Luna 9 (Луна-9), internal designation Ye-6 No.13, was an uncrewed space mission of the Soviet Union's Luna programme. On 3 February 1966, the Luna 9 spacecraft became the first spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the Moon and return imagery from its surface.

3 days ago · Luna 9 was the first spacecraft to achieve a lunar soft landing and to transmit photographic data from the Moon's surface to Earth, preceding the U.S. Surveyor 1 soft lander by about 4 months.

Dec 22, 2016 · Luna 9 was the first soft landing mission on the moon. The Soviet spacecraft arrived three years before the first humans stepped out on the surface.

Feb 7, 2024 · Luna 9, a seminal spacecraft in the annals of space exploration, marked a pivotal moment in our journey beyond Earth. Launched by the Soviet Union on January 31, 1966, this unmanned probe accomplished what no other had before: a soft landing on the Moon, providing humanity with its first close-up views of the lunar surface.

Sep 26, 2017 · Close up image of the Oceanus Procellarum region of the Moon from the Soviet Luna 9 lander in February 1966. Luna 9 made the first survivable landing on the moon and snapped the first photos from its surface.

Feb 3, 2016 · As the accelerating Luna 9 passed an altitude of 75 kilometers above the lunar surface at 18:44:42 GMT, the spacecraft jettisoned its unneeded equipment packages and ignited its KTDU-5A engine to decrease its 2.6 kilometer per second approach speed.

Feb 5, 2016 · On Feb. 3, 1966, after many failed attempts, a Soviet robotic lander accomplished the world's first soft landing on the surface of the Moon and lived to tell about it. The pioneering mission finally dispelled old fears that a visiting spacecraft could drown in …

Luna 9 represents a significant milestone in space exploration as the first spacecraft to achieve a successful soft landing on the Moon. Launched by the Soviet Union on January 31, 1966, Luna 9 completed its journey to the Moon and touched down on February 3, marking a pivotal moment in the space race during the Cold War.

On February 3, 1966, an inflatable ball bounced across the surface of the Moon. Inside was Luna 9, the first spacecraft to land softly on another world. After coming to rest, the Soviet Union’s lander unfolded four protective “petals” to reveal a camera and …

Luna 9, a spherical spacecraft about two feet in diameter, was ejected from its descent stage and rolled to a stop in Oceanus Procellarum, better known as the Ocean of Storms.