Editing Surveyor 2 (section)

==Background==
{{Main|Surveyor program}}
On February 3, 1966, the [[Luna 9]] spacecraft was the first spacecraft to achieve a [[Moon|lunar]] [[Soft landing (rocketry)|soft landing]] and to transmit photographic data to [[Earth]]. On May 30, [[Surveyor 1]] launched, landing on [[Oceanus Procellarum]] on June 2. This craft also transmitted photographic data back to Earth.

This spacecraft was the second of a series designed to achieve a soft landing on the Moon and to return lunar surface photography for determining characteristics of the lunar terrain for [[Apollo program]] lunar landing missions.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jx0QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=apMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2577,3386174&dq=surveyor+2&hl=en|date= 21 September 1966|publisher=The Age - 21 September 1966|title=Surveyor 2 on way|access-date=2009-11-15}}</ref> Besides transmitting photos, Surveyor 2 was planned to perform a 'bounce', to photograph underneath its own landing site. It was also equipped to return data on radar reflectivity of the lunar surface, bearing strength of the lunar surface, and spacecraft temperatures for use in the analysis of lunar surface temperatures.