On July 31, 1964, a groundbreaking milestone was achieved in space exploration as the Ranger 7 spacecraft captured and transmitted the first close-up images of the Moon’s surface. This marked a significant milestone for the United States.
The photos that captured all were taken just 17 minutes before Ranger 7 crashed into the Moon. The crash was not a technical fault, but it was planned. The crash happened on the northern rim of the Sea of Clouds.
Ranger 7 was part of a mission that aimed to explore the unexplored area of the Moon. Before Ranger 7, there were many failures. The first six Ranger missions failed. Ranger 7 was the first to complete its mission successfully.
Ranger 7 Mission
Ranger 7 sent back 4,316 images of the Moon. These images were necessary to study our natural satellite. It helped scientists find safe landing places for future missions like Apollo 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17.
In 1960, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California started the Ranger program, which began a significant space exploration initiative. The goal was to take high-resolution images of the Moon. The Soviet Union had taken the first images of the Moon’s far side in 1959. So, to compete with the Soviet Union, the United States wanted to take better, clearer images.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) divided the Ranger missions into three phases. The first phase was called Block I. In this phase, missions tested the launch vehicle. The second phase was Block II.
These missions sought to significantly impact the Moon by capturing and transmitting images and valuable data back to Earth. The third phase was Block III. These Bolck III missions carried high-resolution cameras to capture more precise images.
The first two Block I missions failed. The spacecraft was left in Low Earth Orbit due to booster failures. The first Block II mission, Ranger 3, missed the Moon by 22,000 miles. It went into a solar orbit instead. Ranger 4 did hit the Moon, but a power failure meant it did not send back any images or data. Ranger 5 missed the Moon by 450 miles. It also had a power failure and did not send back any images or data.
The first Block III mission, Ranger 6, did hit the Moon. But a short circuit meant no images were returned. The pressure was high when Ranger 7 was launched. Only a few years remained before humans were due to land on the Moon. The Surveyor program was also preparing for its first launch. This program aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of a soft landing on the Moon.
Block I’s first two missions failed. Due to booster failures, the spacecraft was lost in low Earth orbit. Ranger 3, the first Block II mission, missed the Moon by 22,000 miles. Instead, it went into a solar orbit. Ranger 4 crashed into the Moon because of a power failure.
Because of this reason, it didn’t send back any images or data. Ranger 5 missed the Moon by 450 miles. This is because it also had a power failure and did not send any photos or data back.
The first Block III mission, Ranger 6, successfully hit the Moon, but no images were returned due to a short circuit. The pressure was high when Ranger 7 was launched. The first human landing on the Moon was just a few years away. The Surveyor program was also gearing up for its inaugural launch to demonstrate the practicality of a soft landing on the Moon.
The Ranger 7 mission was launched on July 28, 1964. The spacecraft launched from Cape Canaveral, completed a mid-course correction, and reached the Moon on July 31. The images sent back by Ranger 7 were stunning. The photos captured by Ranger 7 showed the incredible detail of the lunar surface. These images were necessary for the Apollo missions. They helped identify safe landing sites for astronauts.
The success of Ranger 7 was a significant step towards a human Moon landing in America’s lunar exploration program. In 1964, Ranger 7 captured the first high-resolution close-up photographs of the Moon, marking the first time close-up pictures of the lunar surface were available.
The images sent back by Ranger 7 were used to plan the Apollo missions. These missions eventually landed humans on the Moon. The success of Ranger 7 proved that the United States could achieve its space exploration goals.
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