Lunar Orbiter 2

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Lunar Orbiter 2
Mission typeLunar
orbiter
OperatorNASA
COSPAR ID1966-100A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.2534
Mission duration339 days
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerLangley Research Center
Launch mass385.6 kilograms (850 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch dateNovember 6, 1966, 23:21:00 (1966-11-06UTC23:21Z) UTC
Rocket
LC-13
End of mission
Decay dateOctober 11, 1967 (1967-10-12)
Orbital parameters
Reference system
Semi-major axis
2,694 kilometers (1,674 mi)
Eccentricity0.35
Periselene altitude1,790 kilometers (1,110 mi)
Aposelene altitude3,598 kilometers (2,236 mi)
Inclination11.9 degrees
Period208.07 minutes
EpochNovember 9, 1966, 19:00:00 UTC[2]
Lunar orbiter
Orbital insertionNovember 10, 1966
Impact site3°00′N 119°06′E / 3.0°N 119.1°E / 3.0; 119.1
Orbits2,346
 

The 1966 Lunar Orbiter 2

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 mi × 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 ft 3 in).

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.[7]

Spacecraft orbit and photographic coverage on the near side (left) and far side (right)
Instruments
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
  • Photograph taken by Lunar Orbiter 2 on November 20, 1966, 29 miles (47 km) above the lunar surface, over the Sea of Tranquility.
    Photograph taken by Lunar Orbiter 2 on November 20, 1966, 29 miles (47 km) above the lunar surface, over the
    Sea of Tranquility
    .

See also

References

  1. ^ "Lunar Orbiter 2". NASA's Solar System Exploration website. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
  2. ^ "NASA - NSSDCA - Spacecraft - Trajectory Details". nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  3. ^ "Destination Moon: A history of the Lunar Orbiter Program". NASA. 1976. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  4. ^ "Lunar Orbiter Photo Gallery - Mission 2". Lunar and Planetary Institute. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  5. ^ Hansen, Thomas P. "Guide to Lunar Orbiter Photographs" (PDF). NASA. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  6. ISBN 185233746X
    .
  7. ^ "Lunar Lost and Found - Rediscovering Old Wrecks on the Moon". Popular Mechanics. November 2, 2011. Retrieved November 4, 2011.
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