![]() |
||
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Probe
|
Launch date
|
Results
|
1959 January 2
|
Missed Moon on January 4 by 6000 km. Intended lunar impact
|
1959 September 12
|
Hit Moon September 13 in eastern Mare Imbrium. First man-made object to reach
Moon
|
1959 October 4
|
Photographed Moon’s far side on October 7
|
1962 January 26
|
Missed Moon on January 28 by 36,800 km. Intended hard-lander
|
1962 April 23
|
Impacted Moon’s far side on April 26, Intended hard-lander
|
1962 October 18
|
Missed Moon on October 21 by 724 km. Intended hard-lander
|
1963 April 2
|
Missed Moon on April 5 by 8,500 km. Intended hard-lander
|
1964 January 30
|
Hit Moon February 2. Television system failed
|
1964 July 28
|
Hit Moon July 31 in southeastern Oceanus Procellarum (an area now known as Mare
Cognitum), returning 4,308 close-up photographs
|
1965 February 17
|
Hit Moon February 20 in Mare Tranquillitatis, returning 7,137 close-up
photographs
|
1965 March 21
|
Hit Moon March 24 in the crater Alphonsus, returning 5,814 close-up photographs
|
1965 May 9
|
Hit Moon May 12. Intended lander
|
1965 June 8
|
Missed Moon by 160,000 km on June 11. Intended lander
|
1965 July 18
|
Flew behind Moon on July 20, photographing areas not covered by Luna 3.
Continued towards Mars for long-range communications tests
|
1965 October 4
|
Hit Moon October 7. Intended lander
|
1965 December 3
|
Hit Moon December 6. Intended lander
|
1966 January 31
|
Landed in western Oceanus Procellarum February 3. Returned photographs from the
surface for three days
|
1966 March 31
|
Entered lunar orbit April 3. Measured magnetic field, meteoroids
|
1966 May 30
|
Landed June 2 in Oceanus Procellarum near crater Flamsteed. Returned 11,240
photographs
|
1966 August 10
|
Entered lunar orbit August 14. Returned 229 photographs
|
1966 September 20
|
Hit Moon September 23 after control system failed
|
1966 August 24
|
Entered lunar orbit August 27. Intended photographic mission
|
1966 October 22
|
Entered lunar orbit October 25. Photographed the surface
|
1966 November 6
|
Entered lunar orbit November 10. Returned 817 photographs
|
1966 December 21
|
Landed in northwestern Oceanus Procellarum December 24. Photographed the
surface, tested soil
|
1967 February 5
|
Entered lunar orbit February 8. Returned 626 photographs
|
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
|
1967 May 4
|
Entered lunar orbit May 8. Returned 546 photographs
|
1967 July 14
|
Landed in Sinus Medii on July 17. Radio contact lost prior to touchdown
|
1967 August 1
|
Entered lunar orbit August 5. Returned 844 photographs
|
1967 September 8
|
Landed September 11 in southern Mare Tranquillitatis. Returned 19,118
photographs. Analysed soil by bombardment with alpha particles
|
1967 November 7
|
Landed November 10 in Sinus Medii. Returned 29,952 photographs. Analysed soil
with alpha-particle instrument
|
1968 January 7
|
Landed January 10 near crater Tycho. Returned 21,038 photographs. Carried
mechanical arm and surface analysis instrument
|
1968 April 7
|
Entered lunar orbit April 10. Measured magnetic and gravitational fields, solar
wind particles
|
1968 September 14
|
Unmanned test of circumlunar Soyuz. Carried biological specimens. Splashed down
in Indian Ocean September 21
|
1968 November 10
|
Unmanned test of circumlunar Soyuz. Photographed lunar farside. Landed in Soviet
Union November 17
|
1969 July 13
|
Hit Moon July 21 in Mare Crisium. Intended sample-return mission
|
1969 August 7
|
Repeat of Zond 6 mission. Landed in Soviet Union August 14
|
1970 September 12
|
Landed in Mare Fecunditatis September 20. Returned to Earth September 24 with
100g of lunar soil
|
1970 October 20
|
Similar to previous Zonds, with modified reentry trajectory. Splashed down in
Indian Ocean October 27
|
1970 November 10
|
Landed in western Mare Imbrium November 17. Carried Lunokhod 1 rover
|
1971 September 2
|
Hit Moon September 11. Intended sample-return mission
|
1971 September 28
|
Entered lunar orbit October 3. Studied lunar surface and lunar environment
|
1972 February 14
|
Landed in northern Mare Fecunditatis February 21. Returned to Earth February 25
with 30g soil sample
|
1973 January 8
|
Landed in eastern Mare Serenitatis January 15. Carried Lunokhod 2 rover
|
1974 May 29
|
Entered lunar orbit June 2. Studied Moon and near-lunar space
|
1974 October 28
|
Landed in Mare Crisium November 6. Damaged drill prevented sample return
|
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
|