The Scientific Instruments on Surveyor

The Surveyor Program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration successfully soft-landed five spacecraft on the surface of the Moon between June 2, 1966, and January 10, 1968. Three scientific instruments were developed specifically for this program and were carried by one or more spacecraft to the lunar surface. A 600-line television camera was used on all five spacecraft and returned nearly 90 000 pictures from the Moon. An alpha-scattering instrument, devised for this program, was successfully operated on the lunar surface to give the first elemental analysis of the lunar top soil. This instrument was carried on three spacecraft and made an analysis of six lunar samples. A surface sampler was also mounted on two of the spacecraft and was used to manipulate the Moon´s surface, allowing the first estimate to be made of the mechanical properties of the top few inches of lunar surface. After a brief description of the Surveyor Program, this paper describes each of the three instruments and assesses their capabilities. An outline of their operation on the lunar surface is given.