The design bureau known as OKB-1 under Chief Designer Sergei Korolev initially developed the spacecraft. Korolev died before the launch of Luna 9 on the 31st of January 1966.
Luna 9 landed at coordinates 7.1 degrees north latitude and 64.3 degrees west longitude in Oceanus Procellarum west of Reiner and Marius craters. The capsule bounced several times before coming to rest after touching ground about 2 meters from the surface.
Pictures from Luna 9 were decoded and published worldwide on Saturday the 5th of February 1966. This marked the appearance of the first photo ever taken from another celestial body on front pages globally.
Seven radio sessions with a total duration of 8 hours and 5 minutes transmitted data from the probe. Last contact occurred at 22:55 GMT on the 6th of February 1966.
Project managers transferred the mission to the Lavochkin design bureau because OKB-1 focused on a human expedition to the Moon. Luna 9 became the first successful deep space probe built by the Lavochkin design bureau.