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C/20546
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION TELS WO 2-4155
WO 3-6925
FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY AM' s
July 23, 1964
RELEASE NO: 64-176
SEVENTH RANGER
READY FOR LAUNCH
ON MOON PHOTO FLIGHT
hit the Moon Feb. 2, within 20 miles of its target point in the
Sea of Tranquility. The television cameras did not go to full
power, however, and no pictures were returned to Earth.
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0
TRAJECTORY LIUTQ-JATIONS ON RANGER
MISSIONS
Q
-2' PHOTOGRt&I-{IC
SUN
/b ...... \
|- - - -s-
FIRST THIRD
QUARTER a - QUARTER
MOON / MOON
RANGER
TRAJECTORY
FULL
MOON
Ranger-B arrived at Cape Kennedy June 21, after a four-day
van trip cross-country.
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Five scientific investigators will evaluate Ranger-B's
photographs to determine characteristics of lunar topography. Q
1
1C
19 A
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CONTENTS
Title Pae
INTRODUCTION ............
6
Modifications in A-i.. 7
RANGER SPACECRAFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Midcourse Motor . . . . . . . ... 10
Communications . . . . . . .. . . . . . 9 11
Stabilization System . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Television System . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
RANGER FACT SHEET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Previous Ranger Missions . . . . . . . . . 20
LAUNCH V:EHICLE . .. . . . . . . .. 22
LiftoffrWeight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Liftoff Height . . . . 23
Atlas D Booster . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Agena B Second Stage . . . . . . . . .
. . 24
Countdown Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
I s-) Postlaunch Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
RANGERTRAJECTORY ..... ........... 28
MISSION DESCRIPTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Acquisition Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Midcourse Maneuver . . . . . . . . . . . .7
Terminal Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Television System Operation . . . . . . . . 42
Photograph Recording . . . . . . . . . . . 44
DEEP SPACE NETWORK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
RANGER TEAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
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INTRODUCTION
Warmn-up of the cameras was achieved, but the systems did not go
to full power.
sonnel from NASA, JPL and Radio Corp. of America was that the
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O
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MODIFICATIONS IN RA-B
testing.
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RANGER SPACECRAFT
hexagonal structure with the rocket nozzle facing down. The bus
and 8- feet high. With the solar panels extended and the higL-
Two solar panels are hinged to the base of the hexarcn and
are folded up like butterfly wings during launch. The panels
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S w. SOM-'I ANTENNA
RANGER ANTENNA
SPACECRAFT
lg CAMERA APERTURE
TV SUB SYSTEM
AND SHROUD
PII
ATTITUD CONTRO SOLAR PANEL LATCH
ATTITUDE CONTROL
ELECTRONICS
u
0`7
v 6t
HIGH-GAIN ANTENNA
SOLAR PANEL
BATTERIES
- *ATTITUDE CONTROL
GAS-STORAGE BOTTLE
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_ _ _ _ ___ _ _C0
- . .- - . .. . . - .- .- . . .. .U
-C Two antennas are employed on the spacecraft. The low
antenna yoke near the rim of the dish-shaped antenna to Iceep the
Midcourse Motor
admtted inside the pressure dcme and sq.,eezes the rubber bladder
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The hydrazine is thus forced into the
combustion chamber, butQ
because it is a monopropellant, it
needs a starting fluid to ini-
tiate combustion and a catalyst to maintain
combustion. The 1
Communications
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Q~ the six TV cameras. One transmitter will handle the two full
scan (wide angle) cameras; the second will transmit for the four
partial scan (narrow angle) cameras.
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J>
, . . . ,. s . ..,I
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Stabilization System
gas pressurized at 3500 pounds per square inch. The Jets are
the two solar panels. There are two complete gas jet systems of
six Jets and one bottle each. Either system can handle the mission
The four primary Sun sensors are mounted on four of the six
legs of the hexagon and the two secondary sensors on the backs of
the attitude control system when they see tne Sun. The attitude
and pointing the longitudinal or roll axis toward the Sun. The
spacecraft is turned by the cold gas Jets fed .y the nitrogen gas
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- - --.. ,..,.,
Computation and the issuance of comgilands is the function
of 'the Central Computer and Sequencer. All events of the space-
craft are contained in three CC&S sequences. The launch sequence
controls events from launch through the cruise mode. The mid-
course propulsion sequence controls the midcourse trajectory
correction maneuver. The terminal sequence provides required |
commands as Ranger-B nears the Moon.
