In the race of countries to go to the Moon, 11 countries have sent spacecraft to the Moon since 1959.
Among the 11 countries, only Russia, the United States, China, India and Japan have successfully soft-landed on the Moon.
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Soviet Union was the first country to reach the Moon
On September 12, 1959, the Soviet Union’s Luna-2 spacecraft, launched into space on a Vostok rocket from the Baikonur Spaceport, became the first object to land on the Moon.
Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made history as the first man in space
Two years after the Luna-2 spacecraft reached the Moon, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made history as the first man in space.
Gagarin’s first words were, “The vehicle is working normally. I can see the Earth in Vzor’s field of view. Everything is going according to plan.
This success of the Soviet Union in 1961 pioneered the competition of countries in space.
Zond 5, the first spacecraft to go to the Moon and return to Earth
Launched on September 15, 1968 by the Soviet Union, Zond 5 made history as the first space lunar vehicle to move around the Moon and return to Earth without any problems.
Zond 5 also went down in history as the first lunar lander to carry living beings, such as different plant and animal species, on board.
Israeli and UAE spacecraft fail to land on the Moon
The Beresheet vehicle, which Israel sent to the Moon with Israel Areospace Industries on July 22, 2019, crashed into the Moon’s surface due to an engine failure.
The United Arab Emirates was the first Arab country to send a spacecraft to the Moon. Although the UAE spacecraft named ‘Rashid’ entered the lunar orbit, it failed to land and crashed on the lunar surface.
