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In celebration of Apollo 11’s 50th anniversary this week, the world is reflecting on the historic first steps on the Moon and everything that led to that moment. But how much do you know about the 20 subsequent Moon landings? To help, Smithsonian.com has crafted an interactive map of the Moon detailing the who, what, where, when, and how of each successful lunar mission.
The map is color-coded for easy reference: red for Russian Luna missions, green for China’s Chang'e 3 and Chang'e 4, and blue for the U.S.’s Apollo missions (marked with stars) and Surveyor missions (represented by simple rings). Click on each icon to reveal a summary paragraph highlighting the mission’s key achievements.
Following Russia’s Luna 9, the first unmanned craft to land on the Moon in 1966, 18 more successful landings took place over the next decade. The 20th landing occurred 37 years later in 2013 when China’s Chang'e 3 made its historic touchdown. The most recent landing took place just this past January when China’s Chang'e 4 made history as the first to land on the Moon's far side. Chang'e 4 and its rover, Yutu 2, are still exploring the lunar surface, and China plans to launch its Chang'e 5 mission this year.
Six Apollo missions successfully landed humans on the Moon, and no astronauts have set foot on its surface since. However, 15 robotic landings have significantly advanced our understanding of the Moon in a safer, more cost-effective manner. Looking at the map, you'll notice that most spacecraft have landed near the Moon’s equator on the near side, where the terrain consists mainly of basaltic plains. In contrast, the far side is home to craters and mountains. With more Chang'e missions planned by China and NASA’s Artemis missions underway, Smithsonian.com might soon have to develop a 360° version of its map.
