Editing Surveyor 3 (section)

===Soil mechanics surface sampler===
The soil mechanics surface sampler was designed to dig, scrape, and trench the lunar surface and to transport lunar surface material while being photographed so that the properties of the lunar surface could be determined. The sampler was mounted below the television camera and consisted primarily of a scoop approximately {{convert|120|mm|in|order=flip}} long and {{convert|50|mm|in|order=flip}} wide. The scoop consisted of a container, a sharpened blade, and an [[electric motor]] to open and close the container. A small footpad was attached to the scoop door to present a flat surface to the lunar surface. The scoop was capable of holding a maximum quantity of approximately {{convert|32|mm|in|order=flip}} diameter of solid lunar material and a maximum of {{convert|100|cm3|in3|order=flip}} of granular material. The scoop was mounted on a [[pantograph]] arm that could be extended about {{convert|1.5|m|ft|order=flip|sigfig=1}} or retracted close to the spacecraft motor drive. The arm could also be moved from an azimuth of +40 to -72&nbsp;degrees or be elevated {{convert|130|mm|in|order=flip}} by motor drives. It could also be dropped onto the lunar surface under force provided by gravity and a spring. The surface sampler performed seven bearing tests, four trench tests, and thirteen impact tests. The total operating time was 18&nbsp;hours, 22&nbsp;minutes on ten separate occasions. Measurements of motor currents and forces applied to the surface were not obtained due to the state of the spacecraft [[telemetry]] following landing on the lunar surface. However, estimations were possible. The small [[spring constant]] of the torque spring precluded the determination of density from the impact tests. Penetrations of {{cvt|38|to|50|mm|in|order=flip}} were obtained from the bearing tests, and a {{cvt|175|mm|in|order=flip}} depth was reached during trenching operations. The design of the mechanism and its electronic auxiliary was more than adequate for the lunar surface operations.{{citation_needed|date=July 2019}} The scoop was also returned to Earth by the Apollo 12 astronauts and is currently on display at [[JPL]].

<gallery mode="packed" heights="140">
File:NASM-SI-2007-29754.jpg|An engineering model of Surveyor 3, S-10, used for thermal control tests, reconfigured to represent a flight model of Surveyor 3 or later, at the [[National Air and Space Museum]] (NASM)
File:NASM-A19700294000-NASM2018-02492.jpg|Three-quarter view from below of Surveyor engineering model (NASM)
File:Surveyor3camera.jpg|Surveyor 3 camera brought back from the Moon by Apollo 12, on display at NASM
File:Surveyor3scooping.jpg|Surveyor 3 scoops, photographed by the Apollo 12 astronauts
File:Surveyor 3 Soil Mechanics Surface Sampler.jpg|Soil mechanics surface sampler from the Surveyor 3 spacecraft returned to Earth by the crew of Apollo 12
</gallery>