Lunar-exploration spacecraft

Below are checklists of Lunar-exploration spacecraft, including launch dates and reference images. If readers know of additional information or images, please contact the authors using the e-mail addresses at the bottom of this page.

Spacecraft series covered:

USA Ranger-series (lunar) spacecraft:

Spacecraft	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Ranger-1 [incomplete mission]	1961-08-23	Ranger-1	Ranger	Ranger
Ranger-2 [incomplete mission]	1961-11-18
Ranger-3	1962-01-26	Ranger-3/4/5 type
Ranger-4	1962-04-23
Ranger-5	1962-10-18
Ranger-6	1964-01-30	Ranger-6/7/8/9 type Ranger-6/7/8/9 type Ranger-7 Ranger-7
Ranger-7	1964-07-28
Ranger-8	1965-02-17
Ranger-9	1965-03-21

USA Lunar Orbiter-series satellites:

Spacecraft	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Lunar Orbiter-1 (Lunar Orbiter-A)	1966-08-10	Lunar Orbiter Lunar Orbiter Lunar Orbiter	Lunar Orbiter	Lunar Orbiter
Lunar Orbiter-2 (Lunar Orbiter-B)	1966-11-06
Lunar Orbiter-3 (Lunar Orbiter-C)	1967-02-05
Lunar Orbiter-4 (Lunar Orbiter-D)	1967-05-04
Lunar Orbiter-5 (Lunar Orbiter-E)	1967-08-01	Lunar-Orbiter-5 (newspaer article, partial) Lunar-Orbiter-5 (newspaper article, partial)

USA Surveyor-series (lunar) spacecraft:

Spacecraft	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Surveyor-Pre-Model	1963-11-27		Surveyor	Surveyor
Surveyor-Model	1964-12-11	Surveyor model
Surveyor-SD1 [failed]	1965-03-02	Surveyor-SD1
Surveyor-SD2	1965-08-11
Surveyor-SD3	1966-04-08
Surveyor-1 (Surveyor-A)	1966-05-30	Surveyor
Surveyor-2 (Surveyor-B) [mission not completed]	1966-09-20	Surveyor-2 (newspaper article)
Surveyor-SD4	1966-10-26
Surveyor-3 (Surveyor-C)	1967-04-17	Surveyor-3 Surveyor-3 (and Apollo-12)
Surveyor-4 (Surveyor-D) [mission not completed]	1967-07-14
Surveyor-5 (Surveyor-E)	1967-09-08
Surveyor-6 (Surveyor-F)	1967-11-07
Surveyor-7 (Surveyor-G)	1968-01-07

Russian Luna (Lunik) series spacecraft (and Lunokhod rovers):

Spacecraft (Spacecraft Bus*)	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Luna-(1a) (Ye-1 #1) [failed]	1958-09-23	Luna-1 Luna-1	Luna	Luna
Luna-(1b) (Ye-1 #2) [failed]	1958-10-11
Luna-(1c) (Ye-1 #3) [failed]	1958-12-04
Luna-1 (Ye-1 #4) / Mechta	1959-01-02
Luna-(2a) (Ye-1A #1) [failed]	1959-06-18	Luna-2
Luna-2 (Ye-1A #2)	1959-09-12
Luna-3 (Ye-2A #1)	1959-10-04	Luna-3 Luna-3 Luna-3
Luna-(4a) (Ye-3 #1) [failed]	1960-04-15
Luna-(4b) (Ye-3 #2) [failed]	1960-04-16
Luna-(4c) (Ye-6 #1) / Sputnik-25 [failed]	1963-01-04
Luna-(4d) (Ye-6 #2) [failed]	1963-02-03
Luna-4 (Ye-6 #3) [planned lunar landing failed]	1963-04-02
Luna-(5a) (Ye-6 #4) [failed]	1964-03-21
Luna-(5b) (Ye-6 #5) [failed]	1964-04-20
Luna-(5c) (Ye-6 #6) / Kosmos-60 [failed]	1965-03-12	Kosmos-60 / Luna-(5c) (cruise) Kosmos-60 / Luna-(5c) (surface)
Luna-(5d) (Ye-6 #7) [failed]	1965-04-10
Luna-5 (Ye-6 #8)	1965-05-09
Luna-6 (Ye-6 #9)	1965-06-08
Luna-7 (Ye-6 #10)	1965-10-04
Luna-8 (Ye-6 #11)	1965-12-03
Luna-9 (Ye-6 #12)	1966-01-31
Luna-(10a) (Ye-6S #1) / Kosmos-111 [failed]	1966-03-01	Luna-10 (cruise) Luna-10 (orbit)
Luna-10 (Ye-6S #2)	1966-03-31
Luna-11 (Ye-6LF #1)	1966-08-24	Luna-12
Luna-12 (Ye-6LF #2)	1966-10-22
Luna-13 (Ye-6M #1)	1966-12-21	Luna-13 (cruise) Luna-13 (surface)
Luna? (Ye-6LS #111) / Kosmos-159	1967-05-16
Luna-(14) (Ye-6LS #112) [failed]	1968-02-07
Luna-14 (Ye-6LS #113)	1968-04-07
Luna-(17) / Lunokhod-(1) (Ye-8 No.201) [failed]	1969-02-19
Luna-(15b) (Ye-8-5 No.402) [failed]	1969-04-14
Luna-15 (Ye-8-5 No.401) [crashed on Moon]	1969-07-13
Luna-(16a) (Ye-8-5 No.403) / Kosmos-300 [failed]	1969-09-23
Luna-(16b) (Ye-8-5 No.404) / Kosmos-305 [failed]	1969-10-22
Luna-(16c) (Ye-8-5 No.405) [failed]	1970-02-06
Luna-16 (Ye-8-5 No.406) [returned sample to Earth]	1970-09-12	Luna-16
Luna-17 / Lunokhod-1 (Ye-8 No.203)	1970-11-10	Luna-17
Luna-18 (Ye-8-5 No.407) [crashed on Moon]	1971-09-02
Luna-19 (Ye-8LS No.202)	1971-09-28	Luna-19
Luna-20 (Ye-8-5 No.408) [returned sample to Earth]	1972-02-14
Luna-21 / Lunokhod-2 (Ye-8 No.204)	1973-01-08	Lunokhod-2
Luna-22 (Ye-8LS No.206)	1974-05-29
Luna-23 (Ye-8-5M No.410) [tipped over on landing on Moon]	1974-10-28
Luna-(24a) (Ye-8-5M No.412) [failed]	1975-10-16
Luna-24 (Ye-8-5M No.413) [returned sample to Earth]	1976-08-09	Luna-24 lander Luna-24 lander Luna-24 ascender
Luna-25 / Luna-Glob [Moon lander crashed]	2023-08-10	Luna-Glob Luna-25 (patch)
Luna-26 / Luna-Resurs-Orbiter	2027-?
Luna-27 / Luna-Resurs-Lander	2028-?

