Luna 9

Luna 9 was the first spacecraft to achieve a survivable soft landing on another celestial body and to transmit photographic data from the surface. It operated for 3 days and transmitted a series of panoramic images of the surrounding terrain.

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Agency / Country

Soviet Space Program (Soviet Union)

Mission Status

LANDED

Launch / Target Year

1966

Spacecraft / Type

Luna 9

Landing Site Zone

Luna 9 Landing Site (Oceanus Procellarum)

Surface Coordinates

Lat 7.08°, Lon -64.37°

Mission Imagery & Gallery

Luna 9 photograph 1: NASA/NSSDC — Luna 9 lander spacecraft model. First soft landing on the Moon, February 3, 1966, Oceanus Procellarum. (Public domain) — NASA/NSSDC — Luna 9 lander spacecraft model. First soft landing on the Moon, February 3, 1966, Oceanus Procellarum. (Public domain)

Primary Achievement

First soft landing on any celestial body

Mission Objectives

Demonstrate soft landing technique on the Moon
Transmit surface panoramic photographs
Measure radiation environment at the surface
Confirm bearing strength of the lunar surface

Timeline Events

1966-01-31 — Launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome
1966-02-03 — Soft landing in Oceanus Procellarum — first ever
1966-02-03 — First panoramic surface photographs transmitted
1966-02-06 — Contact lost after battery exhaustion

Related Missions

Surveyor 1 (1966) · NASA
Luna 13 (1966) · USSR

Historical & Technical Sources

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