Mission Description
Launch: March 21, 1965
Impacted Moon: March 24, 1965 at 14:08:20 UT
Landing Site: Alphonsus Crater, 12.83°S lat., 357.63°E long.
The Ranger 9 flight concluded the Ranger series in a spectacular manner, with the direct broadcast of the B-camera photographs over national television as the spacecraft approached the Moon. Unlike its predecessors, which photographed relatively simple mare terrain, Ranger 9 was directed to one of the more complicated areas of the Moon. The impact point was selected slightly northeast of the central peak of Alphonsus Crater. The last picture was taken 0.25 seconds before impact from an altitude of approximately 600 meters. The terminal resolution of 30 centimeters achieved exceeded that of both Ranger 7 and 8.
Selection of the Target Site
The criteria used in selecting the Ranger 9 target area were somewhat different than those applied to the Ranger 7 and 8 target selection. These missions had successfully provided high-resolution coverage to the two principal types of mare. Because of the similarities found in these areas, it was decided that photographs of other terrain types would be of more use. After due consideration, the crater Alphonsus was selected as the target.