# Luna 9: First Soft Landing and Lunar Photos
Published: January 20, 2026
Duration: 1:37
# This is your Astronomy Tonight podcast.
Good evening, stargazers! Today is January 20th, and we're celebrating one of the most triumphant moments in the history of lunar exploration!
On this date in 1966, the Soviet Luna 9 spacecraft made history by achieving the first-ever **soft landing on the Moon** – and even more impressively, it transmitted the first photographs back to Earth from the lunar surface!
Picture this: The Space Race is in full swing, tensions are high, and everyone's watching to see who'll reach the Moon first. The Soviets had already sent plenty of hard landers th...
Good evening, stargazers! Today is January 20th, and we're celebrating one of the most triumphant moments in the history of lunar exploration!
On this date in 1966, the Soviet Luna 9 spacecraft made history by achieving the first-ever **soft landing on the Moon** – and even more impressively, it transmitted the first photographs back to Earth from the lunar surface!
Picture this: The Space Race is in full swing, tensions are high, and everyone's watching to see who'll reach the Moon first. The Soviets had already sent plenty of hard landers th...