1962: First US rocket lands on the Moon
The American moon rocket Ranger IV lands on the far side of the Moon.
It is the first time an American spacecraft has successfully reached the Moon. Russia achieved the first ever lunar impact in 1959.
Ranger IV was specifically designed to crash-land on the Moon after capturing a series of images of the lunar surface on its approach. However, all internal power on board the spacecraft had failed two hours after launch.
成人快手 Archive: Originally broadcast on 26 April 1962.