 NASA officials tried to put a positive spin on the mission, noting that it was the first time an American spacecraft had reached the surface of the Moon and that the probe was "far more sophisticated" than the Soviet Luna 2 space probe in 1959, which had been little more than a pressurized sphere designed to deposit pennants on the surface at impact.The excellent performance of the Atlas-Agena booster had also raised morale.This spacecraft, similar in design to Ranger 3, was the first American spacecraft to reach another celestial body.