Luna 9 landing
Luna 9 · 1966 CE · The Moon
Make the first soft landing on the Moon.
Historical context
After many failures, the race to soft-land on the Moon hinged on landing Vera not knowing how firm the surface was. Luna 9 settled the debate and sent the first pictures from the ground.
The voyage, step by step
After twelve failures
31 January 1966
On 31 January 1966 a four-stage Molniya carries the thirteenth attempt at a soft landing off the Kazakh steppe.
Descent to the surface
1966 CE
Luna 9 falls toward the Ocean of Storms, encased in a protective sphere inflated with gas bags.
The engineer who simplified it
1966 CE
Babakin's redesign throws away the guidance the earlier landers could not manage and trusts a rubber ball instead.
First soft landing
3 February 1966
On 3 February 1966 it bounces to a stop, opens four petals like a flower and rights itself on the dust.
A view from ground level
1966 CE
Its rotating mirror sweeps a horizon of stones and small craters, west of the craters Reiner and Marius.
Scooped by a newspaper
1966 CE
Jodrell Bank recognises the transmission format, borrows a press fax machine, and the pictures appear in London first.
Outcome
Landed and returned surface panoramas.
Luna 9
Soviet probe that made the first soft landing on the Moon and returned pictures from the surface.
Sources
Continue exploring
- Surveyor 3 landingSurveyor 3 · 1967 CE – 1969 CE
- Apollo 8 lunar orbitApollo 8 · 1968 CE
- Ranger 7 impactRanger 7 · 1964 CE
- Apollo 11Neil Armstrong · 1969 CE