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LUNAR SPACECRAFT (Unmanned) |
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LUNAR SPACECRAFT (Unmanned) |
| NAME | LAUNCH DATE | BOOSTER | WEIGHT lb (kg) | MISSION |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer 0 (USA) | 17-Aug-58 | Thor-Able | 84 (38) | Lunar orbit attempt. Booster exploded at ten miles (16 km). |
| Luna (USSR) | 23-Sep-58 | SL-3/A-1 | 795 (361) | Lunar impact attempt. Structural failure at 92 sec into launch. |
| Pioneer 1 (USA) | 11-Oct-58 | Thor-Able | 84 (38) | Lunar orbit attempt. Reached 70,700 miles (113,830 km), fell back over South Pacific. |
| Luna (USSR) | 12-Oct-58 | SL-3/A-1 | 795 (361) | Lunar impact attempt. Launcher exploded at 100 sec into launch. |
| Pioneer 2 (USA) | 8-Nov-58 | Thor-Able | 84 (38) | Lunar orbit attempt. Reached 965 miles (1,550 km), fell back over central Africa. |
| Luna (USSR) | 4-Dec-58 | SL-3/A-1 | 795 (361) | Lunar impact attempt. Stage 1 failure at 245 sec into launch. |
| Pioneer 3 (USA) | 6-Dec-58 | Juno II | 13 (6) | Lunar fly-by attempt. Reached 63,580 miles (102,320 km), fell back over central Africa. |
| Luna 1 (USSR) | 2-Jan-59 | SL-3/A-1 | 795 (361) | Lunar impact attempt. Solar orbit after 3,100 mile (5,000 km) fly-by. |
| Pioneer 4 (USA) | 3-Mar-59 | Juno II | 13 (6) | Lunar fly-by at 37,050 miles (60,500 km), into solar orbit. |
| Luna (USSR) | 18-Jul-59 | SL-3/A-1 | 853 (387) | Lunar impact attempt. Failed to reach Earth orbit. |
| Luna 2 (USSR) | 12-Sep-59 | SL-3/A-1 | 853 (387) | First lunar impact. |
| Pioneer/Orbiter (USA) | 24-Sep-59 | Atlas-Able | 375 (170) | Lunar orbit attempt. Destroyed in booster static test explosion. |
| Luna 3 (USSR) | 4-Oct-59 | SL-3/A-1 | 614 (278) | Final stage instrumentation 345 lb (156 kg); mission payload 959 lb (434 kg). Photographed 70% of lunar far side. |
| Pioneer/Orbiter (USA) | 26-Nov-59 | Atlas-Able | 373 (169) | Lunar orbit attempt. Destroyed when booster shroud lost 45 sec into launch. |
| Luna (USSR) | 15-Apr-60 | SL-3/A-1 | 615 (279) | Lunar flyby attempt. Failed to reach Earth orbit, premature stage 2 cutoff. |
| Luna (USSR) | 16-Apr-60 | SL-3/A-1 | 615 (279) | Lunar flyby attempt. Strap-on failed to ignite, broke up near pad. |
| Pioneer/Orbiter (USA) | 25-Sep-60 | Atlas-Able | 388 (176) | Lunar orbit attempt. Destroyed when booster second-stage oxidizer system malfunctioned. |
| Pioneer/Orbiter (USA) | 15-Dec-60 | Atlas-Able | 388 (176) | Lunar orbit attempt. Destroyed when booster first-stage exploded 70 sec into launch. |
| Ranger 1 (USA) | 23-Aug-61 | Atlas-Agena | 674 (306) | High Earth orbit test vehicle attempt. Achieved only low Earth orbit when Agena failed to restart. |
| Ranger 2 (USA) | 18-Nov-61 | Atlas-Agena | 674 (306) | High Earth orbit test vehicle attempt. Achieved only low Earth orbit when Agena failed to restart. |
| Ranger 3 (USA) | 26-Jan-62 | Atlas-Agena | 727 (330) | Hard land seismometer attempt. Lunar fly-by at 22,872 miles (36,808 km) when Agena imparted excess velocity. |
| Ranger 4 (USA) | 23-Apr-62 | Atlas-Agena | 730 (331) | Hard land seismometer attempt. Timer failure. Tracked to indicate impact on lunar far side. |
| Ranger 5 (USA) | 18-Oct-62 | Atlas-Agena | 752 (341) | Hard land seismometer attempt. Power failure. Solar orbit after 450 mile (725 km) lunar fly-by. |
| Sputnik 25 (USSR) | 4-Jan-63 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,080 (1,400) | Unannounced soft-landing attempt. Earth orbit only. |
| Luna (USSR) | 3-Feb-63 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,080 (1,400) | Soft-landing attempt. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Luna 4 (USSR) | 2-Apr-63 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,135 (1,422) | Soft-landing attempt. Solar orbit after 5,280 mile (8,500 km) lunar fly-by. |
