Surveyor Success
Rep. David Dreier (R-San Dimas) wrote (Commentary, Dec. 12) regarding the Mars Polar Lander failure: “The same was true in the 1960s when the United States first tried to land robotic spacecraft on the moon. There were a series of failed missions before we learned how to land safely.” Not true.
The first robotic spacecraft to attempt a landing on the moon, Surveyor, designed and built by Hughes Aircraft Co. and JPL, was a success. There were some subsequent failures in later Surveyor launches, but the first was a resounding success.
LAWRENCE I. IVEY
Malibu
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