Lunar Orbiter Omni Antenna

well-camouflaged overhead in the Lunar Orbiter conference room at work.

Omnidirectional antennas were a staple of NASA’s early planetary exploration craft. Early Ranger (Blocks I through III), Mariner, and lunar-orbiting spacecraft all featured omnidirectional antenna at their apexes. The lunar orbiters featured two antennae: high-gain with singular directional patterns, and low-gain which was omnidirectional (both are hanging from this ceiling).

Communications were via a 10 W transmitter and the directional 1 meter diameter “high gain antenna” for transmission of photographs and a 0.5 W transmitter and omnidirectional low gain antenna for other communications. Both antennas operated in S-band at 2295 MHz.