Surveyor 1, Lunar Lander, 1966
Surveyor 1, the first of a series of seven robotic spacecraft sent to the moon to gather data in preparation for NASA's Apollo missions, was the first spacecraft to make a true soft landing on the moon. As such, it was one of the great successes of NASA's early lunar and interplanetary program. The soft landing was achieved using a retrorocket and a bank of three thrusters to slow the lander's speed from almost 6,000 miles per hour to just 3 miles per hour and safely touch down on the lunar surface. Over a period of about 30 days, Surveyor 1 transmitted more than 11,000 photographs as well as data on the moon's surface and temperature. Cape Canaveral launch date: May 30, 1966 (14:41 UTC).
Size: 4200px × 3190px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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