List of lunar probes
See also: List of missions to the Moon
![](../I/m/Surveyor_3_on_Moon.jpg)
Surveyor 3 on the Moon.
![](../I/m/Luna_3_moon.jpg)
The first image returned by Luna 3 showed the far side of the Moon
This is a list of space probes that have flown by, impacted, or landed on the Moon for the purpose of lunar exploration, as well as probes launched toward the Moon that failed to reach their target. Confirmed future probes are included, but missions that are still at the concept stage, or which never progressed beyond the concept stage, are not.
The list does not include the manned Apollo missions.
Key
Colour key:
– Mission or flyby completed successfully (or partially successfully) – Failed or cancelled mission – Mission en route or in progress (including mission extensions) – Planned mission
- † means "tentatively identified", as classified by NASA . These are Cold War-era Soviet missions, mostly failures, about which few or no details have been officially released. The information given may be speculative.
- Date is the date of:
- closest encounter (flybys)
- impact (impactors)
- orbital insertion to end of mission, whether planned or premature (orbiters)
- landing to end of mission, whether planned or premature (landers)
- launch (missions that never got underway due to failure at or soon after launch)
- In cases which do not fit any of the above, the event to which the date refers is stated. Note that as a result of this scheme missions are not always listed in order of launch.
- In the case of flybys (such as gravity assists) that are incidental to the main mission, "success" indicates the successful completion of the flyby, not necessarily that of the main mission.
Lunar probes by date
1958–1960
Spacecraft | Organization | Date | Type | Status | Notes | Image | Ref | |
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Pioneer 0 | ![]() |
17 August 1958 | orbiter | failure | first attempted launch beyond Earth orbit; launch vehicle failure; maximum altitude 16 km | ![]() |
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Luna E-1 No.1 | ![]() |
23 September 1958 | impactor | failure | launch vehicle failure | |||
Pioneer 1 | ![]() ![]() |
11 October 1958 | orbiter | failure | second stage premature shutdown; maximum altitude 113,800 km; some data returned | ![]() |
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Luna E-1 No.2 | ![]() |
12 October 1958 | impactor | failure | launch vehicle failure | |||
Pioneer 2 | ![]() ![]() |
8 November 1958 | orbiter | failure | third stage failure; maximum altitude 1,550 km; some data returned | ![]() |
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Luna E-1 No.3 | ![]() |
4 December 1958 | impactor | failure | launch vehicle failure | |||
Pioneer 3 | ![]() ![]() |
6 December 1958 | flyby | failure | fuel depletion; maximum altitude 102,360 km; some data returned | ![]() |
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Luna 1 | ![]() |
4 January 1959 | flyby | partial success | first spacecraft in the vicinity of the Moon (flew within 5,995 km, but probably an intended impactor) | |||
Luna E-1A No.1 | ![]() |
18 June 1959 | impactor | failure | failed to reach Earth orbit | ![]() |
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Pioneer 4 | ![]() ![]() |
4 March 1959 | flyby | partial success | achieved distant flyby; first US probe to enter solar orbit | ![]() |
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Luna 2 | ![]() |
14 September 1959 | impactor | success | first impact on Moon | ![]() |
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Pioneer P-1 | ![]() |
24 September 1959? | orbiter? | failure | designation sometimes given to a failed launch or launchpad explosion during testing; conflicting information between sources | ![]() |
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Luna 3 | ![]() |
6 October 1959 | flyby | success | first images from the lunar farside | ![]() |
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Pioneer P-3 | ![]() |
26 November 1959 | orbiter | failure | disintegrated shortly after launch | ![]() |
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Luna 1960A† | ![]() |
15 April 1960 | flyby | failure | failed to attain correct trajectory | ![]() |
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Luna 1960B† | ![]() |
16 April 1960 | flyby | failure | launch vehicle failure | ![]() |
