Moon Landing Missions – Timeline

Human research has missed nothing from micro to macro, near to far, living to dead, space dust to plants.  Is Moon an exception?   Out of sign is out of mind – For the Moon being the Earth’s only natural satellite and seeing it every other night, we never stopped digging more about it.  At about one-fourth the diameter of Earth, Moon is relatively the most prominent natural satellite in the Solar System to its planet. It is also the fifth largest satellite in our Solar System. Here in this article, we look up the moon landing missions of all countries in our world.

Why missions on the Moon

There have been numerous researches on the Moon with remarkable and exciting findings. The study took off as a tele mode. It transitioned to moon landing missions. That is where the researchers started moving to the next level as a race for national pride. Here, the orbital calculations to solve unresolved mathematical theories and the list is endless.

The Soviet Union & the Moon mission pioneering:

When we speak of moon landing missions,  Soviet Union built Luna 2 was the first craft to touch its surface on September 13, 1959, and Luna 9 was the next one. But the first to do a controlled soft landing the following year, while Luna 10 was declared the 1st successful one to enter the orbit.  The Soviet Union conducted un crewed missions that deployed rovers and brought back samples from the Moon to the Earth.

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The United States joining the race:

Soon after Soviet Union’s promising missions, between 1968 – 1972,  the United States organized crewed missions under the ‘Apollo’ program.  Apollo 8, in Dec 1968, was the 1st mission to place itself in the Moon’s orbit, followed by Apollo 10 in May 1969.   Post that, six missions landed astronauts on the Moon.  The giant leap happened here on moon landing missions – with Neil Armstrong stepping on the Moon in July 1969 under the Apollo 11 project.

The Soviet Union conducted un crewed missions that deployed rovers and returned samples to the Earth. It was attempt three rover missions launch, of which two were successful, and eleven sample return flights with three successes.

Timeline of the Moon missions:

Here is a list of successful missions on the Moon between 1959 to 2020

• It carried Mechta spacecraft of Impactor mission type launched in Jan 1959 by OKB-1 on Luna through the  OKB-1 task.
• It carried Luna 2 spacecraft of Impactor mission type launched in Sep 1959 by OKB-1 on Luna through the  OKB-1 mission.
• It carried Luna 3 spacecraft of Flyby mission type launched in Oct 1959 by OKB-1 on Luna through the  OKB-1 mission.
• It carried Ranger 7 spacecraft of Impactor mission type launched in Jul 1964 by NASA on Atlas LV-3 Agena-B through the  NASA mission.
• Ranger 8 spacecraft of Impactor mission type launched in Feb 1965 by NASA, was carried on Atlas LV-3 Agena-B through the  NASA mission.
• Ranger 9 spacecraft of Impactor mission type launched in Mar 1965 by NASA, was carried on Atlas LV-3 Agena-B through the  NASA mission.
• It carried Zond 3 spacecraft of Flyby mission type launched in Jul 1965 by Lavochkin on Molniya through the  Lavochkin mission.
• It carried Luna 9 spacecraft of Lander mission type launched in Jan 1966 by Lavochkin on Molniya-M through the  Lavochkin mission.

• It carried Luna 10 spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Mar 1966 by Lavochkin on Molniya-M through the  Lavochkin mission.
• It carried Surveyor 1 spacecraft of Lander mission type launched in Mar 1966 by NASA on Atlas LV-3C Centaur-D through the  NASA mission.
• It carried Luna 12 spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Oct 1966 by Lavochkin on Molniya-M through the  Lavochkin mission.
• It carried the Lunar Orbiter 2 spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Nov 1966 by NASA on Atlas SLV-3 Agena-D the  NASA mission.
• It carried Luna 13 spacecraft of Lander mission type launched in Dec 1966 by Lavochkin on Molniya-M through the  Lavochkin mission.
• It carried the Lunar Orbiter 3 spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Feb 1967 by NASA on Atlas SLV-3 Agena-D through the  NASA mission.
• It carried Surveyor 3 spacecraft of Lander mission type launched in April 1967 by NASA on Atlas LV-3C Centaur-D through the  NASA mission.
• It carried the Lunar Orbiter 4 spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in May 1967 by NASA on Atlas SLV-3 Agena-D the NASA mission.
• It carried Explorer 35 spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Jul 1967 by NASA on Delta E1 through the  NASA mission.
• It carried the Lunar Orbiter 5 spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Aug 1967 by NASA on Atlas SLV-3 Agena-D the  NASA mission.
• It carried Surveyor 5 spacecraft of Lander mission type launched in Sep 1967 by NASA on Atlas SLV-3C Centaur-D through the  NASA mission.
• It carried Surveyor 6 spacecraft of Lander mission type launched in Nov 1967 by NASA on Atlas SLV-3C Centaur-D through the  NASA mission.
• It carried Surveyor 7 spacecraft of Lander mission type launched in Jan 1968 by NASA on Atlas SLV-3C Centaur-D through the  NASA mission.
• It carried Luna 14 spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in April 1968 by Lavochkin on Molniya-M through the  Lavochkin mission.
• Zond 5 spacecraft carried mission type launched in Sep 1968 by Lavochkin on Proton-K/D through the  Lavochkin mission.
• It carried the Apollo 8 spacecraft of Crewed orbiter mission type launched in 1968 by NASA on Saturn V through the  NASA mission.
• It carried the Apollo 10 spacecraft of Crewed orbiter mission type launched in May 1969 by NASA on Saturn V through the  NASA mission.
• It carried the Apollo 11 spacecraft of Crewed orbiter/lander mission type launched in Jul 1969 by NASA on Saturn V through the  NASA mission.
• It carried Zond 7 spacecraft of Flyby mission type launched in Aug 1969 by Lavochkin on Proton-K/D through the  Lavochkin mission.
• It carried the Apollo 12 spacecraft of Crewed orbiter/lander mission type launched in Nov 1969 by NASA on Saturn V through the  NASA mission.
• It carried Luna 16 spacecraft of Sample return mission type launched in Sep 1970 by Lavochkin on Proton-K/D through the  Lavochkin mission.
• It carried Zond 8 spacecraft of Flyby mission type launched in Oct 1970 by Lavochkin on Proton-K/D through the  Lavochkin mission.

