View of Apollo 17 lunar rock sample no. 72415,0

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-01-18

S73-16198 (December 1972) --- A close-up view of Apollo 17 lunar sample number 72415,0 which was brought back from the Taurus-Littrow landing site by the Apollo 17 crewmen. This sample is a brecciated dunite clast weighing a little over 32 grams (about 1.14 ounces). This sample was collected at station 2 (South Massif) during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA).

Lunar Samples - Apollo 12

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-26

S69-60294 (26 Nov. 1969) --- One of the first views of the Apollo 12 lunar rocks is this photograph of the open sample return container. The large rock is approximately 7 1/2 inches across and is larger than any rock brought back to Earth by the crew of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. Two of the rocks in the first container are crystalline and generally lighter in color than those returned on the first lunar landing. The rocks in this box are medium charcoal brown/gray in color.

Preliminary examination of lunar samples from apollo 14.

PubMed

1971-08-20

The major findings of the preliminary examination of the lunar samples are as follows: 1) The samples from Fra Mauro base may be contrasted with those from Tranquillity base and the Ocean of Storms in that about half the Apollo 11 samples consist of basaltic rocks, and all but three Apollo 12 rocks are basaltic, whereas in the Apollo 14 samples only two rocks of the 33 rocks over 50 grams have basaltic textures. The samples from Fra Mauro base consist largely of fragmental rocks containing clasts of diverse lithologies and histories. Generally the rocks differ modally from earlier lunar samples in that they contain more plagioclase and contain orthopyroxene. 2) The Apollo 14 samples differ chemically from earlier lunar rocks and from their closest meteorite and terrestrial analogs. The lunar material closest in composition is the KREEP component (potassium, rare earth elements, phosphorus), "norite," "mottled gray fragments" (9) from the soil samples (in particular, sample 12033) from the Apollo 12 site, and the dark portion of rock 12013 (10). The Apollo 14 material is richer in titanium, iron, magnesium, and silicon than the Surveyor 7 material, the only lunar highlands material directly analyzed (11). The rocks also differ from the mare basalts, having much lower contents of iron, titanium, manganese, chromium, and scandium and higher contents of silicon, aluminum, zirconium, potassium, uranium, thorium, barium, rubidium, sodium, niobium, lithium, and lanthanum. The ratios of potassium to uranium are lower than those of terrestrial rocks and similar to those of earlier lunar samples. 3) The chemical composition of the soil closely resembles that of the fragmental rocks and the large basaltic rock (sample 14310) except that some elements (potassium, lanthanum, ytterbium, and barium) may be somewhat depleted in the soil with respect to the average rock composition. 4) Rocks display characteristic surface features of lunar material (impact microcraters, rounding) and shock effects similar to those observed in rocks and soil from the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 missions. The rocks show no evidence of exposure to water, and their content of metallic iron suggests that they, like the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 material, were formed and have remained in an environment with low oxygen activity. 5) The concentration of solar windimplanted material in the soil is large, as was the case for Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 soil. However, unlike previous fragmental rocks, Apollo 14 fragmental rocks possess solar wind contents ranging from approximately that of the soil to essentially zero, with most rocks investigated falling toward one extreme of this range. A positive correlation appears to exist between the solar wind components, carbon, and (20)Ne, of fragmental rocks and their friability (Fig. 12). 6) Carbon contents lie within the range of carbon contents for Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 samples. 7) Four fragmental rocks show surface exposure times (10 x 10(6) to 20 x 10(6) years) about an order of magnitude less than typical exposure times of Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 rocks. 8) A much broader range of soil mechanics properties was encountered at the Apollo 14 site than has been observed at the Apollo 11, Apollo 12, and Surveyor landing sites. At different points along the traverses of the Apollo 14 mission, lesser cohesion, coarser grain size, and greater resistance to penetration was found than at the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 sites. These variations are indicative of a very complex, heterogeneous deposit. The soils are more poorly sorted, but the range of grain size is similar to those of the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 soils. 9) No evidence of biological material has been found in the samples to date.

Preliminary Examination of lunar Samples from Apollo 12

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science, 1970

1970-01-01

This is the first scientific report on the examination of the lunar samples returned from the Apollo 12 mission. Analyses of 34 kilograms of lunar rocks and fines reveal significant differences from the samples from Tranquillity Base, most notably in age, texture, amount of solar wind material, and in mineral and chemical composition. (LC)

Astronaut John Young photographed collecting lunar samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, is photographed collecting lunar samples near North Ray crater during the third Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-3) at the Descartes landing site. This picture was taken by Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot. Young is using the lunar surface rake and a set of tongs. The Lunar Roving Vehicle is parked in the field of large boulders in the background.

LUNAR SAMPLES - APOLLO XVI - JSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1975-03-18

S75-23543 (April 1972) --- This Apollo 16 lunar sample (moon rock) was collected by astronaut John W. Young, commander of the mission, about 15 meters southwest of the landing site. This rock weighs 128 grams when returned to Earth. The sample is a polymict breccia. This rock, like all lunar highland breccias, is very old, about 3,900,000,000 years older than 99.99% of all Earth surface rocks, according to scientists. Scientific research is being conducted on the balance of this sample at NASA's Johnson Space Center and at other research centers in the United States and certain foreign nations under a continuing program of investigation involving lunar samples collected during the Apollo program.

Apollo Lunar Sample Photograph Digitization Project Update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Todd, N. S.; Lofgren, G. E.

2012-01-01

This is an update of the progress of a 4-year data restoration project effort funded by the LASER program to digitize photographs of the Apollo lunar rock samples and create high resolution digital images and undertaken by the Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office at JSC [1]. The project is currently in its last year of funding. We also provide an update on the derived products that make use of the digitized photos including the Lunar Sample Catalog and Photo Database[2], Apollo Sample data files for GoogleMoon[3].

Apollo Lunar Sample Photographs: Digitizing the Moon Rock Collection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lofgren, Gary E.; Todd, Nancy S.; Runco, S. K.; Stefanov, W. L.

2011-01-01

The Acquisition and Curation Office at JSC has undertaken a 4-year data restoration project effort for the lunar science community funded by the LASER program (Lunar Advanced Science and Exploration Research) to digitize photographs of the Apollo lunar rock samples and create high resolution digital images. These sample photographs are not easily accessible outside of JSC, and currently exist only on degradable film in the Curation Data Storage Facility

Isotopic studies in returned lunar samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, E. C., Jr.

1971-01-01

Analysis of lunar soil samples returned by Apollo 11 and 12 flights are discussed. Isotopic studies of the rare gases from Apollo 11 flight lunar samples are presented. The lunar soil analyses indicated the following: (1) high concentrations of solar wind rare gases, (2) isotopic match between solar wind gases and gas components in gas-rich meteorites, and (3) rare gases attributable to spallation reactions induced in heavier nuclides by cosmic ray particles.

U-Th-Pb systematics of some Apollo 16 lunar samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nunes, P. D.; Tatsumoto, M.; Knight, R. J.; Unruh, D. M.; Doe, B. R.

1973-01-01

U, Th, and Pb concentrations and lead isotopic compositions of Apollo 16 samples are interpreted as follows: (1) an early period of lunar differentiation of either global or regional scale occurred about 4.47 b.y. ago; (2) the Imbrian impact event affected many Apollo 16 samples about 3.99 b.y. ago; (3) some Apollo 16 metaclastic rocks and breccias contain a large amount of KREEP-like material; (4) lead produced in the early history of the moon has been concentrated in lunar highland soils yielding high Pb-207/Pb-206 ratios corresponding to apparent ages of more than 4.8 b.y.; and (5) South Ray Crater soils reflect the approximately 2-b.y.-old event previously proposed for the Apollo 12 and 14 samples.

View of Apollo 17 lunar rock sample no. 72415,0

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-01-18

S73-16199 (December 1972) --- A close-up view of Apollo 17 lunar sample number 72415,0 which was brought back from the Taurus-Littrow landing site by the Apollo 17 crewmen. This sample is a brecciated dunite clast weighing a little over 32 grams (about 1.14 ounces). This sample was collected at station 2 (South Massif) during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA). IMPORTANT NOTE FOR CREDIT: The view was photographed by Karl Mills, Scientific Photo Arts, Berkeley, California.

The micron- to kilometer-scale Moon: linking samples to orbital observations, Apollo to LRO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crites, S.; Lucey, P. G.; Taylor, J.; Martel, L.; Sun, L.; Honniball, C.; Lemelin, M.

2017-12-01

The Apollo missions have shaped the field of lunar science and our understanding of the Moon, from global-scale revelations like the magma ocean hypothesis, to providing ground truth for compositional remote sensing and absolute ages to anchor cratering chronologies. While lunar meteorite samples can provide a global- to regional-level view of the Moon, samples returned from known locations are needed to directly link orbital-scale observations with laboratory measurements-a link that can be brought to full fruition with today's extremely high spatial resolution observations from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and other recent missions. Korotev et al. (2005) described a scenario of the Moon without Apollo to speculate about our understanding of the Moon if our data were confined to lunar meteorites and remote sensing. I will review some of the major points discussed by Korotev et al. (2005), and focus on some of the ways in which spectroscopic remote sensing in particular has benefited from the Apollo samples. For example, could the causes and effects of lunar-style space weathering have been unraveled without the Apollo samples? What would be the limitations on remote sensing compositional measurements that rely on Apollo samples for calibration and validation? And what new opportunities to bring together orbital and sample analyses now exist, in light of today's high spatial and spectral resolution remote sensing datasets?

Astronaut Harrison Schmitt collects lunar rake samples during EVA

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-12-11

AS17-134-20425 (11 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, collects lunar rake samples at Station 1 during the first Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. This picture was taken by astronaut Eugene Cernan, commander. The lunar rake, an Apollo lunar geology hand tool, is used to collect discrete samples of rocks and rock chips ranging in size from one-half inch (1.3 centimeter) to one inch (2.5 centimeter).

Structure from Motion Photogrammetry and Micro X-Ray Computed Tomography 3-D Reconstruction Data Fusion for Non-Destructive Conservation Documentation of Lunar Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beaulieu, K. R.; Blumenfeld, E. H.; Liddle, D. A.; Oshel, E. R.; Evans, C. A.; Zeigler, R. A.; Righter, K.; Hanna, R. D.; Ketcham, R. A.

2017-01-01

Our team is developing a modern, cross-disciplinary approach to documentation and preservation of astromaterials, specifically lunar and meteorite samples stored at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility. Apollo Lunar Sample 60639, collected as part of rake sample 60610 during the 3rd Extra-Vehicular Activity of the Apollo 16 mission in 1972, served as the first NASA-preserved lunar sample to be examined by our team in the development of a novel approach to internal and external sample visualization. Apollo Sample 60639 is classified as a breccia with a glass-coated side and pristine mare basalt and anorthosite clasts. The aim was to accurately register a 3-dimensional Micro X-Ray Computed Tomography (XCT)-derived internal composition data set and a Structure-From-Motion (SFM) Photogrammetry-derived high-fidelity, textured external polygonal model of Apollo Sample 60639. The developed process provided the means for accurate, comprehensive, non-destructive visualization of NASA's heritage lunar samples. The data products, to be ultimately served via an end-user web interface, will allow researchers and the public to interact with the unique heritage samples, providing a platform to "slice through" a photo-realistic rendering of a sample to analyze both its external visual and internal composition simultaneously.

Lunar sample studies. [breccias basalts, and anorthosites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Lunar samples discussed and the nature of their analyses are: (1) an Apollo 15 breccia which is thoroughly analyzed as to the nature of the mature regolith from which it derived and the time and nature of the lithification process, (2) two Apollo 11 and one Apollo 12 basalts analyzed in terms of chemistry, Cross-Iddings-Pirsson-Washington norms, mineralogy, and petrography, (3) eight Apollo 17 mare basalts, also analyzed in terms of chemistry, Cross-Iddings-Pirsson-Washington norms, mineralogy, and petrography. The first seven are shown to be chemically similar although of two main textural groups; the eighth is seen to be distinct in both chemistry and mineralogy, (4) a troctolitic clast from a Fra Mauro breccia, analyzed and contrasted with other high-temperature lunar mineral assemblages. Two basaltic clasts from the same breccia are shown to have affinities with rock 14053, and (5) the uranium-thorium-lead systematics of three Apollo 16 samples are determined; serious terrestrial-lead contamination of the first two samples is attributed to bandsaw cutting in the lunar curatorial facility.

A Virtual Petrological Microscope for All Apollo 11 Lunar Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pillnger, C. T.; Tindle, A. G.; Kelley, S. P.; Quick, K.; Scott, P.; Gibson, E. K.; Zeigler, R. A.

