Lunar Orbiter Program

NASA's Lunar Orbiter Program was a managed five-flight lunar mapping program approved in 1963 to photograph candidate Apollo landing sites and complete broad lunar surveys. The first three missions focused on Apollo site reconnaissance; Lunar Orbiters 4 and 5 mapped the Moon at broader coverage and higher survey value. NASA Langley Research Center managed the project, and all five missions launched successfully between 1966 and 1967.