Luna 1

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/luna-1

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is Luna 1 known for?First direct measurement of solar wind
2. What is the spacecraft designation?E-1 No.4
3. What is the launch date?January 2, 1959
4. What was Luna 1 and why is it special?Luna 1 was a tiny robot ship launched by the Soviet Union in 1959. It was the first human-made object to fly past the Moon and then travel around the Sun, becoming the first artificial planet.
5. How did Luna 1 miss the Moon and still succeed?A mistake in the rocket’s burn time made Luna 1 go too fast, so it missed the Moon by 5,900 km. Because it was moving so fast, it left Earth’s gravity and started orbiting the Sun instead.

Heliocentric Orbit: The orbital path of an object revolving around the Sun, as opposed to orbiting a planet.
Earth Escape Velocity: The minimum speed an object must attain to escape the gravitational influence of a celestial body, in this case, Earth.
Solar Wind: A continuous stream of charged particles released from the upper atmosphere of the Sun.
Magnetometer: An instrument used to measure magnetic fields, including those of planets and stars.