September 14, 1959
The Soviet Union's Luna 2 spacecraft became the first human-made object to reach the Moon, deliberately crashing into its surface near the Palus Putredinis region. This historic achievement marked a significant milestone in space exploration and demonstrated the Soviet Union's technological prowess during the Space Race.
September 24, 2009
India's Chandrayaan-1 mission made a groundbreaking discovery of water molecules on the Moon using NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) instrument. This historic finding challenged previous beliefs about the Moon's composition and opened new possibilities for future lunar exploration and human settlement.
April 11, 2019
Israel's first lunar mission, the Beresheet spacecraft, crashed during its final descent to the Moon's surface after experiencing main engine failure and communication loss at an altitude of 149 meters.
November 23, 2020
China's Chang'e 5 spacecraft launched on a historic lunar sample-return mission, marking the country's first attempt to bring moon rocks back to Earth since the 1970s. The mission successfully collected and returned approximately 2 kg of lunar samples.
