Lunar Orbiter 1
Replica of a Lunar Orbiter spacecraft | |||||||||||
| Mission type | Lunar orbiter | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | NASA | ||||||||||
| COSPAR ID | 1966-073A | ||||||||||
| SATCAT no. | 2394 | ||||||||||
| Website | science.nasa.gov | ||||||||||
| Mission duration | 2 months, 19 days | ||||||||||
| Spacecraft properties | |||||||||||
| Manufacturer | Boeing | ||||||||||
| Launch mass | 386.9 kg (853 lb) | ||||||||||
| Dimensions | 3.72 × 1.65 × 1.5 m (12.2 × 5.4 × 4.9 ft) | ||||||||||
| Power | 375 watts | ||||||||||
| Start of mission | |||||||||||
| Launch date | August 10, 1966, 19:31 UTC | ||||||||||
| Rocket | Atlas SLV-3 Agena-D | ||||||||||
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-13 | ||||||||||
| End of mission | |||||||||||
| Disposal | Deorbited | ||||||||||
| Decay date | October 29, 1966, 13:29:06 UTC | ||||||||||
| Orbital parameters | |||||||||||
| Reference system | Selenocentric | ||||||||||
| Semi-major axis | 2,694 km (1,674 mi) | ||||||||||
| Eccentricity | 0.33 | ||||||||||
| Periselene altitude | 189.1 to 40.5 km (117.5 to 25.2 mi) | ||||||||||
| Aposelene altitude | 1,866.8 km (1,160.0 mi) | ||||||||||
| Inclination | 12 degrees | ||||||||||
| Period | 208.1 minutes | ||||||||||
| Lunar orbiter | |||||||||||
| Orbital insertion | August 14, 1966 | ||||||||||
| Impact site | 6°21′N 160°43′E / 6.35°N 160.72°E | ||||||||||
| Orbits | 577 | ||||||||||
| Transponders | |||||||||||
| Frequency | 2295 MHz | ||||||||||
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The 1966 Lunar Orbiter 1 robotic spacecraft mission, part of NASA's Lunar Orbiter program, 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.