Ranger 4 Organization: NASA Major contractors: Jet Propulsion Laboratory Mission type: Lunar Science Satellite of: Moon Launch date: April 23, 1962 at 20:50:00 UTC Launch vehicle: Atlas-Agena B Decay: Impacted the Moon on April 26, 1962, 12:49:53 UTC at 15°31' south - 130°42' west on lunar farside. Mission duration: 64 hours NSSDC ID: 1962-012A Webpage: NASA NSSDC Master Catalog Mass: 331.1 kg Orbits: Lunar impact edit

Instruments Television  : transmit closeup pictures of the lunar surface Seismometer : determine the presence or absence of lunar seismicity

Ranger 4 was a spacecraft of the Ranger program designed to transmit pictures of the lunar surface to Earth stations during a period of 10 minutes of flight prior to impacting on the Moon, to rough-land a seismometer capsule on the Moon, to collect gamma-ray data in flight, to study radar reflectivity of the lunar surface, and to continue testing of the Ranger program for development of lunar and interplanetary spacecraft. An onboard computer failure caused failure of the deployment of the solar panels and navigation systems; as a result the spacecraft impacted on the far side of the Moon without returning any scientific data. Ranger 4 spacecraft. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (IPA [ˈnæsə]) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... For the singer/songwriter, see Jon Peter Lewis. ... For other moons in the solar system see natural satellite. ... This article is about Earths moon. ... is the 113th day of the year (114th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... UTC redirects here. ... Mercury Atlas 9 rocket and capsule on pad The Atlas is a venerable line of space launch vehicles built by Lockheed Martin. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) is a department in NASAs Solar System Exploration Division. ... The Ranger program was a series of unmanned space missions by the United States in the 1960s whose objective was to obtain the first close-up images of the surface of the Moon. ... This article is about Earth as a planet. ... This article is about Earths moon. ... Seismometers (in Greek seismos = earthquake and metero = measure) are used by seismologists to measure and record the size and force of seismic waves. ... For the music band, see Gamma Ray (band). ... A photovoltaic module is composed of individual PV cells. ... Far side of the Moon. ...

Spacecraft design

Ranger 4 was a Block II Ranger spacecraft virtually identical to Ranger 3. The basic vehicle was 331 kg, 3.1 m high and consisted of a lunar capsule covered with a balsawood impact-limiter, 650 mm in diameter, a mono-propellant mid-course motor, a 5080 lbf (22.6 kN) thrust retrorocket, and a gold- and chrome-plated hexagonal base 1.5 m in diameter. A large high-gain dish antenna was attached to the base. Two wing-like solar panels (5.2 m across) were attached to the base and deployed early in the flight. Power was generated by 8680 solar cells contained in the solar panels which charged an 11.5 kg 1 kWh capacity AgZn launching and backup battery. Spacecraft control was provided by a solid-state computer and sequencer and an earth-controlled command system. Attitude control was provided by Sun and Earth sensors, gyroscopes, and pitch and roll jets. The telemetry system aboard the spacecraft consisted of two 960 MHz transmitters, one at 3 W power output and the other at 50 mW power output, the high-gain antenna, and an omni-directional antenna. White paint, gold and chrome plating, and a silvered plastic sheet encasing the retrorocket furnished thermal control. Ranger 3 was a spacecraft of the Ranger program that was launched to study the Moon on January 26, 1962. ...

The experimental apparatus included: (1) a vidicon television camera, which employed a scan mechanism that yielded one complete frame in 10 s; (2) a gamma-ray spectrometer mounted on a 1.8 m boom; (3) a radar altimeter; and (4) a seismometer to be rough-landed on the lunar surface. The seismometer was encased in the lunar capsule along with an amplifier, a 50-milliwatt transmitter, voltage control, a turnstile antenna, and 6 silver-cadmium batteries capable of operating the lunar capsule transmitter for 30 days, all designed to land on the Moon at 130 to 160 km/h (80 to 100 mph). The radar altimeter would be used for reflectivity studies, but was also designed to initiate capsule separation and ignite the retro-rocket.

