Luna 17 - 25,520 bytes. 387 x 348 pixels.

Lunar sample return. Conduct of further scientific investigation of the moon and circumlunar space.

Total Mass: 5,302 kg.

Failed lunar soil return mission. After successfully entering earth orbit, flying to the moon, entering lunar orbit, and descending toward the surface, the spacecraft was damaged during landing in Mare Crisium (Sea of Crises). The sample collecting apparatus could not operate and no samples were returned. The lander continued transmissions for three days after landing. In 1976, Luna 24 landed several hundred meters away and successfully returned samples. Parameters are for lunar orbit.

Attempted robotic lunar soil return mission. Block D stage failed.

Lunar Sample Return. Landed on Moon 18 Aug 1976 at 02:00:00 GMT, Latitude 12.25 N, Longitude 62.20 E - Mare Crisium (Sea of Crisis). The last of the Luna series of spacecraft, Luna 24 was the third Soviet mission to retrieve lunar ground samples (the first two were returned by Luna 16 and 20). The mission successfully returned 170 grams of lunar samples to the Earth on 22 August 1976.

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Ye-8 Lunar Lander - Ye-8 robot lunar soil return spacecraft. 14,897 bytes. 295 x 276 pixels.

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• 67 - Kaesmann, Ferdinand, et. al., Journal of the British Interplanetary Society, "Proton - Development of A Russian Launch Vehicle", 1998, Volume 51, page 3.
• 296 - National Space Science Center Planetary Page, As of 19 February 1999.. HTML when accessed: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/planetary_home.html

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Ye-8 lunar probe - Ye-8 lunar sample return spacecraft - detail of drill and reentry vehicle Credit: © Mark Wade. 25,335 bytes. 313 x 440 pixels.

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