Moon Missions
April 30, 2024
Editorials, PRELIMS
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Concept :
- USSR (Soviet Union)
- Luna Program:Pioneering series of unmanned missions with milestones like:
- * Luna 2: First object to impact the Moon (1959)
- * Luna 3: First images of the Moon’s far side (1959)
- * Luna 9: First soft landing on the Moon (1966)
- * Luna 16, 20, 24: Sample return missions (1970s)
- * Lunokhod 1 & 2: Lunar rovers (1970s)
USA
- Ranger Program: Early impactor probes designed for lunar close-up photography (1960s)
- Surveyor Program:Uncrewed soft landers paving the way for Apollo (1960s)
- Apollo Program:The historic crewed missions:
- * Apollo 11: First humans on the Moon – Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (1969)
- * Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16, 17: Subsequent lunar landings and explorations (1969-1972)
- Lunar Orbiter Program:nDesigned to thoroughly map the Moon
- Clementine: Lunar mapping and technology testing (1990s)
- Lunar Prospector :Confirmed the presence of water ice at the poles (1990s)
- LRO/LCROSS: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and impactor to find and analyze lunar water (2009)
- LADEE: Studied the Moon’s thin atmosphere (2013)
- ARTEMIS Program: Current program aiming for a sustained human presence on the Moon.
China
- Chang’e Program: Ambitious program with several accomplishments:
- * Chang’e 1 & 2: Lunar Orbiters (2007 & 2010)
- * Chang’e 3: Soft lander and Yutu rover (2013)
- * Chang’e 4: First landing on the far side of the Moon (2019)
- * Chang’e 5: Sample Return mission (2020)
Japan:
- * Hiten: First lunar flyby by a nation other than the US or USSR (1990)
- * SELENE (Kaguya) : Large orbiter and lunar science mission (2007)
- * SLIM: Planned pinpoint lunar lande
India:
- * Chandrayaan-1: Lunar orbiter, confirmed water ice on the Moon (2008)
- * Chandrayaan-2: Orbiter, lander (Vikram), and rover (Pragyan). The lander experienced a hard landing (2019)
- European Space Agency: SMART-1: Lunar orbiter with technology testing (2003)
Commercial/Private missions:
- * Beresheet (SpaceIL, Israel) : Attempted lander, crashed (2019)
- * Several planned landers from private companies in the near future
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