Lunar Orbiter 3
Lunar Orbiter 3 — the third mapping orbiter (launched 5 February 1967). It completed the near-side survey of Apollo candidate sites and photographed the already-landed Surveyor 1 on the surface. It was deliberately crashed later that year.
Key facts
Mission & specifications
Mission
- Operator
- NASA / JPL
- Launched
- February 5, 1967
- Status
- Completed
Trajectory
- Distance from the Sun
- 1.01 AU
- Distance from Earth
- 85,543 km
- Distance from Venus
- 0.602 AU
Mission
Lunar Orbiter 3 completed the near-side landing-site survey the first two orbiters had begun. Launched on 5 February 1967, it photographed the smooth equatorial zones where the first Apollo missions would aim, giving planners the detailed coverage they needed to certify specific sites. It also managed a neat piece of cross-checking: its cameras picked out Surveyor 1, the lander already sitting on the surface, confirming that orbital images and surface truth agreed. Like its predecessors, it was deliberately crashed into the Moon at the end of its mission.
Images
Images from open archives · credit shown per image