2014-01-01

A means of viewing, over the Internet, polished thin sections of every rock in the Apollo lunar sample collections via software, duplicaing many of the functions of a petrological microscope, is described.

Apollo 11 Lunar Science Conference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cochran, Wendell

1970-01-01

Report of a conference called to discuss the findings of 142 scientists from their investigations of samples of lunar rock and soil brought back by the Apollo 11 mission. Significant findings reported include the age and composition of the lunar samples, and the absence of water and organic matter. Much discussed was the origin and structure of…

Using Technology to Better Characterize the Apollo Sample Suite: A Retroactive PET Analysis and Potential Model for Future Sample Return Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeigler, R. A.

2015-01-01

From 1969-1972 the Apollo missions collected 382 kg of lunar samples from six distinct locations on the Moon. Studies of the Apollo sample suite have shaped our understanding of the formation and early evolution of the Earth-Moon system, and have had important implications for studies of the other terrestrial planets (e.g., through the calibration of the crater counting record) and even the outer planets (e.g., the Nice model of the dynamical evolution of the Solar System). Despite nearly 50 years of detailed research on Apollo samples, scientists are still developing new theories about the origin and evolution of the Moon. Three areas of active research are: (1) the abundance of water (and other volatiles) in the lunar mantle, (2) the timing of the formation of the Moon and the duration of lunar magma ocean crystallization, (3) the formation of evolved lunar lithologies (e.g., granites) and implications for tertiary crustal processes on the Moon. In order to fully understand these (and many other) theories about the Moon, scientists need access to "new" lunar samples, particularly new plutonic samples. Over 100 lunar meteorites have been identified over the past 30 years, and the study of these samples has greatly aided in our understanding of the Moon. However, terrestrial alteration and the lack of geologic context limit what can be learned from the lunar meteorites. Although no "new" large plutonic samples (i.e., hand-samples) remain to be discovered in the Apollo sample collection, there are many large polymict breccias in the Apollo collection containing relatively large (approximately 1 cm or larger) previously identified plutonic clasts, as well as a large number of unclassified lithic clasts. In addition, new, previously unidentified plutonic clasts are potentially discoverable within these breccias. The question becomes how to non-destructively locate and identify new lithic clasts of interest while minimizing the contamination and physical degradation of the samples.

The Apollo Lunar Sample Image Collection: Digital Archiving and Online Access

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Todd, Nancy S.; Lofgren, Gary E.; Stefanov, William L.; Garcia, Patricia A.

2014-01-01

The primary goal of the Apollo Program was to land human beings on the Moon and bring them safely back to Earth. This goal was achieved during six missions - Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 - that took place between 1969 and 1972. Among the many noteworthy engineering and scientific accomplishments of these missions, perhaps the most important in terms of scientific impact was the return of 382 kg (842 lb.) of lunar rocks, core samples, pebbles, sand, and dust from the lunar surface to Earth. Returned samples were curated at JSC (then known as the Manned Spacecraft Center) and, as part of the original processing, high-quality photographs were taken of each sample. The top, bottom, and sides of each rock sample were photographed, along with 16 stereo image pairs taken at 45-degree intervals. Photographs were also taken whenever a sample was subdivided and when thin sections were made. This collection of lunar sample images consists of roughly 36,000 photographs; all six Apollo missions are represented.

Rescue and Preservation of Sample Data from the Apollo Missions to the Moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Todd, Nancy S.; Zeigler, Ryan A.; Evans, Cindy A.; Lehnert, Kerstin

2016-01-01

Six Apollo missions landed on the Moon from 1969-72, returning to Earth 382 kg of lunar rock, soil, and core samples. These samples are among the best documented and preserved samples on Earth that have supported a robust research program for 45 years. From mission planning through sample collection, preliminary examination, and subsequent research, strict protocols and procedures are followed for handling and allocating Apollo subsamples, resulting in the production of vast amounts of documentation. Even today, hundreds of samples are allocated for research each year, building on the science foundation laid down by the early Apollo sample studies and combining new data from today's instrumentation, lunar remote sensing missions and lunar meteorites. Much sample information is available to researchers at curator.jsc.nasa.gov. Decades of analyses on lunar samples are published in LPSC proceedings volumes and other peer-reviewed journals, and tabulated in lunar sample compendia entries. However, for much of the 1969-1995 period, the processing documentation, individual and consortia analyses, and unpublished results exist only in analog forms or primitive digital formats that are either inaccessible or at risk of being lost forever because critical data from early investigators remain unpublished.

Apollo 16 astronauts take lunar soil sample from Station no.9 during EVA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

One of the Apollo 16 astronauts takes lunar soil sample at the base of a small boulder at Station no.9 during the second Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-2) at the Descartes landing site. Depressions to th right of the scoop were made when a surface sample was taken. This photograph was taken just before the boulder was rolled over.

Preliminary description of Apollo 15 sample environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swann, G. A.; Hait, M. H.; Schaber, G. G.; Freeman, V. L.; Ulrich, G. E.; Wolfe, E. W.; Reed, V. S.; Sutton, R. L.

1971-01-01

Approximately 78 kg of lunar rock and soil samples were returned by Apollo 15. The rather complete documentation of the locations of nearly all of the samples allows for relating the samples to the specific and detailed geologic environments from which they were collected. This is especially important in an area as geologically complex as the Hadley-Apennine site. All of the material presented was derived from the pre-mission photogeologic maps, lunar surface television video tapes, air-to-ground transcript and crew debriefings, photographs taken on the lunar surface by the Apollo 15 crew, and information supplied by the Lunar Sample Preliminary Examination team from which the samples were categorized into groups consisting of, broadly, basalts and breccias. The breccias are considered loosely in terms of coherent breccias and soil breccias.

Some physical properties of Apollo 12 lunar samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gold, T.; Oleary, B. T.; Campbell, M.

1971-01-01

The size distribution of the lunar fines is measured, and small but significant differences are found between the Apollo 11 and 12 samples as well as among the Apollo 12 core samples. The observed differences in grain size distribtuion in the core samples are related to surface transportation processes, and the importance of a sedimentation process versus meteoritic impact gardening of the mare grounds is discussed. The optical and the radio frequency electrical properties are measured and are also found to differ only slightly from Apollo 11 results.

Re-Evaluation of Ar-39 - Ar-40 Ages for Apollo Lunar Rocks 15415 and 60015

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, J.; Nyquist, L. E.; Bogard, D. D.; Garrison, D. H.; Shih, C.-Y.

2010-01-01

We re-analyzed 39Ar-40Ar ages of Apollo lunar highland samples 15415 and 60015, two ferroan anorthosites analyzed previously in the 1970 s, with a more detailed approach and with revised decay constants. From these samples we carefully prepared 100-200 mesh mineral separates for analysis at the Noble Gas Laboratory at NASA-Johnson Space Center. The Ar-39-Ar-40 age spectra for 15415 yielded an age of 3851 +/- 38 Ma with 33-99% of Ar39 release, roughly in agreement with previously reported Ar-Ar ages. For 60015, we obtained an age of 3584 +/- 152 Ma in 23-98% of Ar39 release, also in agreement with previously reported Ar-Ar ages of approximately 3.5 Ga. Highland anorthosites like these are believed by many to be the original crust of the moon, formed by plagioclase floatation atop a magma ocean, however the Ar-Ar ages of 15415 and 60015 are considerably younger than lunar crust formation. By contrast, recently recovered lunar anorthosites such as Dhofar 489, Dhofar 908, and Yamato 86032 yield older Ar-Ar ages, up to 4.35 Ga, much closer to time of formation of the lunar crust. It follows that the Ar-Ar ages of the Apollo samples must have been reset by secondary heating, and that this heating affected highland anorthosites at both the Apollo 15 and Apollo 16 landing sites but did not affect lunar highland meteorites. One obvious consideration is that while the Apollo samples were collected from the near side of the moon, these lunar meteorites are thought to have originated from the lunar far side

Bulk, rare earth, and other trace elements in Apollo 14 and 15 and Luna 16 samples.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laul, J. C.; Wakita, H.; Showalter, D. L.; Boynton, W. V.; Schmitt, R. A.

1972-01-01

Measurement of 24 and 34 bulk, minor, and trace elements in lunar specimens by instrumental and radiochemical neutron activation analysis shows greater Al2O3, Na2O, and K2O abundances and higher TiO2, FeO, MnO and Cr2O3 depletions in Apollo 14 soil samples as compared to Apollo 11 samples and to most of Apollo 12 samples. The uniform abundances in 14230 core tube soils and three other Apollo 14 soils indicate that the regolith is uniform to at least 22 cm depth and within about 200 m from the lunar module.

Astronaut Charles Duke photographed collecting lunar samples at Station 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, is photographed collecting lunar samples at Station no. 1 during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity at the Descartes landing site. This picture, looking eastward, was taken by Astronaut John W. Young, commander. Duke is standing at the rim of Plum crater, which is 40 meters in diameter and 10 meters deep. The parked Lunar Roving Vehicle can be seen in the left background.

The lunar quarantine program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnston, R. S.; Mason, J. A.; Wooley, B. C.; Mccollum, G. W.; Mieszkuc, B. J.

1974-01-01

The lunar quarantine program was designed to ensure that return of lunar material represented no threat to the public health, to agriculture, or to other living resources. It established definitely that no life exists on the moon. The crews of the three lunar quarantine missions, Apollo 11, 12, and 14, experienced no health problems as a result of their exposure to lunar samples. Plants and animals also showed no adverse effects. Stringent quarantine was terminated after Apollo 14, but lunar samples continued to be protected to guarantee that scientists would receive uncontaminated materials for study.

Apollo 14 Mission to Fra Mauro

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beasley, Brian D. (Editor)

1991-01-01

The 1971 Apollo 14 Mission to Fra Mauro, a lunar highland area, is highlighted in this video. The mission's primary goal was the collection of lunar rocks and soil samples and lunar exploration. The soil and rock sampling was for the geochronological determination of the Moon's evolution and its comparison with that of Earth. A remote data collection station was assembled on the Moon and left for continuous data collection and surface monitoring experiments. The Apollo 14 astronauts were Alan B. Shepard, Edgar D. Mitchell, and Stuart A. Rossa. Astronauts Shepard and Mitchell landed on the Moon (February 5, 1971) and performed the sampling, the EVA, and deployment of the lunar experiments. There is film-footage of the lunar surface, of the command module's approach to both the Moon and the Earth, Moon and Earth spacecraft launching and landing, in-orbit command- and lunar-module docking, and of Mission Control.

Electrical properties of Apollo 17 rock and soil samples and a summary of the electrical properties of lunar material at 450 MHz frequency

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gold, T.; Bilson, E.; Baron, R. L.

1976-01-01

The dielectric constant and the voltage absorption length was measured for four Apollo 17 soil samples (73241, 74220, 75061, 76501) and for two Apollo 17 rock samples (76315 and 79135) at 450 MHz frequency. The dielectric constant and absorption length measurements made on the lunar samples are reviewed and related to the transition element concentration in these samples. The significance of the laboratory measurements for radar observations is discussed.

The Importance of Apollo to Solar-System Science and Future Human Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neal, C. R.; Shearer, C. K.

2012-12-01

December 14, 2012 marks 40 years since humans walked on the Moon, and the demise of the Apollo program. Apollo will be remembered for America's response to the President's ambitious plan to go to the Moon that was fueled by cold-war "competition". However, the importance of Apollo goes far beyond that because it represents an achievement that spacefaring nations, including the USA, still aspire to. This presentation focuses on the Apollo influence on our understanding of the Moon and the Solar-System, as well as future human exploration activities. Apollo gave 2 things that continue to yield surprises and (re)shape our thinking about the Moon: ALSEP data sets and the Apollo lunar sample collection. The ALSEPs gave us data on the radiation and dust environment, as the nature of the lunar interior, and how the Moon interacts with the solar wind and Earth's magnetotail. Many of ALSEP datasets are STILL not available in the Planetary Data System, but those that are yield surprises, such as the direct detection of the Moon's core from Apollo seismic data (Weber et al., 2011, Science 331, 309). This is now possible because of the more sophisticated computing systems that are available. Apollo samples have shown the unequivocal presence of indigenous lunar water (Saal et al., 2008, Nature 454, 192). ALSEP data, Apollo samples, and the Apollo experience itself are still critical in shaping human space exploration, and showing the knowledge gaps that need to be filled to facilitate long-term human lunar exploration and beyond. ALSEP data are the only data we have regarding dust activity on the lunar surface. This coupled with the Apollo astronaut experience shows that systems (e.g., space suits) need to be engineered differently if a permanent human lunar presence is ever to be established. Seismic data show the magnitude of some moonquakes exceed 5 on the Richter scale and the maximum ground movement lasts several minutes and takes over an hour to dissipate. Any habitat should not be constructed where such an epicenter could be located. In addition, there are lunar samples that have remained unopened since there were collected, which could inform us about the volatile content and potential toxicity of the lunar regolith, as well as the technologies needed to collect, preserve and return volatile-rich samples from many planetary environments. With regard to science, Apollo allowed an absolute chronology to be developed for the impact history of the inner Solar-System. This was achieved by the return of impact melts, but their recognition within the collection initially proved difficult and detection requires destruction of a large amount of precious sample. A new, non-destructive method for identifying impact melts is presented that demonstrates Apollo samples are "the gift that keeps on giving". This involves quantitative petrography through the determination of plagioclase crystal size distributions and the relationship between the slopes and population density intercepts. Data from a study of mare basalt and impact melt crystal size distributions over several years shows lunar impact melts are distinct from mare basalts. Such a non-destructive identification of impact melt is critical for a future sample return from South Pole-Aitken Basin where impact melt is required to date the impact basin and test the late heavy bombardment hypothesis.

