If you ask the average person on the street how many times did the US land on the moon, you’ll probably get a confident "once." Maybe twice if they remember the Tom Hanks movie about the one that failed. But the reality is a lot more crowded than most people realize. Between the summer of 1969 and the tail end of 1972, the United States didn’t just "go to the moon"—NASA basically set up a temporary commuter route.
Twelve men walked on that dusty, grey surface. Six successful missions touched down.
It’s wild to think about now, especially since we haven't been back in over half a century. We think of it as this singular, monolithic event—Neil Armstrong, a giant leap, and then we just stopped. But that’s not the whole story. Not even close. There was a rhythm to it. A progression. Each mission pushed the envelope a little further until we were literally driving a car around up there and hitting golf balls into the vacuum.
The Magic Number: Six Successful Landings
Let's get the tally straight. The United States successfully landed humans on the lunar surface six times.
These were all part of the Apollo program. While Apollo 11 gets all the glory—and rightfully so—it was really just the proof of concept. After Armstrong and Aldrin proved we wouldn’t just sink into the dust and disappear, NASA got ambitious. They didn't just want to "be" there; they wanted to stay, explore, and do actual science.
Honestly, the pace was grueling. They were launching these things every few months. Apollo 11 landed in July 1969. By November, Pete Conrad and Alan Bean were already parked in the Ocean of Storms for Apollo 12. They actually landed within walking distance of an old robotic probe, Surveyor 3, just to prove they could do a "precision landing." They even cut pieces off the old probe to bring back to Earth. Imagine that—space archaeology in 1969.
The Breakdown of the Six Wins
Each mission had its own vibe, its own set of terrifying close calls, and its own scientific legacy.
- Apollo 11 (July 1969): The big one. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. They were only on the surface for about two hours of "extravehicular activity" (EVA). It was basically a "plant the flag and make sure we don't die" mission.
- Apollo 12 (November 1969): Pete Conrad and Alan Bean. This was the "precision" mission. It was also the one where lightning struck the rocket during launch, nearly frying the whole system before they even left Earth's atmosphere.
- Apollo 14 (February 1971): After the "successful failure" of Apollo 13, Alan Shepard (the first American in space) finally got his turn. He’s the one who hit the golf balls.
- Apollo 15 (July 1971): This changed everything. David Scott and James Irwin had the first Lunar Roving Vehicle. They weren't just walking anymore; they were driving. They explored the Hadley-Apennine region, which has some of the most stunning mountains on the moon.
- Apollo 16 (April 1972): John Young and Charles Duke headed to the Descartes Highlands. They were looking for volcanic activity but found out the moon’s history was way more impact-driven than they previously thought.
- Apollo 17 (December 1972): The finale. Gene Cernan and Harrison "Jack" Schmitt. Schmitt was a professional geologist—the first actual scientist on the moon. They stayed for three days.
Wait, What About Apollo 13?
You can't talk about how many times did the US land on the moon without mentioning the one that didn't.
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Apollo 13 was supposed to be the third landing. Fra Mauro was the target. But then an oxygen tank exploded on the way there. "Houston, we've had a problem." It’s probably the most famous "failure" in human history. They looped around the moon, using its gravity to slingshot back home, but they never touched the surface. So, while the US launched seven missions intended to land, only six actually made it to the dirt.
It’s a miracle they made it back. Seriously. They were using the Lunar Module—the part meant to land on the moon—as a lifeboat. It wasn't designed to support three people for that long. It was freezing, they were dehydrated, and they were literally taping CO2 scrubbers together with duct tape. It’s the ultimate "MacGyver" moment in engineering.
Why Does Everyone Forget the Last Few?
By the time Apollo 16 and 17 rolled around, the public was kind of bored. Can you believe that?
The networks stopped showing the moonwalks live. People were complaining that their soap operas were being interrupted by footage of guys in bulky suits picking up rocks. It’s wild to look back on from a 2026 perspective, where we are desperately trying to get back with the Artemis program. But back then, the Vietnam War was raging, the economy was struggling, and the "Space Race" felt like it had already been won. The USSR had given up on their manned lunar program, so the political pressure was gone.
