CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Landing a spacecraft on the lunar surface has proven to be a complex endeavor filled with both triumphs and setbacks. Last year, under a NASA-sponsored initiative, Intuitive Machines managed to land a spacecraft on the moon, marking the U.S.’s return since the Apollo missions concluded. However, their lander encountered issues and tipped over, only functioning for a brief period. This past Sunday, Firefly Aerospace, another U.S. company, successfully landed its lunar lander, becoming the first private enterprise to achieve a completely successful moon landing.
These advancements are part of NASA’s overall strategy to support commercial lunar deliveries in preparation for future astronaut expeditions planned for later this decade. The moon’s landscape is scattered with the remnants of unsuccessful landing attempts. Here’s an overview of past lunar missions, highlighting successes and failures:
Initial Achievements
The Soviet Union took the lead with Luna 9, which safely landed on the moon in 1966 following several unsuccessful attempts. The U.S. soon followed with Surveyor 1, four months later, as both nations intensified efforts to eventually send humans to the moon.
The Apollo Era
In 1969, NASA secured its victory over the Soviets in the space race when Apollo 11’s Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the moon. Over six missions, twelve astronauts explored its surface until the Apollo missions concluded with Apollo 17 in 1972. As the only nation to send humans to the moon, the U.S. aspires to resume crewed lunar visits, targeting the end of 2026, a year after another lunar flyby by astronauts.
China’s Rising Lunar Ambitions
China emerged as a significant contender in 2013 by landing a rover, Yutu, on the moon, becoming the third nation to do so successfully. In 2019, they landed Yutu-2 on the moon’s far side—a remarkable first. A mission in 2020 brought back nearly 4 pounds of lunar material from the near side. A 2024 mission promises to return samples from the far side, as China targets manned moon missions by 2030, challenging NASA’s leadership.
Russia’s Lunar Challenges
In 2023, Russia attempted a moon landing with Luna 25, which concluded disastrously with the craft crashing into the moon. This followed the successful Luna 24 mission in 1976, which returned lunar samples to Earth.
India’s Determination
Post a failed attempt in 2019, India achieved a moon landing with Chandrayaan-3 in 2023. This success made India the fourth nation to manage a lunar landing, coming merely days after Russia’s unfortunate attempt.
Japan’s Lunar Efforts
Japan joined the ranks of successful nations with a lunar landing in January, becoming the fifth country to accomplish this feat. The spacecraft, however, landed improperly, affecting its solar power capabilities but managed to collect data before succumbing to the lunar night.
Private Ventures and Attempts
Several private initiatives have strived for moon landings, including Israel’s Beresheet in 2019, which ultimately crashed. In 2023, a Japanese company’s lander also ended unsuccessfully. Intuitive Machines became the pioneer of successful private landings, although its 2024 mission encountered hurdles with limited operations. Also in 2024, Astrobotic Technology’s mission was aborted due to a fuel issue.
This year marks a robust phase of private lunar endeavors with Firefly’s Blue Ghost landing and delivering NASA experiments. Intuitive Machines and ispace are also planning additional lunar deliveries throughout the year.