Astronauts Young and Duke collect rock samples along simulated lunar traverse

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

Astronauts John W. Young, left, prime crew commander for Apollo 16, and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, collect rock samples along a simulated lunar traverse route in the Coso Hills, near Ridgecrest, California. Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, right background, prime crew commander for Apollo 17, looks on. The astronauts trained at the U.S. Naval Ordnance Test Station.

Artist's concept of Apollo 14 crewmen on their firs traverse of lunar surface

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-01-11

S71-16101 (January 1971) --- A Grumman Aerospace Corporation artist's concept of Apollo 14 crewmen, astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, as they set out on their first traverse. Shepard is pulling the Modularized Equipment Transporter (MET) which contains cameras, lunar sample bags, tools and other paraphernalia. Shepard has the Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector (LR-3) in his other hand. Mitchell is carrying the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) barbell mode.

Thermophysical property measurements on lunar fines from Apollo missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birkebak, R. C.; Cremers, C. J.

1972-01-01

The thermophysical properties of lunar fines for a density of 1600 kg/cu m are reviewed. A list is included of publications resulting from the studies. During this period lunar samples from Apollo 11,12,14,15, and 16 were received and studied.

Apollo Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biggar, G. M.

1973-01-01

Summarizes the scientific activities of the Apollo program, including findings from analyses of the returned lunar sample. Descriptions are made concerning the possible origin of the moon and the formation of the lunar surface. (CC)

The Violent Early Solar System, as Told by Lunar Sample Geochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, B. A.

2012-12-01

One of the legacies of the samples collected by the Apollo and Luna missions is the link forged between radiometric ages of rocks and relative ages according to stratigraphic relationships and impact crater size-frequency distributions. Our current understanding of the history of the inner solar system is based on the relative chronology of individual planets, tied to the absolute geochronology of the Moon via these important samples. Sample ages have enabled us to infer that impact-melt breccias from Apollo 14 and 15 record the formation of the Imbrium Basin, those from the highland massifs at Apollo 17 record the age of Serenitatis, those from the KREEP-poor Apollo 16 site record the age of Nectaris, and materials from Luna 24 record the age of Crisium. Ejecta from smaller and younger craters Copernicus and Tycho were sampled at Apollo 12 and 17, respectively, and local craters such as Cone at Apollo 14, and North Ray and South Ray at Apollo 16 were also sampled and ages determined for those events. Much of what we understand about the lunar impact flux is based on these ages. Samples from these nearside locations reveal a preponderance of impact-disturbed or recrystallized ages between 3.75 and 3.95 billion years. Argon and lead loss (and correlated disturbances in the Rb-Sr system) have been attributed to metamorphism of the lunar crust by an enormous number of impacts in a brief pulse of time, called the Lunar Cataclysm or Late Heavy Bombardment. Subsequent high-precision geochronometric analyses of Apollo samples and lunar highlands meteorites show a wider range of ages, but very few older than 4 Ga. The paucity of ancient impact melt rocks has been interpreted to mean that either that most impact basins formed at this time, or that ejecta from the large, near-side, young basins dominates the Apollo samples. The impact history of the Moon has significant implications because the lunar bombardment history mirrors that of the Earth. During the cataclysm, 80% of the lunar surface was resurfaced; on Earth, this would scale to ~23,000 large impacts in a brief time. Impact ages in ordinary chondrites, HED meteorites, and the Martian meteorite ALH 84001 suggest that this early bombardment event affected the entire inner solar system. If true, the late heavy bombardment may have directly affected the evolution of life on Earth and our understanding of "habitable" planets. Lunar sample ages have also been used to drive large-scale dynamical modeling of solar system formation. These new models of planetary dynamics show a violent beginning to our solar system, where the late formation or outward migration of the gas giant planets destabilizes the Kuiper belt and main-belt asteroids, sending a cascade of impactors into the Moon and all the inner planets. The existence of an early bombardment has even been postulated in extrasolar planetary systems. Even after 40+ years of study, the provenance of returned lunar samples and ages of key events continue to be a focus of research and a topic of debate. One of the most important lessons learned from Apollo missions is that small samples yield a wealth of information and are gifts that keep on giving. The legacy of Apollo samples serves as a model and impetus for future sample return missions from the Moon, Mars, and asteroids.

Towards a Selenographic Information System: Apollo 15 Mission Digitization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Votava, J. E.; Petro, N. E.

2012-12-01

The Apollo missions represent some of the most technically complex and extensively documented explorations ever endeavored by mankind. The surface experiments performed and the lunar samples collected in-situ have helped form our understanding of the Moon's geologic history and the history of our Solar System. Unfortunately, a complication exists in the analysis and accessibility of these large volumes of lunar data and historical Apollo Era documents due to their multiple formats and disconnected web and print locations. Described here is a project to modernize, spatially reference, and link the lunar data into a comprehensive SELENOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM, starting with the Apollo 15 mission. Like its terrestrial counter-parts, Geographic Information System (GIS) programs, such as ArcGIS, allow for easy integration, access, analysis, and display of large amounts of spatially-related data. Documentation in this new database includes surface photographs, panoramas, samples and their laboratory studies (major element and rare earth element weight percents), planned and actual vehicle traverses, and field notes. Using high-resolution (<0.25 m/pixel) images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) the rover (LRV) tracks and astronaut surface activities, along with field sketches from the Apollo 15 Preliminary Science Report (Swann, 1972), were digitized and mapped in ArcMap. Point features were created for each documented sample within the Lunar Sample Compendium (Meyer, 2010) and hyperlinked to the appropriate Compendium file (.PDF) at the stable archive site: http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/lunar/compendium.cfm. Historical Apollo Era photographs and assembled panoramas were included as point features at each station that have been hyperlinked to the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal (ALSJ) online image library. The database has been set up to allow for the easy display of spatial variation of select attributes between samples. Attributes of interest that have data from the Compendium added directly into the database include age (Ga), mass, texture, major oxide elements (weight %), and Th and U (ppm). This project will produce an easily accessible and linked database that can offer technical and scientific information in its spatial context. While it is not possible given the enormous amounts of data, and the small allotment of time, to enter and/or link every detail to its map layer, the links that have been made here direct the user to rich, stable archive websites and web-based databases that are easy to navigate. While this project only created a product for the Apollo 15 mission, it is the model for spatially-referencing the other Apollo missions. Such a comprehensive lunar surface-activities database, a Selenographic Information System, will likely prove invaluable for future lunar studies. References: Meyer, C. (2010), The lunar sample compendium, June 2012 to August 2012, http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/lunar/compendium.cfm, Astromaterials Res. & Exploration Sci., NASA L. B. Johnson Space Cent., Houston, TX. Swann, G. A. (1972), Preliminary geologic investigation of the Apollo 15 landing site, in Apollo 15 Preliminary Science Report, [NASA SP-289], pp. 5-1 - 5-112, NASA Manned Spacecraft Cent., Washington, D.C.

LUNAR SAMPLES - APOLLO XI

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-27

S69-45002 (26 July 1969) --- A close-up view of the lunar rocks contained in the first Apollo 11 sample return container. The rock box was opened for the first time in the Vacuum Laboratory of the Manned Spacecraft Center’s Lunar Receiving Laboratory, Building 37, at 3:55 p.m. (CDT), Saturday, July 26, 1969. The gloved hand gives an indication of size. This box also contained the Solar Wind Composition experiment (not shown) and two core tubes for subsurface samples (not shown). These lunar samples were collected by astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. during their lunar surface extravehicular activity on July 20, 1969.

Lunar feldspathic meteorites: Constraints on the geology of the lunar highlands, and the origin of the lunar crust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, Juliane; Treiman, Allan H.; Mercer, Celestine N.

2014-02-01

The composition of the lunar crust provides clues about the processes that formed it and hence contains information on the origin and evolution of the Moon. Current understanding of lunar evolution is built on the Lunar Magma Ocean hypothesis that early in its history, the Moon was wholly or mostly molten. This hypothesis is based on analyses of Apollo samples of ferroan anorthosites (>90% plagioclase; molar Mg/(Mg+Fe)=Mg#<75) and the assumption that they are globally distributed. However, new results from lunar meteorites, which are random samples of the Moon's surface, and remote sensing data, show that ferroan anorthosites are not globally distributed and that the Apollo highland samples, used as a basis for the model, are influenced by ejecta from the Imbrium basin. In this study we evaluate anorthosites from all currently available adequately described lunar highland meteorites, representing a more widespread sampling of the lunar highlands than Apollo samples alone, and find that ∼80% of them are significantly more magnesian than Apollo ferroan anorthosites. Interestingly, Luna mission anorthosites, collected outside the continuous Imbrium ejecta, are also highly magnesian. If the lunar highland crust consists dominantly of magnesian anorthosites, as suggested by their abundance in samples sourced outside Imbrium ejecta, a reevaluation of the Lunar Magma Ocean model is a sensible step forward in the endeavor to understand lunar evolution. Our results demonstrate that lunar anorthosites are more similar in their chemical trends and mineral abundance to terrestrial massif anorthosites than to anorthosites predicted in a Lunar Magma Ocean. This analysis does not invalidate the idea of a Lunar Magma Ocean, which seems a necessity under the giant impact hypothesis for the origin of the moon. However, it does indicate that most rocks now seen at the Moon's surface are not primary products of a magma ocean alone, but are products of more complex crustal processes.

Complex Indigenous Organic Matter Embedded in Apollo 17 Volcanic Black Glass Surface Deposits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas-Keprta, Kathie L.; Clemett, S. J.; Ross, D. K.; Le, L.; Rahman, Z.; Gonzalez, C.; McKay, D. S.; Gibson, E. K.

2013-01-01

Papers presented at the first Lunar Science Conference [1] and those published in the subsequent Science Moon Issue [2] reported the C content of Apollo II soils, breccias, and igneous rocks as rang-ing from approx.50 to 250 parts per million (ppm). Later Fegley & Swindle [3] summarized the C content of bulk soils from all the Apollo missions as ranging from 2.5 (Apollo 15) to 280 ppm (Apollo 16) with an overall average of 124+/- 45 ppm. These values are unexpectedly low given that multiple processes should have contributed (and in some cases continue to contribute) to the lunar C inventory. These include exogenous accretion of cometary and asteroidal dust, solar wind implantation, and synthesis of C-bearing species during early lunar volcanism. We estimate the contribution of C from exogenous sources alone is approx.500 ppm, which is approx.4x greater than the reported average. While the assessm ent of indigenous organic matter (OM) in returned lunar samples was one of the primary scientific goals of the Apollo program, extensive analysis of Apollo samples yielded no evidence of any significant indigenous organic species. Furthermore, with such low concentrations of OM reported, the importance of discriminating indigenous OM from terrestrial contamination (e.g., lunar module exhaust, sample processing and handling) became a formidable task. After more than 40 years, with the exception of CH4 [5-7], the presence of indigenous lunar organics still remains a subject of considerable debate. We report for the first time the identification of arguably indigenous OM present within surface deposits of black glass grains collected on the rim of Shorty crater during the Apollo 17 mission by astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt.

Rock sample brought to earth from the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

Close-up view of Apollo 12 sample 12,065 under observation in the Manned Spacecraft Center's Lunar Receiving Laboratory. This sample, collected during the second Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA-2) of Astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., and Alan L. Bean, is a fine-grained rock. Note the glass-lined pits. An idea of the size of the rock can be gained by reference to the gauge on the bottom portion of the number meter.

