Moon Missions

Maharashtra State Board: Class 10

Key Points: Moon Missions

Since the Moon is the closest celestial body, it became the first target of space missions in the solar system.
The Soviet Union’s Luna‑2 (1959) was the first spacecraft to reach the Moon; later Luna missions studied its composition, gravity, and radiation.
Some unmanned Soviet missions successfully landed on the Moon and returned rock samples to Earth.
The USA conducted manned Moon missions, and in 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the Moon.
India’s Chandrayaan‑1 (2008) discovered the presence of water on the Moon, making India the first country to do so.