Luna 9's photo coup

Duration: 01:50

Luna 9, the first Moon probe to achieve a soft landing and send back photos of the lunar surface, caught the West by surprise in 1966. The Russian spacecraft's data transmissions were intercepted by Jodrell Bank Observatory, and the pictures were published in a British newspaper before they were published in Russia.

Available since: Tue 12 Jul 2011

Narrator: Mark Halliley

Narrator: Zam Baring

Series Producer: David McNab

Producer: Jacqueline Smith

Director: Jacqueline Smith

Producer: Teresa Hunt

This clip is from

The Planets Revisited Moon: Staying Alive

4/8 An exploration of how the Moon missions transformed our understanding of the planets.

First broadcast: 22 Nov 2004

Not currently available on BBC iPlayer

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