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Pioneer P-30 | ![]() |
25 September 1960 | orbiter | failure | second stage failure; failed to reach Earth orbit | ![]() |
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Pioneer P-31 | ![]() |
15 December 1960 | orbiter | failure | first stage failure | ![]() |
1962–1965
Spacecraft | Organization | Date | Type | Status | Notes | Image | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ranger 3 | ![]() |
28 January 1962 | impactor | failure | missed target | ![]() |
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Ranger 4 | ![]() |
26 April 1962 | impactor | failure | hit the lunar farside; no data returned | ![]() |
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Ranger 5 | ![]() |
21 October 1962 | impactor | failure | power failure, missed target | ![]() |
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Sputnik 25 | ![]() |
5 January 1963 | lander | failure | failed to escape Earth orbit | |||
Luna 1963B† | ![]() |
2 February 1963 | lander? | failure | failed to reach Earth orbit | |||
Luna 4 | ![]() |
5 April 1963 | lander? | failure | missed target, became Earth satellite | |||
Ranger 6 | ![]() |
2 February 1964 | impactor | partial success | impacted, but no pictures returned due to power failure | ![]() |
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Luna 1964A† | ![]() |
21 March 1964 | lander | failure | failed to reach Earth orbit | |||
Luna 1964B† | ![]() |
20 April 1964 | lander | failure | failed to reach Earth orbit | |||
Ranger 7 | ![]() |
31 July 1964 | impactor | success | returned pictures until impact | ![]() |
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Ranger 8 | ![]() |
20 February 1965 | impactor | success | returned pictures until impact | ![]() |
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Cosmos 60 | ![]() |
12 March 1965 | lander | failure | failed to leave Earth orbit | |||
Ranger 9 | ![]() |
24 March 1965 | impactor | success | TV broadcast of live pictures until impact | ![]() |
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Luna 1965A† | ![]() |
10 April 1965 | lander? | failure | failed to reach Earth orbit? | |||
Luna 5 | ![]() |
12 May 1965 | lander | failure | crashed into Moon | |||
Luna 6 | ![]() |
8 June 1965 | lander | failure | missed Moon | |||
Zond 3 | ![]() |
20 July 1965 | flyby | success | possibly originally intended as a Mars probe, but target changed after launch window missed | |||
Luna 7 | ![]() |
7 October 1965 | lander | failure | crashed into Moon | |||
Luna 8 | ![]() |
6 December 1965 | lander | failure | crashed into Moon |
1966–1967
Spacecraft | Organization | Date | Type | Status | Notes | Image | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Luna 9 | ![]() |
3 February 1966 – 6 February 1966 |
lander | success | first soft landing; first images from the surface | |||
Cosmos 111 | ![]() |
1 March 1966 | orbiter | failure | failed to escape Earth orbit | ![]() |
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Luna 10 | ![]() |
3 April 1966 – 30 May 1966 |
orbiter | success | first artificial satellite of the moon | ![]() |
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Luna 1966A† | ![]() |
30 April 1966 | orbiter? | failure | failed to reach Earth orbit | ![]() |
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Surveyor 1 | ![]() |
2 June 1966 | lander | success | first US soft landing; Surveyor program performed various tests in support of forthcoming manned landings | ![]() |
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Explorer 33 | ![]() |
1 July 1966 – 15 September 1971 |
orbiter | partial success | studied interplanetary plasma, cosmic rays, magnetic fields and solar X rays; failed to attain lunar orbit as intended, but achieved mission objectives from Earth orbit | ![]() |
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Lunar Orbiter 1 | ![]() |
14 August 1966 – 29 October 1966 |
orbiter | success | photographic mapping of lunar surface; intentionally impacted after completion of mission | ![]() |
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Luna 11 | ![]() |
28 August 1966 – 1 October 1966 |
orbiter | success | gamma-ray and X-ray-based observations of Moon's composition; gravity, radiation and meteorite studies | |||
Surveyor 2 | ![]() |
23 September 1966 | lander | failure | crashed into Moon | ![]() |