| Ranger 6 (USA) | 30-Jan-64 | Atlas-Agena | 805 (365) | TV close-up before impact attempt. Crashed on target but no pictures returned. |
| Luna (USSR) | 21-Mar-64 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,142 (1,425) | Soft-landing attempt. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Luna (USSR) | 20-Apr-64 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,142 (1,425) | Soft-landing attempt. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Zond (USSR) | 4-Jun-64 | SL-6/A-2-e | () | Lunar test of Mars probe. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Ranger 7 (USA) | 28-Jul-64 | Atlas-Agena | 806 (366) | Returned 4,306 high-resolution pictures before impact on Mare Cognitum. |
| Ranger 8 (USA) | 17-Feb-65 | Atlas-Agena | 809 (367) | Returned 7,137 high-resolution pictures before impact on Mare Tranquillitatis. |
| Cosmos 60 (USSR) | 12-Mar-65 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,240 (1,470) | Soft-landing attempt. Earth orbit only. |
| Ranger 9 (USA) | 21-Mar-65 | Atlas-Agena | 807 (366) | Returned 5,814 high-resolution pictures before impact inside crater Alphonsus. |
| Luna (USSR) | 10-Apr-65 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,255 (1,476)? | Soft-landing attempt. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Luna 5 (USSR) | 9-May-65 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,255 (1,476) | Soft-landing attempt. Crashed at 31oS x 8oE. |
| Luna 6 (USSR) | 8-Jun-65 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,180 (1,442) | Soft-landing attempt. Solar orbit after 100,000 mile (160,000 km) lunar fly-by. |
| Zond 3 (USSR) | 18-Jul-65 | SL-6/A-2-e | 2,095 (950) | Lunar fly-by, into solar orbit. Returned pictures of remaining portions of lunar far side. |
| Centaur 3 (USA) | 11-Aug-65 | Atlas-Centaur | 2,100 (952) | High Earth orbit of Surveyor dynamic model. Engineering development flight of Centaur. |
| Luna 7 (USSR) | 4-Oct-65 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,321 (1,506) | Soft-landing attempt. Impact at 9oN x 40oW. |
| Luna 8 (USSR) | 3-Dec-65 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,422 (1,552) | Soft-landing attempt. Impact at 9o8'N x 63o18'W. |
| Luna 9 (USSR) | 31-Jan-66 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,490 (1,583) | First successful soft lunar landing at 7o8'N x 64o33'W. Returned TV panoramas and radiation data over four days. 220 lb (100 kg) capsule. |
| Cosmos 111 (USSR) | 1-Mar-66 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,530 (1,600) | Lunar orbit attempt. Earth orbit only. |
| Luna 10 (USSR) | 31-Mar-66 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,490 (1,583) | First successful lunar orbit. 540 lb (245 kg) satellite returned data from 217 x 632 mile (350 x 1,017 km), 178.3 min, 71o32' orbit over 56-day life. |
| Luna (USSR) | 30-Apr-66 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,490 (1,583)? | Lunar orbit attempt. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Surveyor 1 (USA) | 30-May-66 | Atlas-Centaur | 2,194 (995) | Soft-landing at 2o27'S x 43o13'W. Returned 11,237 TV pictures and engineering data over six weeks. |
| Explorer 33 (USA) | 1-Jul-66 | Delta | 205 (93) | Lunar orbit attempt. Achieved 9,880 x 270,300 mile (15,900 x 435,000 km) Earth orbit. Returned particle and field data. |
| Lunar Orbiter 1 (USA) | 10-Aug-66 | Atlas-Agena | 850 (386) | Lunar orbit, 118 x 1,160 miles (189 x 1,867 km) 12.2o, perilune lowered to 25 miles (40 km). Returned 209 photo frames of surface. |
