| Operator | NASA |
|---|---|
| Cospar id | 1966-100A |
| Satcat | 2534 |
| Website | science.nasa.gov |
| Manufacturer | Langley Research Center |
| Launch mass | 385.6 kg (850 lb)[6] |
| Dimensions | 3.72 × 1.65 × 1.5 m (12.2 × 5.4 × 4.9 ft)[7] |
| Power | 375 watts[7] |
| Launch date | November 6, 1966, 23:21:00 UTC |
| Launch rocket | Atlas SLV-3 Agena-D |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-13 |
| Decay date | October 11, 1967, 07:12:54 UTC |
| Orbit epoch | November 9, 1966, 19:00:00 UTC[7] |
| Orbit reference | Selenocentric |
| Orbit periapsis | 1,790 km (1,110 mi) |
| Orbit apoapsis | 3,598 km (2,236 mi) |
| Orbit inclination | 11.9 degrees |
| Orbit period | 208.07 minutes |
| Orbit semimajor | 2,694 km (1,674 mi) |
| Orbit eccentricity | 0.35 |
| Apsis | selene |
| Trans frequency | 2295 MHz[7] |
| Programme | Lunar Orbiter program |
| Previous mission | Lunar Orbiter 1 |
| Next mission | Lunar Orbiter 3 |
| Acronym 1 | - |
|---|---|
| Name 1 | Cesium Iodide Dosimeters[1] |
| Acronym 2 | - |
| Name 2 | Lunar Photographic Studies[2] |
| Acronym 3 | - |
| Name 3 | Meteoroid Detectors[3][4] |
| Acronym 4 | - |
| Name 4 | Selenodesy[5] |
| Object | Lunar |
|---|---|
| Orbits | 2,346 |
| Arrival date | November 10, 1966 |
The 1966 Lunar Orbiter 2 robotic spacecraft mission, part of the Lunar Orbiter Program,[8] 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.
Mission summary
The spacecraft was placed in a cislunar trajectory and injected into an elliptical near-equatorial lunar orbit for data acquisition after 92.6 hours' flight time. The initial orbit was 196 by 1,850 kilometres (122 by 1,150 mi) at an inclination of 11.8 degrees. The perilune was lowered to 49.7 kilometres (30.9 mi) five days later after 33 orbits. A failure of the amplifier on the final day of readout, December 7, resulted in the loss of six photographs. On December 8, 1966 the inclination was altered to 17.5 degrees to provide new data on lunar gravity.
The spacecraft acquired photographic data from November 18 to 25, 1966, and readout occurred through December 7, 1966. A total of 609 high-resolution and 208 medium-resolution frames were returned, most of excellent quality with resolutions down to 1 metre (3.3 ft).[9][10] These included a spectacular oblique picture of Copernicus crater, which was dubbed by the news media as one of the great pictures of the century. The photo was taken on the 23rd November at an altitude of 45km.[11] Accurate data were acquired from all other experiments throughout the mission. Three micrometeorite impacts were recorded. The spacecraft was used for tracking purposes until it impacted upon the lunar surface on command at 3.0 degrees N latitude, 119.1 degrees E longitude (selenographic coordinates) on October 11, 1967.
In 2011, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) was able to locate and image the precise impact point of the spacecraft. The debris from an impact angle of 45 degrees or more spreads out like butterfly wings.[12]
| Lunar Photographic Studies | Evaluation of Apollo and Surveyor landing sites |
|---|---|
| Meteoroid Detectors | Detection of micrometeoroids in the lunar environment |
| Caesium Iodide Dosimeters | Radiation environment en route to and near the Moon |
| Selenodesy | Gravitational field and physical properties of the Moon |
See also
- Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project
- Exploration of the Moon
- List of artificial objects on the Moon
- List of missions to the Moon
References
- ^ "Lunar Orbiter 2: Cesium Iodide Dosimeters". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ "Lunar Orbiter 2: Lunar Photographic Studies". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ "Lunar Orbiter 2: Meteoroid Detectors". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ "Lunar Orbiter 2: Micrometeoroid Detectors". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ "Lunar Orbiter 2: Selenodesy". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
- ^ "Lunar Orbiter 2". science.nasa.gov. NASA. December 8, 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ "Lunar Orbiter 2". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. NASA. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ^ B. A. Byers (1976). Destination Moon: A History of the Lunar Orbiter Program. NASA. ISBN 978-1-495-92029-5. NASA-TM-X-3487. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ "Lunar Orbiter Photo Gallery - Mission 2". Lunar and Planetary Institute. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ Thomas P. Hansen (1970). Guide to Lunar Orbiter Photographs. NASA. ISBN 978-1-499-16108-3. NASA-SP-242. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ P. Ulivi & D. M. Harland (2004). Lunar Exploration: Human Pioneers and Robot Surveyors. Springer. pp. 75–76. ISBN 978-1-852-33746-9.
- ^ Lester Black (2 November 2011). "Lunar Lost and Found: Rediscovering Old Wrecks on the Moon". Popular Mechanics. Retrieved 4 November 2011.