But for the scientists? The later missions were the best part.
Apollo 15, 16, and 17 were "J-class" missions. They had better life support, longer stay times, and that electric car. The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was a masterpiece. It could carry two astronauts, their gear, and hundreds of pounds of rocks. It allowed them to travel miles away from the Lander. Without those later missions, our understanding of lunar geology would be basically non-existent. We wouldn't know about the "Genesis Rock"—a piece of the moon’s crust that is nearly 4.5 billion years old.
The Logistics of Staying on the Moon
It wasn't just about the landing. It was about surviving the environment.
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The moon is a harsh mistress. Temperatures swing from 250 degrees Fahrenheit in the sun to minus 200 in the shade. The "soil"—regolith—is basically tiny shards of glass and volcanic rock. It smells like spent gunpowder, according to the astronauts. It’s incredibly abrasive. By the end of the three-day stays on Apollo 17, the seals on the spacesuits were starting to fail because the dust was eating away at them.
They slept in hammocks. They ate dehydrated food. They had to deal with the constant fear that a tiny micrometeorite might puncture their thin-walled habitat. Every time we answer the question of how many times did the US land on the moon, we have to respect the sheer guts it took to go back five more times after the initial "win."
The "How Many Times" Confusion
Why do people get this number wrong?
Often, people confuse the total number of Apollo missions with the number of landings. There were 11 manned Apollo missions in total.
- Apollo 7 and 9 were Earth-orbit tests.
- Apollo 8 and 10 were lunar-orbit missions (they went to the moon but didn't land).
- Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 landed.
- Apollo 13 tried and failed.
Then you have the uncrewed missions. Before Neil Armstrong ever stepped foot on the Moon, NASA sent a fleet of robotic scouts. The Ranger, Surveyor, and Lunar Orbiter programs were essential. Surveyor 1, for example, landed in 1966. It proved that a spacecraft wouldn't just sink into the lunar surface like it was quicksand—a very real fear at the time. If you count robots, the US has "landed" on the moon dozens of times. But when people ask the question, they usually mean boots on the ground.
What’s Next? The Return to the Moon
We are currently in the middle of a new era. The Artemis program isn't just about repeating what we did in the 70s. The goal now is a permanent presence.
Instead of landing near the equator where it's easy, we’re looking at the South Pole. Why? Water ice. If we can harvest ice from the permanently shadowed craters, we can make oxygen and rocket fuel. That makes the moon a gas station for the rest of the solar system.
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It’s not just the US anymore, either. China is landing rovers and returning samples. Private companies like Intuitive Machines and Astrobotic are sending landers. The moon is getting busy again. But for now, the "Human Landing" record is still held exclusively by those six Apollo crews.
Moving Beyond the Basics
If you're looking to dive deeper into the history of these landings, don't just stick to the history books. There are specific ways to engage with this history that make it feel real.
Check Out the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Photos
NASA has a satellite orbiting the moon right now that is so powerful it can see the tracks left by the lunar rovers. You can literally see the "footprints" of the Apollo missions from space. It’s the ultimate debunking tool for conspiracy theorists, but more importantly, it’s a beautiful look at our history preserved in a vacuum.
Visit the Smithsonian or the Kennedy Space Center
Seeing an Apollo capsule in person is a religious experience for tech nerds. They are tiny. They look like they were built in a garage. Seeing the charred heat shield of the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia makes you realize just how "seat-of-the-pants" this whole operation actually was.
Read "A Man on the Moon" by Andrew Chaikin
If you want the "human" side of those six landings, this is the Bible. It’s based on extensive interviews with all the Apollo astronauts. It moves past the "how many times" and gets into the "what did it feel like."
Actionable Insight:
If you want to track the current progress of our return to the moon, follow the Artemis I, II, and III mission updates on NASA’s official site. Artemis II is slated to take humans around the moon again (much like Apollo 8), and Artemis III will finally increase that "six landings" number to seven, including the first woman and first person of color to walk on the lunar surface. We aren't just looking back at history anymore; we're finally starting to write the next chapter.