Geology topics

R. M. Batson

Publications and source records attributed to R. M. Batson.

40 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

USGS1968

Chapter 3: Television observations from Surveyor VII

Surveyor VII, the last spacecraft of the Surveyor series, successfully landed at 01:05:36 GMT, January 10, 1968, on the outer rim flank of the large crater Tycho, in the southern part of the Moon. The spacecraft landed about 30 hours after local lunar sunrise and transmitted about 21,000 pictures during the remainder of the first lunar day of operation. On January 22, after local sunset, almost 700 pictures were taken of the Earth, the Sun's corona and parts of the lunar surface illuminated by earthlight. On February 12, Surveyor VII was revived for operation on the second lunar day approximately 120 hours after local lunar sunrise. The camera was then operated in the 200-line (low-resolution) mode because of loss in horizontal sweep in the 600-line (high-resolution) mode. About 45 pictures were taken in the 200-line mode during the second lunar day before loss of power caused suspension of camera operation.

Book chapter↗

USGS1967

Surveyor V: Television pictures

Surveyor V landed in a small crater, 8.5 meters wide and 12.5 meters long, which was probably formed by drainage of surficial fragmental debris into a subsurface fissure. The lunar surface debris layer is exposed in the walls of this crater. At depths below about 10 centimeters, the debris appears to be composed mainly of shock-compressed aggregates, ranging from a few millimeters up to 3 centimeters in diameter, set in a matrix of less-coherent finer particles. Rocky chips and fragments larger than a millimeter are dispersed as a subordinate constituent of the debris.

Science↗

USGS1967

Chapter III: Television observations from Surveyor V

Surveyor V landed on the lunar surface at 00:46:44 GMT on Day 254 (September 11), 35 hr after local sunrise on the moon. Between the time of landing and lunar sunset, 13 days later, it transmitted more than 18,000 high-quality television pictures of the lunar surface and parts of the spacecraft. The Surveyor V camera was operated extensively from the Goldstone, California, and Canberra, Australia, Tracking Stations of the Deep Space Network; some pictures were also received at the Madrid, Spain, Tracking Station.

Book chapter↗

USGS1967

Chapter III: Television observations from Surveyor III

Surveyor III landed on the lunar surface at 00:04 GMT, on Day 110 (April 20), 1967, approximately 23 h after local sunrise on the moon. The television camera was turned on about 1 h after touchdown, and 6315 pictures were taken during the remainder of the lunar day. The camera was operated extensively for the first period of lunar visibility from the Goldstone Tracking Station of the Deep Space Network (DSN) and, except on Day 115 (April 25), on each successive Goldstone pass of the moon. During this period, the sun rose from an elevation angle of 11 deg in the east to within 3 deg of the zenith and then sank almost due west of the spacecraft. Many pictures were obtained of the illuminated eastern horizon in the period immediately preceding sunset. In addition to those received at the Goldstone station, some were obtained at the Canberra, Australia, station of the DSN.

Book chapter↗