Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967
April 19-30
April 19-30: Lunar material scooped onto Surveyor 111 footpad by surface sampler on the
moon was photographed through red filter in spacecraft’s TV camera April 26. Color
calibration chart in fmeground is mounted on the spacecraft’s leg.
First pictures transmitted were unclear because of sun’s brightness,
but later photos were excellent. They revealed that spacecraft was rest-
ing in a depression or small crater with 5” slope-which was expected
to hinder photography of lunar horizon-and showed impressions made
by footpads during multiple landing. Shortly after touchdown a telem-
etry malfunction falsely indicated major drain on power system, but
photos confirmed that spacecraft’s batteries were intact and undamaged.
In addition to photographic equipment, including two additional
mirrors to expand camera’s field of view, spacecraft also carried a
shovel-like surface sampler which would scoop soil, move debris, and
strike lunar rock with an expandable arm operated by radio signals
from earth. On April 21-22 sampler began bearing strength tests and
excavation of trenches up to six inches deep. On April 23-24, cooled
by two-hour lunar eclipse, Surveyor 111 took 118 excellent color photos
of Venus, a star cluster, and earth as it passed between the moon and
the sun. On basis of preliminary digging operations and photos, project
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