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Credit & Copyright: The Surveyor Project,
NASA
Explanation:
This panorama of the cratered lunar surface was constructed from
images returned by the
US Surveyor 6 lander.
Surveyor 6 was not the
first spacecraft to accomplish a soft landing
on the Moon ... but it was
the first to land and then lift off again!
After touching down near the center
of the Moon's nearside
in November of 1967, NASA controllers
commanded the spacecraft to hop.
Briefly firing its rocket engine
and lifting itself some 4 meters above the surface,
the Surveyor moved about 2.5 meters
to one side before setting down again.
The hopping success of Surveyor 6
essentially marked the completion of
the Surveyor series main mission -
to determine if the lunar terrain was safe for
the planned Apollo landings.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Moon - spacecraft - Surveyor
Publications with words: Moon - spacecraft - Surveyor
See also:
- APOD: 2025 August 23 Á Fishing for the Moon
- APOD: 2025 July 20 Á Lunar Nearside
- APOD: 2025 June 28 Á Lunar Farside
- APOD: 2025 June 20 Á Major Lunar Standstill 2024 2025
- APOD: 2025 June 18 Á Space Station Silhouette on the Moon
- APOD: 2025 April 22 Á Terminator Moon: A Moonscape of Shadows
- Moon Near the Edge