Mundane

Lunar Exploration Page

Posted on by Lee

Lunar Exploration Timeline

Note: Launches of Soviet spacecraft occurred from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Tyuratam, USSR, unless noted.
Launches of US spacecraft occurred from Cape Canaveral, FL, unless noted.

Luna 2 USSR – Sep 12, 1959 – Impact
Impacted Moon 13 Sep 1959 at 22:02:04 UT
Latitude 29.10 N, Longitude 0.00 – Palus Putredinis
Luna 3 USSR – Oct 4, 1959 – Probe
Launched at 2:24:00 UT.
Ranger 7 USA – Jul 28, 1964 – Impact
Impacted Moon 31 July 1964 at 13:25:49 UT
Latitude 10.35 S, Longitude 339.42 E – Mare Cognitum (Sea of Clouds)
Ranger 8 USA – Feb 17, 1965 – Impact
Impacted Moon 20 February 1965 at 09:57:37 UT
Latitude 2.67 N, Longitude 24.65 E – (Sea of Tranquility
Ranger 9 USA – Mar 21, 1965 – Impact
Impacted Moon 24 March 1965 at 14:08:20 UT
Latitude 12.83 S, Longitude 357.63 E – Alphonsus
Zond 3 USSR – Jul 18, 1965 – Flyby
Launched at 14:38:00 UT
Luna 9 USSR – Jan 31, 1966 – Lander
Launched at 11:45:00 UT
Landed on Moon 03 Feb 1966 at 18:44:52 UT
Latitude 7.08 N, Longitude 295.63 E – Oceanus Procellarum
1st successful lunar landing.
Luna 10 USSR – Mar 31, 1966 – Orbiter
Launched at 10:48:00 UT
Surveyor 1 USA – May 30, 1966 – Lander
Landed 02 June 1966, 06:17:37 UT
Latitude 2.45 S, Longitude 316.79 E – Flamsteed P
Lunar Orbiter 1 USA – Aug 10, 1966 – Orbiter
Luna 11 USSR – Aug 24, 1966 – Orbiter
Launched at 8:09:00 UT
Surveyor 2 USA – Sep 20, 1966 – Lander (aborted)
Crashed on Moon 22 September 1966
Engine failed to ignite – southeast of Copernicus Crater
Luna 12 USSR – Oct 22, 1966 – Orbiter
Launched at 08:38:00 UT.
Lunar Orbiter 2 USA – Nov 6, 1966 – Orbiter
Luna 13 USSR – Dec 21, 1966 – Lander
Launched at 10:19:00 UT
Landed on Moon 24 Dec 1966 at 18:01:00 UT
Latitude 18.87 N, 297.95 E – Oceanus Procellarum
Lunar Orbiter 3 USA – Feb 4, 1967 – Orbiter
Surveyor 3 USA – Apr 17, 1967 – Lander
Landed 20 April 1967, 00:04:53 UT
Latitude 2.94 S, Longitude 336.66 E – Oceanus Procellarum
Lunar Orbiter 4 USA – May 8, 1967 – Orbiter
Surveyor 4 USA – July 14, 1967 – Lander (aborted)
Radio contact lost 17 July 1967
2.5 minutes from touchdown – Sinus Medii
Lunar Orbiter 5 USA – Aug 1, 1967 – Orbiter
Surveyor 5 USA – Sep 8, 1967 – Lander
Landed 11 September 1967, 00:46:44 UT
Latitude 1.41 N, Longitude 23.18 E – Sea of Tranquility
Surveyor 6 USA – Nov 7, 1967 – Lander
Landed 10 November 1967, 01:01:06 UT
Latitude 0.46 N, Longitude 358.63 E – Sinus Medii
Surveyor 7 USA – Jan 7, 1968 – Lander
Landed 10 January 1968, 01:05:36 UT
Latitude 41.01 S, Longitude 348.59 E – Tycho North Rim
Luna 14 USSR – Apr 7, 1968 – Orbiter
Zond 5 USSR – Sep 15, 1968 – Return Probe
Satellite contained living biological specimens.
Orbited Moon on Sep 18th. Returned to Earth Sep 21st with cargo intact.
Zond 6 USSR – Nov 10, 1968 – Return Probe
