NASA Facts: Uncrewed and Communications Programs, Lot of 4

Four issues of “NASA Facts” on the agency’s uncrewed science and communications satellites. “Orbiting Geophysical Observatory” (Vol. II, No. 13) covers OGO I, launched September 4, 1964 as the first of a series of large satellites carrying 20 experiments — well over the 8 aboard the smaller Explorer XVIII — to study the earth, space, and the sun’s effects on both. “Project Syncom” (Vol. II, No. 14, replacing C-5-63) covers Syncom III, launched August 1964 as the world’s first geostationary satellite, appearing stationary to a ground observer as it kept pace with a fixed point on the spinning earth.

“Lunar Orbiter” (NF-32, Vol. IV, No. 4) places the program alongside Ranger and Surveyor as one of three uncrewed efforts to scout landing sites ahead of Apollo, illustrated with a Lunar Orbiter II close-up of the vast Crater Copernicus and referencing Lunar Orbiter I’s August 10, 1966 launch. “Surveyor” (NF-35, Vol. IV, No. 6) covers Surveyor I’s June 2, 1966 soft landing in the Ocean of Storms after riding an Atlas-Centaur rocket from Cape Kennedy, detailing its extendable surface-sampler arm and referencing Surveyor III’s April 19, 1967 landing, which places this issue in mid-1967.