Chang’e 5 Lunar Sample Return
Chang’e 5 was a Chinese lunar sample return mission launched on November 23, 2020. It had an orbiter, a lander, an ascender, and a returner.
Landers
Landers are spacecraft designed to travel through space and safely touch down on the surface of a planet, moon, or asteroid. Unlike orbiters, which stay in space and circle around celestial bodies, landers go all the way down and settle on the surface. Once they land, their job is to collect data, take pictures, and study the environment up close. Witness the touchdown of robotic explorers on distant worlds, studying their geology, atmosphere, and potential for future human missions.
What Is a Lander and How Does It Work?
Whether it’s exploring the dusty plains of Mars, the icy surface of a moon like Europa, or even an asteroid, landers give scientists a close-up look at places we’ve never been.
Landing in another world isn’t easy. Landers need to slow down from extremely high speeds, survive entry through atmospheres or rough space conditions, and then touch down gently without breaking. Engineers use parachutes, thrusters, or even airbag systems to make this happen. Once they land, most are powered by solar panels or batteries to keep their instruments running. They carry tools like drills, cameras, and sensors to study things like soil, rocks, and temperatures. Landers send all the information they collect back to Earth, where scientists analyze it to understand these distant places better.
The Complete List of Landers
Landers are special because they let us explore places in incredible detail. They help answer big questions, like whether there’s water, signs of life, or resources we could use in the future. For example, the Mars landers have shown us evidence of past water on the planet, while others, like the Chang’e lander, have studied the Moon‘s surface. Explore these and other landers as they help us prepare to send astronauts.
SLIM Smart Lander
SLIM, JAXA’s Smart Lander, demonstrated high-precision autonomous lunar landings, paving the way for future planetary exploration.
Lunik 20 Lunar Lander
Luna 20 (or Lunik 20) was the second successful robotic mission (after Luna 16) to return samples from the Moon to Earth.
SLIM Lunar Lander
Explore Japan’s innovative SLIM Lunar Lander, designed to demonstrate precision landing technology and conduct scientific investigations.
Surveyor Lunar Lander
Discover the innovative Hakuto-R spacecraft, a small robotic rover developed by ispace Inc. for private lunar exploration.
Lunik 1 Lunar Lander
Learn about Lunik 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon in 1959. Discover its design and mission objectives.
Lunik 2 Lunar Lander
Lunik 2, also known as Luna 2, was the first human-made object to reach the Moon’s surface in 1959. Learn about its design and objectives.
Beresheet Lunar Lander
Explore the ambitious Beresheet Lunar Lander mission, a pioneering effort by SpaceIL to land a spacecraft on the Moon.
Surveyor Lunar Lander
Explore the pioneering Surveyor Lunar Landers, the first spacecraft to achieve soft landings on the Moon, and learn about their design.
Lunik 9 Lunar Lander
Discover the historic Luna 9 spacecraft, the first to achieve a soft landing on the Moon. Learn about its design and mission objectives.
Chang’e 3 Lunar Lander
Explore the groundbreaking Chang’e 3 Lunar Lander mission, China’s first successful soft landing on the Moon and learn about its objectives.
Apollo Lunar Module (LM)
Discover the engineering marvel that enabled humanity’s first steps on the Moon – the Apollo Lunar Module and learn about its design.
Viking 2
Explore Viking 2, the pioneering spacecraft that soft-landed on Mars, conducting scientific experiments and providing valuable insights.
Viking 1
Explore the groundbreaking Viking 1 mission, the first spacecraft to successfully land on Mars, conducting scientific experiments.
Chang’e 4 Lander & Rover
Explore Chang’e 4, China’s lunar rover exploring the far side of the Moon, conducting scientific experiments and unlocking many mysteries.
Pioneer Venus Multiprobe
Discover the Pioneer Venus Multiprobe mission, a groundbreaking effort to explore Venus’s atmosphere and surface.