English: A telephoto view of the rocks (is shown). BENJAMIN MILWITZKY, Surveyor Program Manager, NASA, said of it, "This remarkable photo shows a field of large rocks several hundred feet from the spacecraft. They range from about 3 to 6 feet in diameter, and appear to have been excavated from beneath the lunar surface and hurled outward by the impact of a large meteorite.

"Ejecta of this type are brighter than the undisturbed mare surface, and may contribute to the 'rays,' radiating from large impact craters, seen through Earth-based telescopes.

"The fact that the rocks came to rest on the surface," Milwitzky continued, "suggests that the surface, at least in this area, must have appreciable bearing strength, adequate to support manned spacecraft. This evidence is consistent with data from Surveyor's landing-gear strain gages and pictures of its footprints. The large rocks, on the other hand, represent a significant hazard, which the astronauts will have to avoid by carefully maneuvering their spacecraft during its descent"