List of species that have landed on the Moon

Imagine traveling to the Moon! While many amazing creatures have journeyed into space, only a special few have actually landed on the Moon and survived. This article shares a list of these incredible living things. For a long time, only humans had set foot on the Moon. But since 2019, plants, tiny fungi, and even some insects have joined the Moon-landing club! These brave travelers are called "payloads" when they are carried by spacecraft.

Life on the Moon: Who Has Landed?

This table shows all the different kinds of life that have successfully landed on the Moon. Each one survived its journey and arrival!

The First Moon Landers: Humans

Twelve astronauts from the United States were the first living beings to land on the Moon. Their amazing journeys happened between 1969 and 1972 as part of the Apollo program. They explored the lunar surface, collected samples, and conducted experiments. These missions taught us a lot about our closest neighbor in space.

Plants, Insects, and Fungi: The Chang'e 4 Mission

In January 2019, China's Chang'e 4 mission made history. It carried a special "mini-biosphere" to the far side of the Moon. Inside this small container were seeds of cotton, potato, rapeseed, and arabidopsis plants. There were also silkworm eggs, fruit fly eggs, yeast, and bacteria. The cotton seeds were the first to sprout, showing that plants could grow on the Moon! This was a big step for future space exploration.

Tardigrades: Tiny Survivors on the Moon

In April 2019, a private mission called Beresheet from Israel attempted to land on the Moon. Sadly, the spacecraft crashed. However, it was carrying thousands of tiny creatures called Tardigrades. These amazing "water bears" are known for being super tough. They can survive extreme conditions, even the vacuum of space! When the spacecraft crashed, these tardigrades were released onto the Moon's surface. Scientists believe they might have survived the impact, though they are likely inactive without water.

Future Journeys: More Life Heading to the Moon

Scientists and space agencies are always planning new missions. They hope to send even more living things to the Moon in the future. These missions help us learn how life might survive and even thrive beyond Earth.

Artemis 3: Humans Returning to the Moon

NASA is planning an exciting mission called Artemis 3. This mission is scheduled for no earlier than September 2026. It aims to send four astronauts back to the Moon. This will be the first human landing on the Moon in over 50 years! It will also be a historic moment, as it plans to include the first woman and the first person of color to walk on the lunar surface.

ALEPH-1: Plants for Lunar Gardens

After the Beresheet mission, an Australian group called Lunaria One is working on a new project. They plan to send plants, like tough "resurrection grass," to the Moon. This mission, called ALEPH-1, is planned to use the Israeli spacecraft Beresheet 2. It is scheduled for 2025. This project aims to study how plants can grow and survive in the Moon's environment.

Life That Has Orbited the Moon (But Didn't Land)

Many creatures have traveled around the Moon without actually landing on its surface. These brave space travelers helped scientists learn a lot about how living things react to deep space.

• Tortoises: In the late 1960s, Soviet Zond 5, Zond 6, and Zond 7 missions sent tortoises around the Moon. They returned safely to Earth!
• Fruit Flies: Some fruit flies also orbited the Moon on the Zond 5 mission.
• Mice: In 1972, five mice named Fe, Fi, Fo, Fum, and Phooey made a record-breaking trip. They traveled with astronaut Ronald Evans on the Apollo 17 mission. These mice orbited the Moon 75 times, more than any other animal!

See also

• Animals in space
• Colonization of the Moon
• List of space travelers by nationality
• List of Apollo astronauts
• Plants in space
• Tardigrades in space