People can visit the Moon.
They use big rockets to get there. Some people even walked on the Moon. It is a very big trip. We can see the Moon from our homes. Do you want to go to the Moon?
People can visit the Moon.
They use big rockets to get there. Some people even walked on the Moon.
In 1969, the first people landed on the Moon.
A huge crowd watched them on TV. It was a very big event.
Some machines land hard on the Moon. Others land softly. A soft landing means the machine does not break.
This helps them work on the ground.
Many lands have sent machines to the Moon. They send robots to take pictures. Some robots even bring Moon dirt back to Earth.
Space travel is a very big trip. It is exciting to see what we find.
A Moon landing is when a spacecraft arrives on the Moon.
This can be done by people or by robots.
Some missions are hard landings. This means the craft crashes into the surface. The first hard landing was by Luna 2 in 1959.
Other missions use soft landings. A soft landing is a way to land without breaking the craft. This is the only way for humans to land safely.
In 1969, Apollo 11 became the first crewed mission to land.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were part of this team. Twelve people have walked on the Moon in total. This happened during six NASA missions between 1969 and 1972.
Many nations now reach the Moon with robots. The Soviet Union, the United States, China, India, and Japan have all made soft landings.
China's Chang'e program even landed on the far side of the Moon. In 2024, a private craft named Odysseus also landed. This was the first time a private company reached the Moon.
A Moon landing is when a spacecraft arrives on the lunar surface.
This can happen with people on board or with robotic probes. There are two main ways to land. A hard landing is when a craft crashes into the surface at high speed.
A soft landing is a way to land without causing big damage. This is the only way for humans to land safely. Soft landings are much harder to do than hard landings.
To reach the Moon, a spacecraft must first leave Earth's gravity.
This requires a powerful rocket to push it into space. Once a craft gets near the Moon, the Moon's gravity pulls it closer. This makes the spacecraft go faster and faster. To land safely, the craft must slow down.
Most soft landings use braking rockets, or retrorockets, to slow the speed. These rockets push against the direction of travel. This allows the craft to touch down gently.
Humans first reached the Moon during the Apollo program.
The first crewed mission was Apollo 11 in 1969. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first humans to land.
In total, twelve astronauts have walked on the Moon. This happened during six different NASA missions. These missions took place between 1969 and 1972. Gene Cernan was the last person to step off the lunar surface in December 1972.
Many countries and companies have now reached the Moon with robots.
The Soviet Union, the United States, China, India, and Japan have all achieved soft landings.
China's Chang'e program even landed on the far side of the Moon.
India successfully landed its Chandrayaan-3 module near the south pole in 2023.
In 2024, a private craft named Odysseus landed on the Moon. This was the first time a private company reached the Moon.
Landing on the Moon is a very difficult task. A spacecraft must carry enough fuel to land and then leave. To return to Earth, it must use a rocket to escape the Moon's gravity.
Once it reaches Earth, it uses heat shields and parachutes to slow down.
These tools help the craft enter our atmosphere safely. Scientists even crashed parts of rockets on purpose to study Moonquakes.
This helped them map the inside of the Moon.
A Moon landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon.
These missions can be crewed, meaning humans are on board, or robotic, using uncrewed probes. Landing on the Moon is a massive scientific and engineering feat. It requires overcoming the gravity of both Earth and the Moon. Understanding how to land safely helps us explore the solar system.
To reach the Moon, a spacecraft must first leave Earth's gravity well. Currently, the only practical way to do this is by using a rocket. Unlike airplanes, rockets can continue to accelerate in the vacuum of space. As a spacecraft approaches the Moon, the Moon's gravity pulls it in. This causes the craft to increase in speed. To land without being destroyed, a spacecraft must decelerate.
There are two primary types of lunar landings: hard landings and soft landings. A hard landing is a high-speed impact where the spacecraft crashes into the surface. This can happen due to a malfunction or be done on purpose. For example, NASA crashed parts of the Saturn V rocket to create moonquakes. These moonquakes helped scientists map the internal structure of the Moon.
A soft landing is a controlled descent that results in little to no damage. This is the only method safe enough for human astronauts. To achieve this, spacecraft use braking rockets, also known as retrorockets. These rockets provide the delta-v, or change in velocity, needed to slow down.
The history of lunar exploration began with the Space Race in the late 1950s. Tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union drove rapid technological growth. The Soviet Union achieved the first hard landing with Luna 2 in 1959.
They also took the first pictures of the Moon's far side with Luna 3. The United States responded by creating NASA to lead civilian space efforts. In 1966, the Soviet Union achieved the first soft landing with Luna 9. The U.S. followed with several successful Surveyor missions.
Human exploration reached its peak during NASA's Apollo program. Apollo 11 was the first crewed mission to land in July 1969.
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to walk on the lunar surface. Between 1969 and 1972, there were six successful crewed landings. A total of twelve astronauts have walked on the Moon. Gene Cernan was the last person to step off the surface in December 1972.
These missions required massive rockets to carry the landing modules and the return ascent rockets.
Today, many nations and private companies are returning to the Moon. Only five nations have successfully achieved soft landings: the Soviet Union, the U.S., China, India, and Japan.
China's Chang'e program has landed four times since 2013. They even achieved the first landing on the far side of the Moon.
India's Chandrayaan-3 landed near the lunar south pole in 2023.
Japan's JAXA also joined the group with the SLIM lander in 2024. Commercial companies are also participating. Intuitive Machines' Odysseus became the first private spacecraft to land in 2024.
Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost later completed the first fully successful commercial landing.
Lunar missions are incredibly complex because of the physics involved. To return to Earth, a spacecraft must overcome the Moon's escape velocity. This requires a moon departure rocket to be carried all the way to the surface. This adds significant weight and size to the original launch vehicle. Once the craft reaches Earth, it must use heat shields and parachutes. These tools absorb kinetic energy to ensure a safe atmospheric entry. This cycle of launching, landing, and returning defines the challenge of lunar science.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (24)
+ 12 more
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.