The Ranger 7 probe photographs the Moon. The unmanned US lunar probe Ranger 7 took the first close-up images of the Moon—4,308 in all—before impact with the lunar surface, northwest of the Sea of Clouds. The images were 1,000 times sharper than those previously obtained with ground-based telescopes. NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) had attempted a similar feat months earlier with Ranger 6, but the photographic equipment was damaged during descent to the lunar surface. Ranger 7, launched on July 28, successfully activated its photographic equipment 17 minutes before impact and began transmitting the images to NASA in California. The photos revealed that the lunar surface was not particularly dusty or dangerous for a potential landing, and encouraged NASA to send a manned expedition to the Moon. In July 1969, the first Apollo mission would carry the first man to the satellite.
