On March 21, 1965, NASA launched the Ranger 9 spacecraft toward the Moon

I March 21, 1965 NASA launched the Ranger 9 probe. This mission represented a fundamental step in the Space Race and the conquest of the Moon.

Guardian mission 9

Guardian 9 It was a 367 kg space probe designed to reach space Luna And transmitting close-up images of its surface before the collision. The probe is equipped with 6 slow-scan Vidicon cameras capable of capturing images with a resolution of 0.5 meters per pixel.

Launch and journey to the moon

Ranger 9 was launched at 21:37 UTC from Launch Complex 12 at Cape Canaveral in Florida. An Atlas-Agena rocket propelled the probe into low Earth orbit, after which the Agena fired its engine to put it on the lunar trajectory.

Moon pictures

On March 24, 1965, after a three-day flight, Ranger 9 approached the Moon and began transmitting the first close-up images of its surface. The images, broadcast live on television to the whole world, revealed a deserted, cratered lunar landscape in detail never seen before.

The influence and legacy of Guardian 9

Guardian 9 hectares affected On the Luna At 14:08 UTC on March 24, 1965, in the Alphonsos area. The probe broadcast until the last minute, providing a total of 5,837 images of the lunar surface.

The success of Ranger 9 marked a turning point in the space race. The images obtained by the probe helped improve knowledge of the Moon and paved the way for future lunar missions, culminating in the 1969 lunar landing.