Moon and Libra

A half a century ago, the Soviet Union got a “do-over” in its lunar exploration program. A spacecraft designed to gather samples from the rugged lunar highlands had crashed. But 50 years ago today, its replacement touched down on target.
The do-over mission was Luna 20. It launched on February 13th, 1972. It spent a couple of days in lunar orbit, then landed on February 21st.
Its target was the Apollonius highlands, a mountainous region near the edge of the Sea of Fertility. Luna 18 had been sent to the same site just a few months earlier, but it slammed into the surface and was destroyed.
Luna 20, on the other hand, got it just right. After landing, a robotic arm drilled into the surface. It scooped up 55 grams of dirt — about two ounces — and placed the sample in a small capsule. After just one day on the Moon, the capsule headed back to Earth. It parachuted to a safe landing in Kazakhstan, allowing scientists to study its precious cargo.
The Luna program ended in 1976, with Luna 24.