46 years ago: First U.S. spacecraft, Ranger 4, impacts Moon

William Atkins
Tuesday, 22 April 2008 03:59

Science - Space

Ranger 4, along with the other Ranger spacecraft, helped to prepare NASA to send astronauts to the Moon during the Apollo program.

The high-quality images sent back by Ranger 7, 8, and 9 helped to select lunar landing sites for Apollo 11, the first manned mission to the Moon by the United States, and subsequent Apollo missions.

In February 1965, Ranger 8 took pictures over the southern part of Oceanus Procellarum and Mare Nubium. It later crashed in Mare Tranquillitatis, near where the Apollo 11 lunar lander would set down in July 1969.

For more information on the Ranger series of U.S. spacecraft, visit:

NASA Solar System Exploration: Missions to the Moon: Ranger

Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI): Universities Space Research Association (USRA): The Ranger Program

LPI: USRA: Ranger Photographs of the Moon