Scientific American 201907

Pioneer 0 (Able 1)

Luna E-1 No. 1

Pioneer 1 (Able 2)

Luna E-1 No. 2

Pioneer 2 (Able 3)

Luna E-1 No. 3

Pioneer 3

Mechta (Luna 1)

Pioneer 4

Luna E-1A No. 1 (No. 5)

Luna 2

Luna 3

Pioneer P-3

Luna E-3 No. 1

Luna E-3 No. 2

Pioneer P-30

Pioneer P-31

Ranger 3

Ranger 4

Ranger 5

Luna E-6 No. 2

Luna E-6 No. 3

Luna 4

Ranger 6

Luna E-6 No. 6Luna E-6 No. 5

Ranger 7Ranger 8

Kosmos 60Ranger 9

Luna E-6 No. 8Luna 5

Luna 6

Lunar Reconnaissance OrbiterChandrayaan-1 / Moon Impact Probe

Chang’e-2LCROSS

L ADEEGR AIL (Ebb & Flow)

Chang’e-5-T1Chang’e-3 / Yutu

Manfred Memorial Moon Mission

Queqiao / Longjiang-1 / Longjiang-2TE SS

Chang’e-4 / Yutu-2

Beresheet

Chandrayaan-2

Chang’e-5

Lunar Scout

ALINA

Peregrine

Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1)

Chang’e-6

Gateway

#dearMOON

Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2)

Exploration Mission-3 (EM-3)

Federatsiya (Federation)

Pioneer 0 (Able 1)

Luna E-1 No. 1

Pioneer 1 (Able 2)

Luna E-1 No. 2

Pioneer 2 (Able 3)

Luna E-1 No. 3

Pioneer 3

Mechta (Luna 1)

Pioneer 4

Luna E-1A No. 1 (No. 5)

Luna 2

Luna 3

Pioneer P-3

Luna E-3 No. 1

Luna E-3 No. 2

Pioneer P-30

Pioneer P-31

Ranger 3

Ranger 4

Ranger 5

Luna E-6 No. 2

Luna E-6 No. 3

Luna 4

Ranger 6

Luna E-6 No. 6Luna E-6 No. 5

Ranger 7Ranger 8

Kosmos 60Ranger 9

Luna E-6 No. 8Luna 5

Luna 6

Lunar Reconnaissance OrbiterChandrayaan-1 / Moon Impact Probe

Chang’e-2LCROSS

L ADEEGR AIL (Ebb & Flow)

Chang’e-5-T1Chang’e-3 / Yutu

Manfred Memorial Moon Mission

Queqiao / Longjiang-1 / Longjiang-2TE SS

Chang’e-4 / Yutu-2

Beresheet

Chandrayaan-2

Chang’e-5

Lunar Scout

ALINA

Peregrine

Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1)

Chang’e-6

Gateway

#dearMOON

Exploration Mission-2 (EM-2)

Exploration Mission-3 (EM-3)

Federatsiya (Federation)

0 8 .1 7.1 9 5 8

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1 0.11 .1 9 5 8

1 0.11 .1 9 5 8

11 .0 8 .1 9 5 8

1 2 .0 4 .1 9 5 8

1 2 .0 6.1 9 5 8

0 1 .0 2 .1 9 5 9

0 3.0 3.1 9 5 9

0 6.1 8 .1 9 5 9

0 9.1 2 .1 9 5 9

1 0.0 4 .1 9 5 9

11. 2 6.1 9 5 9

0 4 .1 5.1 9 6 0

0 4 .1 6.1 9 6 0

0 9. 2 5.1 9 6 0

1 2 .1 5.1 9 6 0

0 1. 2 6.1 9 6 2

0 4. 2 3.1 9 6 2

1 0.1 8 .1 9 6 2

0 1 .0 4 .1 9 6 3

0 2 .0 3.1 9 6 3

0 4 .0 2 .1 9 6 3

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0 3. 2 1 .1 9 6 50 4 .1 0.1 9 6 5

