Kodak's "Pre-Invented" Lunar Orbiter Camera; Or, the Fate of SAMOS Readout
This article explores the history of the Lunar Orbiter camera system, which was originally developed by Kodak for classified military surveillance in the 1950s. It details how this technology was repurposed by NASA to map the Moon for the Apollo missions.
Why it matters
It provides historical context on the intersection of Cold War military surveillance technology and civilian space exploration, highlighting the origins of modern remote imaging.
In 1966 and 1967, NASA sent five robotic spacecraft into orbit around the Moon. Constructed for the primary purpose of finding landing sites for Apollo, the Lunar Orbiters also enabled nearly comprehensive mapping of the Moon in stunning detail. The quantity and resolution of the photographs returned by Lunar Orbiter was unprecedented, thanks to a camera system built by the Eastman Kodak company of Rochester, New York. Their imaging system involved elaborate mechanisms to expose photographic film in orbit, develop the film onboard the spacecraft, and remotely transmit images back to Earth.
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