Luna 9

Luna 9 was a Soviet robotic lunar lander that made the first successful soft landing on the Moon on 3 February 1966 and transmitted images from its surface.

Luna programme: The Soviet series of robotic missions that explored the Moon and its surroundings. Luna 9 was one mission in this broader program of lunar exploration.
Soviet space program: The state-directed Soviet effort to develop rockets, satellites, and crewed and robotic spacecraft. Luna 9 was built within the Soviet program’s competition with the United States.
First lunar soft landing: The first controlled arrival of a spacecraft on the Moon without its destruction by impact. Luna 9 achieved this milestone on 3 February 1966.
Luna 9 landing site: The location in Oceanus Procellarum where Luna 9 landed on the Moon. The lander came to rest in this region on 3 February 1966.
Luna 9 landing sequence: The sequence of braking, impact cushioning, and deployment that placed Luna 9 on the lunar surface. This sequence turned a high-speed lunar approach into the first successful soft landing.
Luna 8: A Soviet lunar probe that crashed during its attempted landing in December 1965. Its failure immediately preceded Luna 9’s successful landing.
Luna 13: A Soviet robotic lander that reached the Moon in December 1966 and conducted surface measurements and imaging. It extended the kind of surface science and photography demonstrated by Luna 9.
Oceanus Procellarum: A vast basaltic plain on the Moon’s near side, commonly called the Ocean of Storms. Luna 9 touched down within this lunar plain.
Airbag: An inflatable cushion designed to absorb impact energy and protect a payload during landing. Luna 9’s spherical capsule used inflatable cushioning to survive its final impact.
Luna 7: A Soviet lunar probe that crashed during an attempted landing in October 1965. Its impact exposed the landing challenge that Luna 9 still had to overcome.

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