50 years ago today, the former Soviet Union
launched Luna-1 to try and hit the moon.

As you know...It missed.
But not by much.
3,600 miles [6,000 Km].

But as far as historic legacy goes, Luna-1
ended up as the poor sister of the better known
achievements of Luna-2 [the first to hit the moon]
and Luna-3 [the first to image the farside].

Unlike its two later siblings, Luna-1 did not get the respect
and honors it deserves.

True!...Luna-1 was not the first deepspace probe.

But the historic accomplishments of Luna-1, I feel,
put it on a par with Sputnik-1....My view is not totally subjective.

(1) Luna-1 was the FIRST manmade object to achieve escape-velocity.

(2) Luna-1 was the FIRST manmade object to enter an independent solar-orbit.

(3) Luna-1 was the FIRST manmade object to fly beyond the moon.

(4) Luna-1 was the FIRST manmade object to fall under lunar gravitational dominance.

(5) Luna-1 was the FIRST spacecraft to receive a GRAVITATIONAL ASSIST from
another celestial body [though this was more by accident than design].

The Luna-1 spacecraft showed that the moon lacked a magnetic-field.

It also discovered and proved the existence of the solar-wind, four years
before Mariner-2 repeated the 'discovery'.

Luna-1 shouldn't be the Rodney Dangerfield of spacecraft.