Talk:List of lunar probes

Merger proposal

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section. 

The result of the move request was: Indeterminate. — Sowlos 19:17, 12 March 2013 (UTC)

These pages should be merged List of current and future lunar missions

Both of the pages are already incredibly out of date and never keep up with the changes in planned launch schedules.

Unnecessary duplications. The current one seems to be better formatted, so probably should merge here. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 208.87.58.153 (talk) 17:31, 20 August 2011 (UTC)


 * As I see it, the main issue affecting this proposed merge -- the one that makes it not quite a no-brainer -- is that "List of current and future lunar missions" includes future manned missions, whereas "List of lunar probes" doesn't include past manned missions. It doesn't seem logical to merge proposed future manned missions into this article without also adding the Apollo missions. Do we want to do that? Should we have separate sections in this article for manned and unmanned missions, or just one chronological list? And, if manned missions are to be included, what would be an appropriate article title? Can we continue to call it "probes" if includes manned missions? Were the Apollo missions "probes"? 86.183.128.75 (talk) 02:53, 4 December 2011 (UTC)


 * Disagree. This is a list of past and future lunar missions of both men and unmanned type as per nationality of those missions. It has got nothing to do with probes. --182.185.33.154 (talk) 19:00, 9 January 2012 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

out of order probes
Luna E-1A No.1 needs to move one line down, out of date order :) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 49.195.93.207 (talk) 02:20, 23 October 2017 (UTC)

Problem with duplicated content
Please see Talk:List of Solar System probes. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.185.218.185 (talk) 20:52, 20 October 2016 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 2 external links on List of lunar probes. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20131102062027/http://www.isro.gov.in/Chandrayaan/htmls/mip.htm to http://www.isro.gov.in/Chandrayaan/htmls/mip.htm
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20091213142507/http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/ to http://lcross.arc.nasa.gov/

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 02:32, 22 May 2017 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 3 external links on List of lunar probes. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20101222181555/http://www.astronautix.com/craft/lunae1.htm to http://www.astronautix.com/craft/lunae1.htm
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20101222181555/http://www.astronautix.com/craft/lunae1.htm to http://www.astronautix.com/craft/lunae1.htm
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20101222181555/http://www.astronautix.com/craft/lunae1.htm to http://www.astronautix.com/craft/lunae1.htm

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 11:53, 8 November 2017 (UTC)

The commercial 4M mission
The Luxembourgish Manfred Memorial Moon Mission, as little scientific contribution it has ever made, should probably still be listed in List of lunar probes. The list currently includes every artificial object (except crewed ones) that has ever come nearby the moon, even if it was unintentional. The page was split some time ago from List of Solar System probes, which does include some private missions. To clear things up, 4M and Chang'e 5-T1 were completely separate objects. Some people seem to confuse 4M to be attached to Chang'e 5-T1 but that's not the case. They were launched together, and while Chang'e-T1 was in independent spacecraft, 4M basically was an shoebox sized amateur radio beacon attached to the rocket upper stage. As they're two separate objects, I believe the two should have separate columns in the list. Whilst the rocket stage was (probably) dead by the time the lunar flyby occurred, 4M was still functioning, thus making the flyby notable. For your reference, the Gunter's Space Web, a database for spacecrafts does list 4M as a independent spacecraft. Kind regards, Hms1103 (talk) 17:55, 13 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Hello and thank you for your kind message. By looking at the article's title, this is the List of lunar missions, not a List of artificial objects on the Moon or a list of secondary payloads. What am I missing? Thank you. Rowan Forest (talk) 21:07, 13 July 2018 (UTC)
 * We should really be discussing this on the article's talk page… But while we're here, I would suggest adding a note to the Chang'e 5-T1 specifying that the rocket's upper stage had the M4 memorial mission attached, including its radio transmitter. — JFG talk 23:43, 13 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Yes, we should move the discussion there. For the record, if a rocket drops an innert payload such as a memorial or a toaster on the Moon, the payload does not magically become the Toaster Mission, and you will not see magically appear a toaster mission control, toaster telecommunications, etc. It becomes an object to add to the List of artificial objects on the Moon.  Rowan Forest (talk) 23:46, 13 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Agree. The ambiguity here is that the M4 did transmit radio signals, but apparently nothing of value. Not counting it as a mission, but worth mentioning beside the Chang'e entry as I suggested. — JFG talk 23:55, 13 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Another example is the commercial company called Celestis that regularly does what the 4M did: they launch memorials as secondary payloads to places including the Moon, and in NONE of those instances it was called a "mission" or listed as a "mission" in Wikipedia, but called what it is: a simple payload. I am not convinced a payload like this can be called a mission and presented equal to the other real missions listed. I agree in that a note should be added at the corresponding Chang'e mission that this payload was included.  Rowan Forest (talk) 00:00, 14 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Rowan, JFG, thanks for your input. Despite what is written on the page beginning, this list includes plenty of spacecrafts that didn't study the Moon at all (a recent example is TESS's flyby). Furthermore, contrary to what I originally thought of it, 4M actually did carry an scientific instrument: a dosimeter to measure the radiation environment, according to this article. I'd say that should qualify 4M to be on the list. While the Celestis's are all attached to an functioning spacecraft (in the case of the above mentioned flight, it was Lunar Prospector, which already is on the list), the problem with 4M is that it was attached to an object not currently in this page. Rather than having a random Long March 3C/G2 third stage listed, it's probably best to label the entire object as '4M', as it was the sole functioning portion of it. Regards, Hms1103 (talk) 04:52, 14 July 2018 (UTC)
 * I agree. It may not be a regular mission by itself, but with that dosimeter, it certainly qualifies as a lunar probe. My apologies I was not better informed about 4M. Cheers, --Rowan Forest (talk) 04:59, 14 July 2018 (UTC)
 * Also agree. Article in its current state looks correct, and we could add a few words about the radio transmitter and dosimeter. — JFG talk 05:11, 14 July 2018 (UTC)

A Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 00:09, 17 March 2019 (UTC)
 * Luna 2 Soviet moon probe.jpg

Commons files used on this page have been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons files used on this page have been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussions at the nomination pages linked above. —Community Tech bot (talk) 03:24, 10 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Luna-16.jpg (discussion)
 * Lunakod landing bus-Luna17.jpg (discussion)

A Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 17:07, 19 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Luna-22.jpg

A Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion
The following Wikimedia Commons file used on this page has been nominated for deletion: Participate in the deletion discussion at the. —Community Tech bot (talk) 17:37, 19 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Luna-10.jpg