The following table lists all missions to the Moon, including those that failed, starting with the most recent. The table is colour coded to reflect the lead country or space agency, and missions are listed by launch date. The RPIF, here at UNB holds data and images from many of the NASA led missions.
Launch Date |
Mission |
Success |
Type |
Instruments |
Goals |
Database |
12/2013 |
Chang'e 3
(Lander)
Yutu
(Rover)
|
Success |
Lander/Rover |
Lander:
-Lunar-based ultraviolet telescope (LUT)
-Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) camera
-Lander cameras
-Soil probe
Rover:
-Ground-penetrating radar (GPR)
-Spectrometers
-Stereo cameras |
-China's first soft-landing and roving
-Lunar surface topography and geology survey
-Lunar surface material composition and resource survey
-Lunar-based astronomical observation
|
No |
09/2013 |
Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer
(LADEE) |
Success |
Orbiter and Impactor
|
-Ultraviolet and Visible Light Spectrometer
-Neutral Mass Spectrometer
-Lunar Dust Experiment
-Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration |
-Gain Information about the lunar atmosphere
-Investigate Conditions near the surface
-Environmental influences on lunar dust |
Yes |
09/2011 |
Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL)
Also know as Ebb and Flow |
Success |
Orbiters |
-Lunar Gravity Ranging System
-MoonKAM |
-Produce a high resolution map of the Moon's gravitational field
-Gain Knowledge of the Moons interior and thermal history
|
Yes |
10/2010 |
Chang'e 2 |
Success |
Orbiter |
-same as Chang'e 1, except with an improved laser altimeter, improved stereo camera (10m resolution) and lower orbit |
-backup to Chang'e 1
-take high resolution photos globally and of proposed landing site of Chang'e 3
-prepare and test technologies for future landings (Chang'e 3 and Chang'e 4) |
No |
06/2009 |
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (and companion LCROSS) |
Success |
Orbiter & Impactor |
-LCROSS satellite and impactor
-Cosmic ray telescope
-camera
-laser altimeter |
-locate safe landing sites
-locate potential resources
-characterize radiation environment
-demonstrate new technologies
-use the impactor to characterize water ice in the subsurface
|
Yes |
10/2008 |
Chandrayaan |
Success
(Lost contact Aug 2009) |
Orbiter and Probe |
-terrain mapping camera
-imaging spectrometers
-radar
-laser altimeter
-X-ray fluoresence/Gamma-ray spectrometer
-Moon impact probe |
-India's first lunar mission
-prepare a 3D atlas of surface images
-surface mapping
-search for water ice via the impact probe |
No |
10/2007 |
Chang'e 1 |
Success |
Orbiter |
-stereo camera (120m resolution)and interferometer spectrometer
-laser altimeter
-X-ray spectrometer
-gamma-ray spectrometer |
-launch China's first lunar orbiter
-obtain 3D images of the surface, study surface composition and soil |
No |
09/2007 |
Kaguya
(formerly SELENE) |
Success |
Orbiter |
-imagers
-radar sounder
-laser altimeter
-X-ray fluorescence spectrometer
-gamma-ray spectrometer |
to study the origin, evolution, and tectonics of the Moon from orbit |
Yes |
Cancelled |
LunarA |
Cancelled |
Orbiter
Penetrators (x2) |
-monochromatic mapping camera with a resolution of 30 m
-two-component seismometer
-heat flow probe
-tiltmeter
-accelerometer
-radio transmitter
-antenna |
to image the surface of the Moon; to monitor moonquakes; measure the near-surface thermal properties and heat flux, and to study the lunar core and interior structure |
- |
09/2003 |
SMART-1 |
Success |
Orbiter |
-asteroid-moon micro-imager experiment (AMIE)
-SMART-1 infrared spectrometer (SIR)
-demonstration of a compact imaging X-ray spectrometer/X-ray solar monitor(D-CIXS/XSM)
-spacecraft potential, electron and dust experiment (SPEDE)
-radio science investigations (RSIS) |
to test spacecraft technologies for future missions, primarily a solar-powered ion drive; to spend 6 months in lunar orbit mapping the Moon's surface and evaluating the new technologies onboard |
Yes |
01/1998 |
Lunar Prospector |
Success |
Orbiter |
-gamma-ray spectrometer (GRS)
