\<COLOUR 1> LAUNCH DATE: \<COLOUR 0> January 2, 1959
\<COLOUR 1> LAUNCH SITE: \<COLOUR 0> Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Central Asia
\<COLOUR 1> LAUNCH VEHICLE: \<COLOUR 0> A-1
\<COLOUR 1> WEIGHT: \<COLOUR 0> 361 kg
\<COLOUR 1> MISSION: \<COLOUR 0> Lunar landing
\<COLOUR 1> CLOSEST APPROACH: \<COLOUR 0> 5,000 km
\<COLOUR 1> COUNTRY: \<COLOUR 0> USSR
\<COLOUR 1> COMMENTS: \<COLOUR 0> First probe to attain Earth escape velocity (about 40,000 km/h); misses Moon and goes into solar orbit with its third-stage rocket.