Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

November 9-24 ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967
in Sinus Medii after 64-hr flight and began transmitting first of 30,065
detailed television pictures to JPL Deep Space Facilities, Goldstone,
Calif.
Landing sequence began when Surveyor VZ shifted its normal cruising
attitude to position main retrorocket. Triggered by radar, main retro-
motor slowed spacecraft to 374 mph; retromotor then ejected. Vernier
engines cut off at 13 ft above lunar surface and spacecraft landed.
First photos transmitted showed one of spacecraft’s landing pads rest-
ing on sand-like soil similar to that pictured in previous Surveyor photos.
Later pictures confirmed that area was rough and pitted with craters;
they revealed a region strewn with rocks up to two feet in diameter and
a huge cliff described by USGS scientist Dr. Eugene Shoemaker as “the
most rugged feature . . . yet seen on the moon.” Efforts to reestablish
communications with Surveyor V, which had softlanded Sept. 10, for
simultaneous communications with Surveyor VZ, proved futile.
On Nov. 17 Surveyor VZ’s vernier engines were fired for 2.5 sec, lifting
spacecraft to 10-ft altitude before it touched down 8.5 sec later, 8 ft west
of original resting point. Purpose of translation-first planned change
of location ever accomplished after conclusion of initial flight-was to
test lunar surface bearing strength, determine depth of original foot-
prints made by spacecraft, obtain stero-type effect by comparing photos
taken of same area from different positions, and study engine erosion
effects. Post-translation photos showed cratering and scouring effect
on areas under engines and confirmed that alpha-scattering instrument-
which had stopped functioning properly after operating successfully for
43 hrs and providing excellent data on chemical composition of lunar
soil-had come to rest upside down. Communications with spacecraft
were halted Nov. 24 to preserve battery power during cold of lunar
night.
Performance of Surveyor VI was nearly flawless. Surveyor Z (launched
May 30,1966) , Surveyor ZZI (launched April 17,1%7) , and Surveyor V
(launched Sept. 8,1967) had all softlanded successfully and transmitted
photos to earth. Surveyor ZZ (launched Sept. 20, 1966) failed to soft-
land because of an ignition failure. Communications with Surveyor IV
(launched July 14, 1967) were lost seconds before it was scheduled to
softland and its condition could not be determined. (NASA Proi Off;
NASA Release 67-278; JPL Release; AP, B Sun, 11/16/67, 1; Riuters;
W Post, 11/10/67,1)
November 10: NASA successfully launched Essa VI (TOS-D) . sixth meteor-
ological satellite in ESSA’S Tiros Operational SateUite (TOS) system, from
WTR using three-stage Thrust-Augmented Thor-Delta booster. Primary
mission objective was to provide global cloud coverage on a regular,
daily basis with six-month-nominal and three-month-minimum space-
craft lifetime. Satellite achieved near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit with
920-mi (1,482-km) apogee, 872-mi ( lY4U2-km) perigee, 114.8-min
period, and 102.1” inclination. Wheel orientation maneuver was sched-
uled for completion during 18th orbit at which time first photos would
be programmed and NASA would check out spacecraft before turning
its operation over to ESSA.
An advanced version of the cartwheel configuration, 286-113 Essa VZ
carried two Automatic Picture Transmission (APT) camera systems
modified with improved magnetic shielding to prevent slight banding
visible in previous ESSA APT photos. Cameras would photograph earth’s
342