Lunar Orbiter 3
Lunar Orbiter 3 image of the far side of the Moon, enhanced by LOIRP | |||||||||||
| Mission type | Lunar orbiter | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | NASA | ||||||||||
| COSPAR ID | 1967-008A | ||||||||||
| SATCAT no. | 2666 | ||||||||||
| Website | science.nasa.gov | ||||||||||
| Mission duration | 8 months, 4 days | ||||||||||
| Spacecraft properties | |||||||||||
| Manufacturer | Langley Research Center | ||||||||||
| Launch mass | 385.6 kg (850 lb) | ||||||||||
| Dimensions | 3.72 × 1.65 × 1.5 m (12.2 × 5.4 × 4.9 ft) | ||||||||||
| Power | 375 watts | ||||||||||
| Start of mission | |||||||||||
| Launch date | February 5, 1967, 01:17:01 UTC | ||||||||||
| Rocket | Atlas SLV-3 Agena-D | ||||||||||
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral LC-13 | ||||||||||
| End of mission | |||||||||||
| Disposal | Deorbited | ||||||||||
| Decay date | October 9, 1967, 10:27:11 UTC | ||||||||||
| Orbital parameters | |||||||||||
| Reference system | Selenocentric | ||||||||||
| Semi-major axis | 2,694 km (1,674 mi) | ||||||||||
| Eccentricity | 0.33 | ||||||||||
| Periselene altitude | 1,791 km (1,113 mi) | ||||||||||
| Aposelene altitude | 3,598 km (2,236 mi) | ||||||||||
| Inclination | 20.9 degrees | ||||||||||
| Period | 208.1 minutes | ||||||||||
| Epoch | February 7, 1967, 19:00:00 UTC | ||||||||||
| Lunar orbiter | |||||||||||
| Orbital insertion | February 8, 1967, 21:54 UTC | ||||||||||
| Impact site | 14°18′N 97°42′W / 14.3°N 97.7°W | ||||||||||
| Orbits | 1,702 | ||||||||||
| Transponders | |||||||||||
| Frequency | 2295 MHz | ||||||||||
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The Lunar Orbiter 3 was a spacecraft launched by NASA in 1967 as part of the Lunar Orbiter Program. It was designed primarily to photograph areas of the lunar surface for confirmation of safe landing sites for the Surveyor and Apollo missions. It was also equipped to collect selenodetic, radiation intensity, and micrometeoroid impact data.