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Luna 12 | ![]() |
25 October 1966 – 19 January 1967 |
orbiter | success | lunar surface photography | |||
Lunar Orbiter 2 | ![]() |
10 November 1966 – 11 October 1967 |
orbiter | success | photographic mapping of lunar surface; intentionally impacted after completion of mission | ![]() |
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Luna 13 | ![]() |
24 December 1966 | lander | success | TV pictures of lunar landscape; soil measurements | |||
Lunar Orbiter 3 | ![]() |
8 February 1967 – 9 October 1967 |
orbiter | success | photographic mapping of lunar surface; intentionally impacted after completion of mission | ![]() |
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Surveyor 3 | ![]() |
20 April 1967 – 4 May 1967 |
lander | success | various studies, primarily in support of forthcoming manned landings | ![]() |
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Lunar Orbiter 4 | ![]() |
May–October 1967 | orbiter | success | lunar photographic survey | ![]() |
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Explorer 35 | ![]() |
July 1967 – 24 June 1973 |
orbiter | success | studies of interplanetary plasma, magnetic fields, energetic particles and solar X rays | ![]() |
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Surveyor 4 | ![]() |
17 July 1967 | lander | failure | crashed into Moon | ![]() |
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Lunar Orbiter 5 | ![]() |
5 August 1967 – 31 January 1968 |
orbiter | success | lunar photographic survey; intentionally impacted after completion of mission | ![]() |
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Surveyor 5 | ![]() |
11 September 1967 – 17 December 1967 |
lander | success | various studies, primarily in support of forthcoming manned landings | ![]() |
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Zond 1967A† | ![]() |
28 September 1967 | failure | lunar capsule test flight; launch failure | ![]() |
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Surveyor 6 | ![]() |
10 November 1967 – 14 December 1967 |
lander | success | various studies, primarily in support of forthcoming manned landings | ![]() |
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Zond 1967B† | ![]() |
22 November 1967 | failure | lunar capsule test flight; launch failure | ![]() |
1968–1970
Spacecraft | Organization | Date | Type | Status | Notes | Image | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Surveyor 7 | ![]() |
10 January 1968 – 21 February 1968 |
lander | success | various studies, primarily in support of forthcoming manned landings; fifth and final Surveyor mission to achieve soft landing | ![]() |
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Luna 1968A† | ![]() |
7 February 1968 | orbiter? | failure | failed to reach Earth orbit | |||
Zond 4 | ![]() |
2 March 1968 (launch) | lunar programme flight test, directed away from Moon, either intentionally or unintentionally | ![]() |
||||
Luna 14 | ![]() |
10 April 1968 – ? | orbiter | success | tests of radio communications technologies; lunar mascon studies | |||
Zond 1968A† | ![]() |
23 April 1968 | flyby? | failure | launch failure | ![]() |
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Zond 5 | ![]() |
18 September 1968 | flyby | success | bioscience experiments; returned to soft landing on Earth | ![]() |
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Zond 6 | ![]() |
14 November 1968 | flyby | success | cosmic-ray, micrometeoroid and bioscience studies; returned to soft landing on Earth | ![]() |
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Zond 1969A† | ![]() |
20 January 1969 | flyby | failure | launch aborted | ![]() |
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Luna 1969A† | ![]() |
19 February 1969 | rover | failure | launch vehicle failure | ![]() |
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Zond L1S-1† | ![]() |
21 February 1969 | orbiter | failure | launch vehicle failure | ![]() |
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Luna 1969B† | ![]() |
15 April 1969 | sample return? | failure | launch failure | ![]() |
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Luna 1969C† | ![]() |
14 June 1969 | sample return | failure | launch failure | ![]() |
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Zond L1S-2† | ![]() |
3 July 1969 | orbiter | failure | launch failure | ![]() |
