History of Moon in Timeline

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite, orbiting at an average distance of 384,399 kilometers. Its synodic orbital period is approximately 29.5 days. The Moon and Earth are gravitationally bound, causing tidal forces responsible for Earth's tides. This gravitational interaction has resulted in tidal locking, synchronizing the Moon's rotation with its orbital period, so it always presents the same near side to Earth.

January 1, 1900: Reference Date for Moon Age Calculation

January 1, 1900, is a known new moon date used as a reference for calculating the approximate age and phase of the Moon on any given date.

1920: Comparative Studies Leading to Lunar Stratigraphy

From 1920 to the 1940s, comparative studies gained support for the impact origin of lunar craters, leading to the development of lunar stratigraphy.

1957: Sputnik 1 Spaceflight

After the first spaceflight of Sputnik 1 in 1957 during the International Geophysical Year, the Soviet Union's Luna program began achieving lunar milestones.

1958: Unnamed Failed Missions

In 1958, the Soviet Union's Luna program experienced three unnamed failed missions before succeeding with Luna 1.

January 1959: Luna 1 Passes the Moon

In January 1959, Luna 1 became the first human-made object to escape Earth's gravity and pass the Moon.

1959: First Spaceflights to the Moon

In 1959, the Soviet Union initiated the first spaceflights to the Moon with the flyby of Luna 1 and the intentional impact of Luna 2.

1959: First extraterrestrial probes reached the Moon

In 1959, the first extraterrestrial probes reached the Moon via the Luna program, just a year into the space age.

1961: Kennedy's Moon Landing Commitment

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy committed the United States to a crewed Moon landing before the end of the decade, leading to NASA's lunar programs.

1966: First Soft Landing and Orbital Insertion

In 1966, Luna 9 achieved the first soft landing on the Moon, and Luna 10 accomplished the first orbital insertion.

1966: First Lunar Soft Landing and Orbit

In 1966, Luna 9 achieved the first successful lunar soft landing, and Luna 10 became the first vehicle to orbit the Moon.

1966: First images of Earth from the Moon

Observations from the Moon started as early as 1966 with the first images of Earth from the Moon, taken by Lunar Orbiter 1.

1967: Outer Space Treaty

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty defines the Moon and all outer space as the "province of all mankind" and restricts the use of the Moon to peaceful purposes.

December 24, 1968: Apollo 8 First Human Mission to Lunar Orbit

On December 24, 1968, Apollo 8, sent by the United States, achieved the first human mission to lunar orbit.

1968: Apollo 8 First Human Mission to Lunar Orbit

In 1968, Apollo 8 made the first human mission to lunar orbit, spurred on by potential Soviet lunar human landing efforts.

1968: Earthrise photograph

Of particular cultural significance is the 1968 photograph called Earthrise, taken by Bill Anders of Apollo 8 in 1968.

July 20, 1969: Apollo 11 First Human Landing on the Moon

On July 20, 1969, the Apollo 11 mission marked the first time humans landed on the Moon, making it the only celestial body beyond Earth to be visited by humans.

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July 21, 1969: Neil Armstrong Lands on the Moon

On July 21, 1969 (02:56 UTC), Neil Armstrong became the first person to land on the Moon as commander of the Apollo 11 mission, watched by an estimated 500 million people worldwide.

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1969: Apollo Astronauts and Moonquakes

From 1969, Apollo astronauts placed seismometers on the Moon, leading to the unexpected discovery of moonquakes.

1969: Apollo 11 Landing Site

In 1969, the Apollo 11 mission landed near the Sea of Tranquility, close to where a lunar cave was later discovered.

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1969: First stay of people on the Moon

The first stay of people on the Moon was conducted in 1969, in a series of crewed exploration missions (the Apollo Program).

1970: Luna 17 and Luna 16 Missions

In 1970, the Soviet Union's Luna 17 deployed the first remote-controlled rover Lunokhod 1 on an extraterrestrial surface and Luna 16 collected lunar samples.

1970: "Whitey on the Moon" becomes famous

In 1970, the poem "Whitey on the Moon" became famous as an expression of critical reflection on humanity's cultural and legal relation to the Moon, particularly concerning imperialism and colonialism through lunar resources commercialization.

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1971: Salyut program

In 1971, the Soviet Union launched the Salyut program of space stations.

April 1972: Apollo 16 mission telescope

In April 1972, the Apollo 16 mission set up the first dedicated telescope, the Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph, recording various astronomical photos and spectra.

1972: Apollo Missions on the Moon

By 1972, six Apollo missions had successfully landed twelve people on the Moon, with stays lasting up to three days.

1972: Apollo 17 Mission

In 1972, the Apollo 17 mission collected the famous high-titanium "orange glass soil" sample 74220 of volcanic origin.

1972: Pioneer 10 and Landsat Program

In 1972, the Pioneer 10 mission was launched to explore the outer solar system and the Landsat program was established for Earth observation.

1972: Last crewed exploration mission

The last crewed exploration mission, Apollo Program, took place in 1972.

