* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: The Lunar Orbiter 2

Blobrana · L

Anniversary of the Lunar Orbiter 2 Launch in 1966

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Lost 1967 spacecraft found crashed on Moon

NASA scientists believe they may have found the final resting place of a 1960s space probe which took "the picture of the [last] century" before crashlanding on the far side of the Moon.
The information comes in new imagery from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), sent up to circle the Moon under the Bush administration's plan for a manned return to our satellite body as a precursor to Mars missions. The LRO was intended to map the lunar surface in unprecedented detail, perhaps discovering useful ice deposits or crater-rim landing sites where solar power would be available year round.
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Blobrana · L

Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project (LOIRP) has reprocessed two more high resolution images taken by Lunar Orbiter 2 in 1966
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The Lunar Orbiter 2 spacecraft 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.
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.
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