Editing Luna programme (section)

=== Sample return ===
{{Main|Sample return mission}}
[[File:Kaluga Wikiexpedition (2016-06-11) 0466.jpg|thumb|Luna 16 sample return lander model]]
More complex soft lander craft can robotically scoop up a small amount of [[Moon rock|lunar material]], lift off from the surface, and return the material to Earth. Luna program sample return landers had the generic designations of '''Ye-8-5''' or '''Ye-8-5M''' ('''E-8-5''' or '''E-8-5M''' depending on transliteration from Russian).<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=Luna Ye-8-5 (Luna 15, 16, 18, 20) |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/luna_e8-5.htm |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Gunter's Space Page |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite web |title=Luna Ye-8-5M (Luna 23, 24) |url=https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/luna_e8-5m.htm |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Gunter's Space Page |language=en}}</ref>

[[Luna 16]] (September 1970), [[Luna 20]] (February 1972) and [[Luna 24]] (August 1976), returned samples of [[lunar soil]] to Earth.<ref name="siddiqi2" /><ref name=":6" /><ref name=":7" /> A total of {{convert|301|g|oz|abbr=on}} of soil sample was returned from the three missions.

[[Luna 15]] (July 1969) flew at the same time as the [[Apollo 11]] mission. [[Neil Armstrong]] and [[Buzz Aldrin]] had already performed the first crewed lunar landing when Luna 15 began its descent, and the spacecraft crashed into a mountain minutes later.