Ranger 6

NSSDC ID: 1964-007A

Description:
Ranger 6 was designed to achieve a lunar impact trajectory and to
transmit high-resolution photographs of the lunar surface during the
final minutes of flight up to impact. The spacecraft carried six tele-
vision vidicon cameras, 2 wide angle (channel F, cameras A and B)
and 4 narrow angle (channel P) to accomplish these objectives. The
cameras were arranged in two separate chains, or channels, each
self-contained with separate power supplies, timers, and trans-
mitters so as to afford the greatest reliability and probability of
obtaining high-quality video pictures. No other experiments were
carried on the spacecraft. Due to a failure of the camera system no
images were returned. 

Rangers 6, 7, 8, and 9 were the so-called Block 3 versions of the
Ranger spacecraft. The spacecraft consisted of a hexagonal
aluminum frame base 1.5 m across on which was mounted the
propulsion and power units, topped by a truncated conical tower
which held the TV cameras. Two solar panel wings, each 73.9 cm
wide by 153.7 cm long, extended from opposite edges of the base
with a full span of 4.6 m, and a pointable high gain dish antenna
was hinge mounted at one of the corners of the base away from
the solar panels. A cylindrical quasiomnidirectional antenna was
seated on top of the conical tower. The overall height of the space-
craft was 3.6 m. 

Propulsion for the mid-course trajectory correction was provided
by a 224-N thrust monopropellant hydrazine engine with 4 jet-
vane vector control. Orientation and attitude control about 3 axes
was enabled by 12 nitrogen gas jets coupled to a system of 3