1973: Time since last mission before clementine

1973 was the last mission before clementine.

1973: Explorer 49 lunar probe

In 1973, Explorer 49 was the last dedicated U.S. lunar probe until 1994.

1973: Last Lunar Rover Mission before Chang'e 3

The launch of the Yutu rover with the Chang'e 3 mission in 2013 marked the first lunar rover mission since Lunokhod 2 in 1973.

1976: Last mission before Hiten-Hagoromo

1976 was the last mission before Hiten-Hagoromo reached the moon.

1976: Last lunar soft landing before Chang'e 3

China became the third country to soft land on the Moon in 2013. This was the first lunar soft landing since Luna 24 in 1976.

1976: Shift in focus after last Soviet lunar mission

Following the last Soviet mission to the Moon in 1976, astronautics shifted its focus towards the exploration of the inner and outer Solar System planets, as well as Earth orbit.

1976: End of Soviet robotic missions

In 1976, the Soviet Union concluded its series of robotic missions to the Moon with Luna 24.

1977: End of data transmission from Apollo landing sites

In late 1977, direct transmission of data to Earth from the Apollo 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 landing sites concluded due to budgetary considerations.

1979: Moon Agreement

The 1979 Moon Agreement was created to elaborate, and restrict the exploitation of the Moon's resources by any single nation, leaving it to a yet unspecified international regulatory regime.

1979: Negotiation of Moon Treaty

The negotiation of the Moon Treaty occurred in 1979.

1984: Ratification of Moon Treaty

The Moon Treaty was ratified in 1984.

1986: Australia ratified Moon Treaty

Australia signed and ratified the Moon Treaty in 1986.

1990: Hiten-Hagoromo mission reached Moon's orbit

In 1990, Japan's Hiten-Hagoromo mission reached the Moon's orbit, becoming the first lunar mission not from the Soviet Union or the U.S.

1990: End of major activity hiatus regarding the Moon

The year 1990 marked the end of a period of little major activity regarding the Moon that had begun in 1984.

1994: U.S. Clementine mission

In 1994, the U.S. launched the Clementine mission, obtaining the first near-global topographic map of the Moon and global multispectral images of the lunar surface.

1994: Clementine Spacecraft Findings

In 1994, the bistatic radar experiment on the Clementine spacecraft indicated the existence of small, frozen pockets of water close to the lunar surface.

1994: End of hiatus for dedicated U.S. lunar probes

The year 1994 marked the end of a hiatus for dedicated U.S. lunar probes, which had lasted since 1973.

1998: Eugene Shoemaker ashes sent to Moon

In 1998, NASA sent the cremated ashes of scientist Eugene Shoemaker to the Moon, which was criticized by then–Navajo Nation president Albert Hale.

1998: Lunar Prospector Mission

In 1998, NASA's Lunar Prospector mission began, eventually leading to the discovery of hydrogen-rich areas on the Moon by 2016.

August 11, 1999: Reference Date for Moon Age Calculation

August 11, 1999, is a known new moon date used as a reference for calculating the approximate age and phase of the Moon on any given date.

2004: SMART-1 mission begins

In 2004, the European Space Agency's SMART-1 spacecraft began orbiting the Moon.

2004: U.S. plans for returning astronauts to the Moon

The U.S. developed plans for returning astronauts to the Moon beginning in 2004.

2006: SMART-1 completed the first detailed survey of chemical elements.

Between 2004 and 2006 the SMART-1 mission recorded the first detailed survey of chemical elements on the lunar surface.

2006: Study of Ina Depression

In 2006, a study of Ina, a tiny depression in Lacus Felicitatis, found jagged, relatively dust-free features that appeared to be only 2 million years old, indicating recent lunar activity.

2006: Operation of orbiters around the Moon or the Earth-Moon Lagrange points

Since 2006, orbiters in orbits around the Moon or the Earth–Moon Lagrange points, have been operated, aimed to provide continuous communication to increasing human activity on the Moon.

2007: Chang'e 1 launch

In 2007, China launched the Chang'e 1 orbiter to the Moon.

2007: Moon Derivation Models

In 2007, models suggested that a larger fraction of the Moon derived from the proto-Earth, challenging earlier simulations.

2008: Chandrayaan-1 launch

In 2008, India launched its Chandrayaan-1 and Moon Impact Probe.

2008: Chandrayaan-1 Confirms Surface Water Ice

In 2008, the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft confirmed the existence of surface water ice using the on-board Moon Mineralogy Mapper.

June 18, 2009: Launch of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and LCROSS

On June 18, 2009, the U.S. launched the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the LCROSS impactor.

October 9, 2009: LCROSS impact

On October 9, 2009, LCROSS completed its mission by making a planned impact in the crater Cabeus.

2009: LCROSS Detects Water in Polar Crater

In 2009, LCROSS sent an impactor into a permanently shadowed polar crater and detected at least 100 kg of water in the plume of ejected material.

2009: End of Chang'e 1 mission

The Chang'e 1 mission (2007-2009) obtained a full image map of the Moon.

