# Luna E-1 No.2

> Soviet spacecraft

**Wikidata**: [Q555886](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q555886)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_E-1_No.2)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/luna-e-1-no-2

## Summary
Luna E-1 No.2 was a Soviet spacecraft launched on October 11, 1958, as part of the Luna programme, designed to explore the Moon. It was the second attempt in the Luna E-1 series of lunar probes but failed to reach its intended trajectory.

## Key Facts
- **Launch Date**: October 11, 1958
- **Launch Site**: Gagarin's Start (Baikonur Cosmodrome)
- **Launch Vehicle**: Luna 8K72 rocket
- **Part of Series**: Luna programme
- **Preceded By**: Luna E-1 No.1
- **Followed By**: Luna E-1 No.3
- **Aliases**: Also known as Luna 1958B
- **Instance Of**: Luna E-1 class of spacecraft
- **Sitelink Count**: 19 (Wikidata)
- **Wikipedia Coverage**: Available in 10 languages (bg, bn, ca, de, el, en, fr, hu, it, ja)

## FAQs
### Q: What was the purpose of Luna E-1 No.2?
A: Luna E-1 No.2 was part of the Soviet Luna programme, aimed at exploring the Moon. It was intended to be one of the first spacecraft to reach the Moon but failed to achieve its trajectory.

### Q: When was Luna E-1 No.2 launched?
A: Luna E-1 No.2 was launched on October 11, 1958, from Gagarin's Start at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

### Q: What rocket was used to launch Luna E-1 No.2?
A: The spacecraft was launched using the Luna 8K72 carrier rocket.

### Q: What happened to Luna E-1 No.2?
A: The mission failed to reach its intended lunar trajectory, though specific details of the failure are not provided in the source material.

### Q: How does Luna E-1 No.2 relate to other Luna missions?
A: It was the second in the Luna E-1 series, preceded by Luna E-1 No.1 and followed by Luna E-1 No.3.

## Why It Matters
Luna E-1 No.2 represents an early effort in the Space Race, reflecting the Soviet Union's ambitions to explore the Moon during the late 1950s. While the mission itself was unsuccessful, it contributed to the broader Luna programme, which achieved significant milestones in lunar exploration, including the first human-made object to reach the Moon (Luna 2) and the first images of the Moon's far side (Luna 3). The failures and lessons from missions like Luna E-1 No.2 were critical in refining the technology and strategies for subsequent successful lunar missions, shaping the trajectory of space exploration during the Cold War era.

## Notable For
- **Early Lunar Mission**: One of the first attempts by the Soviet Union to send a spacecraft to the Moon.
- **Part of Pioneering Series**: Member of the Luna E-1 class, a foundational series in the Luna programme.
- **Historical Context**: Launched during the height of the Space Race, symbolizing early Cold War-era space competition.
- **Technological Predecessor**: Contributed to the development of later successful Luna missions.
- **Alias Recognition**: Also known as Luna 1958B, reflecting its place in the sequence of early lunar probes.

## Body
### Overview
Luna E-1 No.2 was a Soviet spacecraft designed as part of the Luna programme, which aimed to explore the Moon. It was the second mission in the Luna E-1 series, a class of lunar probes developed by the Soviet Union.

### Launch Details
- **Date**: October 11, 1958
- **Location**: Gagarin's Start, Baikonur Cosmodrome
- **Launch Vehicle**: Luna 8K72 rocket, a variant of the R-7 family of rockets used for early Soviet space missions.

### Mission Context
The Luna E-1 series was intended to achieve several objectives, including impacting the Moon or entering lunar orbit. Luna E-1 No.2 followed the first attempt, Luna E-1 No.1, and was succeeded by Luna E-1 No.3. The mission was part of a broader effort to demonstrate Soviet technological prowess during the Space Race.

### Outcome
The mission failed to achieve its intended trajectory, though specific details of the failure are not documented in the provided source material. Despite this, the Luna programme continued, with later missions achieving historic firsts in lunar exploration.

### Technical Specifications
- **Class**: Luna E-1
- **Launch Mass**: Not specified in the source material
- **Payload**: Designed to carry scientific instruments for lunar study, though exact specifications are not provided.

### Historical Significance
Luna E-1 No.2 is notable for its role in the early phases of lunar exploration. The Luna programme, of which it was a part, was instrumental in advancing Soviet space capabilities and contributed to key milestones in space history.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "Luna E-1 No.2",
  "description": "A Soviet spacecraft launched on October 11, 1958, as part of the Luna programme to explore the Moon.",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4230216",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_E-1_No.2"
  ],
  "additionalType": "Spacecraft"
}

## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013