Extant and Extinct Lunar Regolith Simulants: Modal Analyses of NU-LHT-1M and -2m, OB-1, JSC-1, JSC-1A and -1AF,FJS-1, and MLS-1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schrader, Christian; Rickman, Doug; McLemore, Carole; Fikes, John; Wilson, Stephen; Stoeser, Doug; Butcher, Alan; Botha, Pieter

2008-01-01

This work is part of a larger effort to compile an internally consistent database on lunar regolith (Apollo samples) and lunar regolith simulants. Characterize existing lunar regolith and simulants in terms of: a) Particle type; b) Particle size distribution; c) Particle shape distribution; d) Bulk density; and e) Other compositional characteristics. Evaluate regolith simulants (Figure of Merit) by above properties by comparison to lunar regolith (Apollo sample) This presentation covers new data on lunar simulants.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-07-31

This is a photo of the Apollo 15 Lunar Module, Falcon, on the lunar surface. Apollo 15 launched from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on July 26, 1971 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. Aboard was a crew of three astronauts including David R. Scott, Mission Commander; James B. Irwin, Lunar Module Pilot; and Alfred M. Worden, Command Module Pilot. The first mission designed to explore the Moon over longer periods, greater ranges and with more instruments for the collection of scientific data than on previous missions, the mission included the introduction of a $40,000,000 lunar roving vehicle (LRV) that reached a top speed of 16 kph (10 mph) across the Moon's surface. The successful Apollo 15 lunar landing mission was the first in a series of three advanced missions planned for the Apollo program. The primary scientific objectives were to observe the lunar surface, survey and sample material and surface features in a preselected area of the Hadley-Apennine region, setup and activation of surface experiments and conduct in-flight experiments and photographic tasks from lunar orbit. Apollo 15 televised the first lunar liftoff and recorded a walk in deep space by Alfred Worden. Both the Saturn V rocket and the LRV were developed at the Marshall Space Flight Center.

Thermophysical properties of lunar materials. I - Thermal radiation properties of lunar materials from the Apollo missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Birkebak, R. C.

1974-01-01

The successful landings on the moon of the Apollo flights and the return of samples of lunar surface material has permitted the measurement of the thermophysical properties necessary for heat transfer calculations. The characteristics of the Apollo samples are discussed along with remote sensing results which made it possible to deduce many of the thermophysical properties of the lunar surface. Definitions considered in connection with thermal radiation measurements include the bond albedo, the geometric albedo, the normal albedo, the directional reflectance, the bidirectional reflectance, and the directional emittance. The measurement techniques make use of a directional reflectance apparatus, a bidirectional reflectance apparatus, and a spectral emittance apparatus.

Connecting Returned Apollo Soils and Remote Sensing: Application to the Diviner Lunar Radiometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenhagen, B. T.; DonaldsonHanna, K. L.; Thomas, I. R.; Bowles, N. E.; Allen, Carlton C.; Pieters, C. M.; Paige, D. A.

2014-01-01

The Diviner Lunar Radiometer, onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, has produced the first global, high resolution, thermal infrared observations of an airless body. The Moon, which is the most accessible member of this most abundant class of solar system objects, is also the only body for which we have extraterrestrial samples with known spatial context, returned Apollo samples. Here we present the results of a comprehensive study to reproduce an accurate simulated lunar environment, evaluate the most appropriate sample and measurement conditions, collect thermal infrared spectra of a representative suite of Apollo soils, and correlate them with Diviner observations of the lunar surface. It has been established previously that thermal infrared spectra measured in simulated lunar environment (SLE) are significantly altered from spectra measured under terrestrial or martian conditions. The data presented here were collected at the University of Oxford Simulated Lunar Environment Chamber (SLEC). In SLEC, we simulate the lunar environment by: (1) pumping the chamber to vacuum pressures (less than 10-4 mbar) sufficient to simulate lunar heat transport processes within the sample, (2) cooling the chamber with liquid nitrogen to simulate radiation to the cold space environment, and (3) heating the samples with heaters and lamp to set-up thermal gradients similar to those experienced in the upper hundreds of microns of the lunar surface. We then conducted a comprehensive suite of experiments using different sample preparation and heating conditions on Apollo soils 15071 (maria) and 67701 (highland) and compared the results to Diviner noontime data to select the optimal experimental conditions. This study includes thermal infrared SLE measurements of 10084 (A11 - LM), 12001 (A12 - LM), 14259 (A14 - LM), 15071 (A15 - S1), 15601 (A15 - S9a), 61141 (A16 - S1), 66031 (A16 - S6), 67701 (A16 - S11), and 70181 (A17 - LM). The Diviner dataset includes all six Apollo sites at approximately 200 m spatial resolution We find that analyses of Diviner observations of individual sampling stations and SLE measurements returned Apollo soils show good agreement, while comparisons to thermal infrared reflectance under ambient conditions do not agree well, which underscores the need for SLE measurements and validates the Diviner compositional measurement technique.

Evaluations of lunar regolith simulants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, Lawrence A.; Pieters, Carle M.; Britt, Daniel

2016-07-01

Apollo lunar regolith samples are not available in quantity for engineering studies with In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). Therefore, with expectation of a return to the Moon, dozens of regolith (soil) simulants have been developed, to some extent a result of inefficient distribution of NASA-sanctioned simulants. In this paper, we review many of these simulants, with evaluations of their short-comings. In 2010, the NAC-PSS committee instructed the Lunar Exploration Advisory Group (LEAG) and CAPTEM (the NASA committee recommending on the appropriations of Apollo samples) to report on the status of lunar regolith simulants. This report is reviewed here-in, along with a list of the plethora of lunar regolith simulants and references. In addition, and importantly, a special, unique Apollo 17 soil sample (70050) discussed, which has many of the properties sought for ISRU studies, should be available in reasonable amounts for ISRU studies.

Indigenous Carbonaceous Phases Embedded Within Surface Deposits on Apollo 17 Volcanic Glass Beads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas-Keprta, K. L.; Clemett, S. J.; Ross, D. K.; Le, L.; McKay, D. S.; Gibson, E. K.; Gonzalez, C.

2012-01-01

The assessment of indigenous organic matter in returned lunar samples was one of the primary scientific goals of the Apollo program. Prior studies of Apollo samples have shown the total amount of organic matter to be in the range of approx 50 to 250 ppm. Low concentrations of lunar organics may be a consequence not only of its paucity but also its heterogeneous distribution. Several processes should have contributed to the lunar organic inventory including exogenous carbonaceous accretion from meteoroids and interplanetary dust particles, and endogenous synthesis driven by early planetary volcanism and cosmic and solar radiation.

The Violent Early Solar System, as Told by Sample Geochronology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Barbara

2013-01-01

One of the legacies of the samples collected by the Apollo and Luna missions is the link forged between radiometric ages of rocks and relative ages according to stratigraphic relationships and impact crater size-frequency distributions. Our current understanding of the history of the inner solar system is based on the relative chronology of individual planets, tied to the absolute geochronology of the Moon via these important samples. Sample ages have enabled us to infer that impact-melt breccias from Apollo 14 and 15 record the formation of the Imbrium Basin, those from the highland massifs at Apollo 17 record the age of Serenitatis, those from the KREEP-poor Apollo 16 site record the age of Nectaris, and materials from Luna 24 record the age of Crisium. Ejecta from smaller and younger craters Copernicus and Tycho were sampled at Apollo 12 and 17, respectively, and local craters such as Cone at Apollo 14, and North Ray and South Ray at Apollo 16 were also sampled and ages determined for those events. Much of what we understand about the lunar impact flux is based on these ages. Samples from these nearside locations reveal a preponderance of impact-disturbed or recrystallized ages between 3.75 and 3.95 billion years. Argon and lead loss (and correlated disturbances in the Rb-Sr system) have been attributed to metamorphism of the lunar crust by an enormous number of impacts in a brief pulse of time, called the Lunar Cataclysm or Late Heavy Bombardment. Subsequent high-precision geochronometric analyses of Apollo samples and lunar highlands meteorites show a wider range of ages, but very few older than 4 Ga. The paucity of ancient impact melt rocks has been interpreted to mean that either that most impact basins formed at this time, or that ejecta from the large, near-side, young basins dominates the Apollo samples.

The Apollo 17 mare basalts: Serenely sampling Taurus-Littrow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neal, Clive R.; Taylor, Lawrence A.

1992-01-01

As we are all aware, the Apollo 17 mission marked the final manned lunar landing of the Apollo program. The lunar module (LM) landed approximately 0.7 km due east of Camelot Crater in the Taurus-Littrow region on the southwestern edge of Mare Serenitatis. Three extravehicular activities (EVA's) were performed, the first concentrating around the LM and including station 1 approximately 1.1 km south-southeast of the LM at the northwestern edge of Steno Crater. The second traversed approximately 8 km west of the LM to include stations 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the third EVA traversed approximately 4.5 km to the northwest of the LM to include stations 6, 7, 8, and 9. This final manned mission returned the largest quantity of lunar rock samples, 110.5 kg/243.7 lb, and included soils, breccias, highland samples, and mare basalts. This abstract concentrates upon the Apollo 17 mare basalt samples.

The Apollo 17 mare basalts: Serenely sampling Taurus-Littrow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neal, Clive R.; Taylor, Lawrence A.

1992-12-01

As we are all aware, the Apollo 17 mission marked the final manned lunar landing of the Apollo program. The lunar module (LM) landed approximately 0.7 km due east of Camelot Crater in the Taurus-Littrow region on the southwestern edge of Mare Serenitatis. Three extravehicular activities (EVA's) were performed, the first concentrating around the LM and including station 1 approximately 1.1 km south-southeast of the LM at the northwestern edge of Steno Crater. The second traversed approximately 8 km west of the LM to include stations 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the third EVA traversed approximately 4.5 km to the northwest of the LM to include stations 6, 7, 8, and 9. This final manned mission returned the largest quantity of lunar rock samples, 110.5 kg/243.7 lb, and included soils, breccias, highland samples, and mare basalts. This abstract concentrates upon the Apollo 17 mare basalt samples.

K-Ar dating of lunar fines - Apollo 12, Apollo 14, and Luna 16.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pepin, R. O.; Bradley, J. G.; Dragon, J. C.; Nyquist, L. E.

1972-01-01

K-Ar ages were determined on a 6-in. double-focus mass spectrometer in fines of less than 1 mm from Apollo 14 and 16, and Luna 16 lunar soil samples. Age estimates of about 2.8 AE and about 4.0 AE are suggested for the two low-K components whose presence in the samples must be assumed to accommodate the age data. An average value of 0.1849 plus or minus 0.0008 was obtained for the Ar-18/Ar-36 ratio in the solar wind from ordinate intercept correlations for the Apollo 14 and Luna 16 samples. Cosmic ray exposure ages were close to 440 m.y. for both Apollo 14 samples and close to 840 m.y. for both Luna 16 samples.

Restoration and PDS Archive of Apollo Lunar Rock Sample Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, P. A.; Todd, N. S.; Lofgren, G. E.; Stefanov, W. L.; Runco, S. K.; LaBasse, D.; Gaddis, L. R.

2011-01-01

In 2008, scientists at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Lunar Sample Laboratory and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory (under the auspices of the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate or ARES) began work on a 4-year project to digitize the original film negatives of Apollo Lunar Rock Sample photographs. These rock samples together with lunar regolith and core samples were collected as part of the lander missions for Apollos 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 17. The original film negatives are stored at JSC under cryogenic conditions. This effort is data restoration in the truest sense. The images represent the only record available to scientists which allows them to view the rock samples when making a sample request. As the negatives are being scanned, they are also being formatted and documented for permanent archive in the NASA Planetary Data System (PDS) archive. The ARES group is working collaboratively with the Imaging Node of the PDS on the archiving.

Preliminary catalog of pictures taken on the lunar surface during the Apollo 16 mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batson, R. M.; Carson, K. B.; Reed, V. S.; Tyner, R. L.

1972-01-01

A catalog of all pictures taken from the lunar module or the lunar surface during the Apollo 16 lunar stay is presented. The tabulations are arranged for the following specific uses: (1) given the number of a particular frame, find its location in the sequence of lunar surface activity, the station from which it was taken and the subject matter of the picture; (2) given a particular location or activity within the sequence of lunar surface activity, find the pictures taken at that time and their subject matter; and (3) given a sample number from the voice transcript listed, find the designation assigned to the same sample by the lunar receiving laboratory.

Apollo 16 Crew Portrait

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

This is the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission crew portrait. Pictured from left to right are: Thomas K. Mattingly II, Command Module pilot; John W. Young, Mission Commander; and Charles M. Duke Jr., Lunar Module pilot. Launched from the Kennedy Space Center on April 16, 1972, Apollo 16 spent three days on Earth's Moon. The first study of the highlands area, the landing site for Apollo 16 was the Descartes Highlands. The fifth lunar landing mission out of six, Apollo 16 was famous for deploying and using an ultraviolet telescope as the first lunar observatory. The telescope photographed ultraviolet light emitted by Earth and other celestial objects. The Lunar Roving Vehicle, developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, was also used for collecting rocks and data on the mysterious lunar highlands. In this photo, astronaut John W. Young photographs Charles M. Duke, Jr. collecting rock samples at the Descartes landing site. Duke stands by Plum Crater while the Lunar Roving Vehicle waits parked in the background. High above, Thomas K. Mattingly orbits in the Command Module. The mission ended April 27, 1972 as the crew splashed down into the Pacific Ocean.

