Lunar Orbiter

Lunar Orbiter 1

Aug 10, 1966

http://www.lpi.ursa.edu/lunar/missions/orbiterLunar Orbiter 1's purpose was to locate a place on the moon for the Apollo landing mission. It collected a huge amount of information on the landscape of the lunar surface.

Lunar Orbiter 2

Nov 6, 1966

http://www.lpi.ursa.edu/lunar/missions/orbiterThe main objectives of this mission were to get detailed photographs of the lunar areas, to see if these were suitible sites for the Aopllo and Surveyor spacecraft, and to increase our knowledge of the Moon. Although the equipment had a transmittal problem, it only lost a small number of pictures.

Lunar Orbiter 3

Feb 5, 1967

http://www.lpi.ursa.edu/lunar/missions/orbiterLunar Orbiter 3's main purpose was to verify the possible sites for landing the Apollo and/or Surveyor spacecraft. Lunar Obiter 3 transmitted only 75% of its pictures because of a malfunction with the film-advance motor.

Lunar Orbiter 4

May 4, 1967

http://www.lpi.ursa.edu/lunar/missions/orbiterThe objective of this mission was different from the first three missions. It was to increase the understanding of the whole Moon. Although Lunar Obiter 4 had some operational problems, the mission was still highly successful.

Lunar Orbiter 5

Aug 1, 1967

http://www.lpi.ursa.edu/lunar/missions/orbiterThis was the last mission for the Lunar Orbiter program. The purpose of this mission was to increase photo data with high-resolution pictures of selected sites. Lunar Orbiter 5 succesfully increased the photographic information about the lunar suface. It also took pictures of Earth.

Results of the Lunar Orbiter Missions

Jul 20, 1969

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11The Lunar Obiter missions were a success. The pictures from the missions provided information on 99 % of the Moon's surface. Mapping of the Moon's surface allowed the Apollo program to land the first person on the Moon.