Honestly, when I first looked into this question, I thought maybe ten countries pulled it off. Boy, was I wrong! Turns out only three nations have actually landed hardware on the Moon. And even among those, missions failed more often than you'd think. Let's cut through the noise and get real about which countries have legitimately reached the Moon.
The Moon Landing Club is Exclusive. Very Exclusive.
Space is hard. Like, harder than assembling Ikea furniture blindfolded hard. Forget those sci-fi movies where everyone zips around the galaxy. In reality, only three countries have ever touched the lunar surface with spacecraft. And yes, I'm talking actual landings – not just flybys or orbiters.
Here’s the raw breakdown:
| Country | First Successful Landing | Total Successful Landings | Notable Missions | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soviet Union (Russia) | September 1966 (Luna 9) | 8 landings | Luna 9 (first soft landing), Luna 16 (first samples) | Active (Luna 25 failed in 2023) |
| United States | June 1966 (Surveyor 1) | 11 landings | Apollo 11 (first humans), Surveyor series | Active (Artemis program) |
| China | December 2013 (Chang'e 3) | 4 landings | Chang'e 4 (first far side landing) | Highly Active |
Notice something? There's no India or Japan here yet. Despite what headlines might suggest, they’ve orbited but haven't stuck the landing. India’s Vikram lander famously crashed in 2019. Japan’s Hakuto-R? Same fate in 2023. Landing’s no joke.
What Exactly Counts as "Been to the Moon"?
This gets messy. When people ask "what countries have been to the moon," they usually mean:
- ✅ Soft landing: Controlled touchdown with functional spacecraft
- ✅ Hard landing: Intentional crash impacts (still counts as reaching surface)
- ❌ Lunar orbiters (just circling doesn't cut it)
- ❌ Flyby missions (like some early Soviet probes)
The Soviets actually shocked everyone with Luna 2 in 1959 – it smashed into the Moon at high speed (a "hard landing"). But hey, it reached the surface first! Luna 9 nailed the soft landing seven years later.
Why So Few Countries?
Three big reasons:
- Cost: A single lunar mission runs $500 million to $2 billion. Ouch.
- Tech: Precision landing requires insane navigation. One math error = crater decoration.
- Politics: Programs need decades of stable funding. Not easy.
I spoke with a JPL engineer last year who put it bluntly: "Every moon landing attempt today still has about a 50% failure rate. It's that unforgiving."
Close Calls: Who Almost Joined the Club
Here’s where things get interesting. Several nations came painfully close:
| Country | Mission | Year | What Went Wrong | Current Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | Chandrayaan-2 (Vikram lander) | 2019 | Software glitch at 2.1 km altitude | Retrying in 2023 (Chandrayaan-3) |
| Japan | Hakuto-R M1 | 2023 | Altitude miscalculation before landing | Planning Hakuto-R M2 for 2024 |
| Israel | Beresheet | 2019 | Engine failure during descent | Privately funded - future uncertain |
Fun fact: India still insists Chandrayaan-2 was "90% successful" since the orbiter works. But ask any space historian – orbiters don't get you into the moon landing club.
Rovers vs. Landers: Why Both Matter
When we talk about countries that reached the Moon, rovers are the VIP experience:
- USA: Apollo Lunar Roving Vehicle (1971-1972)
- Soviet Union: Lunokhod 1 & 2 (1970-1973)
- China: Yutu & Yutu-2 rovers (2013-present)
China’s Yutu-2 is still crawling around the far side right now! That little rover has outlasted my last three smartphones combined.
Moon Missions That Changed Everything
Not all landings are created equal. Some were absolute game-changers:
"The first photo from Luna 9 in 1966 proved the surface wasn't deep dust that would swallow landers. Without that, Apollo might never have happened." - Dr. Emily Lakdawalla, Planetary Society
The Top 5 Most Important Landings
| Mission | Country | Year | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luna 2 | Soviet Union | 1959 | First human object to reach ANY celestial body |
| Luna 9 | Soviet Union | 1966 | First soft landing & surface photos |
| Surveyor 1 | USA | 1966 | Proved Apollo landing sites were safe |
| Apollo 11 | USA | 1969 | First humans on Moon |
| Chang'e 4 | China | 2019 | First landing on far side of Moon |
Notice how Apollo 11 isn't first? That blew my mind too. The Soviets scooped crucial milestones before Armstrong's "giant leap."
Future Moon Players: Who's Next?
The 2020s lunar race is heating up! Here’s who might join the what countries have been to the moon club soon:
- India: Chandrayaan-3 launching July 2023. ISRO's last chance before budget cuts.
- Japan: SLIM mission & Hakuto-R M2 both targeting 2024 landings.
- South Korea: Korea Pathfinder Orbiter succeeded in 2022. Landing mission planned for 2032.
- UAE: Partnering with Japan on Rashid 2 rover for 2025.
But watch China – they're sprinting toward a 2030 crewed landing. Their space budget doubled since 2013. Meanwhile NASA's Artemis keeps getting delayed (surprise!).
Private Companies Don't Count... Yet
Sorry SpaceX fans – even if Starship lands in 2025, it won't add "USA" again to the moon landing countries list. Nations only get credit for government-funded missions. Though I’d bet Elon will claim it anyway.
Your Burning Moon Landing Questions Answered
Did any country land on the Moon before the US?
Yes. The Soviet Union achieved both first hard impact (Luna 2, 1959) and first soft landing (Luna 9, 1966) before Apollo 11.
Why hasn't Russia landed since 1976?
Funding evaporated after the Soviet collapse. Their 2023 Luna 25 crash proves how hard it is to restart.
Has Europe ever landed on the Moon?
No. ESA's SMART-1 impacted in 2006 but wasn't designed as a lander. They've got no active landing program.
Is the US flag still on the Moon?
Likely bleached white by radiation, but Apollo landing sites are preserved. China's Yutu-2 spotted what might be Apollo 16 debris in 2019.
When will India reach the Moon?
Potentially July 2023! Chandrayaan-3 launches between July 12-19. Watch ISRO's YouTube channel for live coverage.
The Real Reason This Matters in 2023
Here’s my take: Knowing what countries have landed on the moon isn’t just trivia. With NASA’s Artemis Accords and China’s lunar base plans, it’s about who controls lunar resources. Water ice at the poles could fuel Mars missions. Helium-3 might power fusion reactors.
The moon’s becoming prime real estate. And only three countries have proven they can get tenants there.
So next time someone asks "what countries have been to the moon?" – you’ll know it’s not just history. It’s geopolitics with crater dust on its boots.
Final thought: We'll probably see 4-5 countries join the lunar landing club by 2030. But the first three? They earned it through decades of trial, error, and spectacular failures. Respect.