-neutron spectrometer (NS)
-magnetometer (MAG)
-electron reflectometer (ER)
-alpha particle spectrometer (APS)
-Doppler gravity experiment (DGE) |
to go into a low polar orbit around the Moon and search for water ice and other minerals in the dark areas of craters that get very little, if any sunlight; to complete a map of the Moon's surface composition |
Yes |
01/1994 |
Clementine |
Success |
Orbiter |
-UV/visible camera (UV/Vis)
-near IR camera (NIR)
-long wave IR camera (LWIR)
-high resolution cameras (HIRES)
-star tracker cameras
-bistatic radar experiment
-gravity experiment
-charged particle telescope (CPT) |
-to demonstrate new technologies; to orbit around the Moon; to undertake a 70-day mapping mission; to enter a circumlunar orbit and to fly on to an encounter with the asteroid Geographos
-did not encounter the asteroid owing to a malfunctioning thruster but did study the Van Allen radiation belts |
Yes |
01/1990 |
Hiten (Muses-A) |
Success |
Orbiter |
-Dust counter (MDC)
-Optical Navigation System
-Lunar orbiter (HAGOROMO)
|
-Learning of technologies concerning precise determination and control of satellite orbit, and highly-efficient data transmission
-Experiment of lunar swing-by
-Experiment of aero braking using the earth
-Insertion of satellite into orbit around the Moon
-Measurement of cosmic dust between earth and Moon (joint research with Munich Technical University)
|
No |
08/1976 |
Luna24 |
Success |
Sample return |
-Stereo imaging system
-Drill/Remote Arm
-Radiation detector
-Radio-altimeter
|
to achieve robotic sample return (dust and rock) |
No |
10/1974 |
Luna23 |
Failure |
Sample return |
-sample collecting apparatus
-not known
|
-to achieve robotic sample (dust and rock) return
-landed and transmitted data for 3 days but collecting apparatus damaged
|
- |
05/1974 |
Luna22 |
Success |
Orbiter |
-photographic equipment
-not known
-energetic particles MSU-TASPD experiment
|
-to orbit the Moon; to study the magnetic field, gamma ray emissions and gravitational field; to study the composition of lunar surface rocks; to study micrometeorites and cosmic rays
-to measure energetic (MeV) particles in the interplanetary medium
|
Yes |
01/1973 |
Luna21 |
Success |
Rover |
Lunakhod2 Rover:
-3 tv cameras
-soil mechanics tester
-solar X-ray experiment
-astrophotometer to measure visible and UV light levels
-magnetometer deployed in front of the rover on the end of a 2.5 m boom
-radiometer
-photodetector (Rubin-1) for laser detection experiments
-French-supplied laser corner-reflector
-energetic particles MSU-TASPD experiment
|
-to land robotic rover (Lunokhod 2) and explore the lunar landscape and transmit images to Earth
-to examine ambient light levels to determine the feasibility of astronomical observations from the Moon
-perform laser ranging experiments from Earth, observe solar X-rays, measure local magnetic fields, and study mechanical properties of the lunar surface material
to measure energetic (MeV) particles in the interplanetary medium
|
Yes |
12/1972 |
Apollo17 |
Success |
|
Command Module America:
-handheld photography experiment
-panoramic photography experiment
-metric photography experiment
-mapping camera aspect stellar photography experiment
-laser altimeter
-S-band transponder
-window meteoroid detector
-far-UV spectrometer
-IR scanning radiometer
-lunar sounder experiment
-biological cosmic ray experiment (BIOCORE)
-biostack experiment
Lunar Module Challenger:
-handheld photography experiment
-lunar field geology experiment
-soil mechanics experiment
-lunar seismic profiling experiment
-S-band transponder
-lunar surface gravimeter
-heat flow experiment
-atmospheric composition experiment
-lunar surface cosmic ray detector
-lunar traverse gravimeter
-lunar ejecta and meteorites experiment
-surface electrical properties
-neutron probe
|
-to achieve a manned landing on the Moon; to deploy experiments; to collect lunar samples; to utilize a lunar rover
-first geologist on the moon (Harrison Schmidt)
|
Yes |
11/1972 |
SoyuzL3 |
Launch failure |
Orbiter and Test Vehicle |
? |