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Luna 15 | ![]() |
21 July 1969 | sample return? | failure? | completed 52 lunar orbits then crash-landed | ![]() |
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Zond 7 | ![]() |
11 August 1969 | flyby | success | returned to soft landing on Earth | ![]() |
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Cosmos 300 | ![]() |
23 September 1969 | sample return | failure | failed to escape Earth orbit | ![]() |
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Cosmos 305 | ![]() |
22 October 1969 | sample return | failure | failed to escape Earth orbit | ![]() |
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Luna 1970A† | ![]() |
6 February 1970 | sample return? | failure | launch vehicle failure | ![]() |
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Luna 1970B† | ![]() |
19 February 1970 | orbiter? | failure | launch vehicle failure | ![]() |
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Luna 16 | ![]() |
20 September 1970 | sample return | success | first robotic sample return | ![]() |
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Zond 8 | ![]() |
24 October 1970 | flyby | success | returned to soft landing on Earth | ![]() |
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Luna 17 | ![]() |
17 November 1970 – 4 October 1971 |
lander | success | deployed rover | ![]() |
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Lunokhod 1 | rover | success | first robotic rover; travelled over 10 km |
1971–1976
Spacecraft | Organization | Date | Type | Status | Notes | Image | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Luna 18 | ![]() |
11 September 1971 | lander/sample return? | failure | crashed into Moon | ![]() |
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Luna 19 | ![]() |
3 October 1971 – October 1972 |
orbiter | success | ![]() |
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Luna 20 | ![]() |
21 February 1972 | sample return | success | second successful robotic sample return | ![]() |
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Soyuz L3† | ![]() |
23 November 1972 | orbiter | failure | launch failure | ![]() |
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Luna 21 | ![]() |
15 January 1973 – May 1973? |
lander | success | deployed rover | ![]() |
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Lunokhod 2 | rover | success | second robotic rover; travelled 37 km | |||||
Explorer 49 | ![]() |
15 June 1973 – June 1975 |
orbiter | success | radio astronomy observations; last US lunar mission until 1994 | ![]() |
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Mariner 10 | ![]() |
November 1973 | flyby | success | en route to Venus and Mercury | ![]() |
[1] | |
Luna 22 | ![]() |
2 June 1974 – November 1974 |
orbiter | success | ![]() |
|||
Luna 23 | ![]() |
6 November 1974 | sample return | failure | damaged on landing, sample return failed | |||
Luna 1975A† | ![]() |
16 October 1975 | sample return | failure | failed to reach Earth orbit | |||
Luna 24 | ![]() |
18 August 1976 | sample return | success | third and final successful sample return in Luna programme |
1983–1998
Spacecraft | Organization | Date | Type | Status | Notes | Image | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ICE (formerly ISEE3) | ![]() |
22 December 1983 | flyby | success | gravity assist en route to comet flybys | ![]() |
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Hiten | ![]() |
March 1990 – October 1991 | flyby (approached 10 times) | success | in Moon-crossing Earth orbit from January 1990, later transferred to lunar orbit after failure of Hagoromo; intentionally impacted on Moon at end of mission; first Japanese probe to enter lunar orbit | ![]() |
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February 1992 – April 1993 | orbiter | success | ||||||
Hagoromo | ![]() |
March 1990 | orbiter | failure | released by Hiten into lunar orbit, but transmitter failed and orbit never confirmed | |||
GEOTAIL | ![]() ![]() |
September 1992 – November 1994 | flyby (approached 14 times) | success | gravity assist en route magnetotail around L2 / finally deployed into high Earth orbit | |||
Clementine | ![]() ![]() |
February – June 1994 | orbiter | partial success | lunar and Earth observations and component testing; planned Geographos flyby failed | ![]() |
