| THE RACE TO THE MOON | ||
In late 1959, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) was selected by NASA to develop a series of five lunar spacecraft that could be used to obtain information on the Moon’s surface. Launched on an Atlas-Agena B launch vehicle, they were to obtain the information quickly, taking photographs of the lunar surface prior to impacting with it. Ranger 4 was launched on April 23, 1962. It impacted with the lunar surface at a speed of 5,976 miles per hour and became the first American-built craft to reach the Moon. Ranger 7 was launched from Cape Canaveral on July 28, 1964. Before it impacted with the Moon, the craft sent back 4,309 photos of the Moon to Earth. |
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