Lunar Samples - Apollo 17

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-12-27

S72-56362 (27 Dec. 1972) --- Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. "Jack" Schmitt (facing camera), Apollo 17 lunar module pilot, was one of the first to look at the sample of "orange" soil which was brought back from the Taurus-Littrow landing site by the Apollo 17 crewmen. Schmitt discovered the material at Shorty Crater during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA). The "orange" sample, which was opened Wednesday, Dec. 27, 1972, is in the bag on a weighing platform in the sealed nitrogen cabinet in the upstairs processing line in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory at the Manned Spacecraft Center. Just before, the sample was removed from one of the bolt-top cans visible to the left in the cabinet. The first reaction of Schmitt was "It doesn't look the same." Most of the geologists and staff viewing the sample agreed that it was more tan and brown than orange. Closer comparison with color charts showed that the sample had a definite orange cast, according the MSC geology branch Chief William Phinney. After closer investigation and sieving, it was discovered that the orange color was caused by very fine spheres and fragments of orange glass in the midst of darker colored, larger grain material. Earlier in the day the "orange" soil was taken from the Apollo Lunar Sample Return Container No. 2 and placed in the bolt-top can (as was all the material in the ALSRC "rock box").

Terrestrial contamination in Apollo lunar samples.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flory, D. A.; Simoneit, B. R.

1972-01-01

The contamination prevention procedures adopted for controlling the collection, processing, and analysis of the Apollo lunar samples in order to keep them free of significant levels of terrestrial organic matter are described. The organic contaminants actually found in the samples by the various investigators are summarized. It is shown that the program succeeded in providing investigators with samples containing less than 0.1 ppm total contamination.

K-Ca and Rb-Sr Dating of Lunar Granite 14321 Revisited

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Justin I.; Shih, C.-Y.; Nyquist, L. E.

2011-01-01

K-Ca and Rb-Sr age determinations were made for a bulk feldspar-rich portion of an Apollo rock fragment of the pristine lunar granite clast (14321,1062), an acid-leached split of the sample, and the leachate. K-Ca and Rb-Sr data were also obtained for a whole rock sample of Apollo ferroan anorthosite (FAN, 15415). The recent detection [1] of widespread intermediate composition plagioclase indicates that the generation of a diversity of evolved lunar magmas maybe more common and therefore more important to our understanding of crust formation than previously believed. Our new data strengthen the K-Ca and Rb-Sr internal isochrons of the well-studied Apollo sample 14321 [2], which along with a renewed effort to study evolved lunar magmas will provide an improved understanding of the petrogenetic history of evolved rocks on the Moon.

New data supporting a Sm-146,147-Nd-142,143 formation interval for the lunar mantle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nyquist, L. E.; Wiesmann, H.; Bansal, B. M.; Shih, C.-Y.

1994-01-01

Very small variations in Nd-142 abundance in SNC meteorites lunar basalts, and a terrestrial supracrustal rock, have been attributed to the decay of 103 Ma Sm-146 initially present in basalt source regions in varying abundances as a result of planetary differentiation. We previously interpreted variations in Nd-142 abundances in two Apollo 17 high-Ti basalts, three Apollo 12 low-Ti basalts, and two KREEP basalts as defining an isochron giving a formation interval of approximately 94 Ma for the lunar mantle. Here we report new data for a third Apollo 17 high-Ti basalt, two Apollo 15 low-Ti basalts, the VLT basaltic lunar meteorite A881757 (formerly Asuka 31), basalt-like KREEP impact melt rocks 14310 and 14078, and three terrestrial rock standards. Those lunar samples which were not exposed to large lunar surface thermal neutron fluences yield a revised mantle formation interval of 237 +/- 64 Ma.

Documentation and environment of the Apollo 16 samples: A preliminary report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

A catalog which is a working document that shows the locations from which samples were collected during the Apollo 16 mission, and that provides a descriptive geologic context for each sample is presented. It is a compilation of notes from work in progress, and supersedes an earlier report prepared by the Apollo Lunar Geology Investigation Team. The information was obtained from the Air-to-Ground transcript from the astronaut crew, from lunar surface television, from 60 mm Hasselblad camera photographs, and from available LRL mugshot photographs of the samples. The sample descriptions are based on these sources of data.

Drawings of the Modular Equipment Transporter and Hand Tool Carrier

NASA Image and Video Library

1970-10-12

S70-50762 (November 1970) --- A line drawing illustrating layout view of the modular equipment transporter (MET) and its equipment. A MET (or Rickshaw, as it has been nicknamed) will be used on the lunar surface for the first time during the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission. The Rickshaw will serve as a portable workbench with a place for the Apollo lunar hand tools (ALHT) and their carrier, three cameras, two sample container bags, a special environment sample container (SESC), a lunar portable magnetometer (LPM) and spare film magazines.

Rock sample brought to earth from the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-12-04

S69-60909 (November 1969) --- A close-up view of lunar sample 12,052 under observation in the Manned Spacecraft Center's Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL). Astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., and Alan L. Bean collected several rocks and samples of finer lunar matter during their Apollo 12 lunar landing mission extravehicular activity (EVA). This particular sample was picked up during the second space walk (EVA) on Nov. 20, 1969. It is a typically fine-grained crystalline rock with a concentration of holes on the left part of the exposed side. These holes are called vesicles and have been identified as gas bubbles formed during the crystallization of the rock. Several glass-lined pits can be seen on the surface of the rock.

Low temperature thermophysical properties of lunar soil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cremers, C. J.

1973-01-01

The thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity of lunar fines samples from the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 missions, determined at low temperatures as a function of temperature and various densities, are reviewed. It is shown that the thermal conductivity of lunar soil is nearly the same as that of terrestrial basaltic rock under the same temperature and pressure conditions.

3D-Laser-Scanning Technique Applied to Bulk Density Measurements of Apollo Lunar Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macke, R. J.; Kent, J. J.; Kiefer, W. S.; Britt, D. T.

2015-01-01

In order to better interpret gravimetric data from orbiters such as GRAIL and LRO to understand the subsurface composition and structure of the lunar crust, it is import to have a reliable database of the density and porosity of lunar materials. To this end, we have been surveying these physical properties in both lunar meteorites and Apollo lunar samples. To measure porosity, both grain density and bulk density are required. For bulk density, our group has historically utilized sub-mm bead immersion techniques extensively, though several factors have made this technique problematic for our work with Apollo samples. Samples allocated for measurement are often smaller than optimal for the technique, leading to large error bars. Also, for some samples we were required to use pure alumina beads instead of our usual glass beads. The alumina beads were subject to undesirable static effects, producing unreliable results. Other investigators have tested the use of 3d laser scanners on meteorites for measuring bulk volumes. Early work, though promising, was plagued with difficulties including poor response on dark or reflective surfaces, difficulty reproducing sharp edges, and large processing time for producing shape models. Due to progress in technology, however, laser scanners have improved considerably in recent years. We tested this technique on 27 lunar samples in the Apollo collection using a scanner at NASA Johnson Space Center. We found it to be reliable and more precise than beads, with the added benefit that it involves no direct contact with the sample, enabling the study of particularly friable samples for which bead immersion is not possible

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-23

Sitting on the lunar surface, this Solar Wind Spectrometer is measuring the energies of the particles that make up the solar wind. This was one of the instruments used during the Apollo 12 mission. The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-23

Sitting on the lunar surface, this magnetometer provided new data on the Moon’s magnetic field. This was one of the instruments used during the Apollo 12 mission. The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Thermal Analyses of Apollo Lunar Soils Provide Evidence for Water in Permanently Shadowed Areas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Bonnie L.; Smith, M. C.; Gibson, E. K.

2011-01-01

Thermally-evolved-gas analyses were performed on the Apollo lunar soils shortly after their return to Earth [1-8]. The analyses revealed the presence of water evolving at temperatures above 200 C. Of particular interest are samples that were collected from permanently-shadowed locations (e.g., under a boulder) with a second sample collected in nearby sunlight, and pairs in which one was taken from the top of a trench, and the second was taken at the base of the trench, where the temperature would have been -10 to -20 C prior to the disturbance [9]. These samples include 63340/63500, 69941/69961, and 76240/76280. At the time that this research was first reported, the idea of hydrated minerals on the lunar surface was somewhat novel. Nevertheless, goethite was observed in lunar breccias from Apollo 14 [10], and it was shown that goethite, hematite and magnetite could originate in an equilibrium assemblage of lunar rocks

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-23

This is a view of astronaut Richard F. Gordon attaching a high resolution telephoto lens to a camera aboard the Apollo 12 Command Module (CM) Yankee Clipper. The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms. Their lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. Astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Lunar Surface Gravimeter Experiment. [characteristics of test equipment installed on lunar surface during Apollo 17 flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giganti, J. J.; Larson, J. V.; Richard, J. P.; Weber, J.

1973-01-01

The lunar surface gravimeter which was emplaced on the moon by the Apollo 17 flight is described and a schematic diagram of the sensor is provided. The objective of the lunar surface gravimeter is to use the moon as an instrumented antenna to detect gravitational waves. Another objective is to measure tidal deformation of the moon. Samples of signals received during lunar sunrise activity and during quiet periods are presented in graph form based on power spectrum analysis

A primer in lunar geology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greeley, R. (Editor); Schultz, P. H. (Editor)

1974-01-01

Primary topics in lunar geology range from the evolution of the solar system to lunar photointerpretation, impact crater formation, and sampling to analyses on various Apollo lunar landing site geomorphologies.

View of Apollo 16 lunar sample no. 68815

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-04-30

A closeup view or "mug shot" of Apollo 16 lunar sample no. 68815, a dislodged fragment from a parent boulder roughly four feet high and five feet long encountered at Station 8. The crew tried in vain to overturn the parent boulder. A fillet-soil sample was taken close to the boulder, allowing for study of the type and rate of erosion acting on lunar rocks. The fragment itself is very hard, has many veticles and a variety of inclusions. In addition, numerous metallic particles were observed in the black matrix.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-24

Sitting in the life raft, during the Apollo 12 Pacific recovery, are the three mission astronauts; Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms, while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-12-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples, some of which can be seen in this photograph. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Did We Really Land on the Moon? Suggestions for Science Teachers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowman, Paul D., Jr.; Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

On Feb. 15, 2001, the FOX network broadcast a one hour TV program claiming that the Apollo lunar landings had all been staged in a studio set in Nevada, and that astronauts had never landed on the Moon. This claim can be refuted on many points, focused on the supposed photographic evidence indicating studio lighting or other aspects of the Apollo missions. The TV program ignored the returned lunar samples. Science teachers have been swamped with questions about the program, and this paper has been written to suggest how they can use it to stimulate interest in lunar geology. The article shows how the NASA Lunar Disk kits, available on loan to schools, can be studied by students. These samples are visibly different from terrestrial soils and rocks in several ways. There is no quartz in the lunar soil; there are no true reds and browns resulting from ferric oxides; and the textures of the soil (agglutinates and glass beads) can only be formed on an airless planet. The article has several pictures of the lunar surface and the Apollo samples, and a short bibliography for background reading.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the fifteenth of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the seventeenth of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the third of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the thirteenth of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the fourteenth of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the sixth of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the seventh of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the twenty-fifth of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-11-04

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the fourth of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the second of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the sixteenth of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the eighteenth of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1959-11-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the twenty-third of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the twenty-first of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the twenty-fourth of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-14

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the fifth of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Astronaut John Young on rim of Plum crater gathering lunar rock samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, stands on the rim of Plum crater while collecting lunar rock samples at Station No.1 during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-1) at the Descartes landing site. This scene, looking eastward, was photographed by Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot. The small boulder in the center foreground was chip sampled by the crewmen. Plum crater is 40 meters in diameter and 10 meters deep. The Lunar Roving Vehicle is parked on the far rim of the crater. The gnomon, which is used as a photographic reference to establish local vertical sun angle, scale, and lunar color, is deployed in the center of the picture. Young holds a geological hammer in his right hand.

