Moon Race | Last on the Moon, 1976
“Last on the Moon” is the final episode of the “Moon Race”. One of the results of Luna 24 was the proof of the existence of water on the Moon. Luna 24 is depicted on its journey back to Earth. Its prodigious design is hand-engraved, and a real piece of Luna 24 (resin-coated braided fibre) adorns its side. The Moon is shown here in high contrast, with copper etching to highlight its craters. A very special mineral, azurite-malachite, perfectly embodies the Earth. It is complemented by a yellow Pietersite sun, which fully deserves its nickname of “storm stone”. It lights up the sky with black aventurine of exceptional quality.
Hand engravings on the bezel
They represent the Proton rocket, a Russian heavy launcher capable of placing a 22-tonne payload into low earth orbit. It was used on many Soviet space missions, including Luna 24. Developed in the early 1960s, this rocket remains Russia’s main launcher, with over 400 Protons launched to date. The centre is decorated with lunar engravings, while the base of the bezel features the incredible design of the Luna 24 space probe.
