On 3 February 1966, the Soviet Union achieved a monumental milestone in space exploration as Luna 9 became the first spacecraft to make a soft landing on the Moon and successfully transmit photographic data back to Earth.
The unmanned probe touched down in the Oceanus Procellarum, marking humanity’s first controlled descent onto another celestial body.
Over the course of three days, Luna 9’s panoramic images revealed the Moon’s rugged surface, dispelling fears that a spacecraft might sink into a thick layer of lunar dust.
This historic feat not only bolstered Soviet space supremacy at the height of the Cold War but also provided crucial insights into lunar geology, paving the way for future manned missions.
