NEXT PAGE
PREVIOUS PAGE
LUNAR LANDINGS
The MOON is the nearest object in the SOLAR SYSTEM to the Earth and so naturally has been the main focus for space EXPLORATION. The Russian probe LUNA 2 was the first to send back pictures of the far side of the Moon before crashing into its surface on September 15th 1959. The first detailed photographs (showing objects as small as 1 metre across) was sent back from RANGER 7 during June/July 1964. The first successful SOFT landing occurred on February 3rd 1966 when LUNAR 9 sent back 4 photographs revealing detail of the Moon's surface down to 1mm. SURVEYOR 1 was the first American probe to SOFT land (June 2nd 1966) and also the first to send back COLOUR photographs. Near the end of 1966 LUNA 13 was the first to investigate the structure of the Moons SURFACE. In December 1968, APOLLO 8 completed the FIRST manned FLY-AROUND of the Moon and Earth return.
On July 16th 1969 NEIL ARMSTRONG became the FIRST person to set foot on the Moon (closely followed by Edwin Aldrin) when APOLLO 11 landed. A third ASTRONAUT
(M.Collins) remained orbiting the Moon in the command module. Samples of Moon ROCK weighing 21.7 kg were collected and RETURNED to Earth for detailed analysis.
In September 1970, LUNAR 16 became the first probe to successfully SOFT land, automatically take a sample of Moon SOIL (101 grams), TAKE OFF and RETURN to Earth.
When LUNAR 17 landed in November 1970 it put the first MOBILE vehicle onto the Moon (a laboratory called LUNAKHOD 1). In the next 10 months it travelled over 10,000 metres taking many photographs and measurements of the surface of the Moon
In 1990 the JAPANESE probe called MUSES-A became the first NON American or Russian space probe to reach the Moon. It failed to send back information about its orbits of the Moon.
COLUMN 1 (on the next page) contains a list of names of LUNAR landing probes. COLUMN 2 contains of dates and COLUMN 3 a description of what each probe carried out. You have to complete the table provided by correctly MATCHING the name of the probe (Column 1) with its date (Column 2) and what it did (Column 3). The first one has been done for you as an example.
ALL THE INFORMATION YOU NEED IS CONTAINED IN THE ABOVE PASSAGE.
COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3
LUNAR 16 November 1970 The first MANNED orbit of the Moon
and return to Earth
APOLLO 8 1990 The first probe to investigate the
structure of the surface of the Moon
MUSES-A Jul 16th 1969 The first to send back pictures of
the FAR side of the Moon
SURVEYOR 1 September 1970 The probe to send back the first
detailed pictures of the Moon
LUNAR 17 Sept 15th 1959 The first probe to SOFT land, take
a sample of Moon soil, take off and
return to Earth
LUNAR 2 December 1966 Sent back the first COLOUR photos of
the Moon
RANGER 7 Jun/Jul 1964 The probe which put the first PERSON
(Neil Armstrong) on the Moon
LUNAR 9 December 1968 Put the first MOBILE vehicle
(a laboratory) on the Moon
LUNAR 13 June 2nd 1966 The first to SOFT land on the surface
of the Moon
APOLLO 11 Feb 3rd 1966 The first NON American or Russian
probe to orbit the Moon
COPY OUT AND COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING TABLE. THE FIRST HAS BEEN DONE FOR YOU AS AN EXAMPLE.
NAME OF LUNAR PROBE DATE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT THE
PROBE CARRIED OUT
LUNAR 2 September 15th 1959 The first to send back
pictures of the FAR side
of the Moon
Back to Earth In Space Contents page