Surveyor

The first American spacecraft to make a soft landing on the Moon



This section is in the process of being updated, and things might be moved around.
Also, I haven’t yet been able to add many illustrations and photos – but they will come!
Please check back. – Colin.


In this section

Surveyor 1

Background

Mike Dinn Surveyor presentation

Surveyor A Press Kit

People at Tidbinbilla for Surveyor (incl the Hughes team)

Surveyor 1 audio – Launch and Landing

Surveyor 1: America’s First Moon Landing – by Bill Mellberg

Images returned

Surveyor tales from John Flaxman

Surveyor tales from Bruce Window (see part 3)

Surveyor Mission D Handbook

Surveyor TV camera

Images from other Surveyor missions:
Surveyor 3 – via Keith Aldworth.

Animation of Surveyor 3 sunset images. (on Vimeo)

The Surveyor Program – by Hamish Lindsay

The Surveyor series of spacecraft was crucial in paving the way for Apollo.

Surveyor 1

Surveyor 1 landing

Tuesday 31 May 1966
Launch: 0041:01 AEST

Thursday 2 June 1966
Lunar landing: 1617:36 AEST
AOS at DSS-42 Tidbinbilla: 1708:19 AEST
Tidbinbilla prime: 2130 AEST

Image: Painting of a Surveyor on the lunar surface by Hughes Aircraft artist Carlos Lopez.


Surveyor

Les Whaley took this photo of a Surveyor model at Tidbinbilla, probably 1966.

Scan by Colin Mackellar.