Surface missions
57 located events on the lunar surface: landings, rovers, sample returns, impacts, and the announced Artemis III candidate regions. Every coordinate cites its source; positions marked ± are approximate.
Luna
- Luna 2 ±1959-09-13successFirst human-made object to reach the Moon; impacted near Palus Putredinis (position roughly estimated).23RFASource ↗
- Luna 9 ±1966-02-03successFirst soft landing on the Moon; returned panoramas from Oceanus Procellarum (position approximate).15NEUSource ↗
- Luna 13 ±1966-12-24successSoft-landed in Oceanus Procellarum; returned panoramas and soil-mechanics data (position approximate, per TASS).15QHNSource ↗
- Luna 161970-09-20successFirst robotic lunar sample return; landed in Mare Fecunditatis and returned 101 g of soil.30MFKSource ↗
- Luna 171970-11-17successDelivered Lunokhod 1, the first robotic rover on another world, to Mare Imbrium.19SCGSource ↗
- Luna 201972-02-21successReturned 55 g of highland soil from the Apollonius region near Mare Fecunditatis.30NFQSource ↗
- Luna 211973-01-15successDelivered Lunokhod 2 to Le Monnier crater on the rim of Mare Serenitatis; the rover drove ~39 km.27RDBSource ↗
- Luna 231974-11-06partialLanded in Mare Crisium but the sampling drill was damaged on touchdown; no samples returned.31PCRSource ↗
- Luna 241976-08-18successLast Soviet lunar mission; returned 170 g of Mare Crisium soil.31PCRSource ↗
- Luna 252023-08-19failureRussia's return to the Moon failed; crashed on the rim of Pontecoulant G after a deorbit-burn anomaly.31EDKSource ↗
Ranger
- Ranger 4 ±1962-04-26failureOnboard computer failure; impacted the lunar far side without returning data (first US spacecraft to reach the Moon).7LBBSource ↗
- Ranger 61964-02-02failureImpacted Mare Tranquillitatis on target, but the television cameras failed and no images were returned.26PBSSource ↗
- Ranger 71964-07-31successFirst US mission to return close-up images of the Moon; impacted Mare Cognitum after sending 4,300+ photos.20LJNSource ↗
- Ranger 81965-02-20successReturned 7,000+ images before impacting Mare Tranquillitatis.26NFJSource ↗
- Ranger 91965-03-24successReturned live TV images before impacting inside crater Alphonsus.23LCKSource ↗
Surveyor
- Surveyor 11966-06-02successFirst US soft lunar landing; returned 11,000+ images from Oceanus Procellarum.18MAGSource ↗
- Surveyor 31967-04-20successSoft-landed in Oceanus Procellarum; later visited by the Apollo 12 crew in 1969.20MFBSource ↗
- Surveyor 51967-09-11successSoft-landed in Mare Tranquillitatis; performed the first chemical analysis of lunar soil.26NEGSource ↗
- Surveyor 61967-11-10successSoft-landed in Sinus Medii; first spacecraft to lift off from the lunar surface (hop test).23NDFSource ↗
- Surveyor 71968-01-10successFinal Surveyor; landed in the highlands near crater Tycho.22GBLSource ↗
Apollo
- Apollo 111969-07-20successFirst crewed lunar landing; Armstrong and Aldrin at Tranquility Base, Mare Tranquillitatis.26NEFSource ↗
- Apollo 121969-11-19successPrecision crewed landing in Oceanus Procellarum, within walking distance of Surveyor 3.20MFBSource ↗
- Apollo 13 S-IVB impact1970-04-15successSpent S-IVB third stage deliberately impacted the Moon as a signal source for the Apollo 12 seismometer.20MABSource ↗
- Apollo 14 S-IVB impact1971-02-04successSpent S-IVB stage impacted the Moon for active seismic calibration.20LCRSource ↗
- Apollo 141971-02-05successCrewed landing at Fra Mauro; Shepard and Mitchell explored Cone crater's flank.21MDFSource ↗
- Apollo 15 S-IVB impact1971-07-29successSpent S-IVB stage impacted the Moon for active seismic calibration.22MAUSource ↗
- Apollo 151971-07-30successFirst J-class mission at Hadley-Apennine; first use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle.23RJSSource ↗
- Apollo 16 S-IVB impact1972-04-19successSpent S-IVB stage impacted the Moon for active seismic calibration.20NEHSource ↗
- Apollo 161972-04-21successCrewed landing in the Descartes highlands; Young and Duke drove 26.7 km in the LRV.25LEKSource ↗
