Free Astronomy Magazine May-June 2019

26 MAY-JUNE 2019 ASTRONAUTICS The designers faced the same dilemma as their Apollo counter- part − namely, where to direct the first mission. For security reasons, they were forced to choose a “marine” site. Indeed, this corre- sponded to the objective of char- acterizing the surface in the Apollo landing area. When Surveyor 1 was launched on of small craters and rocks were visi- ble, but the site was basically flat with a monotonous horizon. The spacecraft continued to transmit panoramas to document the ap- pearance of the surface under dif- ferent light and, at sunset, it went into hibernation for the two-week lunar night. To everyone’s surprise, not only did it wake up when the May 30, 1966, technicians hoped not to see a replica of the initial problems that had affected the Ranger series. Fortunately, the spacecraft safely landed inside Flam- steed, a crater on which a breach was opened by Oceanus Procel- larum. As was the case for the later Ranger missons, the only instrument onboard was a camera. A multitude A POLLO 12 − Panorama near the lunar module. [NASA, Project Apollo Archive]