#DidYouKnow – The Soviet’s Were The 1st On The Moon?
Luna 2’s Historic Flight Happened in September
I recently read a book, Hot Moon by Alan Smale, and it hit home. With the Artemis program kicking off and our planned return to the moon, I thought it would be fun to review some history facts. One facet of the Space Race that intrigues me is that the Soviet Union beat the United States in a lot of firsts. The biggest has to be that they were actually the 1st to put a man-made object on the moon, but with any celestial object. And – get this – they did a DECADE before anyone else!
It is true that Apollo 11 was the first spacecraft to successfully carry humans to the moon and allow them to land. Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin took their Apollo Lunar Module Eagle on the moon while Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit, commanding Command Module Columbia. Then, on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong was the first person to step on the lunar surface.
What’s also true is that Luna 2 made it there first!
“The saddest thing, for me, about the Space Race is what was lost. Had we worked together, instead of against one another, think of the accomplishments we could’ve achieved on behalf of all humankind. When will we learn to we’re in this together?”
J.M. Northup
