Lunar Orbiter, Card No 23 (RaceIntoSpace 1971)

The Race Into Space (Brooke Bond, 1971)

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Card No. 23: Lunar Orbiter

10th August 1966

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Five Lunar Orbiters were built to map the Moon's surface and enable suitable sites to be selected for the American manned Moon-landings planned for Apollo.

The first was launched from Cape Kennedy on Aug 10, 1966. From its lunar orbit, the 853 pound Orbiter returned pictures of the Moon for 19 days.

The other Orbiters, launched on Nov. 6, 1966 Feb. 4, 1967, May 4, 1967, and Aug.1, 1967, were all successful.

Each was commanded (or allowed) to crash on the Moon after its work was done, to prevent it interfering with the Apollo flights.