Ranger 5 was an American Block II Ranger Program space probe that was in service with NASA in the mid-20th century.
The Ranger 5 was equipped with several pieces of advanced technology for the period, including: lunar capsule, omnidirectional antenna, RADAR altimeter, solar panels, gamma-ray spectrometer, mid-course motor, retrorocket, TV camera and high-gain antenna.
A diagram depicting this spacecraft was stored in the USS Enterprise's library computer in 2254, and was among the materials viewed by the Talosians when they scanned the Enterprise computer. (TOS: "The Cage")
Ranger 5 was launched from Earth on October 18, 1962. This probe was designed to take photos of the lunar surface before crashing on Luna. During flight, the probe malfunctioned and missed Luna by 725 kilometers.
External link
- Ranger 5, from the archives of the National Space Science Data Center
- Ranger 5 at Wikipedia