You probably grew up hearing about the Apollo missions. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, the giant leap for mankind—it’s the definitive space story. But for a long time, that was basically it. The moon felt like a gated community where only the U.S. and the Soviet Union had the keys.
Times changed.
If you’re asking has any other country landed on the moon, the answer isn’t just a simple "yes." It’s a "yes, but it’s still incredibly hard." While the Cold War era was a two-horse race, the 21st century has turned the lunar surface into a crowded neighborhood. We aren't just talking about flags and footprints anymore; we're talking about rovers, spectrometers, and ice-hunting drills.
Honestly, it’s kind of wild that after 1972, humanity just... stopped going for a while. Then China woke everybody up.
The Short List of Lunar Victors
Technically, five national space agencies have pulled off a "soft landing." That's the industry term for not smashing into the dust at several thousand miles per hour.
The United States was first to put boots on the ground, obviously. The Soviet Union beat them to the surface with the Luna 9 probe in 1966, even if they never sent a person. For decades, those were the only two names in the ledger. Then came China. In 2013, the Chang’e 3 mission landed, and they haven't really slowed down since.
India joined the club recently. Their Chandrayaan-3 mission was a massive deal because they did what the big powers couldn't: they landed near the lunar South Pole. That’s where the water ice is. That's where the future colonies will likely sit.
Japan is the newest member. In early 2024, their SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) craft touched down. It was a "precision landing," nicknamed the "Moon Sniper." It actually landed upside down—well, on its nose—but it worked. It stayed alive. It communicated.
So, to recap that specific list: USA, Russia (as the USSR), China, India, and Japan.
Why Is China Dominating the Conversation Right Now?
China isn't just "landing." They are executing a blueprint.
📖 Related: Who is Blue Origin and Why Should You Care About Bezos's Space Dream?
When Chang’e 4 landed on the far side of the moon in 2019, it was a world first. Because the moon’s mass blocks radio signals, you can't just "talk" to a lander back there. China had to park a relay satellite in orbit just to act as a cosmic Wi-Fi router. It was a logistical nightmare that they made look easy.
Then they did Chang’e 5. They didn't just land; they scooped up rocks and launched them back to Earth. This hadn't been done since the 70s. Scientists like Dr. James Head at Brown University have pointed out that these samples are much younger than the Apollo rocks, meaning the moon stayed volcanically active much longer than we thought.
Most recently, Chang’e 6 went to the far side, grabbed more dirt, and brought it home. It’s a relentless pace. While NASA is dealing with budget cycles and changing administrations, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) is moving like a metronome.
The "Hard" in Moon Landing
You might think with 1960s tech we’d have this figured out. Nope.
Space is a vacuum, so you can't use parachutes. You have to use "retro-rockets" to blast the ground away as you descend. If your sensors get confused by the dust you're kicking up, you're toast. If you hit a boulder the size of a microwave, your lander tips over.
Israel tried it with the Beresheet lander in 2019. It was a private-ish mission, and it almost made it. A command error caused the main engine to fail during the descent. It ended up as a new crater.
Russia tried to get back into the game with Luna 25 in 2023. It was their first attempt in nearly half a century. It spun out of control and crashed. Space is unforgiving. It doesn't care about your history or your previous wins.
India's Budget Masterclass
What ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) did with Chandrayaan-3 is probably the most impressive feat in modern spaceflight. They spent roughly $75 million. For context, that’s cheaper than the budget of most Hollywood space movies like Interstellar or Gravity.
They succeeded where Russia’s Luna 25 failed just days earlier.
👉 See also: The Dogger Bank Wind Farm Is Huge—Here Is What You Actually Need To Know
The Indian lander, Vikram, and its rover, Pragyan, proved that you don't need a trillion-dollar economy to reach the lunar poles. They found evidence of sulfur, aluminum, and iron. Most importantly, they confirmed the rugged, cratered reality of the South Pole. This region is the "Holy Grail" because of the shadowed craters that hold water ice.
If you have water, you have oxygen. If you have water, you have hydrogen for rocket fuel.
Basically, the moon is a gas station for the rest of the solar system. India just found the pump.
The Rise of the Privateers
When we ask has any other country landed on the moon, we also have to talk about companies. We are entering the era of "Commercial Lunar Payload Services" (CLPS).
In 2024, Intuitive Machines, a company based in Houston, landed their "Odysseus" craft. It was the first American spacecraft to land on the moon since 1972. But it wasn't NASA's craft—it was a private company's. NASA just paid for the ride.
It wasn't a "perfect" landing. It tripped on its own legs and ended up leaning at a 30-degree angle. It still worked, though. It sent back data.
This is the new reality.
- Astrobotic: Their Peregrine mission failed due to a fuel leak in 2024, but they’re trying again.
- iSpace: A Japanese company that nearly landed in 2023 but ran out of fuel just meters above the surface because the software miscalculated the height of a crater rim.
- Firefly Aerospace: They are currently prepping missions for the upcoming years.
The Artemis Elephant in the Room
NASA isn't sitting still, but they aren't just trying to "land." They’re trying to stay.
The Artemis program is the U.S. response to the new lunar race. It’s not just about flags. It’s about the Gateway—a space station that will orbit the moon. The goal is to put the first woman and the first person of color on the surface.
✨ Don't miss: How to Convert Kilograms to Milligrams Without Making a Mess of the Math
But it’s complicated. They are relying on SpaceX’s Starship for the actual landing. Starship is the largest rocket ever built. It’s a bold, high-risk strategy. If it works, we’ll have a permanent base. If it doesn't, China might be the ones greeting the Americans when they finally arrive.
What’s the Goal Now?
We’ve moved past the "can we do it?" phase. Now it’s about "what can we build?"
The moon is rich in Helium-3, an isotope that could theoretically power clean nuclear fusion for centuries. It’s rare on Earth but abundant in the lunar regolith. Countries aren't just landing for bragging rights; they are staking claims in a new resource economy.
There's also the "Dark Side" radio astronomy potential. Because the far side is shielded from all the radio noise of Earth, it’s the quietest place in the nearby universe. Building a telescope there would let us see back to the "Dark Ages" of the Big Bang.
Actionable Insights for the Future
If you're following this space, here is how to track what happens next without getting lost in the hype:
- Watch the "South Pole" specifically: That is where all the action is. Any mission going to the equator is likely a tech demo; missions to the pole are about resource hunting.
- Follow the launch windows: Because of orbital mechanics, countries usually launch in clusters. When you see one moon mission, expect two or three more from rivals within months.
- Distinguish between "Hard" and "Soft" landings: Many countries (like South Korea or the UAE) have orbiters or have crashed probes intentionally (impactors). Only five have achieved the "soft" touch.
- Check the private sector: Companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Intuitive Machines are now just as important as national governments.
The moon is no longer a lonely place. It’s the eighth continent. And based on the current trajectory, the list of countries landing there is going to double before the decade is out.
Keep an eye on the CLPS schedule and the Chinese Chang’e roadmap. The next few years will determine who gets to write the laws of the lunar surface. It's a gold rush, just without the oxygen.
Next Steps for Lunar Enthusiasts
To stay ahead of the curve, you should regularly check the NASA Artemis blog and the ISRO mission updates. These sources provide the raw telemetry and mission goals before they get filtered through mainstream news. Additionally, tracking the SpaceX Starship development in Boca Chica is the best way to see how close we are to the next manned landing. The hardware is being built right now; it's no longer just concept art.