Are you a sci-fi fan? You’ve probably seen hundreds of movies showing people traveling to space. It’s no news that the moon is now an exploration zone for humans. Over the years, numerous inventions have facilitated several journeys to Earth’s only natural satellite body. This article contains a curated list of countries that have landed on the moon and their means of reaching there.
Russia (USSR), The First Country to Land on the Moon
Russia’s first attempt was the Luna 1, but it failed to reach the moon. Eight months later, the Luna 2 Spacecraft was hard-landed into the moon under the Soviet Union on September 12th, 1959. A hard landing means the spacecraft was intentionally launched to crash against the moon.
Between 1969 and 1976, Russia launched six spacecraft into the moon. Unfortunately, their recent attempt, carried out on August 11th, 2023, crashed into the surface, failing to land at the targeted south pole of the moon.
India Embarks on Their Mission to the Moon
On October 2nd, 2008, India’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft reached the moon. The spacecraft was originally designed to hard-land on the moon’s surface. After a failed attempt in 2019, India also launched an uncrewed Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft.
The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft was transported using the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III rocket. This feat was accomplished on August 23, 2023, making India the first country to land a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole.
China Completes Its 5th Visit to the Moon
Chang’e-5 is China’s fifth successful attempt to the moon, also making it the first lunar return spacecraft launched by the country. Chang’e-5 landed on December 1, 2020, and was scheduled to return to Earth on December 16, 2020, at exactly 17:59 UTC.
Chang’e-5 was launched to bring back soil material from the moon for experimentation. The soil contains hydroxyl molecules, showing evidence of water molecules on the moon. China also placed its first flag on the moon during this mission.
Humans’ First Trip to the Moon by the USA
On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 was the first human-crewed spacecraft to land on the moon. From 1969 to 1972, 12 people were transported during six missions. Only Apollo 13 failed to reach the moon.
Although the Apollo mission was later discontinued due to funding issues, America is still working on sending humans back to the moon with the Artemis program. The only country to successfully launch man-crewed spacecraft to the moon is the United States of America.
Israel and Japan’s Attempt at Moon Landing
In April 2019, Israel sent a small-built Beresheet 1 Lander on a space rocket to the moon. It is said to be the smallest and cheapest spacecraft to land on the moon. The Beresheet Lander traveled about 6.5 million kilometers before it crashed against the lunar surface.
Japan’s Hakuto-R Mission 1 was launched on December 11, 2022. Contact was lost with the spaceship, resulting in rising speculations. The spacecraft was believed to have run out of fuel and probably freefallen, resulting in a crash.
