Surveyor – Background



The Surveyor series of unmanned lunar landers is largely forgotten in the light of the Apollo manned lunar landings.

Nevertheless, the Surveyor Program was a key precursor to Apollo, allowing scientists to characterise the lunar surface, and to gauge its ability support a Lunar Excursion Module and astronauts in spacesuits.

 

Surveyor 1

Diagram of Surveyor 1 from a JPL-released set of photos.
Kept by Les Whaley, scanned by Colin Mackellar.

Large, Larger with explanatory text.


Surveyor

This engineering mockup of a (later) Surveyor hangs in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Photo: Colin Mackellar.

Les Whaley - Analog console Bob Cudmore – Instrumentation Section Leader Jack Rothwell – Antenna Engineer Peter Papps – Magnetic recording John Heath – Microwave Engineer Bob Leslie – Station Director Neil McVicar – Receiver Technician Paddy Johnstone – Ops Controller Dave Watts – Antenna Technician Mal Glenn – JPL Rep