On this day in space! Aug. 9, 1976: Soviet Luna 24 sample return probe launches to the moon
This article recounts the history of the Soviet Union's Luna 24 mission, which launched on August 9, 1976. It highlights the mission's success in returning lunar soil samples that contained traces of water.
Why it matters
It provides historical context for the Space Race and the evolution of robotic lunar exploration, which remains relevant to modern moon missions.
Luna 24 was a robotic sample return mission and the third of its kind.
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Click for next article Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter On Aug. 9, 1976, the Soviet space program launched its last moon mission.
Luna 24 was a robotic sample return mission and the third of its kind. It lifted off on a Proton-K rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and safely landed on the lunar surface nine days later.
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