On Aug. 9, 1976, the Soviet space program launched its last moon mission. Discover more space history 👉 https://trib.al/XNnQwR4 Luna 24 was a robotic sample return mission and the third of its kind. It lifted off on a Proton-K rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and safety landed on the lunar surface nine days later. The probe landed in a dark plain known as Mare Crisium, or the "Sea of Crises" and collected 6 ounces (170.1 grams) of soil samples, which is brought back to Earth on

Russia's first lunar lander mission in 47 years ended in failure when Luna-25 crashed into the moon on Aug. 20, 2023. Full Story 👉 https://trib.al/J3mqAXR Credit: Space.com | footage and animation courtesy: Roscosmos | edited by Steve Spaleta | Space.com