List of artificial objects on the Moon

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Map of the moon showing some landing sites. (Click to enlarge)
Lunokhod 1 exploration vehicle
Surveyor 3 on the moon, photographed by Alan Bean
Grid showing location of artificial objects on the moon (axis shows latitude and longitude)

The following table is a partial list of artificial objects on the surface of the Moon. The list does not include smaller objects such as the retroreflectors and Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package. Nor does it include several commemorative or personal objects left there by Apollo astronauts, such as the golf balls from Alan Shepard's lunar driving practice during Apollo 14, flags, or the Fallen Astronaut statuette left by the crew of Apollo 15.

Five third stages of rockets from the Apollo program are the heaviest pieces. While mankind has transported and left over 170,000 kg of debris on the Moon, only 382 kg of the Moon has been returned to Earth by Apollo and Luna missions.

The only artificial objects on the Moon that are still in use are the retroreflectors for the Lunar laser ranging experiment left there by Apollo astronauts and from Lunokhod 2.

Note that objects listed as being at greater than 90 degrees east or west are on the far side of the moon. These include Ranger 4, Lunar Orbiter 1, Lunar Orbiter 2 and Lunar Orbiter 3.

Artificial object Image Nationality Year Mass (kg) Status Location
Luna 2
USSR 1959 390.2 Crashed 29°06′N 0°00′W / 29.1°N 0°W / 29.1; -0
Ranger 4
United States 1962 331 Crashed 12.9°S 129.1°W
Ranger 6
United States 1964 381 Crashed 9.4°N 21.5°E
Ranger 7
United States 1964 365.7 Crashed 10.6°S 20.61°W
Luna 5
USSR 1965 1474 Crashed 1.6°S 25°W
Luna 7
USSR 1965 1504 Crashed 9.8°N 47.8°W
Luna 8
USSR 1965 1550 Crashed 9.6°N 62°W
Ranger 8
United States 1965 367 Crashed 2.64°N 24.77°E
Ranger 9
United States 1965 367 Crashed 12.79°S 2.36°W
Luna 9
USSR 1966 1580 Landed 7.13°N 64.37°W
Luna 10
USSR 1966 1600 Crashed  ?[1]
Luna 11 USSR 1966 1640 Crashed  ?[1]
Luna 12 USSR 1966 1670 Crashed  ?[1]
Luna 13
USSR 1966 1700 Landed 18.87°N 63.05°W
Surveyor 1
United States 1966 270 Landed 2.45°S 43.22°W
Lunar Orbiter 1
United States 1966 386 Crashed 6.35°N 160.72°E
Surveyor 2
United States 1966 292 Crashed 4.0°S 11.0°W
Lunar Orbiter 2
United States 1966 385 Crashed 2.9°N 119.1°E
Lunar Orbiter 3
United States 1966 386 Crashed 14.6°N 97.7°W
Surveyor 3
United States 1967 281[2] Landed 2.99°S 23.34°W
Lunar Orbiter 4
United States 1967 386 Crashed  ?[1]
Surveyor 4
United States 1967 283 Crashed 0.45°N 1.39°W
Explorer 35 (IMP-E)
United States 1967 104.3 Crashed  ?[1]
Lunar Orbiter 5
United States 1967 386 Crashed 2.8°S 83.1°W
Surveyor 5
United States 1967 281 Landed 1.42°N 23.2°E
Surveyor 6
United States 1967 282 Landed 0.53°N 1.4°W
Surveyor 7
United States 1967 290 Landed 40.86°S 11.47°W
Luna 14 USSR 1968 1670 Crashed  ?[1]
Apollo 10 LM descent stage
United States 1969 2211 Returned to Earth  ?[1]
Luna 15
USSR 1969 2718 Crashed  ?
Apollo 11 LM descent stage United States 1969 2034 Landed 0° 40' 26.69"N 23° 28' 22.69" E
Apollo 11 LM ascent stage[3] United States 1969 2184 Crashed  ?
Apollo 12 LM descent stage
United States 1969 2211 Landed 2.99°S 23.34°W
Apollo 12 LM ascent stage[3] United States 1969 2164 Crashed 3.94°S 21.2°W
Luna 16 descent stage[4]
USSR 1970 < 5727 Landed 0.68°S 56.3°E
Luna 17 & Lunokhod 1
USSR 1970 5600 Landed 38.28°N 35.0°W
Apollo 13 S-IVB (S-IVB-508)[citation needed]
United States 1970 13454 Crashed 2.75°S 27.86°W
Luna 18 USSR 1971 5600 Crashed 3.57°N 56.5°E
Luna 19
USSR 1971 5600 Crashed  ?[1]
Apollo 14 S-IVB (S-IVB-509) United States 1971 14016 Crashed 8.09°S 26.02°W
Apollo 14 LM descent stage United States 1971 2144 Landed 3° 38' 43.08"S 17° 28' 16.90" W
Apollo 14 LM ascent stage[3] United States 1971 2132 Crashed 3.42°S 29.67°W
Apollo 15 S-IVB (S-IVB-510) United States 1971 14036 Crashed 1.51°S 17.48°W
Apollo 15 LM descent stage United States 1971 2809 Landed 26° 7' 55.99"N 3° 38' 1.90" E
Apollo 15 Lunar Rover
United States 1971 462 Landed 26.08°N 3.66°E
Apollo 15 LM ascent stage[3] United States 1971 2132 Crashed 26.36°N 0.25°E
Apollo 15 subsatellite United States 1971 36 Crashed  ?[1]
Luna 20 descent stage[4]
USSR 1972 < 5727 Landed 3.53°N 56.55°E
Apollo 16 S-IVB (S-IVB-511) United States 1972 14002 Crashed 1.3°N 23.9°W
Apollo 16 LM descent stage United States 1972 2765 Landed 8° 58' 22.84"S 15° 30' 0.68" E
Apollo 16 Lunar Rover United States 1972 462 Landed 8.97°S 15.51°E
Apollo 16 LM ascent stage[3] United States 1972 2138 Crashed  ?
Apollo 16 subsatellite United States 1972 36 Crashed  ?[1]
Apollo 17 S-IVB (S-IVB-512) United States 1972 13960 Crashed 4.21°S 22.31°W
Apollo 17 LM descent stage United States 1972 2798 Landed 20° 11' 26.88"N 30° 46' 18.05" E
Apollo 17 Lunar Rover United States 1972 462 Landed 20.17°N 30.77°W
Apollo 17 LM ascent stage[3] United States 1972 2150 Crashed 19.96°N 30.50°E
Luna 21 & Lunokhod 2[5]
USSR 1973 4850 Landed 25.85°N 30.45°E
Explorer 49 (RAE-B) United States 1973 328 Crashed  ?[1]
Luna 22 USSR 1974 4000 Crashed  ?[1]
Luna 23 USSR 1974 5600 Landed ~12°N ~62°E
Luna 24 descent stage[4]
USSR 1976 < 5800 Landed 12.75°N 62.2°E
Hiten Orbiter (Hagoromo)[6]
Japan 1990 12 Crashed  ?
Hiten
Japan 1993 143 Crashed 34.3°S 55.6°E
Lunar Prospector
United States 1998 126 Crashed 87.7°S 42.1°E
SMART-1 18 ESA nations 2006 307 Crashed 34.24°S 46.12°W
Moon Impact Probe
India 2008 35 Crashed 89.9° S, 0.0° E[7]
SELENE Rstar (Okina) Japan 2009 53 Crashed 28.2°N, 201.0°E[8]
Chang'e 1
China 2009 2000[9] Crashed 1.5°S, 52.36°E
Total estimated dry mass (kg) 174,084

