The Soviet Union opened its Luna program with a robotic attempt to reach the Moon, but the first probe failed shortly after launch. Even with the failure, the effort marked the start of a sustained series of lunar missions aimed at impacts, flybys, landings, and eventually sample return.
Luna 1 was launched toward the Moon and became the first spacecraft to reach the Moon’s vicinity, passing by after missing an intended impact. It also became the first human-made object to escape Earth’s gravity and enter a heliocentric (Sun-orbiting) trajectory.
Luna 2 struck the Moon, becoming the first human-made object to reach the surface of another celestial body. This impact was a major proof-of-capability step, showing the USSR could target the Moon with interplanetary navigation and tracking.
Luna 3 flew around the Moon and collected the first images of the far side, which cannot be seen from Earth. These early, low-resolution photographs revealed that the far side has far fewer dark lava plains (maria) than the near side, reshaping scientific questions about the Moon’s history.
After multiple Soviet efforts to achieve a gentle touchdown, Luna 8 reached the Moon but impacted the surface due to a problem in the final descent. The mission still tested key landing-related systems, helping refine the technologies needed for a controlled landing.
Luna 9 made the first successful soft landing on the Moon and transmitted the first pictures from the lunar surface. Its images helped settle debates about whether the surface was firm enough to support landers (and, later, astronauts).
Luna 10 entered orbit around the Moon, becoming the first artificial satellite of the Moon. Moving from landings to sustained orbital operations enabled longer measurements of the lunar environment and helped build experience for later, more complex missions.
Luna 11 expanded the program’s lunar-orbit work, carrying instruments to study radiation, the Moon’s gravity field, and other conditions affecting spacecraft operations. These kinds of measurements supported planning for both robotic missions and proposed crewed lunar systems.
Luna 13 successfully soft-landed and returned panoramic images, while also measuring physical properties of the lunar soil. Adding surface science instruments helped turn lunar landings into field-style investigations, not just engineering demonstrations.
Luna 14 entered lunar orbit and returned data used to study communications, tracking, and the Moon’s gravity effects on spacecraft paths. This work mattered because accurate trajectories and reliable radio links were essential for later landings and sample-return attempts.
Luna 15 reached the Moon during the Apollo 11 period and attempted a robotic sample return, but it crashed during descent. The failure showed how difficult precision landing and ascent-from-the-Moon were, especially under tight timelines.
Luna 16 landed, drilled into the lunar surface, and returned a sealed sample capsule to Earth. It was the first fully robotic mission to bring lunar material back, proving an alternative to crewed sample collection.
Luna 17 soft-landed and delivered Lunokhod 1, the first successful rover on another world. The remote-controlled rover extended surface exploration beyond a single landing spot, enabling measurements along a long traverse.
Luna 18 reached lunar orbit and attempted a landing for a sample return, but it impacted the Moon instead. The mission illustrated that sample-return success depended on reliable landing in difficult terrain as well as drilling and ascent systems.
Luna 20 soft-landed in a rugged highland region and returned a small sample to Earth. Sampling outside the dark basalt plains helped scientists compare different lunar terrains and improve understanding of the Moon’s crust.
Luna 21 delivered Lunokhod 2, which explored the Moon with cameras and instruments while traveling a long distance across the surface. This rover built on Lunokhod 1’s approach and demonstrated that the USSR could repeat complex landing-and-rover operations.
Luna 23 reached the Moon for another sample-return attempt, but the spacecraft’s drilling system was damaged after landing, preventing sample collection. The partial failure highlighted how landing stresses could still jeopardize surface operations even after reaching the correct area.
Luna 24 successfully landed, drilled, and returned lunar soil to Earth, becoming the last mission of the Soviet Luna program era. After 1976, the USSR did not fly another lunar mission for decades, making Luna 24 a clear endpoint for this phase of Soviet robotic lunar exploration.
Luna program: Soviet robotic lunar exploration (1958–1976)