 0 1 0 Maiden flight
Juno II  United States 4 1 2 1
Luna 8K72  Soviet Union 4 2 2 0
Thor DM-18 Agena-A  United States 8 5 3 0 Maiden flight
Thor DM-18 Able-II  United States 1 0 1 0
Thor DM-18 Able-III  United States 1 1 0 0
Vanguard  United States 4 1 2 1 Final flight

By orbit

Orbital regime Launches Successes Failures Accidentally
Achieved 		Remarks
Low Earth 12 7 5 0
Medium Earth 4 1 3 0
High Earth 2 2 0 0 Including Highly elliptical orbits
Heliocentric 5 3 2 0

See also

References

Generic references:
Spaceflight portal

Footnotes


Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1959_in_spaceflight
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