India has joined an elite club of countries that have successfully achieved a soft landing on the Moon. The countries that have accomplished this feat are Russia (formerly the Soviet Union), the United States, China, India, and Japan
. Specifically, India became the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon with its Chandrayaan-3 mission in August 2023, and notably the first to land near the Moon's south pole
. Among major spacefaring nations, Russia is currently not part of the "soft landing" club in the sense that its recent Luna-25 mission failed to achieve a soft landing, crashing instead. While the Soviet Union had achieved soft landings in the past, Russia's recent attempts have not been successful
. In summary, the countries that have successfully soft-landed on the Moon are:
- Soviet Union/Russia (historically)
- United States
- China
- India
- Japan
Russia's recent failure means it is currently not part of the active "soft landing" club, despite its historical achievements