The CC&S provides the basic timing for the spacecraft systems. i
This time-base will be supplied by a crystal control oscillator in H
the CC&S operating at 307.2 kilocycles. The control oscillator
provides the basic counting rate for the CC&S to determine issuance
of commands at the right time in the three CC&S sequences.
Television System
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near the top for the television cameras. The shroud is circled
The six cameras, which are located near the top of the tele-
scan) cameras. Of the two F cameras, one has a 25mm lens with a
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Cameras P-1 and P-2 have 75mm f/2 lenses with 2.1 degree
fields of view, while P-3 and P-4 have 25mm, f/li lenses with
6.3 degree fields.
All the cameras have a fixed focus but will be able to take
pictures from about 1100 miles to within one-half mile from the
Moon's surface.
inch in diameter and 4.5 inches long. The inside of the face 6>
plate of the tubes are coated with a photo-conductive material KJ
that acts in much the same way as tubes in commercial television
cameras. When a picture is taken, the light and dark areas form
an image on the face plate cfl what the lens gathered as the
.44 inches square, while the P camera vidicon face plates use
only .11 inches square. The F camera pictures are scanned 115^
are sent through the cameras' amplifier where they are amplified
1,000 times.
for the F cameras and one for the P cameras. They sequentially
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combine the outout of the cameras to which
they are mated. The
output of the video combiners are then converted
to a frequency
modulated (FM) signal and sent to one of
the two 6 0-watt trans-
mitters. One transmitter sends pictures
to Earth from the F
cameras on 959.52 me and the P pictures
are sent on 960.58 mc.
DIMENSIONS RANGER
In launch position
Diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 feet
In cruise position
WEIGHT RANGER
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TIV SUBSYS'T*1--';
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01
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LAUNCH VEHICLE
Systems Command.
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Liftoff Weight
Liftoff Height
Atlas D Booster
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Countdown Sequence
395 . . . . . . . . .
. . . . Deliver pyrotechniques to launch
complex.
155 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Start Agena UDMH tanking.
Postlaunch Seouence
0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lift off.
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7rN
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RANGER TRAJECTORY
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the Ranger must impact the Moon on the sunlit side visible
from Earth and within 10 to 40 degrees of the terminator or
shadow line for lighting angles that will provide good contrast
and shadow detail in the pictures.
The new Moon and full Noon phases are not acceptable be-
cause of attitude control requirements for the spacecraft.
The spacecraft loc':s onto th- Sun and Earth for orientation
and in these periods the orientation is insufficiently accurate
to provide adequate nidcourse or terminal maneuvers.
day are useable. The fact that his launch site is moving east-
ward and his launch angles are limited, means he can only fire
at certain times and reach the injection area above the surface
of the Earth.
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TYPICAL RANGERQ&UNCIl TO MOON 0
As% MOON
NORTH POLE 0 D
MIDCOURSE MANEUVER
CORRECTS INITIAL GUIDANCE
/L ovAtERRORS OF POSITION
AILAS ) \ AND VELOCITY
FIRING ' -. ,*
*Ist AGENA
FIRING FIRING DIRECTION
t3v rg\A
AGENA COASTS
INCIRCULARA
PARKING ORBIT
AT 17,500 MPH,
ALTITUDE 115 Mi.MONCRIR
RELATIVELY FIXED
FINAL ABOUT
M IN SPACE FOR ANY
AGENA FIRIIIG 1 MI. DIA. / ONE LAUUC1I DAY
IF RANGER ENTERS 10-r,11LE-DIA1METER
CIRCLE WIThUI 16 13PH OF DESIRED
INJECTION VELOCITY, THEN MIDCOURSE
MOTOR CAIN ADJUST TRAJECTORY FOR
LUNAR IMPACT. DESIRED INJECTION
VELOCITY VARIES FROM 24,463 TO 24,487
MPH DEPENDING ON DATE OF LAUNCH
Additional tracking of the spacecraft after the midcourse
Q maneuver will verify and/or determine the final portion of the
trajectory and the resulting impact location. This will allow
accurate calculation of the terminal maneuver (changing of
attitude of spacecraft to yield desired pointing direction of
camera) to be performed prior to impact.
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LAUNCH
68 hfis
G0 hrs
h 50 hs;
ItC~: Np
LAUCHi
1E;wSa40 hr.
