Key Dates:
- 01.30.64: Launch (15:49:09 UT)
- 02.02.64: Lunar Impact (09:24:32 UT)
- Status: Mission Complete
Scientific Instruments:
- Suite of 6 TV Cameras
Ranger 6 Information:
Each Ranger spacecraft was designed to make a "kazikaze" dive straight into the Moon and send close-range images back to Earth right up until they crashed into the surface. The cameras onboard each spacecraft were designed to provide different exposure times, fields of view, lenses, and scan rates, and they were arranged in two separate self-contained chains, each with its own power supply, timer, and transmitter.
Ranger 6 was another successful failure. The spacecraft made it to the Moon and impacted as planned, but no pictures were returned due to a short in the power supply for the TV camera package. The lunar impact coordinates are 9°24' north latitude and 20°30' east longitude. One major success was using Ranger 6 as the first in a series of missions to test new technologies such as deploying solar panels. The breakthroughs ultimately enabled spacecraft to travel further and perform better in deep space.
