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Missions

Surveyor 4

Goals: Like Surveyor 3, Surveyor 4 was to photograph the lunar terrain and test the soil in preparation for Apollo lunar landing missions.

Accomplishments: None. Despite a flawless flight to the Moon, contact was lost a heartbreaking 2.5 minutes before scheduled touchdown on the lunar surface.

Related News

Nine U.S. companies now are eligible to bid on NASA delivery services to the lunar surface through Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) contracts, as one of the first steps toward long-term scientific study and human exploration of the Moon and eventually Mars.

NASA Announces New Partnerships for Commercial Lunar Payload Delivery Services

NASA Announces New Partnerships for Commercial Lunar Payload Delivery Services

The Next Full Moon, on Nov. 23, is the Frost Moon, the Moon Before Yule, Kartik Purnima, the full Moon that corresponds with the That Luang Festival, and Ill Poya.

The Next Full Moon is the Frost Moon

The Next Full Moon is the Frost Moon

November 16 marks the premiere of a unique film and musical experience inspired by the Hubble Space Telescope’s famous Deep Field image

Hubble's Visualizations of the Universe Form Heart of New "Deep Field" Film

Hubble's Visualizations of the Universe Form Heart of New "Deep Field" Film

From deep below the soil at Earth’s polar regions to Pluto’s frozen heart, ice exists all over the solar system...and beyond.

Frozen: Ice on Earth and Well Beyond

Frozen: Ice on Earth and Well Beyond

The next full Moon will be on Wednesday mid-day, October 24, 2018.

The Next Full Moon is the Hunter's Moon

The Next Full Moon is the Hunter's Moon

NASA has announced a call for Lunar Surface Instrument and Technology Payloads that will fly to the Moon on commercial lunar landers as early as next year or 2020.

NASA Calls for Instruments, Technologies for Delivery to the Moon

NASA Calls for Instruments, Technologies for Delivery to the Moon

On Saturday, October 20, NASA will host the ninth annual International Observe the Moon Night.

10 Ways to Observe the Moon for International Observe the Moon Night

10 Ways to Observe the Moon for International Observe the Moon Night

Quite a few candles have been lit since NASA was born on Oct. 1, 1958. Here’s a quick look back at some highlights from six decades of exploration—and a glimpse of what’s ahead.

10 Things: Happy Birthday, NASA

10 Things: Happy Birthday, NASA

Celebrate International Observe the Moon Night with your local astronomy club.

What's Up - October 2018

What's Up - October 2018

NASA recently submitted to Congress a plan to revitalize and add direction to NASA’s enduring purpose.

NASA Unveils Sustainable Campaign to Return to Moon, on to Mars

NASA Unveils Sustainable Campaign to Return to Moon, on to Mars

Tools that can quickly reveal a terrain’s chemistry and form will help astronauts explore new worlds.

The Tools Astronauts Will Use to Explore Distant Worlds

The Tools Astronauts Will Use to Explore Distant Worlds

In the darkest and coldest parts of its polar regions, a team of scientists has directly observed definitive evidence of water ice on the Moon’s surface.

Ice Confirmed at the Moon's Poles

Ice Confirmed at the Moon's Poles

To most of us, dust is an annoyance. But these tiny particles that float about and settle on surfaces play an important role across the solar system.

10 Things: Dust in the Wind (on Mars and Well Beyond)

10 Things: Dust in the Wind (on Mars and Well Beyond)

“Alan Bean once said ‘I have the nicest life in the world.’ It’s a comforting sentiment to recall as we mourn his passing."

Alan Bean, Apollo Moonwalker and Artist, Dies at 86

Alan Bean, Apollo Moonwalker and Artist, Dies at 86

As NASA shifts human exploration back to the Moon, U.S. commercial partnerships will be a key to expediting missions and building a sustainable presence on the lunar surface.

NASA: Commercial Partners Key to Sustainable Moon Presence

NASA: Commercial Partners Key to Sustainable Moon Presence

NASA is returning to the Moon with commercial and international partners as part of an overall agency Exploration Campaign in support of Space Policy Directive 1.

NASA Expands Plans for Moon Exploration: More Missions, More Science

NASA Expands Plans for Moon Exploration: More Missions, More Science

In December 2017, President Donald J. Trump gave NASA a new direction, telling the agency to work with international and commercial partners to refocus exploration efforts on the moon, with an eye to eventually going on to Mars and even beyond.

NASA's Exploration Campaign: Back to the Moon and on to Mars

NASA's Exploration Campaign: Back to the Moon and on to Mars

The Moon, Mars and Saturn form a pretty triangle in early April, Lyrid meteors are visible, and more.

What's Up for April 2018

What's Up for April 2018

Fifty years ago, with President Kennedy’s Moon landing deadline looming, the powerful Saturn V had to perform. And perform it did—hurling 24 humans to the Moon.

10 Things: Rockets We Love-Saturn V

10 Things: Rockets We Love-Saturn V

Whether you're doing it for the nerd cred or the pie, this week on #10Things, we've got all the ways you can celebrate #PiDay with NASA.

10 Ways to Celebrate Pi Day with NASA on March 14

10 Ways to Celebrate Pi Day with NASA on March 14

Inspiring views of our solar system and beyond.

10 Things: Great Shots

10 Things: Great Shots

The Saturn V was a rocket NASA built to send people to the Moon. (The V in the name is the Roman numeral five.)

What Was the Saturn V?

What Was the Saturn V?

As part of an engineering test, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft captured this image of the Earth and Moon using its NavCam1 imager on January 17 from a distance of 39.5 million miles (63.6 million km)

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Captures New Earth-Moon Image

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Captures New Earth-Moon Image

This month, in honor of Valentine's Day, we look at celestial star pairs and constellation couples.

What's Up - February 2018

What's Up - February 2018

Ten things to know about the January 2018 total lunar eclipse, including where to see it, why it turns the Moon into a deep red color, and more.

10 Things to Know About the Total Lunar Eclipse on Jan. 31

10 Things to Know About the Total Lunar Eclipse on Jan. 31

Charon in Enhanced Color

Charon in Enhanced Color

Science Comic: Dust Storm on Mars

Science Comic: Dust Storm on Mars

Mercury Poster - Version C

Mercury Poster - Version C