On February 3 1966, the Luna 9 became the first spacecraft to successfully execute a soft landing on the Moon. Thus, the Ocean of Storms was transformed into an historic landing site. Up until this monumental accomplishment 45 years ago, no other planetary body in our Solar System had been reached in this way by a manmade object.

This was a spectacular achievement for the Soviet Union. It marked the start of an exciting phase in the history of lunar exploration - bringing an entire generation closer to the Moon and giving the concept of lunar exploration a huge boost in the process. It opened the door to numerous landings by spacecraft launched by both the USSR and US. The Luna 9 mission was the opening chapter in a series of bold lunar missions culminating in the US Apollo program, which carried humans to the lunar surface.

In the 45 year since the Luna 9 touchdown - as Moon 1.0 has now given way to Moon 2.0 - all the Russian engineers who participated in this groundbreaking program probably could never have imagined what would follow in their tracks - on the lunar surface.

More historical facts about Luna 9 can be found here: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/masterCatalog.do?sc=1966-006A