Lunar Orbiter 1
Lunar Orbiter 1 was launched on August 10, 1966, becoming the first American spacecraft to enter lunar orbit. It mapped over 5 million square kilometers of the lunar surface to scout landing sites for Apollo and Surveyor missions. On August 23, 1966, it pointed its camera away from the surface to take the world's first photograph of Earth rising above the lunar horizon. It was commanded to impact the lunar far side on October 29, 1966, to prevent radio interference with future orbiters.
Mission Imagery & Gallery
Primary Achievement
First US spacecraft to orbit the Moon; captured the iconic first photograph of Earth from lunar orbit on August 23, 1966.
Mission Objectives
- Enter elliptical lunar orbit and acquire high-resolution photographic coverage of potential Apollo landing sites
- Collect lunar gravitational field and radiation data
- Demonstrate orbital operations and controlled deorbit
Timeline Events
- 1966-08-10 — Launched from Cape Canaveral LC-13.
- 1966-08-14 — Entered lunar orbit, becoming the first US spacecraft to orbit the Moon.
- 1966-08-23 — Captured the historic first photograph of planet Earth from lunar orbit.
- 1966-10-29 — Commanded to impact the far side on orbit 577 to avoid telemetry conflicts with Lunar Orbiter 2.
Related Missions
- Apollo 8 (1968) · NASA
- Surveyor 1 (1966) · NASA
- Apollo 11 (1969) · NASA
Historical & Technical Sources
Ready to view Lunar Orbiter 1 in 3D?
Interactive 3D Moon viewer with exact site coordinates, sun position, and surrounding topography.
🚀 View Lunar Orbiter 1 on 3D Moon