1967-04-17 USA Surveyor 3

"SpaceCraft" Surveyor 3 launch cover cancelled at PAFB, April 17, 1967.

Launched on 17 April 1967, Surveyor 3 touched down in Oceanus Procellarum ("Ocean of Storms") on April 20, 1967, a few miles off target and about 380 miles (610 km) east of Surveyor 1. As Surveyor 3 came in for a soft landing on the moon, one of its thrusters didn't turn off at the right time and the spacecraft bounced a couple of times before it came to rest.

Photo: Surveyor 3 launched on April 17, 1967.

Surveyor 3 launch cover with NASA cachet, cancelled at KSC on April 17, 1967.

Photo: "Ocean of Storms" (area marked with a cross) was the site for landing the Surveyor 3 on the moon.

"Orbit Covers" Surveyor 3 launch cover cancelled at Cape Canaveral, April 17, 1967.

About 6,300 lunar surface photographs were transmitted back to earth, in addition sent invaluable data from its digging and scraping mechanism that determine the mechanical properties of the lunar soil. The soil sample analyzed confirmed the moon could bear the weight of an Apollom manned spacecraft. Unfortunately, the images were severely compromised by the presence of dust on the mirror.

Photo: Illustration of Surveyor 3 soft landing on the moon.

"SpaceCraft" Surveyor 3 soft-landed on the moon cover cancelled at Cape Canaveral, April 19, 1967. Signed by Deputy Project Manager for Hughes Aircraft Co. Operation, Howard B. Haglund.

Photo: "Howard Haglund of Jet Propulsion Laboratory holds a photo from Surveyor 3 showing one of the footpads (white object in lower right corner of picture he holds) and two indentations in the moon's surface. The impressions were made when the spacecraft bounced twice before it settled down 4/19. Haglund also holds a scale model of the Surveyor's footpad. UPI TELEPHOTO, April 20, 1967."

Photo: In this picture, televised to earth by Surveyor 3, the small mechanical shovel of the spacecraft reached out to take a bite of the moon's surface. The boxlike object at the bottom is an auxiliary battery. April 22, 1967.