The
Luna Ye-8-5 spacecraft were a series of Soviet lunar landers that were designed to collect lunar samples robotically and send them back to Earth for analysis. Part of the overall
Luna program, they were the first sample-return space probes ever launched and has successfully retrieved a total 301.1 g of lunar material across 3/11 successful missions from 1969 to 1976
This post serves as an update to the
Luna 16, 20, 23, 24 (Sample-return) addon by Jack Higgins
MISSIONS SUMMARY:(NOTE: Three additional missions lost in launch failures were excluded from this addon)Luna 15E-8-5 No.401- Reached lunar orbit, 1969-Jul-17
- Crashed on Mare Crisium, 1969-Jul-21
- Notable for running in parallel with Apollo 11, the first crewed lunar landing
Cosmos 300E-8-5 No.403- Launched on 1969-Sept-23
- Proton/Block-D stage failed to insert itself on a translunar trajectory
- Reentered the atmosphere just two days later
Cosmos 305E-8-5 No.404- Launched on 1969-Oct-22
- Proton/Block-D stage failed to insert itself on a translunar trajectory
- Reentered the atmosphere just two days later
Luna 16E-8-5 No.406- Landed on Mare Fecundidatis, 1970-Sept-20
- Retrieved 101 g of lunar material
- First robotic sample-return mission/lunar night landing in space history
Luna 18E-8-5 No.407- Reached lunar orbit, 1971-Sept-7
- Crashed on Terra Apollonius, 1971-Sept-11
Luna 20E-8-5 No.408- Landed on Terra Apollonius, 1972-Feb-21
- Retrieved 30 g of lunar material
Luna 23E-8-5M No.410- Landed on Mare Crisium, 1974-Nov-6
- Primary mission failed after tipping off its side due to rough landing attempt
- Maintained contact for another three days on the surface
Luna 24E-8-5M No.413- Landed on Mare Crisium, 1976-Aug-18
- Retrieved 170.1 g of lunar material
- Last successful Soviet robotic space mission ever