Soviet Luna 24 Returned 170 Grams of Moon Soil, Finding 0.1% Water in Final Lunar Mission
Updated
Updated · Space.com · Aug 9
Soviet Luna 24 Returned 170 Grams of Moon Soil, Finding 0.1% Water in Final Lunar Mission
3 articles · Updated · Space.com · Aug 9
Summary
Luna 24 launched on Aug. 9, 1976, as the Soviet Union’s last moon mission and its third robotic lunar sample-return attempt.
Nine days later the probe landed in Mare Crisium, drilled lunar soil, and sent 170.1 grams back to Earth on Aug. 22 after leaving the moon in less than 24 hours.
Scientists later found the samples contained about 0.1% water by mass, giving the mission lasting scientific significance beyond its Cold War timing.
The flight capped a prolific Luna program that had already achieved the first moon impact in 1959 and the first soft landing in 1966, even after NASA’s Apollo moonwalks ended the Space Race.
Russia did not repeat the feat for 47 years; Luna 25, launched in 2023 as a revival effort, crashed during a failed orbital maneuver.