to test a soyez capsule that was to function as the base for a lunar lander |
- |
04/1972 |
Apollo16 |
Success |
Piloted Landing |
Command Module Casper:
-handheld photography experiment
-panoramic photography experiment
-metric photography experiment
-mapping camera aspect stellar photography experiment
-laser altimeter
-UV photography of Earth and Moon
-gamma-ray spectrometer
-X-ray fluorescence
-alpha particle spectrometer
-S-band transponder (CSM/LM)
-window meteoroid detector
-orbital mass spectrometer
-bistatic radar observations
-Gegenschein photography experiment
-Skylab-Apollo contamination photography experiment
-biostack experiment
Lunar Module Orion:
-handheld photography experiment
-lunar field geology experiment
-soil mechanics experiment
-passive seismic experiment
-active seismic experiment
-lunar surface magnetometer
- lunar portable magnetometer
-far UV camera/spectroscope
-s-band transponder
-lunar dust detector
-heat flow experiment
-solar wind composition experiment
-cosmic ray detector
Subsatellite:
-lunar plasma shadows and boundary layer experiment
-magnetometer
-S-band transponder
|
to achieve a manned landing on the Moon; to deploy experiments; to collect lunar samples; to utilize a lunar rover |
Yes |
02/1972 |
Luna20 |
Success |
Sample return |
-panoramic television system
-extendable drilling apparatus
|
to achieve robotic sample (dust and rock) return |
No |
09/1971 |
Luna19 |
Success |
Orbiter |
-tv camera
-energetic particles MSU-TASPD experiment
|
-to orbit the Moon; to study the gravitational field, mass concentrations, the solar wind, the lunar radiation environment
-lunar radiation environment, the gamma-active lunar surface, and the solar wind. Photographic coverage via a television system was also obtained.
-to measure energetic (MeV) particles in the interplanetary medium
|
No |
09/1971 |
Luna18 |
Failure |
Lander |
? |
-to land on the moon and perform experiments
-crashed
|
- |
07/1971 |
Apollo15 |
Success |
Piloted Landing |
Command Module Endeavour:
-handheld photography experiment
-panoramic photography experiment
-metric photography experiment
-mapping camera aspect stellar photography experiment
-laser altimeter
-UV photography of Earth and Moon
-Gegenschein from lunar orbit
-gamma-ray spectrometer
-X-ray fluorescence
-alpha particle spectrometer
-S-band transponder (CSM/LM)
-window meteoroid detector
-mass spectrometer
-S-band transponder
-down-link bistatic radar observations
Lunar Module Falcon:
-handheld photography experiment
-lunar field geology experiment
-soil mechanics experiment
-solar wind spectrometer
-passive seismic experiment
-suprathermal ion detector
-cold cathode ion gauge
-charged particle lunar environment experiment
-laser ranging retroreflector
-lunar surface magnetometer
-s-band transponder
-lunar dust detector
-heat flow experiment
-solar wind composition experiment
Subsatellite:
-lunar plasma shadows and boundary layer experiment
-biaxial fluxgate magnetometer
-S-band transponder
|
to achieve a manned landing on the Moon; to deploy experiments; to collect lunar samples; to utilize a lunar rover
|
Yes |
01/1971 |
Apollo14 |
Success |
Piloted Landing |
Command Module Kittyhawk:
-orbital and surface photography experiment
-Gegenschein photography experiment
-S-band transponder
-down-link bistatic radar observations
-selenodetic reference experiment
-Apollo window meteoroid experiment
Lunar Module Antares:
-orbital and surface photography experiment
-lunar field geology experiment
-soil mechanics experiment
-solar wind composition experiment
-passive seismic experiment
-active seismic experiment
-suprathermal ion detector
-cold cathode ion gauge
-charged particle lunar environment experiment
-laser ranging retroreflector
-lunar portable magnetometer
-s-band transponder
-lunar dust detector
|
to achieve a manned landing on the Moon; to deploy experiments; to collect lunar samples |
Yes |
11/1970 |
Luna 17 |
Success |
Rover |
-energetic particles MSU-TASPD experiment
Lunakhod1:
-four television cameras
-special extendable devices to impact the lunar soil for soil density and mechanical property tests
