Aug 25, 2023
By: Anagh PalIt was a proud moment for Indians with Chandrayaan-3 becoming the first man-made object to land on the south pole of the lunar surface. We look at important moon missions which led to this moment
Credit: ISRO
All of us know about this one! Led by Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin, the mission achieved a historic lunar landing, with Armstrong and Aldrin becoming the first humans to walk on the Moon.
Credit: NASA
Before the historic mission, many previous missions were launched both by Soviet Russia and the US. Learnings from these missions helped both these countries in their successive missions.
Credit: NASA
Launched on September 12, 1959, this unmanned Soviet probe, a spherical spacecraft, achieved the historic feat of being the first human-made object to land on the earth’s only satellite.
Credit: NASA
A Soviet mission in 1966 achieved the first human-made object to orbit a celestial body. Launched March 31, it circled the moon 460 times over two months, transmitting data.
Credit: NASA
In June 1966, the United States replicated the Soviet achievement four months prior by skillfully landing a probe on the moon. During a six-week operation, Surveyor 1 captured over 11,100 lunar surface images.
Credit: NASA
Launched on Aug. 1, 1967, Lunar Orbiter 5 was a vital preparation for Apollo landings, mapping 99 percent of the moon's surface before concluding its mission on Jan. 31, 1968.
Credit: NASA
NASA's Surveyor program, with seven unmanned spacecraft, softly landed on the moon, gathering data on soil mechanics and thermal features, essential for upcoming crewed missions.
Credit: NASA
Apollo 17, the last Apollo mission and human lunar visit, set records for duration and samples. The astronauts conducted geology studies, installed equipment, and captured moon's surface images.
Credit: ISRO
Chandrayaan-1, India's first lunar mission, detected water molecules on the moon's surface, expanding knowledge of lunar composition and advancing space exploration endeavours.
Credit: NASA
India's lunar mission involved an orbiter, Vikram lander, and Pragyan rover to explore the moon's south pole. Despite the mission’s failure due to a software glitch, the orbiter yielded valuable insights.
Credit: NASA