 |
| The Soviet Union launched Luna 13 on December 21, 1966, making it the third spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, following Surveyor 1. Luna 13 touched down on the lunar surface between the craters Selencus and Craft in the Ocean of Storms on December 24, 1966. It transmitted photographs of the lunar surface, which were displayed in Moscow on Christmas Day. The mission concluded on December 30, 1966, when the spacecraft's supplies were exhausted. |
 |
| Along with its camera equipment, Luna 13 was equipped with a gamma radiation measuring device and a rod that was inserted into the ground to assess its bearing strength. Experiments conducted on the soil beneath the spacecraft indicated that the mechanical properties of the Moon's surface are comparable to those of typical terrestrial soil, although its surface density is significantly different. Additionally, other instruments onboard measured dispersed radiation from a gamma source and recorded cosmic corpuscular radiation on the lunar surface. |
