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Missions and Programs

Surveyor Program

Robotic Lunar Exploration Missions

A NASA program of seven robotic lunar landers launched between 1966 and 1968 to demonstrate soft-landing technology and characterize the lunar surface ahead of the crewed Apollo landings. Five of the seven missions landed successfully, returning thousands of images and direct measurements of lunar soil mechanics that confirmed the ground could bear a crewed lander's weight.

Facts
Mission Type
Robotic lunar soft-landing program 1
Launch Date
1966-05-30 1
Date of Surveyor 1, the program's first mission.
End Date
1968-01-07 1
Date of Surveyor 7, the program's final mission.
Outcome
Successful; five of seven landers reached the surface intact, directly informing the selection and engineering of Apollo landing sites. 1
Mission Type
Mission Type (category)
Robotic / Uncrewed Mission 1
Connections

Operated By

NASA, Space Agencies and Companies
Source Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)

Spacecraft Of

Surveyor 1, Spacecraft
Source Wikipedia - Surveyor 1
Surveyor 2, Spacecraft
Source Surveyor 2 (Wikipedia)
Surveyor 3, Spacecraft
Source Surveyor 3 - Wikipedia
Surveyor 4, Spacecraft
Source Wikipedia: Surveyor 4
Surveyor 5, Spacecraft
Source Surveyor 5 (Wikipedia)
Surveyor 6, Spacecraft
Source Surveyor 6 (Wikipedia)
Surveyor 7, Spacecraft
Source Wikipedia: Surveyor 7
Sources
1. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationOperated By: NASA, Wikipedia: Surveyor program, lead sectionView the Source
The Surveyor Program (NASA)
  • Wikipedia: Surveyor program, lead section
    Its primary goal was to demonstrate the feasibility of soft landings on the Moon.
  • Wikipedia: Surveyor program, mission list
  • In Group: Early American and Soviet Robotic Lunar Programs, Lead sentence
    The Surveyor program was a NASA program that, from June 1966 through January 1968, sent seven robotic spacecraft to the surface of the Moon.
View the Source
Wikipedia - Surveyor 1
  • Includes: Surveyor 1, Lead paragraph, part-of
    Surveyor 1 was the first lunar soft-lander in the uncrewed Surveyor program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA, United States).
  • Spacecraft Of: Surveyor 1, Lead paragraph, mission-of
    Surveyor 1 was the first lunar soft-lander in the uncrewed Surveyor program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA, United States).
View the Source
Surveyor 3 - Wikipedia
  • Includes: Surveyor 3, Lead paragraph, part-of
    Surveyor 3 is the third lander of the American uncrewed Surveyor program sent to explore the surface of the Moon in 1967 and the second to successfully land.
  • Spacecraft Of: Surveyor 3, Lead paragraph, mission-of
    Surveyor 3 is the third lander of the American uncrewed Surveyor program sent to explore the surface of the Moon in 1967 and the second to successfully land.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Surveyor 7
  • Includes: Surveyor 7, Lead paragraph, part-of
    Surveyor 7 was sent to the Moon in 1968 on a scientific and photographic mission as the seventh and last lunar lander of the American uncrewed Surveyor program.
  • Spacecraft Of: Surveyor 7, Lead paragraph, mission-of
    Surveyor 7 was sent to the Moon in 1968 on a scientific and photographic mission as the seventh and last lunar lander of the American uncrewed Surveyor program.
View the Source
Surveyor 5 (Wikipedia)
  • Includes: Surveyor 5, Lead paragraph, part-of
    Surveyor 5 is the fifth lunar lander of the American uncrewed Surveyor program sent to explore the surface of the Moon.
  • Spacecraft Of: Surveyor 5, Lead paragraph, mission-of
    Surveyor 5 is the fifth lunar lander of the American uncrewed Surveyor program sent to explore the surface of the Moon.
View the Source
Surveyor 6 (Wikipedia)
  • Includes: Surveyor 6, Lead paragraph, part-of
    Surveyor 6 is the sixth lunar lander of the American uncrewed Surveyor program that reached the surface of the Moon.
  • Spacecraft Of: Surveyor 6, Lead paragraph, mission-of
    Surveyor 6 is the sixth lunar lander of the American uncrewed Surveyor program that reached the surface of the Moon.
View the Source
Surveyor 2 (Wikipedia)
  • Includes: Surveyor 2, Lead paragraph, part-of
    Surveyor 2 was to be the second lunar lander in the uncrewed American Surveyor program to explore the Moon.
  • Spacecraft Of: Surveyor 2, Lead paragraph, mission-of
    Surveyor 2 was to be the second lunar lander in the uncrewed American Surveyor program to explore the Moon.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Surveyor 4
  • Includes: Surveyor 4, Lead paragraph, part-of
    Surveyor 4 is the fourth lunar lander in the American uncrewed Surveyor program sent to explore the surface of the Moon.
  • Spacecraft Of: Surveyor 4, Lead paragraph, mission-of
    Surveyor 4 is the fourth lunar lander in the American uncrewed Surveyor program sent to explore the surface of the Moon.
View the Source
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