...Lunar
Orbiter
.....Five
Lunar Orbiter missions were launched in
1966 through 1967 with the purpose of
mapping the lunar surface before the
Apollo landings. All five missions were
successful, and 99% of the Moon was
photographed with a resolution of 60
meters (197 feet) or better. The first
three missions |
were
dedicated to imaging 20 potential lunar
landing sites, selected based on Earth-based
observations. These were flown at low-inclination
orbits. The fourth and fifth missions
were devoted to broader scientific
objectives and were flown in high-altitude
polar orbits. Lunar Orbiter 4
photographed the entire nearside and 95
percent of the farside, and Lunar Orbiter
5 completed the farside coverage and
acquired medium (20-meter or 660-foot)
and high (2-meter or 6.6-foot) resolution
images of 36 pre-selected areas |
