How many kilograms of lunar rocks and soil did the six Apollo landing missions return to Earth?

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The six Apollo landing missions returned about 382 kilograms of lunar rocks and soil to Earth.

Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 collectively brought back 2,196 individually catalogued samples. The material included loose regolith, rock fragments, core tubes, and larger rocks collected from different geological settings. The total mass is commonly rounded to 382 kilograms, or roughly 842 pounds.

The samples transformed lunar science because they could be dated and chemically analyzed with laboratory instruments unavailable on the Moon. They showed that the Moon is ancient, that its surface has been heavily shaped by impacts, and that much of its early crust formed from molten material.

The figure refers to returned lunar material from successful Apollo landings, not the mass of spacecraft, equipment, or samples collected by robotic missions. Individual mission totals differed, with Apollo 17 returning the largest Apollo collection.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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