The Soviet Space Probe LUNA was a series of robotic spacecrafts launched by the Soviet Union between 1959 and 1976. The probes were designed to explore the Moon and its environment, as well as to collect data on its surface and atmosphere. LUNA 1 was the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon, while LUNA 2 was the first to impact the lunar surface. LUNA 3 was the first to photograph the far side of the Moon, and LUNA 9 was the first to make a soft landing on the Moon.