Lunar Orbiter 4

Image taken by Lunar Orbiter 4, showing the Moon with a crescent Earth in the background. Enhanced by LOIRP.
Mission type	Lunar orbiter
Operator	NASA
COSPAR ID	1967-041A
SATCAT no.	2772
Mission duration	180 days
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer	Langley Research Center
Launch mass	385.6 kilograms (850 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	May 4, 1967, 22:25:00 (1967-05-04UTC22:25Z) UTC
Rocket	Atlas SLV-3 Agena-D
Launch site	Cape Canaveral LC-13
End of mission
Last contact	July 17, 1967 (1967-07-18)
Decay date	October 6, 1967
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Selenocentric
Semi-major axis	6,152.5 kilometers (3,823.0 mi)
Eccentricity	0.28
Periselene	4,449 kilometers (2,764 mi)
Aposelene	7,856 kilometers (4,881 mi)
Inclination	85.5 degrees
Period	721 minutes
Epoch	7 March 1967, 20:00:00 UTC[1]
Lunar orbiter
Orbital insertion	May 8, 1967, 21:54 UTC
Orbits	360
Lunar Orbiter program ← Lunar Orbiter 3 Lunar Orbiter 5 →

Lunar Orbiter 4 was an unmanned U.S. spacecraft, part of the Lunar Orbiter Program, designed to orbit the Moon, after the three previous orbiters had completed the required needs for Apollo mapping and site selection. It was given a more general objective, to "perform a broad systematic photographic survey of lunar surface features in order to increase the scientific knowledge of their nature, origin, and processes, and to serve as a basis for selecting sites for more detailed scientific study by subsequent orbital and landing missions". It was also equipped to collect selenodetic, radiation intensity, and micrometeoroid impact data. The spacecraft was placed in a cislunar trajectory and injected into an elliptical near polar high lunar orbit for data acquisition. The orbit was 2,706 by 6,111 kilometres (1,681 mi × 3,797 mi) with an inclination of 85.5 degrees and a period of 12 hours.

After initial photography on May 11, 1967 problems started occurring with the camera's thermal door, which was not responding well to commands to open and close. Fear that the door could become stuck in the closed position covering the camera lenses led to a decision to leave the door open. This required extra attitude control maneuvers on each orbit to prevent light leakage into the camera which would ruin the film. On May 13 it was discovered that light leakage was damaging some of the film, and the door was tested and partially closed. Some fogging of the lens was then suspected due to condensation resulting from the lower temperatures. Changes in the attitude raised the temperature of the camera and generally eliminated the fogging. Continuing problems with the readout drive mechanism starting and stopping beginning on May 20 resulted in a decision to terminate the photographic portion of the mission on May 26. Despite problems with the readout drive the entire film was read and transmitted. The spacecraft acquired photographic data from May 11 to 26, 1967, and readout occurred through June 1, 1967. The orbit was then lowered to gather orbital data for the upcoming Lunar Orbiter 5 mission.

A total of 419 high-resolution and 127 medium-resolution frames were acquired, covering 99% of the Moon's near side at resolutions from 58 to 134 metres (190 to 440 ft). Accurate data was acquired from all other experiments throughout the mission. Radiation data showed increased dosages due to solar particle events producing low energy protons. The spacecraft was used for tracking until it struck the lunar surface due to the natural decay of the orbit no later than October 31, 1967, between 22–30 degrees W longitude.

Spacecraft orbit and photographic coverage on the near side (left) and far side (right)

See also[edit]

• Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project


• Exploration of the Moon


• Lunar Orbiter 1


• Lunar Orbiter 2


• Lunar Orbiter 3


• Lunar Orbiter 5

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• DESTINATION MOON: A history of the Lunar Orbiter Program (html version) 1976


• 
  Lunar Orbiter Photo Gallery - Mission 4 at the Lunar and Planetary Institute