Luna 20

Luna 20 successfully soft-landed in the Apollonius highlands and returned 55 grams of lunar soil core samples to Earth, the first highlands sample return.

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Agency / Country

Soviet Space Program (Soviet Union)

Mission Status

LANDED

Launch / Target Year

1972

Spacecraft / Type

Luna 20

Landing Site Zone

Apollonius Highlands

Surface Coordinates

Lat 3.53°, Lon 56.55°

Mission Imagery & Gallery

Luna 20 photograph 1: Soviet Space Program — Luna 20 spacecraft at the Apollonius Highlands landing site, February 1972. (Public domain / Soviet Space Program) — Soviet Space Program — Luna 20 spacecraft at the Apollonius Highlands landing site, February 1972. (Public domain / Soviet Space Program)

Primary Achievement

First sample return from lunar highlands

Mission Objectives

Land in lunar highlands (Apollonius region)
Collect and return 55 g of highland soil samples
Study differences between mare and highland regolith

Timeline Events

1972-02-14 — Launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome
1972-02-21 — Lands in Apollonius Highlands — first highland landing
1972-02-22 — Drill collects 55 g of highland soil
1972-02-25 — Return capsule lands in Kazakhstan

Related Missions

Luna 16 (1970) · USSR
Luna 24 (1976) · USSR

Historical & Technical Sources

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