| Luna 11 (USSR) | 24-Aug-66 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,615 (1,640) | Lunar orbit, 99 x 746 miles (159 x 1,200 km), 178 min, 27o. |
| Surveyor 2 (USA) | 20-Sep-66 | Atlas-Centaur | 2,200 (1,000) | Soft-landing attempt. Crashed south-east of crater Copernicus. |
| Luna 12 (USSR) | 22-Oct-66 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,585 (1,625) | Lunar orbit, 62 x 1,081 miles (100 x 1,740 km), 205 min, 15o. Returned TV pictures of surface. |
| Centaur 5 (USA) | 26-Oct-66 | Atlas-Centaur | 1,600 (726) | High Earth orbit with Surveyor mass model. Centaur restart development flight. |
| Lunar Orbiter 2 (USA) | 6-Nov-66 | Atlas-Agena | 850 (386) | Lunar orbit, 122 x 1,150 miles (196 x 1,850 km) 11.8o, perilune lowered to 31 miles (50 km). Returned 817 photo frames of surface. |
| Luna 13 (USSR) | 21-Dec-66 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,570 (1,620) | Soft-landing at 18o52'N x 62o3'W. Returned TV panoramas and radiation data. Tested soil. |
| Lunar Orbiter 3 (USA) | 5-Feb-67 | Atlas-Agena | 850 (386) | Lunar orbit, 131 x 1,120 miles (210 x 1,802 km) 20.9o, lowered to 34 x 1,148 miles (55 x 1,847 km). Returned 626 photo frames of surface. |
| Cosmos 146 (USSR) | 10-Mar-67 | SL-12/D-1-e | 11,060 (5,017) | Zond attempt. Earth orbit only. |
| Cosmos 154 (USSR) | 8-Apr-67 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Zond attempt. Earth orbit only. |
| Surveyor 3 (USA) | 17-Apr-67 | Atlas-Centaur | 2,283 (1,035) | Soft-landing at 2o56'S x 23o20'W. Returned 6,315 TV pictures and engineering data. Surface weight 625 lb (283 kg). |
| Lunar Orbiter 4 (USA) | 4-May-67 | Atlas-Agena | 850 (386) | Lunar orbit, 1,681 x 3,735 miles (2,706 x 6,011 km) 85.5o. Returned 546 photo frames of surface. |
| Surveyor 4 (USA) | 14-Jul-67 | Atlas-Centaur | 2,291 (1,039) | Soft-landing attempt. Crashed at 0o26'N x 1o20'W. |
| Explorer 35 (USA) | 19-Jul-67 | Delta | 229 (104) | Lunar orbit, 500 x 4,600 miles (804 x 7,400 km), 147o. Returned particle and fields data. |
| Lunar Orbiter 5 (USA) | 1-Aug-67 | Atlas-Agena | 850 (386) | Lunar orbit, 121 x 3,743 miles (195 x 6,023 km) 85o, lowered to 62 x 931 miles (99 x 1,499 km). Returned 844 photo frames of surface. |
| Surveyor 5 (USA) | 8-Sep-67 | Atlas-Centaur | 2,216 (1,005) | Soft-landing at 1o25'N x 22o15'E. Returned 18,006 TV pictures. First chemical analysis of soil. |
| Zond (USSR) | 28-Sep-67 | SL-12/D-1-e | 11,465 (5,200) | Zond attempt. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Surveyor 6 (USA) | 7-Nov-67 | Atlas-Centaur | 2,223 (1,008) | Soft-landing at 0o25'N x 1o20'W. Returned 30,065 TV pictures and chemical analysis data. |
| Zond (USSR) | 22-Nov-67 | SL-12/D-1-e | 11,465 (5,200) | Zond attempt. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Surveyor 7 (USA) | 7-Jan-68 | Atlas-Centaur | 2,293 (1,040) | Soft-landing at 40o53'S x 11o26'W near rim of crater Tycho. Returned 21,274 TV pictures and chemical analysis data from lunar highlands. |
| Luna USSR) | 7-Feb-68 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,561 (1,615)? | Lunar orbit attempt. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Zond 4 (USSR) | 2-Mar-68 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Zond mission check-out. Solar orbit. |
| Luna 14 (USSR) | 7-Apr-68 | SL-6/A-2-e | 3,561 (1,615) | Lunar orbit, 100 x 540 miles (160 x 870 km), 160 min, 42o. |
| Zond (USSR) | 23-Apr-68 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Zond attempt. Failed to reach Earth orbit. |
| Zond 5 (USSR) | 14-Sep-68 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Circumlunar fly-by. Returned to Indian Ocean. |
| Zond 6 (USSR) | 10-Nov-68 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Circumlunar fly-by. "Skip" return to Soviet Union. |
