01 / 40
Lander · 03 FEB 1966
Luna 9
Soviet space program USSR
The first spacecraft to make a survivable soft landing on another celestial body, returning the first pictures from the lunar surface.
- Where
- Oceanus Procellarum7.080°N · 64.37°W
- What went
- E-6 lander · panoramic camera · radiation detector
- Record
- Surface mission completeReported location
Primary source NASA historical monograph ↗02 / 40
Lander · 02 JUN 1966
Surveyor 1
NASA / JPL United States
The first U.S. soft landing proved the surface could support a spacecraft and helped clear the way for Apollo.
- Where
- Oceanus Procellarum2.474°S · 43.34°W
- What went
- Lander · television camera · engineering instruments
- Record
- Surface mission completeMeasured location
Primary source LROC human-feature coordinates ↗03 / 40
Lander · 24 DEC 1966
Luna 13
Soviet space program USSR
A compact laboratory that photographed the horizon and directly tested the mechanical properties of lunar soil.
- Where
- Oceanus Procellarum18.87°N · 62.05°W
- What went
- Lander · panoramic camera · soil mechanics instruments
- Record
- Surface mission completeReported location
Primary source NASA historical monograph ↗04 / 40
Lander · 20 APR 1967
Surveyor 3
NASA / JPL United States
Surveyor dug small trenches in the soil. Apollo 12 later landed nearby and returned pieces of it to Earth.
- Where
- Oceanus Procellarum3.016°S · 23.42°W
- What went
- Lander · camera · robotic surface sampler
- Record
- Visited by Apollo 12Measured location
Primary source LROC human-feature coordinates ↗05 / 40
Lander · 11 SEP 1967
Surveyor 5
NASA / JPL United States
The first in-place chemical analysis of lunar soil, made after surviving a near-failure during descent.
- Where
- Mare Tranquillitatis1.455°N · 23.19°E
- What went
- Lander · camera · alpha-scattering instrument
- Record
- Surface mission completeMeasured location
Primary source LROC human-feature coordinates ↗06 / 40
Lander · 10 NOV 1967
Surveyor 6
NASA / JPL United States
After landing and working, Surveyor 6 fired its engines again and made the first powered hop from the lunar surface.
- Where
- Sinus Medii0.474°N · 1.427°W
- What went
- Lander · camera · soil chemistry instruments
- Record
- Surface mission completeMeasured location
Primary source LROC human-feature coordinates ↗07 / 40
Lander · 10 JAN 1968
Surveyor 7
NASA / JPL United States
The final Surveyor explored rugged highland terrain, far from the mare sites selected for the earlier missions.
- Where
- Tycho highlands40.98°S · 11.51°W
- What went
- Lander · camera · surface sampler · chemistry instruments
- Record
- Surface mission completeMeasured location
Primary source LROC human-feature coordinates ↗08 / 40
Crewed site · 20 JUL 1969
Apollo 11
NASA United States
Humanity’s first crewed lunar yard. Armstrong and Aldrin worked outside for about two and a half hours and returned 21.6 kilograms of samples.
- Where
- Mare Tranquillitatis0.674°N · 23.47°E
- What went
- 2 people · Eagle descent stage · experiments · tools
- Record
- Historic site · hardware remainsMeasured location
Primary source NASA Apollo landing sites ↗09 / 40
Crewed site · 19 NOV 1969
Apollo 12
NASA United States
A precision landing within walking distance of Surveyor 3 joined two eras of lunar exploration in one place.
- Where
- Oceanus Procellarum3.013°S · 23.42°W
- What went
- 2 people · Intrepid descent stage · experiments · tools
- Record
- Historic site · hardware remainsMeasured location
Primary source NASA Apollo landing sites ↗10 / 40
Sample return · 20 SEP 1970
Luna 16
Soviet space program USSR
The first robotic sample return from the Moon drilled the surface and delivered about 101 grams of material to Earth.
- Where
- Mare Fecunditatis0.514°S · 56.36°E
- What went
- Lander · drill · ascent stage · return capsule
- Record
- Samples returned · descent hardware remainsMeasured location
Primary source LROC human-feature coordinates ↗11 / 40
Rover yard · 17 NOV 1970
Luna 17 / Lunokhod 1
Soviet space program USSR
The first rover to operate on another world opened a mobile yard, travelling more than ten kilometres over eleven lunar days.
