Luna 24

Luna 24
Luna 24 landed on the northwestern rim of a 64 m diameter impact crater Lev, on the volcanic plains of Mare Crisium
Mission typeLunar sample return
OperatorSoviet space program
COSPAR ID1976-081A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.9272
Mission duration13 days, 2 hours and 51 minutes
Spacecraft properties
BusYe-8-5M
ManufacturerNPO Lavochkin
Launch mass5,800 kg (12,800 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date9 August 1976, 15:04:12 UTC[1]
RocketProton-K/DM s/n 288-02
Launch siteBaikonur 81/23
ContractorKrunichev
End of mission
Landing date22 August 1976, 17:55 UTC
Landing site61°3′36″N 75°54′0″E / 61.06000°N 75.90000°E / 61.06000; 75.90000,[2]
200 km (120 mi) South-East of Surgut, Western Siberia
Orbital parameters
Reference systemSelenocentric
Periselene altitude115 km (71 mi)
Aposelene altitude115 km (71 mi)
Inclination120.0°
Period1 hour 59 minutes
Lunar orbiter
Orbital insertion14 August 1976
Orbits~48
Lunar lander
Landing date18 August 1976, 06:36 UTC
Return launch19 August 1976, 05:25 UTC
Landing site12°42′52″N 62°12′35″E / 12.7145°N 62.2097°E / 12.7145; 62.2097,[3] Mare Crisium
Sample mass170.1 g (6.00 oz)
Instruments
Stereo photographic imaging system
Improved drill/Remote arm for sample collection
Radiation detector
Radio-altimeter

Luna 24 was a robotic probe of the Soviet Union's Luna programme. The 24th mission of the Luna series of spacecraft, the mission of the Luna 24 probe was the third Soviet mission to return lunar soil samples from the Moon (the first two sample return missions were Luna 16 and Luna 20). The probe landed in Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises). The mission returned 170.1 g (6.00 oz) of lunar samples to the Earth on 22 August 1976.

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