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Spacecraft was in lunar orbit but is assumed to have decayed from orbit and crashed into the moon, location unknown.
  2. ^ Apollo 12 returned about 10 kg of the Surveyor 3's original landing mass of 302 kg to Earth to study the effects of long term exposure.
  3. ^ a b c d e f The ascent stage of Apollo 10 was commanded to fire its engine, left lunar orbit and entered solar orbit. The ascent stage of Apollo 11 was left in orbit and thereafter its orbit decayed and it crashed onto the moon at an unknown location. The Apollo 16 ascent stage failed to crash onto moon when commanded and it decayed from orbit at a later date and also crashed at an unknown location. The ascent stages of the remaining successful missions (Apollo 12, 14, 15, and 17) were each deliberately crashed onto the moon. Apollo 13's complete Apollo Lunar Module re-entered Earth's atmosphere after having served as a lifeboat during the aborted mission.
  4. ^ a b c Luna program sample return mission; mass listed is for both ascent and descent stages, though only the descent stage was left on the moon.
  5. ^ Lander and rover weighed 1814 kg; the rest assumed to have decayed in orbit and impacted the moon.
  6. ^ Was injected into lunar orbit in 1990, assumed to have decayed from orbit.
  7. ^ MIP was crash-landed on the Shackelton crater
  8. ^ "JAXA Press Release (PDF)" (in Jananese). JAXA. 2009-02-18. http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2009/02/20090218_sac_kaguya.pdf. Retrieved on 2009-02-20. 
  9. ^ "Upcoming International Missions to the Moon" (PPT). NASA. 2007-1-11. http://ssedso.gsfc.nasa.gov/initiatives/lunar/LESWG/pubs_presentations/4thGM/bk_International_missions_lakew.ppt. Retrieved on 2009-04-12.  / cf. 2.3t with fuel ("Spacecrafts launched in 2007". http://claudelafleur.qc.ca/Spacecrafts-2007.html#Change-1. Retrieved on 2009-04-12. )

[edit] See also

v • d • e
Exploration of the Solar System
Exploration of other planets:
Lists:
Objects on other planets
v • d • e
Spaceflight lists and timelines
General spaceflight
Human spaceflight
Solar System exploration
Earth-orbiting satellites
Vehicles
Launches by rocket type
Agencies, companies, facilities
Other mission lists and timelines

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