-X-ray spectrometer
-X-ray telescope
-cosmic-ray detectors
-laser device
|
-to measure energetic (MeV) particles in the interplanetary medium
-to land first robotic rover (Lunokhod 1); to rove across the lunar landscape and transmit images to Earth
|
No |
10/1970 |
Zond8 |
Success |
Circumlunar |
-Earth-cloud photographic equipment
-lunar photographic equipment
|
to flyby the Moon and return to Earth |
Yes |
09/1970 |
Luna16 |
Success |
Sample return |
-television camera
-radiation and temperature monitors
-telecommunications equipment
-an extendable arm with a drilling rig for the collection of a lunar soil sample
|
to achieve robotic sample (dust and rock) return |
No |
04/1970 |
Apollo13 |
Failure |
Piloted Landing |
Command Module Odyssey:
-photography experiment
-window meteoroid experiment
Lunar Module Aquarius:
-photography experiment
|
-to achieve a manned landing on the Moon
-explosion prevented lunar landing but spacecraft safely returned to Earth
|
- |
11/1969 |
Apollo12 |
Success |
Piloted Landing |
Command Module Yankee Clipper:
-photography experiment
-multispectral photography experiment
-Apollo window meteoroid experiment
-S-band transponder
Lunar Module Intrepid:
-photography experiment
-geologic samples experiment
-solar wind spectrometer
-passive seismic experiment
-lunar surface magnetometer
-suprathermal ion detector
-cold cathode ion gauge
-lunar dust detector
-solar wind composition experiment
-S-band transponder
-soil mechanics experiment
|
to achieve a manned landing on the Moon; to collect lunar samples; to deploy experiments; to retrieve pieces of Surveyor3 |
Yes |
10/1969 |
Cosmos305 |
Failure to reach Moon's orbit |
Sample return |
? |
to return samples of lunar material |
- |
09/1969 |
Cosmos300 |
Failure to reach Moon's orbit |
Sample return |
? |
to return samples of lunar material |
- |
08/1969 |
Zond7 |
Success |
Circumlunar |
-Earth-cloud photographic equipment
-lunar photographic equipment
|
to flyby the Moon and return to Earth |
Yes |
07/1969 |
Apollo11 |
Success |
Piloted Landing |
Command Module Columbia:
-photographic equipment
Lunar Module Eagle:
-photographic equipment
-lunar field geology experiment
-solar wind composition experiment
-passive seismic experiment
-laser ranging retroreflector
-lunar dust detector
-soil mechanics experiment
|
-to achieve a manned landing on the Moon; to collect lunar samples
-first man on the moon
|
Yes |
07/1969 |
Luna15 |
Crash Landed |
Sample return |
? |
to study circumlunar space, the lunar gravitational field, and the chemical composition of lunar rocks. It was also capable of providing lunar surface photography |
- |
06/1969 |
Luna1969B |
Launch failure |
Sample return |
? |
to return samples of lunar material |
- |
05/1969 |
Apollo10 |
Success |
Piloted Orbiter |
-two 70-mm Hasselblad cameras, each fitted with 80-mm f/2.8 Zeiss planar lenses, a 250-mm telephoto lens stowed aboard the command module, and associated equipment
- two 16-mm Maurer data acquisition cameras
|
to orbit a manned spacecraft around the Moon; to test procedures for the first lunar landing |
Yes |
|
Luna1969B |
Launch failure |
Sample return |
? |
to return samples of lunar material |
- |
02/1969 |
ZondLIS-1 |
Launch failure |
Orbiter |
? |
? |
- |
02/1969 |
Luna1969A |
Launch failure |
Rover |
? |
? |
- |
01/1969 |
Zond1969 |
Failed to reach Earth orbit |
Circumlunar |
? |
to flyby the Moon and return to Earth |
- |
12/1968 |
Apollo8 |
Success |
Piloted Orbiter |
-two 70-mm Hasselblad cameras with two 80-mm lenses, a 250-mm lens, and associated equipment
-16-mm Maurer camera with 200-, 75-, 18-, and 5-mm lenses, a right-angle mirror, and a boresight bracket
|
to orbit a manned spacecraft around the Moon; to photograph the lunar surface |
Yes |
11/1968 |
Zond6 |
Success |
Circumlunar |
-cosmic-ray detector
-micrometeoroid detector
-Earth-cloud photographic equipment
-lunar photographic equipment
-biological payload
|
to flyby the Moon; to image the Moon and return to Earth; to examine effects on biological payload as precursor to manned space flight.