Lunar Dust Effects on Spacesuit Systems: Insights from the Apollo Spacesuits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christoffersen, Roy; Lindsay, John R.; Noble, Sarah K.; Meador, Mary Ann; Kosmo, Joseph J.; Lawrence, J. Anneliese; Brostoff, Lynn; Young, Amanda; McCue, Terry

2008-01-01

Systems and components of selected Apollo A7L/A7LB flight-article spacesuits that were worn on the lunar surface have been studied to determine the degree to which they suffered contamination, abrasion and wear or loss of function due to effects from lunar soil particles. Filter materials from the lithium hydroxide (LiOH) canisters from the Apollo Command Module were also studied to determine the amount and type of any lunar dust particles they may have captured from the spacecraft atmosphere. The specific spacesuit study materials include the outermost soft fabric layers on Apollo 12 and 17 integrated thermal micrometeorite garment assemblies and outermost fabrics on Apollo 17 extravehicular pressure gloves. In addition, the degree of surface wear in the sealed wrist rotation bearing from Apollo 16 extravehicular and intravehicular pressure gloves was evaluated and compared. Scanning electron microscope examination of the Apollo 12 T-164 woven TeflonO fabric confirms the presence of lunar soil particles and the ability of these particles to cause separation and fraying of the Teflon fibers. Optical imaging, chemical analysis and particle sampling applied to the outer fabric of the Apollo 17 spacesuit has identified Ti as a potentially useful chemical marker for comparing the amount of lunar soil retained on different areas of the spacesuit outer fabric. High-yield particle sampling from the Apollo 17 fabric surfaces using adhesive tape found 80% of particles on the fabric are lunar soil particles averaging 10.5 m in diameter, with the rest being intrinsic fabric materials or environmental contaminants. Analysis of the mineralogical composition of the lunar particles found that on a grain-count basis the particle population is dominated by plagioclase feldspar and various types of glassy particles derived mostly from soil agglutinates, with a subordinate amount of pyroxene. On a grain size basis, however, the pyroxene grains are generally a factor of 2 larger than glass and plagioclase, so conversion of the data to a modal (volume %) basis results in pyroxene becoming the modally dominant particle type with glass and plagioclase significantly less abundant. When comparisons are made to the modal composition of lunar soil at the Apollo 17 landing site, the results suggest that pyroxene particles have overall better retention on the spacesuit outer fabric compared to plagioclase and especially glass. Scanning electron microscopy revealed no measureable difference in the amount of wear and abrasion in the wrist rotation bearing of an Apollo 16 pressure glove worn only in the spacecraft and one worn only for extravehicular activity on the lunar surface. The results suggest either that the bearing prevented entry of lunar dust, or that dust was not sufficiently abrasive to damage the bearing, or both.

U-Th-Pb systematics of some Apollo 17 lunar samples and implications for a lunar basin excavation chronology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nunes, P. D.; Tatsumoto, M.; Unruh, D. M.

1974-01-01

U, Th, and Pb concentrations and lead isotopic compositions of selected Apollo 17 soil and rock samples are presented. Concordia treatments of U-Pb whole samples of Apollo 17 mare basalts and highland rocks probably reflect several early thermal events about 4.5 b.y. old more consistently than do U-Pb ages of samples collected at other lunar sites. We propose that all lunar U-Th-Pb data reflect a multistate U-Pb evolution history most easily understood as being related to a complex planetesimal bombardment history of the moon which apparently dominated lunar events from about 4.5 to about 3.9 b.y. ago. Semi-distinct events at about 4.0, about 4.2, and 4.4-4.5 b.y. are evident on whole-rock frequency versus Pb-207/Pb-206 age histograms. Each of these events may reflect multiple cratering episodes. For mare basalts, complete resetting of the source rock U-Pb systems owing to Pb loss relative to U was apparently often approached after a major planetesimal impact.

The Benefits of Sample Return: Connecting Apollo Soils and Diviner Lunar Radiometer Remote Sensing Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenhagen, B. T.; Donaldson-Hanna, K. L.; Thomas, I. R.; Bowles, N. E.; Allen, C. C.; Pieters, C. M.; Paige, D. A.

2014-01-01

The Diviner Lunar Radiometer, onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, has produced the first global, high resolution, thermal infrared observations of an airless body. The Moon, which is the most accessible member of this most abundant class of solar system objects, is also the only body for which we have extraterrestrial samples with known spatial context. Here we present the results of a comprehensive study to reproduce an accurate simulated lunar environment, evaluate the most appropriate sample and measurement conditions, collect thermal infrared spectra of a representative suite of Apollo soils, and correlate them with Diviner observations of the lunar surface. We find that analyses of Diviner observations of individual sampling stations and SLE measurements of returned Apollo soils show good agreement, while comparisons to thermal infrared reflectance under terrestrial conditions do not agree well, which underscores the need for SLE measurements and validates the Diviner compositional dataset. Future work includes measurement of additional soils in SLE and cross comparisons with measurements in JPL Simulated Airless Body Emission Laboratory (SABEL).

LUNAR SAMPLES - APOLLO 11

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-08-03

S69-40749 (July 1969) --- Dr. Grant Heikan, MSC and a Lunar Sample Preliminary Examination Team member, examines lunar material in a sieve from the bulk sample container which was opened in the Biopreparation Laboratory of the Lunar Receiving Laboratory. The samples were collected by astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. during their lunar surface extravehicular activity on July 20, 1969.

Surface Coatings on Lunar Volcanic Glasses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wentworth, Susan J.; McKay, D. S.; Thomas,-Keprta, K. L.; Clemett, S. J.

2007-01-01

We are undertaking a detailed study of surface deposits on lunar volcanic glass beads. These tiny deposits formed by vapor condensation during cooling of the gases that drove the fire fountain eruptions responsible for the formation of the beads. Volcanic glass beads are present in most lunar soil samples in the returned lunar collection. The mare-composition beads formed as a result of fire-fountaining approx.3.4-3.7 Ga ago, within the age range of large-scale mare volcanism. Some samples from the Apollo 15 and Apollo 17 landing sites are enriched in volcanic spherules. Three major types of volcanic glass bead have been identified: Apollo 15 green glass, Apollo 17 orange glass, and Apollo 17 "black" glass. The Apollo 15 green glass has a primitive composition with low Ti. The high-Ti compositions of the orange and black glasses are essentially identical to each other but the black glasses are opaque because of quench crystallization. A poorly understood feature common to the Apollo 15 and 17 volcanic glasses is the presence of small deposits of unusual materials on their exterior surfaces. For example, early studies indicated that the Apollo 17 orange glasses had surface enrichments of In, Cd, Zn, Ga, Ge, Au, and Na, and possible Pb- and Zn-sulfides, but it was not possible to characterize the surface features in detail. Technological advances now permit us to examine such features in detail. Preliminary FE-TEM/X-ray studies of ultramicrotome sections of Apollo 15 green glass indicate that the surface deposits are heterogeneous and layered, with an inner layer consisting of Fe with minor S and an outer layer of Fe and no S, and scattered Zn enrichments. Layering in surface deposits has not been identified previously; it will be key to defining the history of lunar fire fountaining.

Interaction of gases with lunar materials. [analysis of lunar samples from Apollo 17 flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmes, H. F.; Fuller, E. L., Jr.; Gammage, R. B.

1974-01-01

The surface chemistry of Apollo 17 lunar fines samples 74220 (the orange soil) and 74241 (the gray control soil) has been studied by measuring the adsorption of nitrogen, argon, and oxygen (all at 77 K) and also water vapor (at 20 or 22 C). In agreement with results for samples from other missions, both samples had low initial specific surface areas, consisted of nonporous particles, and were attacked by water vapor at high relative pressure to give an increased specific surface area and create a pore system which gave rise to a capillary condensation hysteresis loop in the adsorption isotherms. In contrast to previous samples, both of the Apollo 17 soils were partially hydrophobic in their initial interaction with water vapor (both samples were completely hydrophilic after the reaction with water). The results are consistent with formation at high temperatures without subsequent exposure to significant amounts of water.

Effects of Apollo 12 lunar material on lipid levels of tobacco tissue and slash pine cultures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weete, J. D.

1972-01-01

Investigations of the lipid components of pine tissues (Pinus elloitii) are discussed, emphasizing fatty acids and steroids. The response by slash pine tissue cultures to growth in contact with Apollo lunar soil, earth basalt, and Iowa soil is studied. Tissue cultures of tobacco grown for 12 weeks in contact with lunar material from Apollo 12 flight contained 21 to 35 percent more total pigment than control tissues. No differences were noted in the fresh or dry weight of the experimental and control samples.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-01-01

The Apollo 12 three-man crew pictured left to right are: Astronauts Charles Conrad, Spacecraft Commander; Richard F. Gordon, pilot of the Command Module `Yankee Clipper'; and Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module `Intrepid'. Activities of astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar soil included setting out experiments, finding the unmarned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. The second mission of the manned lunar landing and return to Earth, Apollo 12 lifted off on November 14, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-14

This image depicts the liftoff of the Apollo 12 on November 14, 1969. The second mission of the marned lunar landing and return to Earth, Apollo 12, carried a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module, Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module, Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. Activities of astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar soil included setting out experiments, finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples.

Inhalation Toxicity of Ground Lunar Dust Prepared from Apollo-14 Soil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

James, John T.; Lam, Chiu-wing; Scully, Robert R.; Cooper, Bonnie L.

2011-01-01

Within the decade one or more space-faring nations intend to return humans to the moon for more in depth exploration of the lunar surface and subsurface than was conducted during the Apollo days. The lunar surface is blanketed with fine dust, much of it in the respirable size range (<10 micron). Eventually, there is likely to be a habitable base and rovers available to reach distant targets for sample acquisition. Despite designs that could minimize the entry of dust into habitats and rovers, it is reasonable to expect lunar dust to pollute both as operations progress. Apollo astronauts were exposed briefly to dust at nuisance levels, but stays of up to 6 months on the lunar surface are envisioned. Will repeated episodic exposures to lunar dust present a health hazard to those engaged in lunar exploration? Using rats exposed to lunar dust by nose-only inhalation, we set out to investigate that question.

Rock sample brought to earth from the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

Close-up view of Apollo 12 sample 12,062 under observation in the Manned Spacecraft Center's Lunar Receiving Laboratory. This sample, collected during the second Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA-2) of Astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., and Alan L. Bean, is a medium-grained rock with lath-shaped crystals of feldspar and pyroxene It contains vugs-holes-with crystals growing in them (note right side of exposed portion). An idea of the size of the rock can be gained by reference to the gauge on the bottom portion of the number meter.

Notes on lunar ilmenite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hutson, M. L.

1989-01-01

Opaques (mostly ilmenite) make up 0 to 5 percent of highland rocks, 1 to 11 percent of low-Ti mare basalts, and 10 to 34 percent of high-Ti mare basalts (Carter 1988). Apollos 11 and 17 sampled high-Ti basalts. Apollos 12 and 14 sampled low-Ti basalts. Apollo 15 sampled a complex mixture of mare and highland material. Apollo 16 sampled mainly highland material (Taylor 1975).

Survey of lunar carbon compounds. I - The presence of indigenous gases and hydrolysable carbon compounds in Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abell, P. I.; Cadogan, P. H.; Eglinton, G.; Maxwell, J. R.; Pillinger, C. T.

1971-01-01

Indigenous gases and hydrolyzable carbon compounds in Apollo 11 and 12 samples through gas chromatographic and mass spectrometric examination, noting meteoritic impact and solar wind implantation as probable origins

Strength and compressibility of returned lunar soil.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carrier, W. D., III; Bromwell, L. G.; Martin, R. T.

1972-01-01

Two oedometer and three direct shear tests have been performed in vacuum on a 200 g sample of lunar soil from Apollo 12 (12001, 119). The compressibility data have been used to calculate bulk density and shear wave velocity versus depth on the lunar surface. The shear wave velocity was found to increase approximately with the one-fourth power of the depth, and the results suggest that the Apollo 14 Active Seismic Experiment may not have detected the Fra Mauro formation at a depth of 8.5 m, but only naturally consolidated lunar soil. The shear data indicate that the strength of the lunar soil sample is about 65% that of a ground basalt simulant at the same void ratio.

Apollo-11 lunar sample information catalogue

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kramer, F. E. (Compiler); Twedell, D. B. (Compiler); Walton, W. J. A., Jr. (Compiler)

1977-01-01

The Apollo 11 mission is reviewed with emphasis on the collection of lunar samples, their geologic setting, early processing, and preliminary examination. The experience gained during five subsequent missions was applied to obtain physical-chemical data for each sample using photographic and binocular microscope techniques. Topics discussed include: binocular examination procedure; breccia clast dexrriptuons, thin section examinations procedure typical breccia in thin section, typical basalt in thin section, sample histories, and chemical and age data. An index to photographs is included.

Mission description. [major mission events and data collection periods during Apollo 17 lunar exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baldwin, R. R.

