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Mission record

Luna 23

Also known as Luna23

U.S.S.R · Launched

Explore trajectory

Failed · Partial success

A Soviet sample return attempt whose drilling apparatus was damaged on landing, leaving the lander to operate without returning a sample.

Destinations
Moon
Launch vehicle
Proton Booster Plus Upper Stage and Escape Stages
Launch site
Tyuratam (Baikonur Cosmodrome), U.S.S.R
Countries
Soviet Union
Mission types
Lander, Sample return

Chronology

Mission timeline

  1. Launch

    Luna 23 launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome

  2. Landing

    Luna 23 was damaged during landing in Mare Crisium

    The cited page gives the landing site and the damage but prints no date for the landing itself.

    Moon

  3. Milestone

    The lander continued transmitting for three days after landing

    The page gives the duration relative to the landing, which it does not date.

    Moon

Mission architecture

Vehicles

  • Luna 23 · Lander

    Destinations: Moon

Trajectory record

Trajectory dataset not yet available

No verified trajectory dataset is committed for this mission, so Mission Atlas renders no path.

Provenance

Sources

Each source is listed once and labeled with the mission, event, trajectory, or destination/body context it supports.

Data verified through August 27, 2026