parachute land within USSR territory |
Yes |
09/1968 |
Zond5 |
Success |
Circumlunar |
-proton detectors
-Earth-cloud photographic equipment
-biological payload
|
-to flyby the Moon and return to Earth; to examine effects on biological payload as precursor to manned space flight
-landed in Indian Ocean
|
No |
04/1968 |
Luna14 |
Success |
Orbiter |
? (thought to be similar to Luna10) |
to orbit the Moon; to study the gravitational field
-to image the lunar surface
- to study the interaction of the earth and lunar masses, the propagation and stability of radio communications to the spacecraft at different orbital positions, solar charged particles and cosmic rays, and the motion of the Moon
|
No |
01/1968 |
Surveyor7 |
Success |
Lander |
-tv camera
-soil mechanics surface sampler scoop
-magnets attached to the footpads
-alpha scattering instrument for chemical analysis of the lunar material.
|
-to perform a controlled landing on the moon
-to analyze the Moon's surface and soil
-to image the lunar landscape
-to "weigh" lunar rocks and to determine if the terrain was safe for manned landings
-images determined for the first time that some lunar rocks had been molten
|
Yes |
11/1967 |
Surveyor6 |
Success |
Lander |
-tv camera
-magnets attached to the footpads
-alpha scattering instrument for chemical analysis of the lunar material
|
-to perform a controlled landing on the moon
-to analyze the Moon's surface and soil
-to image the lunar landscape
-to determine if the terrain was safe for manned landings
|
Yes |
09/1967 |
Surveyor5 |
Success |
Lander |
-tv camera
-magnets attached to the footpads
-alpha scattering instrument for chemical analysis of the lunar material
|
-to perform a controlled landing on the Moon
-to analyze the soil; to image the lunar landscape and to determine if the terrain was safe for manned landings |
Yes |
08/1967 |
Lunar Orbiter5 |
Success |
Orbiter |
-dual-lens camera system (80mm and 610mm lenses)
-selenodesy experiment
-meteoroid detectors
-cesium iodide dosimeters
|
-to orbit the moon; to image the lunar surface
-upon completion of this mission >99% of the lunar surface had been mapped
|
Yes |
07/1967 |
Surveyor4 |
Contact lost |
Lander |
-tv camera |
to perform a controlled landing on the Moon
-to image the lunar landscape
-to determine if the terrain was safe for manned landings
|
- |
05/1967 |
Lunar Orbiter4 |
Success |
Orbiter |
-dual-lens camera system (80mm and 610mm lenses)
-selenodesy experiment
-meteoroid detectors
-cesium iodide dosimeters
|
-to orbit the moon
-to image the lunar surface
-took the first images of the lunar south pole
|
Yes |
04/1967 |
Surveyor3 |
Success |
Lander |
-tv camera
-soil mechanics surface sampler scoop
|
-to perform a controlled landing on the Moon
-to collect soil samples
-to image the lunar landscape
-to determine if the terrain was safe for manned landings
|
No |
02/1967 |
Lunar Orbiter3 |
Success |
Orbiter |
-dual-lens camera system (80mm and 610mm lenses)
-selenodesy experiment
-meteoroid detectors
-cesium iodide dosimeters
|
-to orbit the moon
-to alter the orbit during the mission
-to image the lunar surface and in particular, potential landing sites
-to investigate the gravitational field
- to obtain lunar environment data
|
Yes |
12/1966 |
Luna13 |
Success |
Lander |
-mechanical soil-measuring penetrometer
-dynamograph
- radiation densitometer
-photographic/TV equipment
|
-to perform a controlled landing on the surface of the Moon
-to measure soil density and surface radioactivity
|
Yes |
11/1966 |
Lunar Orbiter2 |
Success |
Orbiter |
-dual-lens camera system (80mm and 610mm lenses)
-selenodesy experiment
-meteoroid detectors
-micrometeoroid detectors
-cesium iodide dosimeters
|
to orbit the moon; to image the lunar surface and in particular, potential landing sites |
