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Aerial photographs

Photo of the moon taken by Ranger IX

Television picture of the Moon taken by Ranger IX prior to impact on March 24, 1965 at 06 08 20 PST. View with shadows to the left. North is at the top. Frame # next to last A frame. Camera A. Time 8.09 seconds before impact. Spacecraft altitude above Moon 12.2 miles. Dimensions 5.8 miles by 5.3 miles. Remarks: Shows large crater toward left margin which is 1.6 miles across and is situated on shallow rille running upward. A second rille near right margin is resolved as a string of chain craters.

Photo of the moon taken by Ranger IX

Television picture taken by Ranger IX of the Moon prior to impact on March 24, 1965 at 06 08 20 PST. View with shadows to the left. North is at the top. Frame # eighth from last A frame. Camera A. Time 38.8 seconds before impact. Spacecraft altitude above Moon 58 miles. Dimensions 28 miles by 26 miles. Remarks: Shows region of central peak of Alphonsus with rille running through its shadow toward upper right. Same rille is shown in next to last A frame with larger scale.

Photos of the moon taken by Ranger IX

Television pictures taken by Ranger IX of the Moon, prior to impact on March 24, 1965 at 06 08 20 PST. View with shadows to the left. North is at the top. Frame # last three P 1 frames. Camera P1. Time: Frame #3-0.453 seconds before impact. Spacecraft altitude above Moon 3/4 of a mile. Dimensions 160 feet by 125 feet for last P1. Remarks: Last three P1 camera frames are shown. The lower picture, #3, being the last in the sequence. Ranger 9 impacted in the circle on the edge of twenty-five foot crater near upper margin. The smallest visible crater is 2-1/2 feet across.

Photo of the moon taken by Ranger IX

Television picture taken by Ranger IX prior to impact on March 24, 1965 at 06 08 20 PST. View with shadows to the left. North is at the top. Frame #16th from last full B frame. Camera B. Time 1 minute 17 seconds before impact. Spacecraft altitude above Moon 115 miles. Remarks: Shows east edge of Alphonsus floor with part of surrounding wall in right 1/3 of picture. Crater floor is cut by prominent rilles which are lined with dark halo-type craters that have covered part of the rille. The crater walls have soft contours and are almost featureless.

Photo of the moon taken by Ranger IX

Television picture taken by Ranger IX prior to impact on March 24, 1965 at 06 08 20 PST. View with shadows to the left. North is at the top. Frame # last full B frame. Camera B. Time: 5.5 seconds before impact. Spacecraft altitude about Moon 8.3 miles. Dimensions 1.6 miles by 1.4 miles. Remarks: Show several major shallow depressions with numerous dimple craters and fine structure in shadowed area. Smallest craters shown are approximately 30 feet in diameter.

Photo of the moon taken by Ranger IX

Television picture taken by Ranger IX prior to impact on March 24, 1965 at 06 08 20 PST. View with shadows to the left. North is at the top. Frame #35. Camera A. Time: 2 minutes 50 seconds before impact. Spacecraft altitude above Moon 258 miles. Dimensions 121 miles by 109 miles. Remarks: Alphonsus fills right half of picture, Alpetragius is near lower left with broad central mountain and Davy A is in the top left corner. The floor of Alphonsus shows intricate pattern of ridges and rilles. Eight craters with dark patches are seen near crater wall.

Photo of the moon taken by Ranger IX

Television picture taken by Ranger IX prior to impact on March 24, 1965 at 06 08 20 PST. View with shadows to the left. North is at the top. Frame #110 frames from the last. Camera B. Time 9 minutes 18 seconds before impact. Spacecraft altitude above Moon is 775 miles. Dimensions 147 miles by 123 miles. Remarks: Shows slightly more than half of the three major craters; Ptolemasus at the top with central peak, Aphonsus on the left with rile system and a central peak that rises 3,300 feet above floor and Albategnius with 4,500 feet central peak.

Ranger Moon photography satellites

Washington -- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is preparing two spacecraft for launch on the final missions of the Ranger Moon photography program. The eighth and ninth Rangers, designated Rangers C and D, will be launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida, by Atlas Agena B launch vehicles. If successfully launched, they will be named Rangers VIII and IX. Objectives are to provide further scientific information on the Moon's surface as well as lunar topographical data in support of the Surveyor soft lander program and the Apollo manned landing program.

Drawing of Ranger spacecraft

Washington - An artist's concept of a Ranger spacecraft photographing the Moon before impact. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is preparing the Ranger spacecraft for launch for the final mission of the Ranger Moon photography program. The sixth Ranger, designated Ranger D, will be launched from Cape Kennedy, Florida, by an Atlas-Agena launch vehicle. If successfully launched it will be named Ranger IX.