| Zond (USSR) | 20-Jan-69 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Zond attempt. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Luna (USSR) | 19-Feb-69 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Lunar rover attempt. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Zond L1S-1 (USSR) | 21-Feb-69 | SL-15/N-1 | 12,300 (5,600) | N-1 test & Zond attempt. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Luna (USSR) | 15-Apr-69 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Soil sample-return attempt. Failed to reach Earth orbit. |
| Luna (USSR) | 14-Jun-69 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Soil sample-return attempt. Failed to reach Earth orbit. |
| Zond L1S-2 (USSR) | 3-Jul-69 | SL-15/N-1 | 12,300 (5,600) | N-1 test & Zond attempt. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Luna 15 (USSR) | 13-Jul-69 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,570 (5,700) | Soil sample-return attempt. Failed to achieve soft lunar landing. |
| Zond 7 (USSR) | 7-Aug-69 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Circumlunar fly-by. "Skip" return to Soviet Union. |
| Cosmos 300 (USSR) | 23-Sep-69 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Soil sample-return attempt or rover attempt. Failed to leave Earth orbit. |
| Cosmos 305 (USSR) | 22-Oct-69 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Soil sample-return attempt or rover attempt. Possible successful trans-lunar injection only. |
| Luna (USSR) | 6-Feb-70 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Soil sample-return attempt. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Luna (USSR) | 19-Feb-70 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Lunar orbit attempt. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Luna 16 (USSR) | 12-Sep-70 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,620 (5,725) | First successful automatic lunar soil sample return. Sample from mare region at 0o41'S x 56o18'E. Dry lander 4,145 lb (1,880 kg). |
| Zond 8 (USSR) | 20-Oct-70 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Circumlunar fly-by. Returned to Indian Ocean. |
| Luna 17 (USSR) | 10-Nov-70 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Lunokhod 1 Rover 1,667 lb (756 kg); empty descent stage 2,381 lb (1,080 kg). Total surface payload 4,084 lb (1,836 kg). First successful automatic lunar rover, 38o18'N x 35oW. |
| Apollo 15 P & F Sub-Satellite (USA) | 26-Jul-71 | Saturn V | 79 (36) | Particle and fields sub-satellite released from Apollo 15. |
| Luna 18 (USSR) | 2-Sep-71 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,125 (5,500) | Soil sample-return attempt. Crashed at 3o34'N x 56o30'E. |
| Luna 19 (USSR) | 28-Sep-71 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Lunar orbit. Intially 87 mile (140 km) circular; 48 x 239 mile (77 x 385 km), 131 min, 40o after manoeuvring. |
| Luna 20 (USSR) | 14-Feb-72 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Automatic soil sample-return from lunar highlands at 3o32'N x 56o33'E. |
| Apollo 16 P & F Sub-Satellite (USA) | 16-Apr-72 | Saturn V | 79 (36) | Particle and fields sub-satellite released from Apollo 16. |
| Soyuz L3 (USSR) | 23-Nov-72 | SL-15/N-1 | 21,710 (9,850) | N-1 test with lunar orbiter + model lander. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Luna 21 (USSR) | 8-Jan-73 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Lunokhod 2 Rover 1,852 lb (840 kg); 25o54'N x 30o30'E. |
| Explorer 49 (USA) | 10-Jun-73 | Delta | 723 (328) | Radio Astronomy Explorer placed in lunar orbit. |
| Luna 22 (USSR) | 29-May-74 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Lunar orbit. Conducted extensive manoeuvring. |