Yes |
10/1966 |
Luna12 |
Success |
Orbiter |
-tv system |
-to orbit the moon
-to photograph the lunar surface
-took 1,100 images
|
No |
09/1966 |
Surveyor2 |
Failure |
Lander |
-tv camera |
-to perform a controlled landing on the surface of the Moon
-to image the lunar landscape
-to determine if the terrain was safe for manned landings
-crashed into the moon, southeast of the crater Copernicus
|
- |
08/1966 |
Luna11 |
Success |
Orbiter |
? |
-to orbit the moon
-to test new technology
-to determine the Moon's chemical composition
-to study the lunar gravitational field
-to examine the concentration of meteorite streams near the Moon
-to study the intensity of hard corpuscular radiation near the Moon
|
No |
08/1966 |
Lunar Orbiter1 |
Success |
Orbiter |
-dual-lens camera system (80mm and 610mm lenses)
-selenodesy experiment
-meteoroid detectors
-cesium iodide dosimeters
|
-to orbit the moon
-image the lunar surface and identify potential landing sites
-spacecraft sent back high-quality images (by television) of over two million square miles of lunar surface, including the first detailed images of potential Apollo landing sites
-spacecraft deliberately crashed into the Moon's surface, so that it wouldn't interfere with upcoming manned missions
|
Yes |
05/1966 |
Surveyor1 |
Success |
Lander |
-tv camera |
to perform a controlled landing on the surface of the Moon; to image the lunar landscape and to determine if the terrain was safe for manned landings
took over 11,100 images of the lunar landscape during its six-week mission
|
Yes |
03/1966 |
Luna10 |
Success |
Orbiter |
-gamma-ray spectrometer for energies between 0.3--3 MeV
-a triaxial magnetometer
-a meteorite detector
-instruments for solar-plasma studies
- devices for measuring infrared emissions from the Moon and radiation conditions of the lunar environment
-gravitational experiments
|
-to orbit the moon
-to study radiation levels, cosmic ray intensities and the Moon's magnetic field
-first spacecraft to successfully go into orbit around another celestial body
-spacecraft successfully transmitted data for two months, circling the Moon 460 times
|
No |
03/1966 |
Cosmos111 |
Failed to achieve lunar trajectory |
Probe |
? |
to flyby the moon |
No |
01/1966 |
Luna9 |
Success |
Lander |
-radio equipment
-program timing device
-heat control systems
-scientific apparatus
-power sources
-a television system
|
-attempt to soft-land a spacecraft on the Moon
-first controlled landing onto the surface of another celestial body
-panoramic views of the lunar landscape
-stereoscopic view of the landing site and determination of distances to various rocks and depressions
|
Yes |
12/1965 |
Luna8 |
Failure |
Lander |
? |
-attempt to soft-land a spacecraft on the Moon
-retro rockets switched on too soon
-spacecraft crash-landed in the Ocean of Storms, east of the crater Galilei
|
- |
10/1965 |
Luna7 |
Failure |
Lander |
? |
-attempt to soft-land a spacecraft on the Moon
-retro rockets switched on too soon
-spacecraft crash-landed in the Ocean of Storms, west of the crater Kepler
|
- |
07/1965 |
Zond3 |
Success |
Probe |
-f106 mm camera
-TV system
-magnetometer
-UV (0.25 - 0.35 micron and 0.19 - 0.27 micron) spectrograph
-IR (3 - 4 micron)spectrograph
-radiation sensors (gas-discharge and scintillation counters)
-radiotelescope
-micrometeoroid instrument
-energetic particles MSU-TASPD experiment
|
-to flyby and photograph the moon
-took 25 images as it flew by the far side of the Moon, then transmitted the images back to Earth nine days later. After passing the Moon, the spacecraft went into a solar orbit
-to measure energetic (MeV) particles in the interplanetary medium
|
Yes |
06/1965 |
Luna6 |
Failure |
Lander |
? |
-attempt to soft-land a spacecraft on the Moon
-rocket failed