- Apollo 17 S-IVB impact1972-12-10successSpent S-IVB stage impacted the Moon for active seismic calibration.21MKESource ↗
- Apollo 171972-12-11successFinal Apollo landing at Taurus-Littrow; Cernan and geologist Schmitt spent 75 hours on the surface.27QDQSource ↗
Chang'e
- Chang'e 32013-12-14successFirst Chinese lunar landing, in northern Mare Imbrium; deployed the Yutu rover.21TBDSource ↗
- Chang'e 42019-01-03successFirst landing on the lunar far side, at Statio Tianhe in Von Karman crater; deployed Yutu-2.45GGQSource ↗
- Chang'e 52020-12-01successLanded near Mons Rumker in Oceanus Procellarum (Statio Tianchuan); returned 1,731 g of samples.17TBTSource ↗
- Chang'e 62024-06-01successFirst far-side sample return; landed in the Apollo basin within South Pole-Aitken and returned 1,935 g.4GDKSource ↗
Chandrayaan
SLIM
CLPS
- IM-12024-02-22partialFirst US soft landing since Apollo and first commercial lunar landing; tipped over near Malapert A but operated.BAZSource ↗
- Blue Ghost Mission 12025-03-02successFirst fully successful commercial lunar landing, in Mare Crisium near Mons Latreille.31QCCSource ↗
- IM-22025-03-06partialLanded hard on its side in a small crater near the center of Mons Mouton; mission ended within a day.BDTSource ↗
Artemis
- Artemis III candidate region: de Gerlache Rim 2 ±2024-10-28plannedCandidate landing region for Artemis III (NASA update, 28 Oct 2024); center estimated from USGS region polygon.AYNSource ↗
- Artemis III candidate region: Haworth ±2024-10-28plannedCandidate landing region for Artemis III (NASA update, 28 Oct 2024); center estimated from USGS region polygon.AYRSource ↗
- Artemis III candidate region: Malapert Massif ±2024-10-28plannedCandidate landing region for Artemis III (NASA update, 28 Oct 2024); center estimated from USGS region polygon.AZSSource ↗
- Artemis III candidate region: Mons Mouton ±2024-10-28plannedCandidate landing region for Artemis III (NASA update, 28 Oct 2024); center estimated from USGS region polygon.BCSSource ↗
- Artemis III candidate region: Mons Mouton Plateau ±2024-10-28plannedCandidate landing region for Artemis III (NASA update, 28 Oct 2024); center estimated from USGS region polygon.BDTSource ↗
- Artemis III candidate region: Nobile Rim 1 ±2024-10-28plannedCandidate landing region for Artemis III (NASA update, 28 Oct 2024); center estimated from USGS region polygon.BDSSource ↗
- Artemis III candidate region: Nobile Rim 2 ±2024-10-28plannedCandidate landing region for Artemis III (NASA update, 28 Oct 2024); center estimated from USGS region polygon.BGRSource ↗
- Artemis III candidate region: Peak near Cabeus B ±2024-10-28plannedCandidate landing region for Artemis III (NASA update, 28 Oct 2024); center estimated from USGS region polygon.ASQSource ↗
- Artemis III candidate region: Slater Plain ±2024-10-28plannedCandidate landing region for Artemis III (NASA update, 28 Oct 2024); center estimated from USGS region polygon.BCKSource ↗
Other
- LCROSS2009-10-09successCentaur stage impacted Cabeus crater near the south pole; the ejecta plume confirmed water ice.AVSSource ↗
- GRAIL-A (Ebb)2012-12-17successGravity-mapping spacecraft deliberately impacted a mountain near the north pole at end of mission.20XESSource ↗
- GRAIL-B (Flow)2012-12-17successTwin of GRAIL-A; impacted the same massif about 30 seconds later.20XESSource ↗
- LADEE2014-04-18successLunar dust/exosphere orbiter deliberately impacted the far side at end of mission.11PJVSource ↗
- Beresheet2019-04-11failureIsraeli private lander crashed in Mare Serenitatis after a main-engine failure during descent.25SJVSource ↗
- HAKUTO-R Mission 12023-04-25failureJapanese private lander misjudged altitude and crashed near Atlas crater.29TBCSource ↗
- ispace Mission 2 (RESILIENCE)2025-06-05failureSecond ispace lander crashed in Mare Frigoris after a laser-rangefinder anomaly during descent.22VHPSource ↗
Coordinates from NASA NSSDCA, LROC (ASU), and agency sources. See each entry's source link and About for methodology.