Uncrewed spacecraft sent beyond Earth orbit to fly by, orbit, land on or otherwise study another body without a human crew aboard, from planetary flyby missions to interstellar probes. Belongs here: any robotic craft whose mission target lies beyond low Earth orbit. Does not belong here: robotic craft that stay in Earth orbit, grouped under Satellite, or craft that land and then rove across a surface under their own power, grouped under Mars Rover or Lunar Rover once that distinction applies.
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1. Wikipedia: Luna 1
Wikimedia FoundationLuna 1, lead sectionQuote, Luna 1, lead section
was the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of Earth's Moon, the first spacecraft to leave Earth's orbit, and the first to be placed in heliocentric orbit.
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