二十次最具突破性的探月使命编辑本段回目录
人类在探索宇宙的过程中，对月球是情有独钟。一次又一次的飞行，一次又一次的突破，都让人感叹人类智慧的伟大！注意里面还有嫦娥噢~
导语
Credit: Lockheed Martin
图片来源：洛克希德·马丁公司
Of the dozens of missions, manned and unmanned, that have been sent to the moon, here are some highlights. These include GRAIL, the Apollo flights, the Soviet Luna missions, and more.
在几十次探月使命当中，既有载人的也有无人驾驶的，这里挑出20次精彩行动以飨读者。其中包括圣杯、阿波罗探月计划，还有前苏联的月神号，还有……请跟我来吧！
Luna 2
月神2号
Credit: NASA
图片来源：NASA
This unmanned Soviet probe became the first man-made object to make contact with another planetary body. The spherical spacecraft launched on Sept. 12, 1959 and impacted the moon two days later.
这艘无人驾驶的前苏联探测器成为首台与地外星球接触的人造物体。这艘球形航天器于1959年9月12号发射并于2天后撞击月球。
Luna 3
月神3号
Credit: NASA
图片来源：NASA
This Soviet follow-up to the first moon impactor became the first spacecraft to take pictures of the far side of the moon. The spacecraft launched Oct. 4, 1959.
这是前苏联继第一艘月球撞击器之后的后续探月航天器，也是第一艘拍摄月球背面的航天器。它1959年10月4日发射。
Ranger 7
游骑兵7号
Credit: NASA
图片来源：NASA
This U.S. spacecraft captured about 4,300 images of the lunar surface — the first high-quality photos sent back from the moon. It later crashed landed in the Sea of Clouds. It launched July 28, 1964
这艘美国航天器捕获了大约4300幅月球表面图像——这是首批从月球传回的高品质照片。它后来坠落在月球上的云海。这艘航天器发射于1964年7月28日。
Luna 9
月神9号
Credit: NASA/GSFC/NSSDC
图片来源：NASA/GSFC/NSSDC
This unmanned Soviet probe became the first to make a controlled landing on the lunar surface. On Feb. 3, 1966, Luna 9 touched down into a moon crater, and then sent back panoramic images of the landscape.
这艘无人驾驶的前苏联探测器成为首台受控在月球表面着陆的人造物体。月神9号于1966年2月3号下探月球上一个火山口，然后传回地貌的全景图像。
Luna 10
月神10号
Credit: NASA/GSFC/NSSDC
图片来源：NSSDC摄影资料库
Racking up another Soviet first, this mission became the first man-made object to successfully orbit another celestial body. The unmanned probe launched March 31, 1966, and entered orbit around the moon two days later. Over two months, the spacecraft circled the moon 460 times and continuously transmitted readings.
这艘探测器又前让苏联创造了一个第一：它成为首个成功围绕另外一个天体运行的人造物体。这艘无人驾驶的航天器发射于1966年3月31日，并在两天后进入绕月轨道运行。在两个月的时间里，这艘航天器围绕月球飞行了460圈，并且不间断地传回数据。
Surveyor 1
勘察家1号
In June 1966, the United States accomplished what the Soviets had four months earlier, by successfully landing a probe on moon in a controlled manner. Over a six-week mission, Surveyor 1 snapped over 11,100 images of the lunar surface.
1966年6月，美国完成了前苏联4个月前已经完成的任务，成功地将一艘探测器以受控的方式在月球表面着陆。在6周的飞行期间里，勘察家1号拍摄了11100多幅月表图像。
Lunar Orbiter 5
月球轨道器5号
Credit: NASA Kennedy Space Center
图片来源：NASA肯尼迪航天中心
This U.S. mission was part of a series of unmanned lunar prospecting missions in preparation for the manned Apollo landings. Upon completion of the Lunar Orbiter 5 mission, the moon's surface had been 99 percent mapped. The spacecraft launched Aug. 1, 1967, and completed its mission on January 31, 1968.
美国这次探月任务是无人驾驶的月球勘测系列飞行中的一次，目的是为载人阿波罗着陆任务做准备。在月球轨道器五号飞行任务完成之后，99%的月球表面已经被绘制成图。该航天器于1967年8月1日发射并于1968年1月31日结束使命。
Apollo 8
阿波罗8号
Credit: NASA
图片来源：NASA
On Dec. 21, 1968, NASA astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, and William Anders became the first humans to leave low-Earth orbit and visit the moon. They arrived in lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 1968, and sent back the famous first human views of Earth rising from the horizon of the moon. After 10 orbits of the moon, the three astronauts headed back to Earth and landed on Dec. 27, 1968.
