Surveyor 1
First American spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon.
Surveyor 1 was the first American spacecraft to make a soft landing on another world, touching down on the Moon’s Ocean of Storms on June 2, 1966. It was part of NASA’s uncrewed Surveyor program, designed to gather crucial data about the lunar surface for the Apollo missions that would land astronauts starting in 1969. The landing came four months after the Soviet Union’s Luna 9 had achieved the first-ever soft Moon landing. Launched on May 30, 1966, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Surveyor 1 sent back 11,237 still photos of the Moon using a television camera and a sophisticated radio-telemetry system. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California managed the program, and the Hughes Aircraft Company in El Segundo, California, built the probe.
The Surveyor series aimed to achieve the first soft landings on the Moon by any spacecraft. Surveyor 1 collected data via its TV camera and returned it to Earth through the Deep Space Network from 1966 to 1967. Each Surveyor carried two television cameras—one for approach (unused on this mission) and one for still images of the lunar surface—along with over 100 engineering sensors. The TV system captured pictures of the spacecraft’s footpad and the surrounding terrain, while the probe also measured radar reflectivity, surface load-bearing strength, and temperatures. (Later Surveyors, starting with Surveyor 3, carried instruments to analyze the composition and mechanical properties of lunar soil.) Surveyor 1 was launched directly toward the Moon without entering a parking orbit. Its retrorockets shut off about 3.4 meters above the surface, and it free-fell to a landing on June 2, 1966, at 2.474°S 43.339°W, within the northeast part of the large crater Flamsteed P (also called the Flamsteed Ring), with Flamsteed itself lying on the south side of that ring. The flight lasted about 63 hours and 30 minutes. Its launch weight was roughly 995.2 kilograms (2,194 pounds), and its landing weight—after expending maneuvering propellant, jettisoning its solid-fueled retrorocket, and discarding its radar altimeter system—was about 294.3 kilograms (649 pounds).
Surveyor 1 began transmitting video data shortly after landing and continued through July 14, 1966, with a pause during the two-week lunar night from June 14 to July 7, 1966. Because the Moon always shows the same face to Earth, line-of-sight radio communications required only sw
- launch_date
- May 30, 1966
- landing_date
- June 2, 1966
- landing_site
- Oceanus Procellarum (2.474°S 43.339°W)
- operator
- NASA (United States)
- manufacturer
- Hughes Aircraft Company
- mission_duration
- 63 hours, 30 minutes (flight); operations through January 7, 1967
- landing_weight
- 294.3 kilograms (649 lb)
Lore & Background
Surveyor 1 was launched May 30, 1966, from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and it landed on the Moon on June 2, 1966. It was sent directly into a trajectory to the Moon without any parking orbit. Its retrorockets were turned off at a height of about 3.4 meters above the lunar surface, and it fell freely to the surface. The landing site was within the northeast portion of the large crater called Flamsteed P (or the Flamsteed Ring).
The spacecraft transmitted 11,237 still photos of the lunar surface to Earth using a television camera and a sophisticated radio-telemetry system. The TV camera consisted of a vidicon tube, a zoom lens, filters, and a mirror system. It operated in both 600-line and 200-line modes. Over 10,000 pictures were taken before the lunar sunset of June 14, 1966, and nearly 1000 more were returned after reactivation on July 7, 1966. Strain gauges on each leg shock absorber recorded peak axial forces at landing impact.
Reader's Guide
Surveyor 1's significance lies in its pioneering role as the first American spacecraft to achieve a soft landing on an extraterrestrial body, paving the way for the Apollo Moon landings. Its successful landing was considered surprising, with a probability of success estimated at 10 to 15 percent, especially after the failures of several Ranger spacecraft. The mission provided critical data on the lunar surface's load-bearing strength, radar reflectivity, and temperatures, as well as detailed photographic surveys. The return of engineering information continued through January 7, 1967, with interruptions during lunar nights. On January 6, 1967, Surveyor 1 was reactivated for 12 hours and returned data on the motion of the Moon, used to refine its orbital path and the Earth-Moon distance. The mission demonstrated the feasibility of soft landing and remote data collection, directly supporting the Apollo program's goal of crewed lunar exploration.
Did You Know?
- Surveyor 1's landing was the first by an American space probe on any extraterrestrial body, occurring four months after the Soviet Union's Luna 9.
- The spacecraft transmitted 11,237 still photos of the lunar surface using a television camera and radio-telemetry system.
- Surveyor 1 fell freely to the lunar surface from a height of about 3.4 meters after its retrorockets were turned off.
- The landing site was within the northeast portion of the large crater Flamsteed P (or the Flamsteed Ring).
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Surveyor 1?
Surveyor 1 is the first American probe to achieve a gentle touchdown on a foreign celestial body, specifically the Moon. It was engineered by Hughes Aircraft Company under NASA's uncrewed Surveyor program.
What is Surveyor 1's role or purpose?
Its mission was to analyze the composition and structural integrity of the lunar regolith so that NASA could confirm the surface was safe for crewed Apollo landings. During its active window it transmitted over eleven thousand television images back to Earth via a radio-telemetry link.
How does Surveyor 1's story end?
After a flight lasting roughly sixty-three and a half hours, the lander completed its operational window on January 7, 1967, and has since remained silent and motionless on the lunar surface. It now exists as a permanent derelict artifact in the Ocean of Storms.
Why is Surveyor 1 important?
It proved that a U.S. vehicle could settle softly on the Moon, a capability that was absolutely essential before sending astronauts there beginning in 1969. Its success also arrived just four months after the Soviet Luna 9 had set the precedent for the first soft landing anywhere.
Where can Surveyor 1 be found?
It rests in Oceanus Procellarum, the Moon's vast Ocean of Storms, at approximately 2.47 degrees south latitude and 43.34 degrees west longitude. It was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on May 30, 1966, and touched down on June 2 of that year.
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