February 3


3 February 1966


Model of Luna 9 lander. Credit: Roscosmos

On February 3, 1966, Luna 9 became the first spacecraft to achieve a survivable landing on the Moon, in Oceanus Procellarum. On February 4 and 5, the lander transmitted three panoramas of the Moon's surface from an optical-mechanical camera.

   Luna 9 was launched  from Baikonur on January 31, 1966, at 11:41:37 UT. A mid-course correction, involving a 48 second burn, took place on 1 February at 19:29 UT, resulting in a delta-V of 71.2 m/sec.

   At an altitude of 8,300 km the spacecraft was oriented for retro-rocket firing and its spin was stopped. At 75 km altitude, 48 seconds before landing at a velocity of 2.6 km/s, the radar altimeter sent commands to jettison the side modules, inflate the airbags, and begin retrorocket firing. At 250 meters from the surface the main retrorocket was turned off and the four outrigger engines were used to slow the craft. At a height of about 5 meters a contact sensor touched the ground, the engines were shut down, and the landing capsule was ejected, impacting the surface at 22 km/h, bouncing several times and coming to rest in Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms) west of Reiner and Marius craters at approximately 7.08 N, 64.37 W on February 3, 1966 at 18:45:30 UT

Luna 9 landing diagram. Credit: NPO Lavochkin

    After about 250 seconds the four petals, forming the top shell of the spacecraft, opened outward and stabilized the spacecraft on the lunar surface. Spring-controlled antennas assumed operating positions, and the television camera rotatable mirror system, which operated by revolving and tilting, began a photographic survey of the lunar environment 250 seconds after landing. The first test image, which showed very poor contrast because the Sun was only about 3 degrees above the horizon, was completed 15 minutes later. Seven radio sessions, totaling 8 hours and 5 minutes, were transmitted as were three series of TV pictures. When assembled, the photographs provided four panoramic views of the nearby lunar surface.

   The pictures included views of nearby rocks and of the horizon 1.4 km away from the spacecraft. They showed Luna 9 had landed near the rim of a 25 meter diameter crater at a tilt of about 15 degrees. The probe took the first full panorama on 4 February from 1:50 to 3:30 UT, with the Sun 7 degrees above the horizon. After the first panorama was taken the probe slipped as the regolith on the slope settled, and was at a 22.5 degree tilt when the second panorama was taken at 15:30 to 17:10 UT on 4 February. Two more panoramas were obtained, on 5 February from 16:00 to 17:40 UT, and the next day from about 20:00 to 21:00 UT. The pictures included views of nearby rocks and of the horizon 1.4 km away from the spacecraft. Radiation data were also returned, showing a dosage of about 30 millirads per day. On 6 February at 22:55 UT the batteries ran out of power and the mission ended.

Portion of Luna 9 panorama



© 2026, Andrew Mirecki





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