Surveyor 3

Surveyor 3 was NASA's second successful robotic soft landing on the Moon, reaching Oceanus Procellarum on April 20, 1967. It added a remotely operated surface sampler to the Surveyor television system, allowing controllers to dig trenches, move material, and test the soil's bearing strength. The results showed that the surface could support an Apollo lunar module. The lander bounced twice during arrival after its descent system failed to shut down as intended, but it settled and returned more than 6,000 pictures. In November 1969 the Apollo 12 crew landed nearby and retrieved parts of Surveyor 3, including its camera and scoop. Returning that exposed hardware to Earth let researchers examine the effects of prolonged residence on the lunar surface.