CAPE KENNEDY, June 2 (Reuter). AMERICA soft-landed its Surveyor spacecraft on the moon today and the television robot was flashing pictures to earth at the rate of one every few seconds. The still television pictures, taken from various angles in response to radioed commands, were flashed on to a screen at ground control here. A total of 144 pictures were halted on orders from the earth. Viewing saw pictures of the spacecraft's legs on which it landed gently on to the lunar surface at 11:47 a.m. (I.S.T.) after retro-rockets had slowed it to a trotting pace from a speed of nearly 6,000 miles per hour. The first television pictures were sent back to earth only half an hour after the perfect landing. Later pictures were so clear that a one-inch (about 3 cms.) strap was seen perfectly in close-up. Pictures of the moon's surface showed rocks, shadows and an apparently hard, smooth terrain.
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