Mission Summary
Lunar Orbiter 2 built on the success of NASA’s first lunar orbiter by expanding photographic coverage of the Moon and providing increasingly detailed images of potential Apollo landing sites. Launched on November 6, 1966, the spacecraft entered lunar orbit four days later and focused on regions of particular interest to mission planners, while continuing to improve scientists’ understanding of the Moon’s surface and gravitational environment. The mission demonstrated that the Lunar Orbiter program was capable of producing the precise reconnaissance needed to support future human exploration.
During its month-long photographic campaign, Lunar Orbiter 2 returned hundreds of high- and medium-resolution images, including spectacular close-up views of craters, mountain ranges, and smooth volcanic plains. The mission’s most celebrated achievement was its dramatic oblique photograph of Copernicus Crater, which revealed the crater’s towering central peaks, terraced walls, and extensive ejecta blanket in remarkable detail. The image became one of the defining photographs of the early Space Age and remains one of the most recognizable views of the Moon ever taken.
Lunar Orbiter 2 successfully completed all of its scientific and engineering objectives while providing critical information for the Apollo program. After completing its extended mission, NASA intentionally commanded the spacecraft to impact the lunar surface on October 11, 1967, to avoid interfering with future missions.
Sources and notes can be found on the Sources page.