• It carried Luna 17 spacecraft of Lander/rover mission type launched in Nov 1970 by Lavochkin on Proton-K/D through the  Lavochkin mission.
• It carried the Apollo 14 spacecraft of Crewed orbiter/lander mission type launched in Jan 1971 by NASA on Saturn V through the  NASA mission.
• It carried the Apollo 15 spacecraft of Crewed orbiter/lander/rover mission type launched in Jul 1971 by NASA on Saturn V through the  NASA mission.
• It carried PFS-1 spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Jul 1971 by NASA on Saturn V through the  NASA mission.
• It carried Luna 19 spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Sep 1971 by Lavochkin on Proton-K/D through the  Lavochkin mission.
• It carried Luna 20 spacecraft of Sample return mission type launched in Feb 1972 by Lavochkin on Proton-K/D through the  Lavochkin mission.
• It carried the Apollo 16 spacecraft of Crewed orbiter/lander/rover mission type launched in April 1972 by NASA on Saturn V through the  NASA mission.
• It carried PFS-2 spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Apil 1972 by NASA on Saturn V through the  NASA mission.
• It carried the Apollo 17 spacecraft of Crewed orbiter/lander/rover mission type launched in Dec 1972 by NASA on Saturn V through the  NASA mission.
• It carried Luna 21 spacecraft of Lander/rover mission type launched in Jan 1973 by Lavochkin on Proton-K/D through the  Lavochkin mission.
• It carried Explorer 49 spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Jun 1973 by NASA on Delta 1913 through the  NASA mission.
• It carried Mariner 10 spacecraft of Flyby mission type launched in Nov 1973 by NASA on Delta 1913 through the  NASA mission.
• It carried Luna 22 spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in May 1974 by Lavochkin on Proton-K/D through the  Lavochkin mission.
• It carried Luna 24 spacecraft of Sample return mission type launched in Aug 1976 by Lavochkin on Proton-K/D through the  Lavochkin mission.
• It carried the ISEE-3 spacecraft of Gravity assist mission type launched in Aug 1978 by NASA on Delta 2914 through the  NASA mission.
• It carried the Hiten spacecraft of Flyby/Orbiter mission type launched in Jan 1990 by ISAS on Mu-3S-II through the  ISAS mission.
• Geotail spacecraft of Gravity assist mission type launched in Jul 1992 by  ISAS/NASA was carried on Delta II 6925 through the   ISAS/NASA mission.
• The Gravity assist mission type launched in Nov 1994 by NASA was carried on Delta II 7925-10 through the  NASA mission.
• It carried Clementine spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Jan 1994 by USAF/NASA on Titan II (23)G Star-37FM through the  USAF/NASA mission.
• It carried the Lunar Prospector spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Jan 1998 by NASA on Athena II through the  NASA mission.
• WMAP spacecraft of Gravity assist mission type launched in June 2001 by NASA was carried on Delta II 7425-10 through the  NASA mission.
• It carried SMART-1 spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Sep 2003 by ESA on Ariane 5G through the  ESA mission.
• It carried STEREO spacecraft of Gravity assist mission type launched in Oct 2006 by NASA on Delta II 7925-10L through the  NASA mission.
• It carried SELENE spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Sep 2007 by JAXA on H-IIA 2022 through the  JAXA mission.
• Change carried one spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Oct 2007 by CNSA on Long March 3A through the  CNSA mission.
• It carried Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Oct 2008 by ISRO on PSLV-XL through the  ISRO mission.
• It carried LCROSS spacecraft of Impactor mission type launched in June 2009 by NASA on Atlas V 401 through the  NASA mission.
• It carried change two spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Oct 2010 by CNSA on Long March 3C through the  CNSA mission.
• Ebb spacecraft of Orbiter[77] mission type launched in Sep 2011 by NASA was carried on Delta II 7920H through the  NASA mission.
• The flow spacecraft of Orbiter[77] mission type launched in September 2011 by NASA was carried on Delta II 7920H through the  NASA mission.
• It carried LADEE spacecraft of Orbiter mission type launched in Sep 2013 by NASA on Minotaur V through the  NASA mission.
• It carried the Manfred Memorial Moon Mission spacecraft of Flyby mission type launched in Oct 2014 by LuxSpace on Long March 3C through the LuxSpace mission.
• It carried TESS spacecraft of Gravity assist mission type launched in Apr 2018 by NASA on Falcon 9 Full Thrust through the  NASA mission. It carried change five spacecraft of Lander/sample return mission type launched in Nov 2020 by CNSA was carried on Long March 5 through the  CNSA mission

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What’s next?

With several successful missions and a few that failed due to minor/last-minute glitches and so many other ongoing ones, what do we get out of them? Each mission has a significant finding, from confirming our assumptions on theories to bringing back loads of samples tested in our labs on the Earth. There’s been an eager awaiting of discoveries.  

And, that’s not the end of moon landing missions; with a special mention of India’s Chandrayaan-3, the United Kingdom, Japan, USA, Korea, Russia, UAE, Germany, Brazil, Turkey, China & Canada are working on two dozen various active missions to the Moon, scheduled until 2028.