1973-01-01

The accomplishments of the Apollo 17 flight are discussed. The scientific objectives included geological surveying and sampling of materials and surface features in a preselected area of the Taurus-Littrow region, deploying and activating surface experiments, and conducting inflight experiments and photographic tasks during lunar orbit and transearth coast. The individual Apollo 17 experiments and photographic tasks are presented in outline form. Charts are developed to show the major mission events and data collection periods correlated to Greenwich Mean Time and ground elapsed time. Maps of the lunar surface ground track envelope for the Apollo 17 orbiting spacecraft for revolutions one to seventy-five is shown.

Lunar Samples - Apollo 12

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-28

S69-60354 (29 Nov. 1969) --- A scientist's gloved hand holds one of the numerous rock samples brought back to Earth from the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission. The rocks are under thorough examination in the Manned Spacecraft Center's (MSC) Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL). This sample is a highly shattered basaltic rock with a thin black-glass coating on five of its six sides. Glass fills fractures and cements the rock together. The rock appears to have been shattered and thrown out by a meteorite impact explosion and coated with molten rock material before the rock fell to the surface.

View Seventeen of Lunar Panoramic Scene

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12, launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what's known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. This is the seventeenth of 25 images captured by the crew in attempt to provide a 360 degree Lunar surface scene. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Geologic setting of the apollo 14 samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swann, G.A.; Trask, N.J.; Hait, M.H.; Sutton, R.L.

1971-01-01

The apollo 14 lunar module landed in a region of the lunar highlands that is part of a widespread blanket of ejecta surrounding the Mare Imbrium basin. Samples were collected from the regolith developed on a nearly level plain, a ridge 100 meters high, and a blacky ejecta deposit around a young crater. Large boulders in the vicinity of the landing site are coherent fragmental rocks as are some of the returned samples.

MoonDB — A Data System for Analytical Data of Lunar Samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehnert, K.; Ji, P.; Cai, M.; Evans, C.; Zeigler, R.

2018-04-01

MoonDB is a data system that makes analytical data from the Apollo lunar sample collection and lunar meteorites accessible by synthesizing published and unpublished datasets in a relational database with an online search interface.

Project: Apollo 15

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

The 12-day Apollo 15 mission, scheduled for launch on July 26 to carry out the fourth United States manned exploration of the Moon, will: Double the time and extend tenfold the range of lunar surface exploration as compared with earlier missions; Deploy the third in a network of automatic scientific stations; Conduct a new group of experiments in lunar orbit; and Return to Earth a variety of lunar rock and soil samples. Scientists expect the results will greatly increase man's knowledge both of the Moon's history and composition and of the evolution and dynamic interaction of the Sun-Earth system. This is so because the dry, airless, lifeless Moon still bears records of solar radiation and the early years of solar system history that have been erased from Earth. Observations of current lunar events also may increase understanding of similar processes on Earth, such as earthquakes. The Apollo 15 Lunar module will make its descent over the Apennine peaks, one of the highest mountain ranges on the Moon, to land near the rim of the canyon-like Hadley Rille. From this Hadley-Apennine lunar base, between the mountain range and the rille, Commander David R. Scott and Lunar Module Pilot James B. Irwin will explore several kilometers from the lunar module, driving an electric-powered lunar roving vehicle for the first time on the Moon. Scott and Irwin will leave the lunar module for three exploration periods to emplace scientific experiments on the lunar surface and to make detailed geologic investigations of formations in the Apennine foothills, along the Hadley Rille rim, and to other geologic structures. The three previous manned landings were made by Apollo 11 at Tranquillity Base, Apollo 12 in the Ocean of Storms and Apollo 14 at Fra Mauro.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-24

Aboard the recovery ship, USS Hornet, Apollo 12 astronauts wave to the crowd as they enter the mobile quarantine facility. The recovery operation took place in the Pacific Ocean after the splashdown of the Command Module capsule. Navy para-rescue men recovered the capsule housing the 3-man Apollo 12 crew. The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Lunar Samples: Apollo Collection Tools, Curation Handling, Surveyor III and Soviet Luna Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allton, J.H.

2009-01-01

The 6 Apollo missions that landed on the lunar surface returned 2196 samples comprised of 382 kg. The 58 samples weighing 21.5 kg collected on Apollo 11 expanded to 741 samples weighing 110.5 kg by the time of Apollo 17. The main goal on Apollo 11 was to obtain some material and return it safely to Earth. As we gained experience, the sampling tools and a more specific sampling strategy evolved. A summary of the sample types returned is shown in Table 1. By year 1989, some statistics on allocation by sample type were compiled [2]. The "scientific interest index" is based on the assumption that the more allocations per gram of sample, the higher the scientific interest. It is basically a reflection of the amount of diversity within a given sample type. Samples were also set aside for biohazard testing. The samples set aside and used for biohazard testing were represen-tative, as opposed to diverse. They tended to be larger and be comprised of less scientifically valuable mate-rial, such as dust and debris in the bottom of sample containers.

Using Apollo sites and soils to compositionally ground truth Diviner Lunar Radiometer observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenhagen, B. T.; Lucey, P. G.; Song, E.; Thomas, I. R.; Bowles, N. E.; Donaldson Hanna, K. L.; Foote, E. J.; Paige, D. A.; Allen, C.

2012-12-01

Apollo landing sites and returned soils afford us a unique opportunity to "ground truth" Diviner Lunar Radiometer compositional observations, which are the first global, high resolution, thermal infrared measurements of an airless body. The Moon is the most accessible member of the most abundant class of solar system objects, which includes Mercury, asteroids, and icy satellites. And the Apollo samples returned from the Moon are the only extraterrestrial samples with known spatial context. Here we compare Diviner observations of Apollo landing sites and compositional and spectral laboratory measurements of returned Apollo soils. Diviner, onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, has three spectral channels near 8 μm that were designed to characterize the mid-infrared emissivity maximum known as the Christiansen feature (CF), a well-studied indicator of silicate mineralogy. It has been observed that thermal infrared spectra measured in simulated lunar environment (SLE) are significantly altered from spectra measured under terrestrial or martian conditions, with enhanced CF contrast and shifted CF position relative to other spectral features. Therefore only thermal emission experiments conducted in SLE are directly comparable to Diviner data. With known compositions, Apollo landing sites and soils are important calibration points for the Diviner dataset, which includes all six Apollo sites at approximately 200 m spatial resolution. Differences in measured CFs caused by composition and space weathering are apparent in Diviner data. Analyses of Diviner observations and SLE measurements for a range of Apollo soils show good agreement, while comparisons to thermal reflectance measurements under ambient conditions do not agree well, which underscores the need for SLE measurements and validates our measurement technique. Diviner observations of Apollo landing sites are also correlated with geochemical measurements of Apollo soils from the Lunar Sample Compendium. In particular, the correlations between CF and FeO and Al2O3 are very strong, owing to the dependence on the feldspar-mafic ratio. Our analyses suggest that Diviner data may offer an independent measure of soil iron content from the existing optical and gamma-ray spectrometer datasets.

Using Apollo Sites and Soils to Compositionally Ground Truth Diviner Lunar Radiometer Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenhagen, Benjamin T.; Lucey, P. G.; Song, E.; Thomas, I R.; Bowles, N. E.; DonaldsonHanna, K. L.; Allen, C.; Foote, E. J.; Paige, D .A.

2012-01-01

Apollo landing sites and returned soils afford us a unique opportunity to "ground truth" Diviner Lunar Radiometer compositional observations, which are the first global, high resolution , thermal infrared measurements of an airless body. The Moon is the most accessible member of the most abundant class of solar system objects, which includes Mercury, asteroids, and icy satellites. And the Apollo samples returned from the Moon are the only extraterrestrial samples with known spatial context. Here we compare Diviner observations of Apollo landing sites and compositional and spectral laboratory measurements of returned Apollo soils. Diviner, onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, has three spectral channels near 8 micron that were designed to characterize the mid-infrared emissivity maximum known as the Christiansen feature (CF), a well-studied indicator of silicate mineralogy. It has been observed that thermal infrared spectra measured in simulated lunar environment (SLE) are significantly altered from spectra measured under terrestrial or martian conditions, with enhanced CF contrast and shifted CF position relative to other spectral features. Therefore only thermal emission experiments conducted in SLE are directly comparable to Diviner data. With known compositions, Apollo landing sites and soils are important calibration points for the Diviner dataset, which includes all six Apollo sites at approximately 200 m spatial resolution. Differences in measured CFs caused by composition and space weathering are apparent in Diviner data. Analyses of Diviner observations and SLE measurements for a range of Apollo soils show good agreement, while comparisons to thermal reflectance measurements under ambient conditions do not agree well, which underscores the need for SLE measurements and validates our measurement technique. Diviner observations of Apollo landing sites are also correlated with geochemical measurements of Apollo soils from the Lunar Sample Compendium. In particular, the correlations between CF and FeO and AI203 are very strong, owing to the dependence on the feldspar-mafic ratio. Our analyses suggest that Diviner data may offer an independent measure of soil iron content from the existing optical and gamma-ray spectrometer datasets.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-20

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn Five launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Their lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. In this photograph, one of the astronauts on the Moon’s surface is holding a container of lunar soil. The other astronaut is seen reflected in his helmet. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Modeling Respiratory Toxicity of Authentic Lunar Dust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santana, Patricia A.; James, John T.; Lam, Chiu-Wing

2010-01-01

The lunar expeditions of the Apollo operations from the 60 s and early 70 s have generated awareness about lunar dust exposures and their implication towards future lunar explorations. Critical analyses on the reports from the Apollo crew members suggest that lunar dust is a mild respiratory and ocular irritant. Currently, NASA s space toxicology group is functioning with the Lunar Airborne Dust Toxicity Assessment Group (LADTAG) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to investigate and examine toxic effects to the respiratory system of rats in order to establish permissible exposure levels (PELs) for human exposure to lunar dust. In collaboration with the space toxicology group, LADTAG and NIOSH the goal of the present research is to analyze dose-response curves from rat exposures seven and twenty-eight days after intrapharyngeal instillations, and model the response using BenchMark Dose Software (BMDS) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Via this analysis, the relative toxicities of three types of Apollo 14 lunar dust samples and two control dust samples, titanium dioxide (TiO2) and quartz will be determined. This will be executed for several toxicity endpoints such as cell counts and biochemical markers in bronchoaveolar lavage fluid (BALF) harvested from the rats.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-24

The smiling Apollo 12 astronauts peer out of the window of the mobile quarantine facility aboard the recovery ship, USS Hornet. Pictured (Left to right) are Spacecraft Commander, Charles Conrad; Command Module (CM) Pilot, Richard Gordon; and Lunar Module (LM) Pilot, Alan L. Bean. The crew were housed in the quarantine facility immediately after the Pacific recovery operation took place. The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. Apollo 12 returned safely to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Prototype of the Modular Equipment Transporter (MET)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1970-01-01

A prototype of the Modular Equipment Transporter (MET), nicknamed the 'Rickshaw' after its shape and method of propulsion. This equipment was used by the Apollo 14 astronauts during their geological and lunar surface simulation training in the Pinacate volcanic area of northwestern Sonora, Mexico. The Apollo 14 crew will be the first one to use the MET. It will be a portable workbench with a place for the lunar handtools and their carrier, three cameras, two sample container bags, a Special Environmental Sample Container, spare film magazines, and a Lunar Surface Penetrometer.

Apollo 10 and 11 crews photographed during Apollo 10 debriefing

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-06-03

S69-35504 (June 1969) --- The prime crews of the Apollo 10 lunar orbit mission and the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission are photographed during an Apollo 10 postflight de-briefing session. Clockwise, from left foreground, are astronauts Michael Collins, Apollo 11 command module pilot; Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Apollo 11 lunar module pilot; Eugene A. Cernan, Apollo 10 lunar module pilot; Thomas P. Stafford, Apollo 10 commander; Neil A. Armstrong, Apollo 11 commander; and John W. Young, Apollo 10 command module pilot.

Apollo 10 and 11 crews photographed during Apollo 10 debriefing

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-06-03

S69-35507 (June 1969) --- The prime crews of the Apollo 10 lunar orbit mission and the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission are photographed during an Apollo 10 postflight de-briefing session. Clockwise, from left, are astronauts Michael Collins, Apollo 11 command module pilot; Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Apollo 11 lunar module pilot; Eugene A. Cernan, Apollo 10 lunar module pilot; Thomas P. Stafford, Apollo 10 commander; Neil A. Armstrong, Apollo 11 commander; and John W. Young, Apollo 10 command module pilot.