- Where
- Mare Imbrium38.24°N · 35.00°W
- What went
- Lander · eight-wheeled rover · cameras · soil instruments
- Record
- Surface mission completeMeasured location
Primary source LROC human-feature coordinates ↗12 / 40
Crewed site · 05 FEB 1971
Apollo 14
NASA United States
A crewed field site in the Fra Mauro highlands, with a portable equipment cart and a long-lived geophysics station.
- Where
- Fra Mauro3.646°S · 17.47°W
- What went
- 2 people · Antares descent stage · instrument station · handcart
- Record
- Historic site · hardware remainsMeasured location
Primary source NASA Apollo landing sites ↗13 / 40
Crewed site · 30 JUL 1971
Apollo 15
NASA United States
The first Apollo expedition with a Lunar Roving Vehicle dramatically expanded the reach of human fieldwork.
- Where
- Hadley–Apennine26.13°N · 3.633°E
- What went
- 2 people · Falcon descent stage · first crewed lunar rover · instruments
- Record
- Historic site · rover and hardware remainMeasured location
Primary source NASA Apollo landing sites ↗14 / 40
Sample return · 21 FEB 1972
Luna 20
Soviet space program USSR
A robotic sampler that returned material from a highland site, contrasting with Luna 16’s mare sample.
- Where
- Apollonius highlands3.786°N · 56.62°E
- What went
- Lander · drill · ascent stage · return capsule
- Record
- Samples returned · descent hardware remainsMeasured location
Primary source LROC human-feature coordinates ↗15 / 40
Crewed site · 21 APR 1972
Apollo 16
NASA United States
A crewed geology yard in the central highlands, sampled and traversed with the second Apollo rover.
- Where
- Descartes highlands8.973°S · 15.50°E
- What went
- 2 people · Orion descent stage · lunar rover · instrument station
- Record
- Historic site · rover and hardware remainMeasured location
Primary source NASA Apollo landing sites ↗16 / 40
Crewed site · 11 DEC 1972
Apollo 17
NASA United States
The most recent human surface mission and the longest Apollo stay, with three rover traverses through Taurus–Littrow.
- Where
- Taurus–Littrow20.19°N · 30.77°E
- What went
- 2 people · Challenger descent stage · lunar rover · instrument station
- Record
- Historic site · rover and hardware remainMeasured location
Primary source NASA Apollo landing sites ↗17 / 40
Rover yard · 15 JAN 1973
Luna 21 / Lunokhod 2
Soviet space program USSR
A second long-range Soviet rover turned Le Monnier crater into one of the Moon’s most extensive robotic field sites.
- Where
- Le Monnier26.00°N · 30.41°E
- What went
- Lander · eight-wheeled rover · cameras · laser reflector
- Record
- Surface mission completeMeasured location
Primary source LROC human-feature coordinates ↗18 / 40
Sample return · 18 AUG 1976
Luna 24
Soviet space program USSR
The final Soviet lunar mission returned a deep soil core and closed the first era of robotic sample return.
- Where
- Mare Crisium12.71°N · 62.21°E
- What went
- Lander · deep drill · ascent stage · return capsule
- Record
- Samples returned · descent hardware remainsMeasured location
Primary source LROC human-feature coordinates ↗19 / 40
Rover yard · 14 DEC 2013
Chang’e 3 / Yutu
CNSA / CLEP China
China’s first soft landing placed an ultraviolet observatory and the Yutu rover in northern Mare Imbrium.
- Where
- Mare Imbrium44.12°N · 19.51°W
- What went
- Lander · Yutu rover · telescope · ground-penetrating radar
- Record
- Lander inactive · site remainsMeasured location
Primary source USGS lunar landing-site registry ↗20 / 40
Rover yard · 03 JAN 2019
Chang’e 4 / Yutu-2
CNSA / CLEP China
The first soft landing on the lunar far side, operating through a relay satellite beyond direct view of Earth.
- Where
- Von Kármán crater · far side45.45°S · 177.60°E
- What went
- Lander · Yutu-2 rover · cameras · subsurface radar
- Record
- Long-duration far-side siteReported location
Primary source USGS lunar landing-site registry ↗21 / 40
Sample return · 01 DEC 2020
Chang’e 5
CNSA / CLEP China
A four-part robotic mission collected and returned 1,731 grams from a geologically young volcanic region.
