Lunar Orbiter 1

Mission Profile

Lunar Orbiter 1 was the first of five identical NASA spacecraft launched beginning 10 August 1966 aboard Atlas SLV-3 Agena-D rockets to photograph and map the lunar surface in support of Apollo landing site selection. Equipped with two cameras producing medium and high-resolution images on photographic film developed aboard the spacecraft and electronically scanned for transmission, Lunar Orbiter 1 photographed nine potential Apollo landing sites and returned the first photographs taken from orbit showing the Earth rising above the lunar horizon. All five Lunar Orbiter spacecraft were enormously successful, mapping 99% of the Moon's near side at resolution sufficient to identify potential landing hazards. The program enabled NASA to select and certify Apollo landing sites with confidence and produced a photographic archive that remains scientifically valuable today.