^*Spacecraft Bus designations and reference images were obtained from Gunter's Space Page.

Russian Zond-series spacecraft:

Spacecraft (Spacecraft Bus*)	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Zond-(1a) (3MV-1A #1) (Venus) [failed]	1964-02-19	Zond-1 Zond	Zond	Zond
Zond-1 (3MV-1 #2) (Venus)	1964-04-02
Zond-2 (3MV-4 #1) (Mars)	1964-11-30	Zond-3
Zond-3 (3MV-4 #2) (Moon)	1965-07-18
Zond-(4a) (L1 #4) [failed]	1967-09-27	Zond-L1
Zond-(4b) (L1 #5) [failed]	1967-11-22
Zond-4 (L1 #6)	1968-03-02
Zond-(5a) (L1 #7) [failed]	1968-04-22
Zond-5 (L1 #9) (Moon)	1968-09-14
Zond-6 (L1 #12) (Moon)	1968-11-10
Zond-(7a) (L1 #13) [failed]	1969-01-20
Zond-7 (L1 #7) (Moon)	1969-08-07
Zond-8 (L1 #14) (Moon)	1970-10-20

^*Spacecraft Bus designations and reference images were obtained from Gunter's Space Page.

USA Clementine / DSPSE (Deep Space Program Science Experiment) series satellites:

Spacecraft	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Clementine-1 / DSPSE-1 (lunar orbiter)	1994-01-25	Clementine-1	Clementine / DSPSE	Clementine / DSPSE
Clementine-2 / DSPSE-2	Canceled	Clementine-2

China/PRC Chang'e-series spacecraft:

Spacecraft	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Chang'e-1 (lunar orbiter)	2007-10-24	Chang'e-1	Chang'e	Chang'e (and Queqiao)
Chang'e-2 (lunar orbiter and asteroid flyby)	2010-10-01	Chang'e-2
Chang'e-3 (lunar lander) / Yutu (lunar lander and rover)	2013-12-01	Chang'e-3 (lunar lander and rover) Chang'e-3 (lunar lander and rover) Chang'e-3 (Yutu lunar rover)
Chang'e-5-T1 (lunar orbiter and re-entry capsule)	2014-10-23	Chang'e-5-T1 (orbiter) Chang'e-5-T1 (capsule)
Chang'e-4 (lunar lander) / Yutu-2 (lunar rover)	2018-12-07
Chang'e-5 (lunar sample return mission)	2020-11-23	Chang'e-5 (cruise) Chang'e-5 (lander) Chang'e-5 (return capsule)
Chang'e-6 / Jinchan (lunar lander and rover)	2024-05-03

China/PRC Queqiao-series spacecraft:

Spacecraft	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Queqiao-11 (Chang'e-4 lunar relay)	2018-05-20	Queqiao-1 Queqiao-1 (patch)	Queqiao	Chang'e (and Queqiao)
Queqiao-21 (Chang'e-6/7/8 lunar relay)	2024-03-20	Queqiao-2

¹The Chang'e-4 lander and the Yutu-2 rover are on the far side of the Moon and so cannot communicate directly with Earth. The Queqiao lunar relay satellite, in orbit at a location beyond the Moon from which it has a clear view of both the landing site and Earth, receives signals from the lander and rover and relays them to Earth.

