List of artificial objects on the Moon |
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_artificial_objects_on_the_Moon  | |
Map of the moon showing some landing sites. (Click to enlarge) |
 | |
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 |
Intent.
crashed |
29°06′N 0°00′W / 29.1°N 0°W / 29.1; -0 |
| Ranger 4 |
|
United States |
1962 |
331 |
Intent.
crashed |
12.9°S 129.1°W |
| Ranger 6 |
|
United States |
1964 |
381 |
Intent.
crashed |
9.4°N 21.5°E |
| Ranger 7 |
|
United States |
1964 |
365.7 |
Intent.
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 |
Intent.
crashed |
2.64°N 24.77°E |
| Ranger 9 |
|
United States |
1965 |
367 |
Intent.
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
(post-mission) |
?[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
(post-mission) |
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
(post-mission) |
2.9°N 119.1°E |
| Lunar Orbiter 3 |
|
United States |
1966 |
386 |
Crashed
(post-mission) |
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
(post-mission) |
?[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
(post-mission) |
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 |
Crashed
(post-mission) |
?[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
(post-mission) |
? |
| 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 |
Intent.
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 |
Intent.
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 |
Intent.
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 |
Intent.
crashed |
3.42°S 29.67°W |
| Apollo 15 S-IVB (S-IVB-510) |
|
United States |
1971 |
14036 |
Intent.
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 |
Intent.
crashed |
26.36°N 0.25°E |
| Apollo 15 subsatellite |
|
United States |
1971 |
36 |
Crashed
(post-mission) |
?[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 |
Intent.
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
(post-mission) |
? |
| Apollo 16 subsatellite |
|
United States |
1972 |
36 |
Crashed
(post-mission) |
?[1] |
| Apollo 17 S-IVB (S-IVB-512) |
|
United States |
1972 |
13960 |
Intent.
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 |
Intent.
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
(not confirmed) |
? |
| Hiten |
|
Japan |
1993 |
143 |
Intent.
crashed |
34.3°S 55.6°E |
| Lunar Prospector |
|
United States |
1998 |
126 |
Intent.
crashed |
87.7°S 42.1°E |
| SMART-1 |
|
18 ESA nations |
2006 |
307 |
Intent.
crashed |
34.24°S 46.12°W |
| Moon Impact Probe |
|
India |
2008 |
35 |
Intent.
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] |
Intent.
crashed |
1.5°S, 52.36°E |
| SELENE (Kaguya) main orbiter |
|
Japan |
2009 |
1984[9] |
Intent.
crashed |
65.5°S, 80.4°E[10] |
| Total estimated dry mass (kg) |
176,068 |
|
See also
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Published in July 2009.
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