%30
hrs
X 20 hrs
10 hts
Qa . - l
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MISSION DISCRIPTION
Agena and Ranger now coast in the parking orbit over the
Atlantic Ocean until they reach a point where the second firing
of the Agena will aim the spacecraft at the target In space where
the Moon will be approximately 68 hours later. The second firing
of the Agena engine will accel rate the spacecraft to about 24,470
miles an hour and inject Ranger on a lunar trajectory.
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Spring-loaded explosive bolts then separate the Ranger
from the Agena. The Agena will perform a 180-degree turn and
a retro maneuver to remove it from the-spacecraft trajectory. Q
Propulsion for the retro maneuver is provided by a small solid
fuel rocket motor. The retro maneuver insures that the Agena
will not impact the Moon and that it will not be in a position
to reflect light that could confuse the Ranger's optical sensors
and cause them to mistake the Agena for the Earth.
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plus 32 hours. About one hour after launch the CC&S will
order deployment of the solar panels., Explosive pin pullers
holding the solar panels in their launch position will be
detonated to allow the spring-loaded solar panels to open
and assume their cruise position.
Acquisition Modes
With the solar panels deployed, the CC&S will activate the
Sun sensor system, gas jet system and command the attitude
control system to seek the Sun. At the same time that the CC&S
O orders Sun acquisition, it will order the high-gain directional
antenna extended. The drive motor then will extend the antenna
to a pre-set hinge angle that was determined before launch and
stored in the antenna control module.
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Midcourse Maneuver
The cruise mode will continue until time for the mid- 0
course trajectory correction maneuver. After launch, most of
the activity on the lunar mission will be centered at the DSN
stations and at the Space Flight Operations Facility at JPL.
The first command from Goldstone will give the direction and
amount of roll required, the second will give the direction and
amount of pitch needed, and the third will give the velocity
change needed. This data is stored in the CC&S until Goldstone
transmits a "go" command.
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NO""
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The Jet vanes are controlled by an autopilot in the
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station at one hour from impact and the CC&S will switch the
attitude control system from the primary Sun sensors to the gyros
and command the first pitch turn. The spacecraft's solar panels
may now be turned partly away from the Sun and in that event
electrical power for the bus is supplied by one of the two space-
craft batteries.
up. The F chain can also be commanded into warm-up by the 'i
Moon and its velocity will have increased to about 4400 miles
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-- - twil
Z..F~~jf2
$,,P-9'
F C
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At this time, the cameras will start taking pictureis and
transmitting them to Earth by the two 60-watt transmitters.
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vI
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PHOTOGRAPH RECORDING
The 35mm films from both sites will be stored and will
not be developed until the films prepared from magnetic tapes have
been evaluated. A carefully controlled processing of the original
films will be based on the evaluation to insure the most satis-
factory results.
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V:. i I
40 *
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N X b{';I +,
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DEEP SPACE NETWORK
from the time they are injected into orbit until they complete
their missions.
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Since they are located approximately 120 degrees apart,
the three DSN stations can provide 360 degree coverage around
the Earth so that one of the three always will be able to com-
municate with a distant spacecraft.
0
For a Ranger mission, the mobile station is located at a
position approximately one mile east of the DSN station near
Johannesburg. It is used to provide early acquisi'ion for the
8 5-foot-in-diameter
antenna. It has a 10-foot-in-diamreter
dish antenna with a seven-degree width--nine times as wide the
85-foot dish--and it can track at a rate of 20 degrees per
second, better than 20 times as fast as the big dishes. Thus
it is able to lock on to the spacecCft and provide pointing
information for the 85-foot dish. Since its antenna is not as
large as the big dishes, it cannot match them in communication
range and consequently will be used only in the initial portion
of certain flights.
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RANGER TEAM
Program Manager.
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1 m
Flagstaff, Ariz.; Ewen A. Witaker of the Lunar and Planetary
Laboratory of the University of Ariz.; and Raymond L. Heacock
of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are co-experimenters.
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C AstrodaCa,
Anahe~nJ,
inc. Time Code Translators, Time
Calif. Code Generators, Ground Command
Read-Write and Verify Equipment
Ampex Corp. Tape Recorder for Video
Instrumentation Div.
Redwood City, Calif.
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a=j
-544
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Minneapolis-Honeywell Gyroscopes
Regulator Co.
Aero Division
Minneapolis, Minn.
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