India (ISRO) Chandrayaan-series spacecraft:

Spacecraft	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Chandrayaan-1 / MIP	2008-10-22	Chandrayaan-1 Chandrayaan-1 Chandrayaan-MIP (probe)	Chandrayaan	Chandrayaan
Chandrayaan-2 / Vikram, Pragyan rover	2019-07-22	Chandrayaan-2 Chandrayaan-2 (orbiter) Chandrayaan-2 (lander) Chandrayaan-2 (rover)
Chandrayaan-3 / Vikram-2, Pragyan-2 rover	2023-07-14	Chandrayaan-3 Chandrayaan-3 (lander) Chandrayaan-3 (rover)

Other (selected) USA lunar-exploration spacecraft:

Spacecraft	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Lunar Prospector / Discovery-3 (lunar orbiter)	1998-01-07	Lunar Prospector Lunar Prospector (patch)	Lunar Prospector	Lunar Prospector
LRO (lunar orbiter)	2009-06-18	LRO LRO and LCROSS (patch)	LRO and LCROSS	LRO
LCROSS (lunar impact)	2009-06-18	LCROSS LRO and LCROSS (patch)		LCROSS
GRAIL-A/B / Ebb/Flow / Discovery-11 (lunar orbiter)	2011-09-10	GRAIL GRAIL (patch)	GRAIL	GRAIL
LADEE (lunar orbiter)	2013-09-06	LADEE LADEE (patch)	LADEE	LADEE
CAPSTONE (lunar orbiter)	2022-06-28	CAPSTONE	CAPSTONE (Lollini) CAPSTONE (JM)
Lunar Flashlight (lunar orbiter)	2022-12-11	Lunar Flashlight	Lunar Flashlight (+ Hakuto-R-M1) (Lollini) Lunar Flashlight (+ Hakuto-R-M1) (Red Eagle)
VIPER (lunar lander and rover)	Canceled	LADEE (lander) LADEE (rover)

Japanese Muses-series lunar-exploration spacecraft:

Spacecraft	Launch Date	Images
		reference	launch covers	other postal items
Muses-A / Hiten Muses-A lunar orbiter / Hagoromo	1990-01-24	Muses-A + lunar orbiter Muses-A lunar orbiter	Muses	Muses
Muses-series astronomical spacecraft (Muses-B)
Muses-series asteroid-exploration spacecraft (Muses-C — Muses-C follow-on)

Other (selected) non-USA lunar-exploration spacecraft:

Spacecraft	Country	Launch Date	Images
			reference	launch covers	other postal items
SMART (lunar orbiter)	Sweden (ESA)	2003-09-27	SMART-1 SMART-1 (patch)	SMART	SMART
SELENE / Kaguya (lunar orbiter)	Japan (JAXA)	2007-09-14	SELENE / Kaguya	SELENE / Kaguya	SELENE / Kaguya
Lunar-A (lunar orbiter)	Japan (JAXA)	Canceled	Lunar-A		Lunar-A
Beresheet / SpaceIL Lunar Lander	Israel	2019-02-22	Beresheet Beresheet	Beresheet (with S5) Beresheet (crash landing)
KPLO / Danuri (lunar orbiter)	South Korea	2022-08-04	KPLO / Danuri KPLO / Danuri	KPLO / Danuri	KPLO / Danuri
Hakuto-R-M1 (lunar lander) [failure], Rashid (lunar rover)	Japan, UAE	2022-12-11	Hakuto-R-M1	Hakuto-R-M1 (+ Lunar Flashlight) (Lollini) Hakuto-R-M1 (+ Lunar Flashlight) (Red Eagle) Hakuto-R-M1 (event)
Hakuto-R-M2 / Resilience (lunar lander)	Japan	2024-?
SLIM / Moon Sniper (lunar lander)	Japan (JAXA)	2023-09-06	SLIM	SLIM / Moon Sniper	SLIM / Moon Sniper
Tiandu-1, Tiandu-2 (lunar orbiters)	China/PRC	2024-03-20	Tiandu-1 and Tiandu-2 (before separation)	Tiandu-1/2 (with Queqiao-2)
Yaoki (lunar rover)	Japan (JAXA)	202x	Yaoki		"Yaoki" "Yaoki"

Links to lunar-exploration spacecraft information:

(The links below lead to information sources that are maintained by others. They are not part of this Website.)

• NSSDCA: Soviet lunar missions
• Braeunig: (Un-manned) lunar spacecraft

Back to Un-manned Satellite Philately.