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Surveyor 1

Surveyor 1

Surveyor 1, the first of a series of seven robotic spacecraft sent to the moon to gather data in preparation for NASA's Apollo missions, was the first spacecraft to make a true soft landing on the moon.

Mission Statistics

Launch Date

May 30, 1966

Type

Lander/Rover

Target

Moon

Status

Past

About the mission

Surveyor 1, the first of a series of seven robotic spacecraft sent to the moon to gather data in preparation for NASA's Apollo missions, was the first spacecraft to make a true soft landing on the moon. As such, it was one of the great successes of NASA's early lunar and interplanetary program.

The soft landing was achieved using a retrorocket and a bank of three thrusters to slow the lander's speed from almost 6,000 miles per hour to just 3 miles per hour and safely touch down on the lunar surface. Over a period of about 30 days, Surveyor 1 transmitted more than 11,000 photographs as well as data on the moon's surface and temperature.

Instruments

  • Imaging system

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› Fact Sheet
› JPL History
› Surveyor 1 Information on Solar System Exploration
› Surveyor 1 Information on National Space Science Data Center

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