Several different full size and scale models were made of the Ranger spacecraft (Block I, II, and III configurations). Scale models were used by the projects at a time when there was no computer animation. Engineers and scientists used them to visualize the spacecraft and its orientation as it reached the moon or a planet.Three members of the Ranger 7 television experiment team stand near a scale model and lunar globe. From left: Ewen Whitaker, Dr. Gerard Kuiper, and Ray Heacock. Kuiper was the Director of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona, Tuscon. Whitaker was a Research Associate at LPL. Heacock was the Lunar and Planetary Instruments Section Chief at JPL.
I wonder why such vidicon based camera systems could not be made to work for military satellite reconnaissance during the 1960s. Resolution, I suppose, along with the telemetry problem. Attempts were made with SAMOS, but I believe those were film-based systems. Lunar Orbiter ended up using SAMOS-derived camera systems, but the Ranger camera system seemed to be limited to weather satellite use.
Quote from: edkyle99 on 04/26/2015 04:17 amI wonder why such vidicon based camera systems could not be made to work for military satellite reconnaissance during the 1960s. Resolution, I suppose, along with the telemetry problem. Attempts were made with SAMOS, but I believe those were film-based systems. Lunar Orbiter ended up using SAMOS-derived camera systems, but the Ranger camera system seemed to be limited to weather satellite use.Vidicon was considered for the first reconsats. In fact, I believe that's the system discussed in the Feed Back report. You can find a copy of Feed Back on the web.It was ruled out apparently during contract selection because the film-scanning technique was considered better. However, I don't know exactly why it was ruled out and why film-scanning was considered better. It had to do with resolution.
How elegantly presented -- minimal narration. No need for a sound track.I recall reading somewhere that when this was presented to astronauts, Wally Schirra brought the house down by yelling "Bail out, you fool!"
I have found this picture in JPL's Historical Photo of the Month archive for July 2014 http://beacon.jpl.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/P-2988b_.jpgThe caption says (see http://beacon.jpl.nasa.gov/archives/category/historical-photo-of-the-month ):QuoteSeveral different full size and scale models were made of the Ranger spacecraft (Block I, II, and III configurations). Scale models were used by the projects at a time when there was no computer animation. Engineers and scientists used them to visualize the spacecraft and its orientation as it reached the moon or a planet.Three members of the Ranger 7 television experiment team stand near a scale model and lunar globe. From left: Ewen Whitaker, Dr. Gerard Kuiper, and Ray Heacock. Kuiper was the Director of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona, Tuscon. Whitaker was a Research Associate at LPL. Heacock was the Lunar and Planetary Instruments Section Chief at JPL.I am wondering: why is there a sign in Russian (!) just below the Moon?
It was a real disappointment when Ranger 6 seemed to be working fine all the way to the moon, until they attempted to turn on the TV cameras just before it crashed into the moon. I believe the TV cameras were accidently turned on during launch and some type of electrical arcing burned them out, it was later determined.