Editing Ranger 8 (section)

{{Short description|NASA spacecraft to explore the Moon, 1965}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name                  = Ranger 8
| image                 = The Ranger Spacecraft GPN-2000-001979.jpg
| image_caption         = Ranger 8

| mission_type          = [[Moon|Lunar]] impactor
| operator              = [[NASA]]
| website               = 
| COSPAR_ID             = 1965-010A 
| SATCAT                = 1086
| mission_duration      = 65 hours
| spacecraft_type       = 
| manufacturer          = [[Jet Propulsion Laboratory]]
| dimensions            = {{convert|1.52|x|2.51|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| launch_mass           = 366.87 kg<ref name="Ranger 8">{{cite web|url=https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/ranger-8/in-depth/ |title=Ranger 8 |date=December 21, 2017 |publisher=NASA's Solar System Exploration website |access-date=December 1, 2022}}</ref>
| power                 = 200 W

| launch_date           = {{start-date|February 17, 1965, 17:05:00|timezone=yes}}&nbsp;UTC<ref name="Ranger 8"></ref>
| launch_rocket         = [[Atlas-Agena|Atlas LV-3 Agena-B]] 196D/AA13
| launch_site           = [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station|Cape Canaveral]] [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 12|LC-12]]
| launch_contractor     =

| orbit_epoch           = 
| orbit_reference       = <!--transfer orbit-->
| orbit_periapsis       = 
| orbit_apoapsis        = 
| orbit_inclination     = 
| apsis                 = 
|interplanetary         = 
 {{Infobox spaceflight/IP
   |type                = impactor
   |object              = [[Moon|Lunar]]
   |arrival_date        = {{end-date|February 20, 1965, 09:57:36.756|timezone=yes}}&nbsp;UTC
   |location            = {{Lunar coords and quad cat|02.6377|N|24.7881|E}}<br/>([[Mare Tranquillitatis]])
}}
| instruments_list      = 
{{Infobox spaceflight/Instruments
  |name1  = [[Television camera|Vidicon Television Cameras]]
}}

| programme             = ''[[Ranger program|Ranger]]''
| previous_mission      = [[Ranger 7]]
| next_mission          = [[Ranger 9]]
}}
'''Ranger 8''' was a lunar probe in the [[Ranger program]], a [[robotic spacecraft]] series launched by [[NASA]] in the early-to-mid-1960s to obtain the first close-up images of the [[Moon]]'s surface. These pictures helped select landing sites for Apollo missions and were used for scientific study.<ref name="Ranger Facts">
{{cite web
 |last        = Green
 |first       = Nick
 |title       = Ranger 8 Information
 |url         = http://space.about.com/od/rangermissions/p/ranger8info.htm
 |publisher   = About.com
 |access-date  = July 31, 2013
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20130511095307/http://space.about.com/od/rangermissions/p/ranger8info.htm
 |archive-date = May 11, 2013
 |location    = New York
 |url-status     = live
 |year        = 2013
 |df          = mdy-all
}}
</ref>  During its 1965 mission, Ranger 8 transmitted 7,137 lunar surface photographs before it crashed into the Moon as planned. This was the second successful mission in the Ranger series, following [[Ranger 7]]. Ranger 8's design and purpose were very similar to those of Ranger 7.  It had six television [[Video camera tube#Vidicon|vidicon]] cameras: two full-scan and four partial-scan.  Its sole purpose was to document the Moon's surface.<ref name="NSDC Mission Profile">
{{NSSDC|id=1965-010A|access-date=July 31, 2013}}
</ref>