Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Equipped with television cameras and soil sampling experiments, the US Surveyor spacecraft were intended to determine if the lunar surface at chosen locations was safe for manned landings . Surveyor 5 touched down on the inside edge of a small crater inclined at about 20 degrees. Its footpad slipped and dug the trench visible in the picture. Covered with dusty lunar soil , the footpad is about 20 inches in diameter.
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