Like Zond 5, contained a biological payload, but the emphasis was more on
surface photography. Orbited Moon Nov 14th; landed in USSR Nov 17th.
Apollo 8 USA – Dec 21, 1968 – Manned Orbiter
Apollo 10 USA – May 18, 1969 – Orbiter
Apollo 11 USA – Jul 16, 1969 – Manned Landing
Zond 7 USSR – Aug 7, 1969 – Return Probe
Flew by Moon on Aug 11; returned to USSR on Aug 14th.
Apollo 12 USA – Nov 14, 1969 – Manned Landing
Apollo 13 USA – Apr 11, 1970 – Manned Landing (aborted)
Luna 16 USSR – Sep 12, 1970 – Sample Return
Landed on Moon 20 Sep 1970 at 05:18:00 UT
Latitude 0.68 S, Longitude 56.30 E – Mare Fecunditatis
Ascent stage landed in USSR on 24 Sep 1970
Zond 8 USSR – Oct 20, 1970 – Return Probe
Flew by Moon Oct 24; returned to Indian Ocean Oct 27th.
Luna 17 USSR – Nov 10, 1970 – Rover
Landed on Moon 17 Nov 1970 at 03:47:00 UT
Latitude 38.28 N, Longitude 325.00 E – Mare Imbrium
Ceased operating Oct 4, 1971
Apollo 14 USA – Jan 31, 1971 – Manned Landing
Apollo 15 USA – Jul 26, 1971 – Manned Landing
Luna 19 USSR – Sep 28, 1971 – Orbiter
Luna 20 USSR – Feb 14, 1972 – Sample Return
Landed on Moon 21 Feb 1972 at 19:19:00 UT
Latitude 3.57 N, Longitude 56.50 E – Mare Fecunditatis
Ascent stage landed in USSR on Feb 25, 1972
Apollo 16 USA – Apr 16, 1972 – Manned Landing
Apollo 17 USA – Dec 7, 1972 – Manned Landing
Luna 21 USSR – Jan 8, 1973 – Rover
Landed on Moon 15 Jan 1973 at 23:35:00 UT
Latitude 25.51 N, Longitude 30.38 E – Mare Serenitatis
Luna 22 USSR – Jun 2, 1974 – Orbiter
Luna 24 USSR – Aug 14, 1976 – Sample Return
Launched at 14:04:00 UT
Landed on Moon 18 Aug 1976 at 02:00:00 UT
Latitude 12.25 N, Longitude 62.20 E – Mare Crisium
Ascent stage landed in USSR on Aug 22, 1976.
Galileo USA – Oct 18, 1989 – Flyby
Launched at 23:23:40 UT from Atlantis Shuttle.
Imaged Moon on its trajectory to Jupiter.
Lunar Prospector USA – Jan 6, 1998 – Lander
Launched at 9:28:44 p.m. EST from Complex 46.

Space Accident Data: Non-planetary Missions

Clementine USA – Jan 25, 1994 – Orbiter
Launched at 16:34 UT from Vandenburg AFB
Originally slated to also flyby asteroid 1620 Geographos, a malfunction
in a thruster on May 7, 1994 14:39 UT resulted in abort of the asteroid
part of the mission.
GPS/Delta USA – Jan 25, 1997 – Earth satellite
Launched at 11:28 am EST from Cape Canaveral.
Exploded 21 sec after launch, spraying debris over the launch site and
neighboring Brevard County.
Titan 4A USA – Aug 12, 1998 – Top Secret Earth satellite
Launched at 7:30 am EDT from Cape Canaveral.
Rocket began to self-destruct 40 seconds into launch; had some problems
with toxic fuel debris. Cause of crash: electrical outage just before explosion.
Delta III USA – Aug 26, 1998 – Inaugural flight
Launched at 9:17 pm EDT from Cape Canaveral.
Exploded 1 minute into flight.
SMART-1 ESA – Sep 27, 2003 – lunar science
Launched 23:14 UT Kourou, French Guiana.