This photo is dated December 22, 1961, and is from a group of images called “Ranger 3 still shots at Cape Canaveral.” Given the date and the caption, it’s safe to say that this is a photo of technicians preparing the ill-fated Ranger 3 spacecraft for launch to the Moon—NASA's first attempt to land a spacecraft on the Moon. A series of malfunctions sent the spacecraft hurtling past the Moon, and Ranger 3 was unable to enter lunar orbit.