Surveyor 1

NSSDC ID: 66-045A

Description:
The Surveyor spacecraft was designed to attain the engineering
objectives of the Surveyor program, which included the first lunar
soft landing. No instrumentation was carried specifically for
scientific experiments, but considerable scientific information
was obtained. The spacecraft carried two televisioncameras --
one for approach, which was not used, and one for operations on
the lunar surface. Over 100 engineering sensors were on board.
The television system transmitted pictures of the spacecraft
footpad and surrounding lunar terrain and surface materials. The
spacecraft also acquired data on the radar reflectivity of the lunar
surface, bearing strength of the lunar surface, and spacecraft
temperatures for use in the analysis of the lunar surface
temperatures. The spacecraft was launched May 30, 1966,
directly into a lunar impact trajectory. Engines were turned off
at a height of 3.4 m above the lunar surface. The spacecraft fell
freely from this height, landing on the lunar surface on June 2,
1966, in Oceanus Procellarum -- 2.45 deg s latitude, 43.22 deg
w longitude (selenographic coordinates). The spacecraft
transmitted data from shortly after touchdown until July 14, 1966,
with an interval of no operation during lunar night (June 14 to
July 7, 1966). Engineering interrogations continued until
January 7, 1967. 
 
Launch Information:
Launch Date/Time: 1966-05-30 at 14:41:00 UTC
Launch Site/Country: Cape Canaveral, United States
Launch Vehicle: Atlas-Centaur