- Where
- Mons Rümker43.06°N · 51.92°W
- What went
- Lander · drill · ascent vehicle · sample-return capsule
- Record
- Samples returned · descent hardware remainsReported location
Primary source USGS lunar landing-site registry ↗22 / 40
Rover yard · 23 AUG 2023
Chandrayaan-3 / Vikram + Pragyan
ISRO India
India’s first lunar soft landing and the first surface work this far south. Pragyan travelled roughly 103 metres.
- Where
- Southern high latitudes69.37°S · 32.32°E
- What went
- Vikram lander · Pragyan rover · in-place science instruments
- Record
- Mission objectives completedReported location
Primary source ISRO Chandrayaan-3 mission ↗23 / 40
Lander · 20 JAN 2024
SLIM + LEV-1/2
JAXA Japan
A precision-landing demonstrator that came down about 55 metres east of its target. It operated despite a non-nominal attitude.
- Where
- Shioli crater13.32°S · 25.25°E
- What went
- Precision lander · two micro-rovers · spectral camera
- Record
- Surface mission completeReported location
Primary source JAXA landing results ↗24 / 40
Lander · 22 FEB 2024
IM-1 Odysseus
Intuitive Machines / NASA CLPS United States
The first commercial soft lunar landing. Odysseus tipped after touchdown but returned data for roughly 160 hours.
- Where
- Malapert A80.13°S · 1.440°E
- What went
- Commercial lander · 6 NASA instruments · commercial payloads
- Record
- Surface mission completeReported location
Primary source NASA lunar mission index ↗25 / 40
Sample return · 01 JUN 2024
Chang’e 6
CNSA / CLEP China
The first mission to collect and return samples from the Moon’s far side.
- Where
- Apollo basin · far side41.63°S · 153.98°W
- What went
- Lander · drill · ascent vehicle · sample-return capsule
- Record
- Samples returned · descent hardware remainsReported location
Primary source USGS lunar landing-site registry ↗26 / 40
Lander · 02 MAR 2025
Blue Ghost Mission 1
Firefly Aerospace / NASA CLPS United States
An upright commercial landing that completed a full lunar day of operations and returned data from all ten NASA payloads.
- Where
- Mons Latreille · Mare Crisium18.47°N · 61.92°E
- What went
- Commercial lander · 10 NASA instruments
- Record
- Surface mission completeRegional visualization anchor
Primary source NASA touchdown release ↗27 / 40
Lander · 06 MAR 2025
IM-2 Athena
Intuitive Machines / NASA CLPS United States
A south-polar delivery with a drill, rover and hopper. Athena landed in a crater and came to rest on its side, ending work early.
- Where
- Mons Mouton region84.79°S · 29.20°E
- What went
- Commercial lander · drill · rover · propulsive hopper
- Record
- Non-nominal landing · mission completeReported location
Primary source NASA LRO surface confirmation ↗28 / 40
Planned region · 2026 TARGET
Griffin-1 / Moon Base II
Astrobotic / NASA United States
A commercial cargo yard aimed at the south polar region. The plotted halo marks the destination region, not a touchdown coordinate.
- Where
- Nobile crater region85.28°S · 53.27°E
- What went
- Cargo lander · Astrolab FLIP rover · NASA technology payloads
- Record
- Planned · schedule may changeRegional visualization anchor
Primary source NASA Moon Base phases ↗29 / 40
Planned region · 2026 TARGET
IM-3 / Moon Base III
Intuitive Machines / NASA / JPL United States
A planned investigation of a magnetic anomaly, including a team of small autonomous rovers designed to work together.
- Where
- Reiner Gamma7.390°N · 58.96°W
- What went
- Lander · Lunar Vertex · three CADRE cooperative micro-rovers
- Record
- Planned · exact site TBDRegional visualization anchor
Primary source NASA CLPS CP-11 ↗30 / 40
Planned region · NET LATE 2026
Blue Ghost Mission 2
Firefly Aerospace / NASA / international partners United States
A planned far-side yard built around radio astronomy, geophysics and an international rover. Its precise landing point is not public.
- Where
- Near Nassau crater · far side73.50°S · 165.00°E
- What went
- Lander · Rashid 2 rover · radio astronomy · seismic instruments
- Record
- Planned · regional placementRegional visualization anchor
Primary source Firefly Mission 2 ↗31 / 40
Planned region · NET FALL 2026
Blue Moon MK1 Endurance
Blue Origin / NASA United States
A planned large cargo delivery near the south pole. The map anchor represents the ridge, not a claimed landing coordinate.
