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Luna 23
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Luna 23
Luna 23 Mission to Earth's Moon

Goals: Luna 23 was to drill 2.5 meters below the lunar surface (compared to the 0.3-m depth of the cores sampled by Luna 16 and 20) and return a sample of the soil to Earth.

Accomplishments: The drilling apparatus was damaged during landing, preventing execution of the sample-return mission. Little or no science was done with the stationary lander.
Key Dates
28 Oct 1974:  Launch
6 Nov 1974:  Landed on Lunar Surface
Status: Unsuccessful
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Fast Facts
Luna 23 Facts Luna 23 was designed to dig deeper into the Moon's soil than previous Soviet sample return missions.

The drill was damaged during landing and the spacecraft could not collect samples.

In 1976, Luna 24 landed several hundred meters away and successfully returned samples.
Links
Solar System Bodies: Earth's Moon
NSSDC Master Catalog: Luna 23
NSSDC Soviet Lunar Missions History
NSSDC Lunar Exploration History
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Last Updated: 29 Nov 2010