Data[]
| Category. | Statistic. |
|---|---|
| Launch vehicle. | Atlas-Agena Atlas LV-3 Agena-B, |
| Launch date. | February 17, 1965, 17:05:00 UTC, |
| Launch site. | Cape Canaveral LC-12, |
| Ceased operations. | February 20, 1965, 09:57:36.756 UTC, |
| Owner(s). | NASA, |
| Major contractor(s) , | Jet Propulsion Laboratory, |
| Is it still in orbit. | No, |
| Launch mass, | 367 kilograms (809 lb), |
| Nationality(s). | American. |
| Satellite type. | Lunar impactor, |
| Links, | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranger_8, |
A image of the moon taken by Ranger 8, showing the craters Ritter and Sabine.
History[]
Its 6 television vidicon cameras: two full-scan cameras, and four partial scan cameras helped document the Moon's surface and gave NASA much information as to whether a moon landing was possible. The impact crater of Ranger 8, approximately 13.5m wide, was later photographed by Lunar Orbiter 4. American scientists and officials saw its footage and crater as a vindication of earlier theories about the moon's surface.