Ranger 9

NSSDC ID: 65-023A

Description:
Ranger 9 was designed to achieve a lunar impact trajectory and to
transmit high-resolution photographs of the lunar surface during the
final minutes of flight. The spacecraft carried six television cameras,
an optical earth sensor and high-gain antenna for optimum
communications, and solar panels to provide power, as well as
additional engineering equipment. The telecommunications equip-
ment converted the composite video signal from the camera trans-
mitters into an RF signal for subsequent transmission through the
spacecraft high-gain antenna. Sufficient video bandwidth was
provided to allow for rapid framing sequences of both narrow- and
wide-angle television pictures. The spacecraft encountered the lunar
surface with an incoming asymptotic direction at an angle of -5.6
degrees from the lunar equator. The orbit plane was inclined 15.6
degrees to the lunar equator. After 64.5 hours of flight, impact
occurred in the crater Alphonsus at 14:08:20 UT at approximately
12.84 south latitude, 2.38 west longitude. The spacecraft
performance was excellent. The spacecraft transmitted 5,814
photographs during the final 19 minutes of flight, 1349 UT to
1408 UT on March 24, 1965. 

Launch Information:
Launch Date/Time: 1965-03-21
Launch Site/Country: Cape Canaveral, United States
On-orbit dry mass: 361.80 kg
Nominal Power Output: 200.00 W
Launch Vehicle: Atlas-Agena B