Top Three Pioneering Lunar Missions

These missions represent monumental firsts in lunar exploration, from initial soft landings to sustained human presence.

The top 3

First Uncrewed Soft Landing: Luna 9: The Soviet Union's Luna 9 spacecraft achieved the first successful soft landing on the Moon on February 3, 1966, transmitting the first panoramic images from the lunar surface.
First Human Moon Landing: Apollo 11: NASA's Apollo 11 mission, launched on July 16, 1969, successfully landed astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon on July 20, 1969, marking the first time humans walked on another celestial body.
Longest Lunar Surface Stay: Apollo 17: Apollo 17, the last crewed mission to the Moon in December 1972, holds the record for the longest stay on the lunar surface at 75 hours, with astronauts Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt performing three moonwalks totaling over 22 hours.