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HGS-1 | Hughes Global Services | May/June 1998 | errant communications satellite, flew within 6,200 kilometers of Moon during orbit correction manoeuvres | |||||
Lunar Prospector | ![]() |
January 1998 – July 1999 |
orbiter | success | lunar surface mapping; intentionally impacted into polar crater at end of mission to test for liberation of water vapour (not detected) | ![]() |
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Nozomi | ![]() |
24 September 1998 | flyby | success | gravity assists on planned mission to Mars | |||
18 December 1998 | flyby | success |
2004–2009
Spacecraft | Organization | Date | Type | Status | Notes | Image | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SMART-1 | ![]() |
13 November 2004 – 3 September 2006 |
orbiter | success | technology testbed and lunar geological studies; intentionally impacted at end of mission; first European probe to orbit the Moon | |||
SELENE (Kaguya) |
![]() |
3 October 2007 – 10 June 2009 | orbiter | success | mineralogical, geographical, magnetic and gravitational observations | ![]() |
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Okina (Relay Star) |
9 October 2007 – 12 February 2009 | Kaguya subsatellite | success | relay for Kaguya's Far Side operations | ||||
Ouna (VRAD) |
12 October 2007 – 29 June 2009 | Kaguya subsatellite | success (still in orbit) | Very Long Baseline Interferometry | ||||
Chang'e 1 | ![]() |
5 November 2007 – 1 March 2009 | orbiter | success | 3D lunar mapping and geological observations; first Chinese probe to orbit a body besides Earth | ![]() |
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1 March 2009 | impactor | success | collect data in preparation for future soft landing. | |||||
Chandrayaan-1 | ![]() |
8 November 2008 – 29 August 2009 | orbiter | partial success | high resolution three-dimensional mapping, search water in polar region (first detected water, published Science paper jointly with NASA) and spectral analysis of the Moon's surface and inner compositions | ![]() |
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Moon Impact Probe (MIP) | 14 November 2008 | impactor | success | test and demonstrate targeting technologies in anticipation of future soft landings, scientific observation of the Moon from close range | ||||
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter | ![]() |
23 June 2009 – | orbiter | in orbit | survey of lunar resources and identification of possible landing sites | ![]() |
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LCROSS | 9 October 2009 | impactor | success | analyzed upper-stage impact plume for traces of water liberated from the Moon's surface | ![]() |
2010–present
Spacecraft | Organization | Date | Type | Status | Notes | Image | Ref | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chang'e 2 | ![]() |
1 October 2010 – 27 August 2011 | orbiter | success | capture high resolution images of soft landing site for Chang'e 3, measure and analyze content of the surface | |||
ARTEMIS P1 | ![]() |
2 July 2011 – | orbiter | in orbit | to study the effect of the solar wind on the lunar surface | |||
ARTEMIS P2 | ![]() |
17 July 2011 – | orbiter | in orbit | to study the effect of the solar wind on the lunar surface | |||
GRAIL A | ![]() |
31 December 2011 – 17 December 2012 | orbiter | success | mapped the Moon's gravitational field; intentionally impacted at end of mission | |||
GRAIL B | ![]() |
1 January 2012 – 12 December 2012 | orbiter | success | mapped the Moon's gravitational field; intentionally impacted at end of mission | |||
LADEE | ![]() |
6 September 2013 – 8 April 2014 | orbiter | success | designed to study the lunar exosphere and dust | |||
Chang'e 3 | ![]() |
1 December 2013 | orbiter | in progress | soft lander; successfully landed on Moon with Yutu rover 14 December 2013. | |||
lander/rover | ||||||||
Chang'e 5-T1 | ![]() |
23 October 2014 | orbiter | in progress | Engineering test article for reentry from lunar trajectory, carries secondary private payload 4M |
Future
Main article: List of proposed missions to the Moon
See also
- Robotic spacecraft
- List of landings on extraterrestrial bodies
- List of Solar System probes
- Timeline of Solar System exploration
Notes
- ↑ "Mariner 10". National Space Science Data Centre. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
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