-Luna 8 missed the Moon and went into a solar orbit
|
- |
05/1965 |
Luna5 |
Failure |
Lander |
? |
-attempt to soft-land a spacecraft on the Moon
-rocket failed
-Luna 8 missed the Moon and went into a solar orbit
|
- |
03/1965 |
Ranger9 |
Success |
Impactor |
-two channels
-channel 1 - 2 full scan cameras (1 wide angle camera, 1 narrow angle camera)
-channel 2 - 4 partial scan cameras (2 wide angle cameras, 2 narrow angle cameras)
|
-to take a series of images on approach to the Moon, up to the point of impact
-took over 5,800 images of the lunar surface before it crash-landed in the crater Alphonsus. Network television broadcast images from the spacecraft as they were received - live from the Moon!
|
Yes |
02/1965 |
Ranger8 |
Success |
Impactor |
-two channels
-channel 1 - 2 full scan cameras (1 wide angle camera, 1 narrow angle camera)
-channel 2 - 4 partial scan cameras (2 wide angle cameras, 2 narrow angle cameras)
|
-to take a series of images on approach to the Moon, up to the point of impact
-took over 7,100 high-quality images of the lunar surface before it crash-landed in the Sea of Tranquility
|
Yes |
07/1964 |
Ranger7 |
Success |
Impactor |
-two channels
-channel 1 - 2 full scan cameras (1 wide angle camera, 1 narrow angle camera)
-channel 2 - 4 partial scan cameras (2 wide angle cameras, 2 narrow angle cameras)
|
-to take a series of images on approach to the Moon, up to the point of impact
-obtained the first high-quality images of the lunar surface before it crash-landed in the Sea of Clouds. Over 4,300 images were sent back
|
Yes |
01/1964 |
Ranger6 |
Failure |
Impactor |
-two channels
-channel 1 - 2 full scan cameras (1 wide angle camera, 1 narrow angle camera)
-channel 2 - 4 partial scan cameras (2 wide angle cameras, 2 narrow angle cameras)
|
-to take a series of images on approach to the Moon, up to the point of impact
-spacecraft's cameras failed and no pictures were returned. Ranger 6 crash-landed in the Sea of Tranquility
|
- |
04/1963 |
Luna4 |
Failure |
Orbiter |
? |
lost contact; spacecraft passed within 9,300 kilometers (5,780 miles) of the Moon |
- |
01/1963 |
Sputnik25 |
Failure |
Probe |
? |
spacecraft failed to transfer to a lunar trajectory and burnt up as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere |
- |
10/1962 |
Ranger5 |
Failure |
Lander |
-two channels
-channel 1 - 2 full scan cameras (1 wide angle camera, 1 narrow angle camera)
-channel 2 - 4 partial scan cameras (2 wide angle cameras, 2 narrow angle cameras)
|
-to take close-up images of the Moon before impacting with its surface
-solar cell failed shortly after launch and the spacecraft missed the moon by 720 kilometers (450 miles)
|
- |
04/1962 |
Ranger4 |
Computer failure |
Lander |
-two channels
-channel 1 - 2 full scan cameras (1 wide angle camera, 1 narrow angle camera)
-channel 2 - 4 partial scan cameras (2 wide angle cameras, 2 narrow angle cameras)
|
-to take close-up images of the Moon before impacting with its surface
-after computer failure, crashed on the far side of the moon
|
- |
01/1962 |
Ranger3 |
Failure |
Lander |
-two channels
-channel 1 - 2 full scan cameras (1 wide angle camera, 1 narrow angle camera)
-channel 2 - 4 partial scan cameras (2 wide angle cameras, 2 narrow angle cameras)
|
Ranger 3 missed the Moon and ended up in a solar orbit |
- |
11/1961 |
Ranger2 |
Engine failure in Earth orbit |
Probe |
-two channels
-channel 1 - 2 full scan cameras (1 wide angle camera, 1 narrow angle camera)
-channel 2 - 4 partial scan cameras (2 wide angle cameras, 2 narrow angle cameras)
|
-to test the feasibility of going into a parking orbit around Earth before heading out to the Moon. A parking orbit would give engineers time to calculate a much more accurate trajectory for the spacecraft to follow to the Moon.