1968年12月21日，NASA宇航员弗兰克·博尔曼、詹姆斯·弗洛尔和威廉·安德斯成为第一批脱离近地轨道并访问月球的人类。他们于圣诞夜前夕也就是1968年12月24日到达月球轨道，并发回了著名的照片：人类首次看到地球从月球的地平线升起。在环绕月球飞行10圈之后，三名宇航员返回地球并于1968年12月27日着陆。
Apollo 11
阿波罗11号
Credit: NASA
图片来源：NASA
The United States made up for its slow start in the space race with the Soviets by grabbing the ultimate prize: landing the first man on the moon. NASA astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped down on the Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969, while their crewmate Michael Collins orbited above in the Apollo Command and Service Module. The three returned home on July 24, 1969.
在与前苏联的太空竞赛中，美国起步虽晚，但却最终先拔头筹：第一次把人类送上了月球。1969年7月20日，NASA宇航员尼尔·阿姆斯特朗和巴兹·奥尔德林跨出登月舱，踩在一处称为静海的月面上。与此同时，宇航员迈克尔·科林斯留在阿波罗指挥与服务舱上继续绕月飞行。三名宇航员于1969年7月24日返回地球。
Luna 16
月神16号
Credit: NASA's National Space Science Data Center
图片来源：NASA国家航天科学数据中心
In between American Apollo manned flights, the Soviet Union launched this unmanned sample return mission to the moon on Sept. 12, 1970. Luna 16 landed on the lunar surface (in total darkness, no less), collected moon rocks, packed them up, and returned them to Earth. It was the first successful robotic sample return.
在两次美国阿波罗载人飞行期间，前苏联在1970年9月12日发射了这艘无人驾驶返回式月球取样飞船。月神16号降落到月球表面，收集月岩、包装起来并带回地球。这是人类首次成功地无人往返取样。
Lunokhod 1
月面车1号
Credit: NASA
图片来源：NASA
The Soviet Lunokhod 1 was the first lunar rover to traverse the moon. The rover launched unmanned on Nov. 10, 1970 as part of the Luna 17 mission. After touching down on the moon, the remote-controlled vehicle traveled over 6 miles (10.5 kilometers), snapping photos and video the whole way.
前苏联的月面车1号是首台穿越月球的月面漫游者，于1970年11月10日以无人驾驶方式发射升空，它也是月神17号的部分使命。自从踏上月球开始，这台遥控的月面旅行车总共漫游了10.5公里、拍摄了照片和视频等资料。
Luna 24
月神24号
Credit: NASA
图片来源：NASA
Luna 24 was an unmanned space mission of the Luna program, also called Lunik 24. The last of the Luna series of spacecraft, the mission of the Luna 24 probe was the third Soviet mission to retrieve Lunar soil samples from the moon of earth (the first two missions returning samples were Luna 16 and Luna 20).
月神24号又称为Lunilk24号，是前苏联月神计划中的一艘无人驾驶飞船，也是月神系列飞船的最后一次发射。月神24号的使命是从月球土壤中第三次取样并送回地球。前两次使命是由月神16号和月神20号完成的。（译注：原文竟然和上一段内容完全一样。现在您看到的内容是译者从wiki上摘录的。）
Lunar Prospector
月球勘探者号
Credit: NSSDC Photo Gallery
图片来源：NSSDC摄影资料库
This NASA unmanned spacecraft launched Jan. 7, 1998 on a mission to orbit the moon in search of signs of water ice and other minerals in permanently shaded craters at the lunar poles. Over the course of 19 months, the probe compiled a map of the mineral composition over the surface, before crash landing on July 31, 1999.
这艘NASA无人驾驶飞船于1998年1月7日发射，使命是围绕月球飞行并在月球两极永远在阴影中的火山口里寻找水冰以及其它物质存在的迹象。在1999年7月31日坠毁之前，该探测器经过19个月的飞行，绘制出一幅月球表面矿物质成份图。
SMART-1
SMART-1
Credit: ESA
图片来源：欧洲航天局
This mission represented the first lunar mission entrée from the European Space Agency. The unmanned SMART-1 probe launched on Sept. 27, 2003, and reached lunar orbit in November 2004. The small spacecraft was powered by ion engine using solar electric energy.
这是由欧洲航天局组织的第一次探月使命。这艘无人驾驶的SMART-1探测器于2003年9月27日发射，并于2004年11月进入月球轨道。这艘小型航天器使用由太阳能供电的离子发动机。
Kaguya (SELENE)
月亮女神号
Credit: JAXA/Akihiro Ikeshita.
