NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

Lunar Orbiter 4

Launch Time
Thu May 04, 1967 22:25 UTC

Rocket

Atlas-SLV3 Agena-D
Image Credit: USAF or NASA
General Dynamics
Status: Retired
Payload to LEO: 1,825 kg
Stages: 2
Strap-ons: 0

Mission Details

Lunar Orbiter 4

Lunar Orbiter 4 was a robotic U.S. spacecraft, part of the Lunar Orbiter Program, designed to orbit the Moon after the three previous orbiters had completed the required needs for Apollo mapping and site selection. It was given a more general objective, to "perform a broad systematic photographic survey of lunar surface features in order to increase the scientific knowledge of their nature, origin, and processes, and to serve as a basis for selecting sites for more detailed scientific study by subsequent orbital and landing missions". It was also equipped to collect selenodetic, radiation intensity, and micrometeoroid impact data. The spacecraft was placed in a cislunar trajectory and injected into an elliptical near polar high lunar orbit for data acquisition. The orbit was 2,706 by 6,111 kilometres (1,681 mi × 3,797 mi) with an inclination of 85.5 degrees and a period of 12 hours.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 386.0 kg
Trans Lunar Injection

Location

LC-13, Cape Canaveral SFS, Florida, USA

Stats

1967

45th orbital launch attempt

Atlas-Agena

91st mission
4th mission of 1967
72nd successful mission
1st consecutive successful mission