- Where
- Shackleton Connecting Ridge89.47°S · 138.01°W
- What went
- Heavy cargo lander · imaging and navigation payloads
- Record
- Planned · exact site TBDRegional visualization anchor
Primary source NASA Moon Base update ↗32 / 40
Planned region · AROUND 2026
Chang’e 7
CNSA / CLEP China
A multi-spacecraft investigation focused on the south-polar environment and the search for water and other volatiles.
- Where
- South-polar region88.00°S · 0.000°E
- What went
- Orbiter · relay · lander · rover · flying probe
- Record
- Planned · exact site TBDRegional visualization anchor
Primary source CNSA lunar exploration roadmap ↗33 / 40
Planned region · DATE TBD
Draper APEX 1.0 / CP-12
Draper / ispace-U.S. / NASA CLPS United States
A planned far-side geophysics station. NASA currently lists the destination but the schedule and exact touchdown point remain open.
- Where
- Schrödinger Basin · far side74.73°S · 132.93°E
- What went
- Lander · seismic station · thermal and radio science
- Record
- Planned · date and exact site TBDRegional visualization anchor
Primary source NASA CLPS CP-12 ↗34 / 40
Planned region · 2027 TARGET
IM-4
Intuitive Machines / NASA CLPS United States
A fourth Intuitive Machines delivery is planned for high southern latitudes; its exact surface point has not been fixed publicly.
- Where
- Mons Mouton region84.60°S · 31.00°E
- What went
- Commercial lander · science and technology payloads
- Record
- Planned · exact site TBDRegional visualization anchor
Primary source NASA CLPS IM-4 ↗35 / 40
Planned region · LATE 2027 TARGET
VIPER delivery
NASA / Blue Origin United States
NASA plans to deliver VIPER on a Blue Moon cargo lander to investigate the distribution and form of lunar water ice.
- Where
- South-polar region87.00°S · 45.00°E
- What went
- Blue Moon MK1 cargo lander · VIPER ice-prospecting rover
- Record
- Planned · exact site TBDRegional visualization anchor
Primary source NASA VIPER delivery selection ↗36 / 40
Planned region · 2027–2028 TARGET
Chandrayaan-4
ISRO India
India’s approved lunar sample-return mission is designed to collect surface material and bring it safely to Earth.
- Where
- Southern polar region72.00°S · 30.00°E
- What went
- Robotic lander · sample collection · ascent and Earth-return elements
- Record
- Approved · exact site TBDRegional visualization anchor
Primary source ISRO cabinet approval ↗37 / 40
Planned region · EARLY 2028 TARGET
Artemis IV surface mission
NASA and international partners International
NASA’s current architecture targets Artemis IV as the first crewed surface mission of the new campaign, with about a week on the Moon.
- Where
- South-polar region89.00°S · 90.00°E
- What went
- Crewed lander · 2 surface crew · science and exploration equipment
- Record
- Planned · region and schedule may changeRegional visualization anchor
Primary source NASA Artemis IV ↗38 / 40
Planned region · NO EARLIER THAN 2028
LUPEX
JAXA / ISRO / NASA International
A joint robotic mission intended to scout the distribution, quantity and form of water near the lunar south pole.
- Where
- South-polar region88.00°S · 60.00°W
- What went
- Lander · water and volatile prospecting rover
- Record
- Planned · exact site TBDRegional visualization anchor
Primary source NASA LUPEX instrument ↗39 / 40
Planned region · 2028 TARGET
Blue Ghost Mission 3
Firefly Aerospace / NASA CLPS United States
A planned investigation of unusual silica-rich volcanic domes. The mapped halo is a regional reference only.
- Where
- Gruithuisen Domes / Sinus Viscositatis36.56°N · 40.72°W
- What went
- Commercial lander · mobile science · geophysical instruments
- Record
- Planned · exact site TBDRegional visualization anchor
Primary source NASA Firefly award ↗40 / 40
Planned region · 2031 EXPECTED
ESA Argonaut / ArgoNET
European Space Agency Europe
Europe’s planned lunar cargo capability is expected to begin operational deliveries in the early 2030s.
- Where
- Landing site TBDCoordinates TBD
- What went
- Autonomous cargo lander · mission payload TBD
- Record
- In development · no map placementNo map placement
Primary source ESA Argonaut ↗