图片来源：JAXA/Akihiro Ikeshita
This Japanese mission to the moon lifted off Sept. 14, 2007, and entered orbit around the moon less than a month later. The spacecraft is still in lunar orbit, compiling the most detailed map yet of the moon's gravitational field.
这艘日本探月飞船于2007年9月14日发射。在随后不到1个月的时间内便进入绕月飞行轨道。该航天器目前仍在绕月飞行，并正在编制月球重力场详细地图。
Chang'e 1
嫦娥1号
Credit: CNSA.
图片来源：NASA
China's first mission beyond Earth launched Oct. 24, 2007. The unmanned spacecraft orbited the moon until March 2009, when it was intentionally crashed into the lunar surface. China followed that mission with the Chang'e 2 probe, which launched on Oct. 1, 2010 and only recently left the moon to travel to the L1 Lagrange Point between the Earth and the sun.
嫦娥1号是中国首次超越地球空间。它于2007年10月24日发射。在2009年3月份被引导着撞毁在月球表面之前，这艘无人驾驶的飞船一直在围绕月球飞行。紧随其后的是嫦娥2号探测器，于2010年10月1日发射，最近刚刚离开月球，向地球和太阳之间的第一拉格朗日点飞去。
Chandrayaan-1
月船1号
Credit: AP Photo/ISRO/HO.
图片来源：美联社照片/ISRO/HO
Not to be outdone, India joined the moon exploration game on Oct. 22, 2008, when it launched the robotic Chandrayaan-1 probe to lunar orbit. India's first mission beyond Earth, the probe observed the moon from orbit until August 2009. In November 2008, the spacecraft released the Moon Impact Probe to slam into the moon, ejecting dirt that might reveal traces of lunar water ice. In September 2009, results from one of Chandrayaan-1's instruments, the Moon Mineralogy Mapper, helped detect evidence for water on the moon.
印度不甘落后，也加入了月球探测竞赛之中。2008年10月22日，印度向月球轨道发射了月船1号无人月球探测器。这艘肩负印度首次飞离地球使命的探测器，在2009年8月之前一直在轨道上观测月球。2008年11月，它释放出月球撞击器猛烈撞击月球，喷射出的月尘也许会显示月球存在水冰的痕迹。2009年9月，月船1号月球矿物质绘图仪得出的结果帮助检测出了月球上存在水的证据。
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
月球侦测卫星
Credit: NASA/GSFC
图片来源：NASA/GSFC
LRO was NASA's first moon mission since the Apollo era. The unmanned orbiter launched on June 18, 2009. Originally planned as a precursor to manned American return trips to the moon, LRO has been mapping the lunar surface in high-resolution 3-D. The probe has good enough vision to spot footprints from the Apollo astronauts.
月球侦测卫星是NASA继阿波罗系列之后新一代探月工具。这种无人驾驶的轨道飞行器于2009年6月18日发射。它最初是计划作为美国载人重返月球之旅的先行者，并一直在绘制月表的高解析度的3D图像。这颗卫星的视力非常之好，阿波罗飞船宇航员的脚印都被它捕捉到了。
Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS)
月球陨坑观测与传感卫星
Credit: Northrop Grumman.
图片来源：NASA
It was launched together with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) on June 18, 2009, as part of the shared Lunar Precursor Robotic Program, the first American mission to the Moon in over ten years. Together, LCROSS and LRO form the vanguard of NASA's return to the Moon, and are expected to influence United States government decisions on whether or not to colonize the Moon..
这颗卫星是和月球侦测卫星（LRO）于2009年6月18日一起发射的，是美国10年内重返月球计划的第一项任务。这台月球陨坑与传感卫星连同月球侦测卫星一起构成NASA重返月球的先头部队。这次联合任务预料将影响美国政府是否开展月球开拓计划的决心。（译注：此处原文又出现了前文同样的错误。现在您看到的内容是译者从wikipedia上摘录的。）
GRAIL
圣杯号
Credit: NASA/JPL
图片来源：NASA/JPL
NASA's twin GRAIL spacecraft are due to launch Sept. 8, 2011 on a mission to study the lunar gravitational field from orbit to learn more about the moon's formation and history. The two spacecraft will take an energy-efficient route to polar orbit around the moon, planning to arrive on Dec. 31, 2011. Researchers plan to monitor slight changes in the distance between the two probes caused by variations in the moon's gravitational field.
NASA的两颗圣杯号航天器原定于2011年9月8号发射（译注：因天气原因推迟到了9月10日发射），目的是在绕月轨道上研究月球的重力场，以便更多地了解月球的形成及历史。这两颗探月航天器选择能效比高的极地轨道绕月飞行，计划于2011年12月31日到达预定轨道。研究人员计划监测由月球的重力场引起的这两颗探测器距离的微小变化。
