Mare Fecunditatis (Sea of Fertility)

What Happened Here?

Landing site of Luna 16, September 20, 1970. First robotic lunar sample return. Luna 24 also landed nearby.

Region Overview

Eastern near-side mare. Luna 16 (first robotic sample return) landed here.

Missions Associated with this Site

• Luna 16 (1970) · USSR LANDED
  Confirmed landing. First robotic sample return from the Moon

Historical Timeline

• 1970-09-12 — Launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome (Luna 16)
• 1970-09-20 — Lands in Mare Fecunditatis (Luna 16)
• 1970-09-21 — Drill collects 101 g of regolith (Luna 16)
• 1970-09-24 — Return capsule lands in Kazakhstan — first robotic sample return (Luna 16)

Site Imagery & Gallery

Scientific References & Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_16
• https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1970-072A

Explore Mare Fecunditatis (Sea of Fertility) in 3D

Interactive 3D Moon atlas with terrain model, spacecraft markers, and historical site stories.