0 5.0 9.1 9 6 50 6.0 8 .1 9 6 5

0 6.1 8. 2 0 0 91 0. 2 2. 2 0 0 8

0 6.1 8. 2 0 0 9

0 9.1 0. 2 0 111 0.0 1. 2 0 1 0

0 9.07. 2 0 1 3

1 0. 2 3. 2 0 141 2 .0 1. 2 0 1 3

1 0. 2 3. 2 0 14

0 5. 2 0. 2 0 1 80 4 .1 8. 2 0 1 8

1 2 .07. 2 0 1 8

0 2. 2 2. 2 0 1 9

2 0 1 9

2 0 1 9

2 0 X X

2 0 2 0

2 0 2 1

2 0 2 0

2 0 X X

2024–20XX

2 0 2 3

2022–2023

2 0 2 4

2 0 2 8

0 8 .1 7.1 9 5 8

0 9. 2 3.1 9 5 8

1 0.11 .1 9 5 8

1 0.11 .1 9 5 8

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0 6.1 8 .1 9 5 9

0 9.1 2 .1 9 5 9

1 0.0 4 .1 9 5 9

11. 2 6.1 9 5 9

0 4 .1 5.1 9 6 0

0 4 .1 6.1 9 6 0

0 9. 2 5.1 9 6 0

1 2 .1 5.1 9 6 0

0 1. 2 6.1 9 6 2

0 4. 2 3.1 9 6 2

1 0.1 8 .1 9 6 2

0 1 .0 4 .1 9 6 3

0 2 .0 3.1 9 6 3

0 4 .0 2 .1 9 6 3

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0 3. 2 1 .1 9 6 4

0 4. 2 0.1 9 6 407. 2 8 .1 9 6 4

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0 3.1 2 .1 9 6 5

0 3. 2 1 .1 9 6 50 4 .1 0.1 9 6 5

0 5.0 9.1 9 6 50 6.0 8 .1 9 6 5

0 6.1 8. 2 0 0 91 0. 2 2. 2 0 0 8

0 6.1 8. 2 0 0 9

0 9.1 0. 2 0 111 0.0 1. 2 0 1 0

0 9.07. 2 0 1 3

1 0. 2 3. 2 0 141 2 .0 1. 2 0 1 3

1 0. 2 3. 2 0 14

0 5. 2 0. 2 0 1 80 4 .1 8. 2 0 1 8

1 2 .07. 2 0 1 8

0 2. 2 2. 2 0 1 9

2 0 1 9

2 0 1 9

2 0 X X

2 0 2 0

2 0 2 1

2 0 2 0

2 0 X X

2024–20XX

2 0 2 3

2022–2023

2 0 2 4

2 0 2 8

FailureFailure

SuccessSuccess

SuccessSuccessPlannedPlanned

Operator countryOperator country

Mission outcomeMission outcome

U.S.

U.S.S.R. and Russia

China

Japan

Europe

India

Israel

U.S.

U.S.S.R. and Russia

China

Japan

Europe

India

Israel

KEY

M I S S I O N N A M E

Launch date (UTC)

1 9 5 0 s

1 9 6 0 s

2 0 1 0 s

FU

TU

RE

(^) M
IS
SI
ON
S
= Robotic
SU
CC
ES
SF
UL
L
AN
DI
NG
S
= Crewed
C3
C4
FL
YB
Y
OB
JE
CT
IV
ES
O
RB
IT
LA
ND
ER
IM
PA
CT
O
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OR
BO
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RC
EW
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AL
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G
First human-made object to reach another celestial
body
First U.S. mission to reach the moon
First humans to fly around the moon
RESEARCH BY ROBERT PEARLMAN collectSPACE
66 Scientific American, July 2019
Graphic by Set Reset
First humans to fly around the moon
MISSIONS
TO THE
MOON
Of the 122 attempted missions to the moon,
a bit more than half were deemed successful.
The vast majority of all these at tempts were
launched by just two countries: the U.S. and the
former Soviet Union.
The first nation beyond those two to shoot for
the moon was Japan, which sent the successful Hiten
probe in 1990 to fly by our natural satellite and release
the lunar orbiter Hagoromo. Europe, China and
India have since joined the club, and Israeli nonprofit
SpaceIL aimed to become the first private organi­
zation to land a spacecraft on the lunar surface this
past April but ultimately failed. Despite its tantalizing
proximity, the moon is still just out of reach for most.