Lunar Orbiter 1

Lunar Orbiter 1
Replica of a Lunar Orbiter spacecraft
Mission typeLunar orbiter
OperatorNASA
COSPAR ID1966-073A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.2394
Websitescience.nasa.gov
Mission duration2 months, 19 days
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerBoeing
Launch mass386.9 kg (853 lb)[1]
Dimensions3.72 × 1.65 × 1.5 m (12.2 × 5.4 × 4.9 ft)[2]
Power375 watts[2]
Start of mission
Launch dateAugust 10, 1966, 19:31 (1966-08-10UTC19:31) UTC[3]
RocketAtlas SLV-3 Agena-D
Launch siteCape Canaveral LC-13
End of mission
DisposalDeorbited
Decay dateOctober 29, 1966, 13:29:06 (1966-10-29UTC13:29:07) UTC[4][2]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemSelenocentric
Semi-major axis2,694 km (1,674 mi)
Eccentricity0.33
Periselene altitude189.1 to 40.5 km (117.5 to 25.2 mi)
Aposelene altitude1,866.8 km (1,160.0 mi)
Inclination12 degrees
Period208.1 minutes
Lunar orbiter
Orbital insertionAugust 14, 1966
Impact site6°21′N 160°43′E / 6.35°N 160.72°E / 6.35; 160.72
Orbits577
Transponders
Frequency2295 MHz[2]

The 1966 Lunar Orbiter 1 robotic spacecraft mission, part of NASA's Lunar Orbiter program,[9] was the first American spacecraft to orbit the Moon. It was designed primarily to photograph smooth areas of the lunar surface for selection and verification of safe landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo missions. It was also equipped to collect selenodetic, radiation intensity, and micrometeoroid impact data.

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