Now We Have A Reason To Go Back To The Moon

Luna II becomes the first man-made object to impact the lunar surface, and the first to reach a cosmic body other than the Earth.

In a move that was sheer propaganda, the Soviets placed a stainless steel sphere (identical to the one displayed here) aboard the Luna II spacecraft. The sphere was covered with medallions stamped with the emblem of the Soviet Union and the year 1959. When Luna II impacted the Moon, the sphere was ejected, scattering the medallions across the lunar surface. It was the Soviet version of a calling card, announcing to all who followed that the Soviet Union had been the first to the moon.

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