Scientists may be closing in on the long-missing landing site of the Soviet Union's Luna 9, the first human-made object to safely touch down on the moon.
On Feb. 3, 1966, Luna 9 descended into Oceanus Procellarum on the western edge of the moon's Earth-facing side and transmitted the first images ever captured from the surface of another celestial body. At the time, scientists were still debating whether the surface of the moon might be too soft to support a lander or future astronauts. The images Luna 9 sent back, revealing solid ground, helped settle that question and paved the way for future missions.
