United States

The Ranger series of missions were designed to be launched into a lunar impact trajectory and provide progressively higher resolution images of the lunar surface right up until the point of impact in order to facilitate preparations for the Apollo missions. Ranger 7 was launched on 28 July 1964 and was intentionally impacted on the lunar surface on 31 July 1964 in Mare Cognitum, leaving a 13 meter crater. 4,308 images were returned prior to impact.

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