Apollo 11 Wasn't Alone on the Moon! 1969 Soviet Moon Landing

TL;DR

While Apollo 11 landed humans on the moon, the Soviet Luna 15 probe was simultaneously racing to collect moon rocks and return them first.

Key Points

• 1.The Soviet Union dominated the Space Race until 1969. The USSR claimed nearly every major space first: Sputnik 1 (1957), Yuri Gagarin in space (1961), first spacewalk (1965), and Luna 9's first soft moon landing (1966).
• 2.Luna 15 was launched three days before Apollo 11 to steal the moon-rock prize. Weighing 5.6 tons and fitted with a stereo imager, robotic arm, and radiation detector, it launched July 13, 1969, arriving in lunar orbit a day before Apollo 11.
• 3.Rugged lunar terrain forced a critical Soviet delay. Luna 15 controllers spent four days mapping a safe landing plan, allowing Apollo 11 to gain the edge; Eagle touched down on July 20 at 2017 hours with Armstrong at the controls.
• 4.Luna 15 crashed just hours before the Americans left the moon. On July 21 at 1547 hours, Luna 15 began descent but lost transmission 4 minutes in, likely impacting a mountain in Mare Crisium at ~300 mph from 3 km altitude.
• 5.The US won both races decisively. Less than 2 hours after Luna 15 crashed, Eagle lifted off carrying 47.2 lb (21 kg) of lunar samples, securing American victory in both the crewed landing and the moon-rock retrieval contest.