2009: Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter launched

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, launched in 2009, continues to survey the Moon for future missions.

2010: Chang'e 2 mission

In 2010, China launched Chang'e 2, mapping the lunar surface at a higher resolution.

2010: Photos of Lunar Cave

In 2010, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter took photos that were used to analyze and confirm the presence of a cave on the Moon near the Sea of Tranquility.

May 2011: Water in Melt Inclusions in Lunar Sample 74220

In May 2011, scientists reported finding 615–1410 ppm of water in melt inclusions in lunar sample 74220, the "orange glass soil" collected during the Apollo 17 mission.

2013: Chang'e 3 with Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope

Chang'e 3, launched in 2013, with its Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope is still operational.

2013: Chang'e 3 mission

In 2013, China launched Chang'e 3, a lunar lander and rover named Yutu.

2013: Previous moon landing before 2023

Prior to 2023, China soft landed on the moon in 2013.

2014: Manfred Memorial Moon Mission

In 2014, the first privately funded probe, the Manfred Memorial Moon Mission, flew by the Moon.

2016: Discovery of Hydrogen-Rich Areas

In 2016, planetary scientists using data collected on the 1998–99 NASA Lunar Prospector mission found two hydrogen-rich areas on opposite sides of the Moon, speculated to be former water ice from when the Moon's poles were different before being tidally locked.

August 2018: Definitive Evidence for Water-Ice on Lunar Surface

In August 2018, analysis of the findings of the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) revealed "definitive evidence" for water-ice on the lunar surface.

2018: Indirect Lighting Confirms Water Ice

In 2018, indirect lighting of areas in shadow using the Moon Mineralogy Mapper's reflectance spectra confirmed water ice within 20° latitude of both poles.

2019: Plant seed sprouted on Chang'e 4

In 2019, at least one plant seed sprouted in an experiment on the Chang'e 4 lander. It was carried from Earth along with other small life in its Lunar Micro Ecosystem.

2019: Chang'e 4 and Chandrayaan-2 missions

In early 2019, China's Chang'e 4 achieved the first landing on the Moon's far side, and India sent its second probe, Chandrayaan-2, to the Moon.

2019: "Tardigrade affair"

The "Tardigrade affair" of the 2019 crashed Beresheet lander and its carrying of tardigrades has been discussed as an example for lacking measures and lacking international regulation for planetary protection.

January 2020: Number of nations ratified Moon Agreement

As of January 2020, the 1979 Moon Agreement has been signed and ratified by 18 nations.

October 2020: Molecular Water on Sunlit Surface

In October 2020, astronomers reported detecting molecular water on the sunlit surface of the Moon by several independent spacecraft, including the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).

2020: Australia signed Artemis Accords

Australia signed and ratified the Artemis Accords in 2020, leading to discussions about harmonizing the treaties.

2020: Chang'e 5 mission

In 2020, China carried out its first robotic sample return mission, Chang'e 5, bringing back 1,731 grams of lunar material.

2020: U.S. lawmakers introduce regulation for conservation of historic landing sites

In late 2020, in response to increasing commercial and national interest in lunar prospecting, U.S. lawmakers introduced specific regulations for the conservation of historic landing sites. Interest groups also advocated for designating these sites as World Heritage Sites and protected scientific zones, further defining the legal and territorial status of the Moon.

2020: Artemis Accords and U.S. position on space resources

Since 2020, countries have joined the U.S. in their Artemis Accords, and the U.S. has emphasized that it does not view outer space as a 'global commons'.

2020: Artemis Accords

With the signing of the U.S.-led Artemis Accords in 2020, the Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon in the 2020s.

2021: International Moon Day

In 2021, July 20th was established as International Moon Day, commemorating the date of the first crewed Moon landing.

2021: Declaration of the Rights of the Moon

In 2021, a group of lawyers, space archaeologists, and concerned citizens created the Declaration of the Rights of the Moon. This declaration drew upon precedents from the Rights of Nature movement and the concept of legal personality for non-human entities in space.

2022: South Korea launches Danuri

In 2022, South Korea launched Danuri, its first lunar probe, from the US.

2022: High-Resolution Simulations of Giant Impacts

In 2022, a study utilizing high-resolution simulations found that giant impacts can immediately place a satellite with similar mass and iron content to the Moon into orbit far outside Earth's Roche limit.

November 1, 2023: Remnants of Theia Inside Earth

On November 1, 2023, scientists reported that remnants of Theia could still be present inside the Earth, according to computer simulations.

2023: India lands on the moon

In 2023, India became the fourth country to soft land a spacecraft on the Moon.

February 2024: IM-1 lander lands on the Moon

In February 2024, the IM-1 lander became the first commercially built lander to land on the Moon.

May 2024: China launched Chang'e 6

In May 2024, China launched Chang'e 6, which conducted the first sample return from the far side of the Moon. Pakistan sent a lunar orbiter called ICUBE-Q along with Chang'e 6. Nova-C 2, iSpace Lander and Blue Ghost were also launched to the Moon in 2024.