Surveyor 7 Lunar Mission

Abstract

The spacecraft Surveyor 7 landed on the outer rim of the crater Tycho on January 10, 1968. The landing area was selected to provide contrast with the mare sites of previous Surveyor landings. The surface at this highland site, associated with a major crater, was expected to consist of material that came from depth in relatively recent times. Surveyor 7 carried an alpha-particle backscattering instrument, a soil mechanics surface sampler, a television camera, and auxiliary mirrors and magnets. Data were obtained on the following properties of the lunar surface: topography and geology of the site; character, variety, density, size, distribution, and erosion of rocks; photometry and optical polarization associated with rock surfaces; nature and depth of the surface layer of fine particles; density, bearing capacity, bearing load-penetration relations, cohesion, adhesion, photometry and optical polarization of the fine particulate material; elemental composition and magnetic behavior of fine material and rocks; infrared brightness temperature; thermal inertia; microwave reflectivity. Microwave Doppler measurements were made of the motion of the landing site relative to earth. Pictures were taken of earth through polarizing filters, of lasers on earth, and of the solar corona.