Ranger 9

Spacecraft· NASA / JPLcompleted

Ranger 9 — the final Ranger (launched 21 March 1965). Its roughly 5,800 images were broadcast live on national television — 'Live from the Moon' — as it plunged into the crater Alphonsus, closing the programme on a triumphant note.

Open in 3D viewSee Ranger 9 in the live, interactive 3D map

Key facts

Distance from Sun

1.01 AU

Status

Completed

Launched

1965

Mission & specifications

Mission

Operator: NASA / JPL
Launched: March 21, 1965
Status: Completed

Trajectory

Distance from the Sun: 1.01 AU
Distance from Earth: 433,310 km
Distance from Venus: 0.603 AU

Mission

Ranger 9 ended the programme on a high note, and it did so in front of a live television audience. Launched on 21 March 1965, it was aimed not at a smooth mare but at the crater Alphonsus, a site of scientific interest where some astronomers suspected volcanic activity. As it fell toward the surface on 24 March, its pictures were converted for broadcast and shown live on national television under the banner 'Live from the Moon' — Americans watched the lunar surface rushing up in near real time until the screen went blank at impact. Ranger 9 returned some 5,800 images and closed the programme with three straight successes after six straight failures, handing the baton to the Lunar Orbiters and Surveyors that would finish scouting the way for Apollo.

1965MoonImpactor
Its final images were broadcast live on national television — 'Live from the Moon' — as it plunged into the crater Alphonsus.

Images

The Ranger spacecraft — Ranger 9's descent to crater Alphonsus was televised live — NASA / JPL (public domain) · Wikimedia Commons

Images from open archives · credit shown per image