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This is a 1/5 scale model of the Surveyor spacecraft, which was used by NASA and Hughes Aircraft Company engineering teams for demonstration and technical discussions during the soft-landing lunar program. This miniature spacecraft was built by Hughes model makers working from original plans of the flight spacecraft. It closely represents the Surveyor III spacecraft that was later examined by the Apollo 12 astronauts. Five of the seven spacecraft built by Hughes for NASA successfully landed on the moon during the period from June 1966 to January 1968, paving the way for a manned landing on the Moon. Object is currently on display in the Exploring the Planets gallery, NASM 207.

 Long Description

Surveyor (1966-1968)

The Surveyor probes were the first U.S. spacecraft to land safely on the Moon. The main objectives of the Surveyors were to obtain close-up images of the lunar surface and to determine if the terrain was safe for manned landings. Each Surveyor was equipped with a television camera. In addition, Surveyors 3 and 7 each carried a soil mechanics surface sampler scoop which dug trenches and was used for soil mechanics tests and Surveyors 5, 6, and 7 had magnets attached to the footpads and an alpha scattering instrument for chemical analysis of the lunar material. The following Surveyor missions took place.

Surveyor 1

Launched 30 May 1966

Landed 02 June 1966, 06:17:37 UT

Latitude 2.45 S, Longitude 316.79 E - Flamsteed P

Surveyor 2

Launched 20 September 1966

Crashed on Moon 22 September 1966

Vernier engine failed to ignite - southeast of Copernicus Crater

Surveyor 3

Launched 17 April 1967

Landed 20 April 1967, 00:04:53 UT

Latitude 2.94 S, Longitude 336.66 E - Oceanus Procellarum (Ocean of Storms)

Surveyor 4

Launched 14 July 1967

Radio contact lost 17 July 1967

2.5 minutes from touchdown - Sinus Medii

Surveyor 5

Launched 08 September 1967

Landed 11 September 1967, 00:46:44 UT

Latitude 1.41 N, Longitude 23.18 E - Mare Tranquillitatus (Sea of Tranquility)

Surveyor 6

Launched 07 November 1967

Landed 10 November 1967, 01:01:06 UT

Latitude 0.46 N, Longitude 358.63 E - Sinus Medii

Surveyor 7

Launched 07 January 1968

Landed 10 January 1968, 01:05:36 UT

Latitude 41.01 S, Longitude 348.59 E - Tycho North Rim

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin United States of America Type MODELS-Uncrewed Spacecraft & Parts Manufacturer Hughes Aircraft Co.
 Dimensions Overall (1:5 scale): 1 ft. 10 1/8 in. tall x 2 ft. 5 3/4 in. wide x 2 ft. 5 3/4 in. deep, 31 lb. (56.2 x 75.6 x 75.6cm, 14.1kg)
 Materials White frame, paddles, blades, feet, and packages. Blue simulated solar cells. Bright steel engines and structural parts. Aluminum packages, spheres, and component parts. Some spheres black and white striped.
 Inventory Number A19690236000 Credit Line Gift of Hughes Aircraft Company Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Open Access (CCO)
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