Unnamed Luna (Ye-1/1):
This simple probe, a pressurized spherical object made from aluminum-magnesium alloy, was approximately the size of the first Sputnik, which carried five scientific instruments. The goals of the mission were to study interplanetary matter, cosmic radiation and the magnetic fields of the Moon and Earth. The probe carried natrium (the technical name for sodium) to create an artificial comet on the outbound trajectory that could be photographed from Earth.

During launch, the booster developed longitudinal resonant vibrations on the strap-on boosters of the launch vehicle. The rocket disintegrated 93 seconds after liftoff, destroying its payload.

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09.23.58:  Launch Status:  Spacecraft Lost Show All Dates for Ye-1/1		Solar System Bodies: Earth's Moon National Space Science Data Center: Soviet Lunar Missions
This was the Soviet Union's first attempt to send a spacecraft to the Moon. The U.S. made the first interplanetary launch effort - Pioneer 0 - a month earlier. It too was unsuccessful. Initial Soviet plans called for sending four probes to the Moon. The fourth in the series was to set off a nuclear explosion on the lunar surface.