Probe

Launch date

Results

Luna 1

1959 January 2

Missed Moon on January 4 by 6000 km. Intended lunar impact

Luna 2

1959 September 12

Hit Moon September 13 in eastern Mare Imbrium. First man-made object to reach Moon

Luna 3

1959 October 4

Photographed Moon’s far side on October 7

Ranger 3

1962 January 26

Missed Moon on January 28 by 36,800 km. Intended hard-lander

Ranger 4

1962 April 23

Impacted Moon’s far side on April 26, Intended hard-lander

Ranger 5

1962 October 18

Missed Moon on October 21 by 724 km. Intended hard-lander

Luna 4

1963 April 2

Missed Moon on April 5 by 8,500 km. Intended hard-lander

Ranger 6

1964 January 30

Hit Moon February 2. Television system failed

Ranger 7

1964 July 28

Hit Moon July 31 in southeastern Oceanus Procellarum (an area now known as Mare Cognitum), returning 4,308 close-up photographs

Ranger 8

1965 February 17

Hit Moon February 20 in Mare Tranquillitatis, returning 7,137 close-up photographs

Ranger 9

1965 March 21

Hit Moon March 24 in the crater Alphonsus, returning 5,814 close-up photographs

Luna 5

1965 May 9

Hit Moon May 12. Intended lander

Luna 6

1965 June 8

Missed Moon by 160,000 km on June 11. Intended lander

Zond 3

1965 July 18

Flew behind Moon on July 20, photographing areas not covered by Luna 3. Continued towards Mars for long-range communications tests

Luna 7

1965 October 4

Hit Moon October 7. Intended lander

Luna 8

1965 December 3

Hit Moon December 6. Intended lander

Luna 9

1966 January 31

Landed in western Oceanus Procellarum February 3. Returned photographs from the surface for three days

Luna 10

1966 March 31

Entered lunar orbit April 3. Measured magnetic field, meteoroids

Surveyor 1

1966 May 30

Landed June 2 in Oceanus Procellarum near crater Flamsteed. Returned 11,240 photographs

Lunar Orbiter 1

1966 August 10

Entered lunar orbit August 14. Returned 229 photographs

Surveyor 2

1966 September 20

Hit Moon September 23 after control system failed

Luna 11

1966 August 24

Entered lunar orbit August 27. Intended photographic mission

Luna 12

1966 October 22

Entered lunar orbit October 25. Photographed the surface

Lunar Orbiter 2

1966 November 6

Entered lunar orbit November 10. Returned 817 photographs

Luna 13

1966 December 21

Landed in northwestern Oceanus Procellarum December 24. Photographed the surface, tested soil

Lunar Orbiter 3

1967 February 5

Entered lunar orbit February 8. Returned 626 photographs

Surveyor 3

1967 April 17

Landed April 20 in Oceanus Procellarum. Returned 6,326 photographs. Dug soil with mechanical arm. Visited by Apollo 12 astronauts in 1969 November

Lunar Orbiter 4

1967 May 4

Entered lunar orbit May 8. Returned 546 photographs

Surveyor 4

1967 July 14

Landed in Sinus Medii on July 17. Radio contact lost prior to touchdown

Lunar Orbiter 5

1967 August 1

Entered lunar orbit August 5. Returned 844 photographs

Surveyor 5

1967 September 8

Landed September 11 in southern Mare Tranquillitatis. Returned 19,118 photographs. Analysed soil by bombardment with alpha particles

Surveyor 6

1967 November 7

Landed November 10 in Sinus Medii. Returned 29,952 photographs. Analysed soil with alpha-particle instrument

Surveyor 7

1968 January 7

Landed January 10 near crater Tycho. Returned 21,038 photographs. Carried mechanical arm and surface analysis instrument

Luna 14

1968 April 7

Entered lunar orbit April 10. Measured magnetic and gravitational fields, solar wind particles

Zond 5

1968 September 14

Unmanned test of circumlunar Soyuz. Carried biological specimens. Splashed down in Indian Ocean September 21

Zond 6

1968 November 10

Unmanned test of circumlunar Soyuz. Photographed lunar farside. Landed in Soviet Union November 17

Luna 15

1969 July 13

Hit Moon July 21 in Mare Crisium. Intended sample-return mission

Zond 7

1969 August 7

Repeat of Zond 6 mission. Landed in Soviet Union August 14

Luna 16

1970 September 12

Landed in Mare Fecunditatis September 20. Returned to Earth September 24 with 100g of lunar soil

Zond 8

1970 October 20

Similar to previous Zonds, with modified reentry trajectory. Splashed down in Indian Ocean October 27

Luna 17

1970 November 10

Landed in western Mare Imbrium November 17. Carried Lunokhod 1 rover

Luna 18

1971 September 2

Hit Moon September 11. Intended sample-return mission

Luna 19

1971 September 28

Entered lunar orbit October 3. Studied lunar surface and lunar environment

Luna 20

1972 February 14

Landed in northern Mare Fecunditatis February 21. Returned to Earth February 25 with 30g soil sample

Luna 21

1973 January 8

Landed in eastern Mare Serenitatis January 15. Carried Lunokhod 2 rover

Luna 22

1974 May 29

Entered lunar orbit June 2. Studied Moon and near-lunar space

Luna 23

1974 October 28

Landed in Mare Crisium November 6. Damaged drill prevented sample return

Luna 24

1976 August 9

Landed in southeastern Mare Crisium (same area as failed Luna 23) on August 18. Returned to Earth August 22 with 170g soil sample