Surveyor 5

NSSDC ID: 67-084

Description:
Surveyor 5 was the third spacecraft in the Surveyor series to
achieve a successful lunar soft landing. The spacecraft had a
basic triangular structure of aluminum tubing that provided
mounting surfaces for engineering and scientific equipment. The
objectives were to obtain postlanding television pictures of the
lunar surface, conduct a Vernier engine erosion experiment,
determine the relative abundance of the chemical elements in
the lunar soil, obtain touchdown dynamics data, and obtain
thermal and radar reflectivity data. Instrumentation for this space-
craft was similar to that of the previous Surveyors and included
landing legs, a Vernier propulsion system, and numerous
engineering sensors. An alpha-scattering instrument was 
installed in place of the surface sampler, and a small bar
magnet attached to one footpad was included to detect the
presence of magnetic material in the lunar soil. The space-
craft landed on September 11, 1967, in Mare Tranquillitatis,
at 1.41 deg n latitude and 23.18 deg e longitude (selenographic
coordinates), within the rimless edge of a small crater on a
slope of about 20 deg. The spacecraft transmitted excellent data
for all experiments from shortly after touchdown until October 18,
1967, with an interval of no transmission from September 24 to
October 15, 1967, during the first lunar night. Transmissions
were received until November 1, 1967, when shutdown for the
second lunar night occurred. Transmissions were resumed on
the third and fourth lunar days, with the final transmission
occurring on December 17, 1967. Pictures were transmitted
during the first, second, and fourth lunar days.