| Luna 23 (USSR) | 28-Oct-74 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,570 (5,700) | Deep soil sample return attempt. Damaged on landing at 12o41'N x 62o18'E. |
| Luna (USSR) | 16-Oct-75 | SL-12/D-1-e | 12,300 (5,600) | Deep soil sample return attempt. Failed to achieve Earth orbit. |
| Luna 24 (USSR) | 9-Aug-76 | SL-12/D-1-e | 11,698 (5,306) | Deep soil sample return from 12o45'N x 62o12'E. |
| Hiten (Japan) | 24-Jan-90 | Mu-3SII-5 | 315 (143) | Earth orbiter that preformed ten lunar fly-bys and lunar impact on 10-Apr-93; subsatellite Hagoromo entered lunar orbit. Originally named MUSES-A |
| Clementine (USA) | 25-Jan-94 | Titan IIG | 3,725 (1,690) | Lunar orbit, 260 x 1,810 miles (425 x 2,935 km), 90o. Mapped lunar surface. Malfuntion prevented planned fly-by of asteroid Geographos. |
| Lunar Prospector (USA) | 6-Jan-98 | Athena II | 653 (296) | Lunar orbiter. Mapped minerals, magnetic & gravitational fields; discovered evidence of possible water ice at lunar poles. Crashed near moon's south pole 31-Jul-99. |
| SMART-1 (ESA) | 27-Sep-03 | Ariane 5 | 808 (366) | First European mission to the Moon; entered lunar orbit 15-Nov-04. Two phase mission to test new technologies and study the Moon. Crashed into moon 3-Sep-06. |
| Kaguya (Japan) | 14-Sep-07 | H-IIA | 6,360 (2,885) | Lunar orbiter with two sub-satellites; entered lunar orbit 3-Oct-07 to obtain scientific data on lunar origins & evolution, and develop the technology for future lunar exploration. Originally named SELENE. |
| Chang'e 1 (China) | 24-Oct-07 | Long March 3A | 5,180 (2,350) | China's first mission to the Moon; entered lunar orbit 5-Nov-07 to obtain 3D images of the lunar surface, map element distribution, evaluate soil depth, and study space environment. Crashed into moon 1-Mar-09. |
| Chandrayaan 1 (India) | 22-Oct-08 | PSLV-XL | 3,042 (1,380) | India's first mission to the Moon; lunar orbiter (523 kg) and impactor. Entered lunar orbit 8-Nov-08 to perform high-resolution remote sensing of the moon in visible, near infrared, and X-ray regions. |
| Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (USA) | 18-Jun-09 | Atlas V | 4,224 (1,916) | Lunar orbiter, launched with LCROSS. Entered orbit 23-Jun-09 to find possible landing sites for a lunar outpost, locate potential resources, characterize the radiation environment, and test new technology. |
| Lunar Crater Observation & Sensing Satellite (USA) | 18-Jun-09 | Atlas V | 1,664 (891) | Lunar impactor/probe, launched with LRO. Confirmed presence of water in permanently shadowed Cabeus crater by flying through debris plume created by previously impacted Centaur stage. Impact on 9-Oct-09. |
| Chang'e 2 (China) | 01-Oct-10 | Long March 3C | 5,470 (2,480) | Entered lunar orbit 6-Oct-10 for primary mapping mission; flew to L2 Lagrangian point to test TT&C network; flew by asteroid 4179 Toutatis on 13-Dec-12. |
| Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (USA) | 10-Sep-11 | Delta II | 677 (307) | Mission included two small lunar orbiters GRAIL A (Ebb) and GRAIL B (Flow); mapped moon's gravitational field. Crashed into moon 17-Dec-12. |
| Lunar Atmosphere & Dust Environment Explorer (USA) | 07-Sep-13 | Minotaur V | 844 (383) | Lunar orbiter; studied lunar exosphere and dust environment. Crashed into moon 18-Apr-14. |
| Chang'e 3 (China) | 02-Dec-13 | Long March 3B | 8,400 (3,800) | First Chinese lunar soft-landing and first rover (Yutu); lander mass 2,600 lb (1,200 kg), rover mass 310 lb (140 kg). Landed 14-Dec-13 at 44o7'N x 19o31'W. |
Compiled and edited by Robert A. Braeunig, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2015.
Bibliography