Ranger 'X' - Lunar Flyby with film return capsule

[Graham1973]

It seems that in 1962 the proposal was made to fit out what could have been 'Ranger 6' with a camera installation comprising the Ranger 3-4-5 vidicon unit paired with a high resolution (80ft at closest approach) film camera and a re-entry capsule that would drop the high resolution camera film into the Pacific ocean.


Feasibility Study of a Circumlunar Photographic Experiment

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19620002164_1962002164.pdf

 

[Grey Havoc]

On a similar note, though this seems to have been a backup configuration for the Block II Ranger probe design:

https://www.reddit.com/r/RetroFuturism/comments/xy2tvy

View: https://www.reddit.com/r/RetroFuturism/comments/xy2tvy/moon_ranger_pierre_mion_1962/

 

[Grey Havoc]

On another note, from back in July of this year:

It is 60 years since a US spacecraft first snapped the Moon

Ranger 7 finally gets its shot. Five years later, humans would follow

www.theregister.com

 

[RobSchorry]

The above link to NTRS is dead, however, I found the document here:

"Feasibility Study of a Circumlunar Photographic Experiment"

Redirect Notice

 

[Byeman]

On a similar note, though this seems to have been a backup configuration for the Block II Ranger probe design:

That is The Block II probe design.