Mission Description
Launched: 17 April, 1967
Landed: 20 April, 1967, 00:04:53 UT
Landing Site: Oceanus Procellarum (2.94°S latitude, 336.66°E longitude)
The data from Surveyor 3 showed that it touched down on the lunar surface three times before landing because the engines did not shut down as intended. The spacecraft moved 20 meters between the first and second touchdowns and about 11 meters between the second and third. A final translation movement of about 30 centimeters occurred following the third touchdown. The engines finally shut down prior to the third touchdown.
Like its predecessors, this mission carried a survey television camera, as well as other instrumentation for determining various properties of the lunar surface material. In addition, it carried a surface sampler instrument for digging trenches, making bearing tests, and otherwise manipulating the lunar material in view of the television system. During its operation, which ended May 4, 1967, Surveyor 3 acquired a large volume of new data and took 6326 pictures. In addition, the surface sampler accumulated 18 hours of operation, which yielded significant new information on the strength, texture, and structure of the lunar material to a depth of 17.5 centimeters.
Selection of the Target Site
All Surveyor landing sites, except for the last one, were selected primarily because they were being considered as Apollo landing sites. The site selected for Surveyor 3 was in the southeast part of Oceanus Procellarum. The spacecraft came to rest in a subdued, rounded crater about 200 meters in diameter approximately 370 kilometers south of the crater Copernicus. Later, this site was indeed the landing site of an Apollo mission. Apollo 12 landed nearby and the crew visited the Surveyor 3 landing site and conducted an investigation of the spacecraft.
Surveyor 3 Analysis on Apollo 12 Mission