-Ranger 2 made it into low Earth orbit. Its engines failed and it re-entered Earth's atmosphere
|
|
08/1961 |
Ranger1 |
Engine failure in Earth orbit |
Probe |
-two channels
-channel 1 - 2 full scan cameras (1 wide angle camera, 1 narrow angle camera)
-channel 2 - 4 partial scan cameras (2 wide angle cameras, 2 narrow angle cameras)
|
-to test the feasibility of going into a parking orbit around Earth before heading out to the Moon. A parking orbit would give engineers time to calculate a much more accurate trajectory for the spacecraft to follow to the Moon.
-Ranger 1 made it into low Earth orbit. Its engines failed and it re-entered Earth's atmosphere
|
|
11/1959 |
PioneerP-3 |
Launch failure |
Orbiter |
-television camera
-micrometeorite detector
-radiation detectors
-radio wave detector
-magnetometers
|
to flyby the moon |
- |
10/1959 |
Luna3 |
Success |
Probe |
-dual lens camera imaging system (200 mm focal length, f/5.6 aperture objective and a 500 mm, f/9.5 objective)
-micrometeoroid detector
-cosmic ray detectors
|
-to flyby the moon
-first spacecraft to take pictures of the far side of the Moon; the Russians were the first to name features on the far side of the Moon
|
Yes |
09/1959 |
Luna2 |
Success |
Impactor |
-magnetometer
-geiger counter
-scintillation counter
- micrometeorite detector
|
-to impact the lunar surface
-first spacecraft to land on another celestial body. On September 14, 1959, the spacecraft impacted on the Moon's surface, just east of the Sea of Serenity near the craters Aristides, Archimedes, and Autolycus. The spacecraft did not detect a magnetic field around the Moon
|
No |
06/1959 |
Luna1959 |
Failed to reach earth orbit |
Impactor |
? |
to impact the lunar surface |
- |
03/1959 |
Pioneer4 |
Flyby |
Probe |
? |
-to flyby the moon
-passed within 60,000 kilometers (37,300 miles) of the Moon, returned data on lunar radiation levels, then entered a solar orbit
|
Yes |
01/1959 |
Luna1 |
Flyby |
Impactor |
-radio equipment
-tracking transmitter
-telemetering system
-magnetometer
-geiger counter
-scintillation counter
- micrometeorite detector
|
-to impact the lunar surface (failed)
-achieved first lunar flyby
|
No |
12/1958 |
Pioneer3 |
Launch failure |
Probe |
? |
to flyby the moon |
- |
12/1958 |
Luna1958C |
Launch failure |
Impactor |
? |
to impact the lunar surface |
- |
11/1958 |
Pioneer2 |
Failed to achieve lunar trajectory |
Orbiter |
? |
to obtain lunar orbit |
- |
10/1958 |
Luna1958B |
Launch failure |
Impactor |
? |
to impact the lunar surface |
- |
10/1958 |
Pioneer1 |
Failed to achieve lunar trajectory |
Orbiter |
? |
-to obtain lunar orbit
-Pioneer 1 did manage to returned data on the Van Allen Belt and micrometeorite impacts before re-entering Earth's atmosphere
|
- |
09/1958 |
Luna1958A |
Launch failure |
Impactor |
? |
-to impact the lunar surface
-ended when rocket exploded shortly after lift-off
|
- |
08/1958 |
Pioneer0 |
Launch failure |
Orbiter |
? |
-to obtain lunar orbit
- ended just 77 seconds after liftoff when the rocket's first stage exploded
|
- |