Mission

The mission was designed to boosted towards the Moon by an Atlas/Agena, undergo one mid-course correction, and impact the lunar surface. At the appropriate altitude, a smaller capsule was to separate and the retrorockets ignite to cushion the landing. Due to an apparent failure of a timer in the spacecraft's central computer and sequencer following launch the command signals for the extension of the solar panels and the operation of the sun and earth acquisition system were never given. The instrumentation ceased operation after about 10 hours of flight. The spacecraft was tracked by the battery-powered 50 milliwatt transmitter in the lunar landing capsule. Ranger 4 impacted the far side of the Moon (229.3 degrees E, 15.5 degrees S) at 9600 km/h at 12:49:53 UT on April 26, 1962 after 64 hours of flight. is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

This spacecraft, similar in design to Ranger 3, was the first U.S. spacecraft to reach another celestial body. A power failure in the central computer and sequencer stopped the spacecraft’s master clock and prevented the vehicle from performing any of its preplanned operations, such as opening its solar panels. Drifting aimlessly and without any midcourse corrections, Ranger 4 impacted the Moon on its far side at 12:49:53 UT on 26 April 1962. Impact coordinates were 15°30' south latitude and 130°42' west longitude. Although the spacecraft did not achieve its primary objective, the Atlas-Agena-Ranger combination performed without fault for the first time. is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• List of artificial objects on the Moon

Map of the moon showing some landing sites. ...

External links

• Lunar impact: A history of Project Ranger (PDF) 1977

 

Ranger
Previous mission:	Ranger 3	Next mission:	Ranger 5
Ranger 1 | Ranger 2 | Ranger 3 | Ranger 4 | Ranger 5 | Ranger 6 | Ranger 7 | Ranger 8 | Ranger 9

This article contains material that originally came from a NASA website. According to their site usage guidelines, "NASA material is not protected by copyright unless noted". For more information, please review NASA's use guidelines. The Ranger program was a series of unmanned space missions by the United States in the 1960s whose objective was to obtain the first close-up images of the surface of the Moon. ... Download high resolution version (526x642, 129 KB) Ranger Block III spacecraft (NASA) Downloaded from NASA NIX Website: http://nix. ... Ranger 3 was a spacecraft of the Ranger program that was launched to study the Moon on January 26, 1962. ... Ranger 5 was a spacecraft of the Ranger program designed to transmit pictures of the lunar surface to Earth stations during a period of 10 minutes of flight prior to impacting on the Moon, to rough-land a seismometer capsule on the Moon, to collect gamma-ray data in flight... Ranger 1 was a spacecraft in the Ranger program whose primary mission was to test the performance of those functions and parts necessary for carrying out subsequent lunar and planetary missions. ... Ranger 2 was a flight test of the Ranger spacecraft system of the Ranger program designed for future lunar and interplanetary missions. ... Ranger 3 was a spacecraft of the Ranger program that was launched to study the Moon on January 26, 1962. ... Ranger 5 was a spacecraft of the Ranger program designed to transmit pictures of the lunar surface to Earth stations during a period of 10 minutes of flight prior to impacting on the Moon, to rough-land a seismometer capsule on the Moon, to collect gamma-ray data in flight... Ranger 6 was designed to achieve a lunar impact trajectory and to transmit high-resolution photographs of the lunar surface during the final minutes of flight up to impact. ... First image of the Moon taken by a US spacecraft. ... Ranger 8 was designed to achieve a lunar impact trajectory and to transmit high-resolution photographs of the lunar surface during the final minutes of flight up to impact. ... Ranger 9 was designed to achieve a lunar impact trajectory and to transmit high-resolution photographs of the lunar surface during the final minutes of flight up to impact. ... The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (IPA [ˈnæsə]) is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nations public space program. ... Not to be confused with copywriting. ...