<Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> It has been suggested that List of lunar probes be merged into this article . (Discuss) Proposed since October 2016 . </Td> </Tr> <P> As part of human exploration of the Moon, numerous space missions have been undertaken to study Earth's natural satellite . Of the Moon landings; Luna 2 was the first spacecraft to reach its surface successfully, intentionally impacting the Moon on 13 September 1959 . In 1966, Luna 9 became the first spacecraft to achieve a controlled soft landing, while Luna 10 became the first mission to enter orbit . </P> <P> Between 1968 and 1972, manned missions to the Moon were conducted by the United States as part of the Apollo program . Apollo 8 was the first manned mission to enter orbit in December 1968, and was followed by Apollo 10 in May 1969 . Six missions landed men on the Moon, beginning with Apollo 11 in July 1969, during which Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon . Apollo 13 was intended to land, however it was restricted to a flyby due to a malfunction aboard the spacecraft . All nine manned missions returned safely to the Earth . </P> <P> While the United States focused on the manned Apollo program, the Soviet Union conducted unmanned missions that deployed rovers and returned samples to the Earth . Three rover missions were launched, of which two were successful, and eleven sample return flights were attempted with three successes . </P>

Number of apollo missions that landed on the moon