Space and Astronomy Atlas

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Missions and Programs

Luna Program

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The Soviet Union's uncrewed lunar exploration program, running from 1958 to 1976. It achieved the first flyby of the Moon (Luna 1), the first lunar impact (Luna 2), the first photographs of the Moon's far side (Luna 3), the first soft landing on another world (Luna 9), the first robotic lunar sample return (Luna 16), and deployed the Lunokhod rovers.

Facts
Mission Type
Robotic lunar exploration program 1
Launch Date
1959-01-02 1
Date of the Luna 1 launch, the program's first mission and the first successful lunar flyby.
Outcome
Achieved a series of space exploration firsts (first lunar flyby, first impact, first far-side photographs, first soft landing, first robotic lunar sample return, first lunar rovers); ended in 1976 with Luna 24. 1
Cross-Tradition Connections

Operated By

Additional Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)Luna programme, Wikipedia, lead section (Soviet Union attribution)
Sources
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationLuna programme, Mission Types section
Quote, Luna programme, Mission Types section
Notable achievements include the first Moon flyby (Luna 1), the first impact (Luna 2), the first photos of the far side (Luna 3), the first soft landing (Luna 9), and the first robotic sample return (Luna 16).
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationLuna programme, lead section
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationOperated By: Soviet space program, Luna programme, Wikipedia, lead section (Soviet Union attribution)
Quote, Operated By: Soviet space program, Luna programme, Wikipedia, lead section (Soviet Union attribution)
was a series of robotic spacecraft missions sent to the Moon by the Soviet Union between 1959 and 1976
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