APOLLO X - CREW

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-06-03

S69-35505 (June 1969) --- The prime crews of the Apollo 10 lunar orbit mission and the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission are photographed during an Apollo 10 postflight de-briefing session. Clockwise, from left foreground, are astronauts Michael Collins, Apollo 11 command module pilot; Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Apollo 11 lunar module pilot; Eugene A. Cernan, Apollo 10 lunar module pilot; Thomas P. Stafford, Apollo 10 commander; Neil A. Armstrong, Apollo 11 commander; and John W. Young, Apollo 10 command module pilot.

Carbon and sulfur distributions and abundances in lunar fines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibson, E. K., Jr.; Moore, G. W.

1973-01-01

Total sulfur abundances have been determined for 20 Apollo 14, 15, and 16 soil samples and one Apollo 14 breccia. Sulfur concentrations range from 474 to 844 microg S/g. Volatilization experiments on selected samples have been carried out using step-wise heating. Sample residues have been analyzed for their total carbon and sulfur abundances to establish the material balance in lunar fines for these two elements. Volatilization experiments have established that between 31 to 54 microg C/g remains in soils which have been heated at 1100 C for 24 hours under vacuum. The residual carbon is believed to be indigenous lunar carbon whereas all forms of carbon lost from samples below 1100 C is extralunar carbon. Total carbon and sulfur abundances taken from the literature have been used to show the depletion of volatile elements with increasing grade for the Apollo 14 breccias.

Bulk, rare earth and other trace elements in Apollo 14 and 15 and Luna 16 samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laul, J. C.; Wakita, H.; Showalter, D. L.; Boynton, W. V.; Schmitt, R. A.

1971-01-01

The chemical abundances were measured by instrumental and radiochemical neutron activation analysis in a variety of lunar specimens. Apollo 14 soils are characterized by significant enrichments of Al2O3, Na2O and K2O and depletions of TiO2, FeO, MnO and Cr2O3 relative to Apollo 11 and to most of Apollo 12 soils. The uniform abundances in 14230 core tube soils and three other Apollo 14 soils indicate that the regolith is uniform to at least 22 cm depth and within approximately 200 m from the lunar module. Two Luna 16 breccias are similar in composition to Luna 16 soils. Four Apollo 15 soils (LM, STA 4, 9, and 9a) have variable compositions. Interelement correlations between MnO-FeO, Sc-FeO, V-Cr2O3 and K2O-Hf negate the hypothesis that howardite achondrites may be primitive lunar matter, argue against the fission hypothesis for the origin of the moon, and precludes any selective large scale volatilization of alkalies during lunar magmatic events.

Electrostatic charging of lunar dust

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walch, Bob; Horanyi, Mihaly; Robertson, Scott

1998-10-21

Transient dust clouds suspended above the lunar surface were indicated by the horizon glow observed by the Surveyor spacecrafts and the Lunar Ejecta and Meteorite Experiment (Apollo 17), for example. The theoretical models cannot fully explain these observations, but they all suggest that electrostatic charging of the lunar surface due to exposure to the solar wind plasma and UV radiation could result in levitation, transport and ejection of small grains. We report on our experimental studies of the electrostatic charging properties of an Apollo-17 soil sample and two lunar simulants MLS-1 and JSC-1. We have measured their charge after exposingmore » individual grains to a beam of fast electrons with energies in the range of 20{<=}E{<=}90 eV. Our measurements indicate that the secondary electron emission yield of the Apollo-17 sample is intermediate between MLS-1 and JSC-1, closer to that of MLS-1. We will also discuss our plans to develop a laboratory lunar surface model, where time dependent illumination and plasma bombardment will closely emulate the conditions on the surface of the Moon.« less

Apollo soil mechanics experiment S-200

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, J. K.; Houston, W. N.; Carrier, W. D., III; Costes, N. C.

1974-01-01

The physical and mechanical properties of the unconsolidated lunar surface material samples that were obtained during the Apollo missions were studied. Sources of data useful for deduction of soil information, and methods used to obtained the data are indicated. A model for lunar soil behavior is described which considers soil characteristics, density and porosity, strength, compressibility, and trafficability parameters. Lunar history and processes are considered, and a comparison is made of lunar and terrestrial soil behavior. The impact of the findings on future exploration and development of the moon are discussed, and publications resulting from lunar research by the soil mechanics team members are listed.

Solar wind radiation damage effects in lunar material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hapke, B.; Cohen, A. J.; Cassidy, W. A.

1971-01-01

The research on solar wind radiation damage and other effects in lunar samples which was conducted to understand the optical properties of lunar materials is reported. Papers presented include: solar radiation effects in lunar samples, albedo of the moon, radiation effects in lunar crystalline rocks, valence states of 3rd transition elements in Apollo 11 and 12 rocks, and trace ferric iron in lunar and meteoritic titanaugites.

Rock sample brought to earth from the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

A scientist's gloved hand holds one of the numerous rock samples brought back to Earth from the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission. This sample is a highly shattered basaltic rock with a thin black-glass coating on five of its six sides. Glass fills fractures and cements the rock together. The rock appears to have been shattered and thrown out by a meteorite impact explosion and coated with molten rock material before the rock fell to the surface.

Astronauts Alan Bean and Charles Conrad on Lunar Surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn Five launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what's known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Their lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. In this photograph, one of the astronauts on the Moon's surface is holding a container of lunar soil. The other astronaut is seen reflected in his helmet. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Effects of varying environmental conditions on emissivity spectra of bulk lunar soils: Application to Diviner thermal infrared observations of the Moon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donaldson Hanna, K. L.; Greenhagen, B. T.; Patterson, W. R.; Pieters, C. M.; Mustard, J. F.; Bowles, N. E.; Paige, D. A.; Glotch, T. D.; Thompson, C.

2017-02-01

Currently, few thermal infrared measurements exist of fine particulate (<63 μm) analogue samples (e.g. minerals, mineral mixtures, rocks, meteorites, and lunar soils) measured under simulated lunar conditions. Such measurements are fundamental for interpreting thermal infrared (TIR) observations by the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment (Diviner) onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter as well as future TIR observations of the Moon and other airless bodies. In this work, we present thermal infrared emissivity measurements of a suite of well-characterized Apollo lunar soils and a fine particulate (<25 μm) San Carlos olivine sample as we systematically vary parameters that control the near-surface environment in our vacuum chamber (atmospheric pressure, incident solar-like radiation, and sample cup temperature). The atmospheric pressure is varied between ambient (1000 mbar) and vacuum (<10-3 mbar) pressures, the incident solar-like radiation is varied between 52 and 146 mW/cm2, and the sample cup temperature is varied between 325 and 405 K. Spectral changes are characterized as each parameter is varied, which highlight the sensitivity of thermal infrared emissivity spectra to the atmospheric pressure and the incident solar-like radiation. Finally spectral measurements of Apollo 15 and 16 bulk lunar soils are compared with Diviner thermal infrared observations of the Apollo 15 and 16 sampling sites. This comparison allows us to constrain the temperature and pressure conditions that best simulate the near-surface environment of the Moon for future laboratory measurements and to better interpret lunar surface compositions as observed by Diviner.

Apollo Field Geology: 45 Years of Digesting Rocks, Field Data, and Future Objectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmitt, H. H.

2012-12-01

Twelve Apollo astronauts participated in the Lunar Field Geological Experiment, overseen by Gene Shoemaker, Gordon Swann, and Bill Muehlberger and their Co-Investigators. In conjunction with geologists and engineers of the Geological Survey and NASA, this team planned, trained and executed the first extraterrestrial field geological investigation. As a result, astronaut sample selection, observations, photo-documentation and experiment deployment underpin 45 years of laboratory analyses and interpretation by thousands of lunar and planetary scientists. --Current hypotheses related to the origin, evolution and nature of the Moon would be far different had Apollo geological explorations not occurred, even assuming that all robotic missions flown before and since Apollo were flown. *Would we have recognized lunar meteorites without the broad suite of Apollo samples to guide us? If we eventually had properly identified such meteorites, would their chemistry and age data give us the same detailed insights about the origin and evolution of the Moon without the highly specific field documentation of samples collected by the astronauts? *Would we recognize that the early history of the Earth and Mars up to 3.8 billion years ago, including the development of life's precursors, was a period of the prolonged violence due to impacts of asteroids and comets? Would we have realized that clay minerals, produced by the alteration of impact-generated glass and debris, would have been dominant components and potential templates for complex organic molecules in the terrestrial and Martian environments? *Would we fully understand the surface environments of asteroids and young terrestrial planets without the detailed dissection and analysis of Apollo's lunar regolith samples? *Would the Moon's near-surface environment, and its mantle and core structure, be as well defined as they are without the ground-truth provided by Apollo samples and the equipment carefully emplaced there by the Apollo astronauts? *Would we finally be having an observation-based debate about testable hypotheses related to the origin of the Moon without the pristine samples of volatile-rich, orange and green pyroclastic glass? *Would we know of the three potential sources of lunar water-ice in permanent shadow, namely, comets, solar wind, and primordial water, without Apollo's samples of the regolith and pristine pyroclastic glasses? *Would we know the extent of the distributed resources of the Moon, including solar Helium-3, without regolith samples from six sites on the Moon? *Without the broad spectrum of Apollo samples, many other questions about the Moon would still be open or unasked. --Future lunar and planetary geological exploration should focus both on expanding science related to the history of the Earth and other planets and on preparations for permanent human settlement. In optimizing that exploration, an enhanced partnership between field activities undertaken by humans and robots should be developed. Robotic precursor and post-cursor support of planning, equipment deployment, and systematic data-gathering can add significantly to the normal returns provided by the insights of trained and experienced field geologists. They should do what humans do best, that is, react instantaneously and with perspicacity to new situations, discoveries and challenges.

Gas interaction effects on lunar bonded particles and their implications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mukherjee, N. R.

1976-01-01

Results are reported for an experimental investigation of gas-interaction effects on different Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 lunar-soil samples containing bonded particles. In the experiments, lunar fines were exposed to pure O2, pure water vapor, HCl, NH3, N2, HCOOH, and CH3NH2, in order to observe whether bonded particles would separate. In addition, repeated gas adsorption/desorption measurements were performed to determine the nature and reactive properties of the particle surfaces, and surface areas were measured for comparison with analogous terrestrial samples to determine whether the surface areas of highly radiation-damaged particles were larger or smaller. It is found that N2 is apparently ineffective in separating bonded particles and that the ratio of Apollo 11 to Apollo 12 bonded particles separated by a particular gas exposure ranges from 2.5 to 3.0. Possible reasons for differences in material surface properties at the two Apollo sites are considered, and it is concluded that material from a certain depth at some other site was transported to the Apollo 12 site and mixed with the original material in recent years (considerably less than 2000 years ago).

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-12-07

This is an Apollo 17 onboard photo of an astronaut beside the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) on the lunar surface. Designed and developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center and built by the Boeing Company, the LRV was first used on the Apollo 15 mission and increased the range of astronauts' mobility and productivity on the lunar surface. This lightweight electric car had battery power sufficient for about 55 miles. It weighed 462 pounds (77 pounds on the Moon) and could carry two suited astronauts, their gear, cameras, and several hundred pounds of bagged samples. The LRV's mobility was quite high. It could climb and descend slopes of about 25 degrees.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-02-25

In this photograph, Apollo 11 astronauts Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin (left) and Neil A. Armstrong prepare for the first Lunar landing as they practice gathering rock specimens during a geological field trip to the Quitman Mountains area near the Fort Quitman ruins in far west Texas. They used special lunar geological tools to pick up samples and place them in bags.Their practice paid off in July of the same year. Aboard the Marshall Space Fight center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle, the Apollo 11 mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. The 3-man crew aboard the flight consisted of Armstrong, commander; Aldrin, Lunar Module pilot; and a third astronaut Michael Collins, Command Module pilot. Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Aldrin, while Collins remained in lunar orbit. The crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material which was returned to Earth for analysis. The lunar surface exploration was concluded in 2½ hours.

Apollo 12 Astronauts Peer Out of the Mobile Quarantine Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

The smiling Apollo 12 astronauts peer out of the window of the mobile quarantine facility aboard the recovery ship, USS Hornet. Pictured (Left to right) are Spacecraft Commander, Charles Conrad; Command Module (CM) Pilot, Richard Gordon; and Lunar Module (LM) Pilot, Alan L. Bean. The crew were housed in the quarantine facility immediately after the Pacific recovery operation took place. The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn V launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what's known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. Apollo 12 returned safely to Earth on November 24, 1969.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1979-05-01

This montage depicts the flight crew patches for the manned Apollo 7 thru Apollo 17 missions. The Apollo 7 through 10 missions were basically manned test flights that paved the way for lunar landing missions. Primary objectives met included the demonstration of the Command Service Module (CSM) crew performance; crew/space vehicle/mission support facilities performance and testing during a manned CSM mission; CSM rendezvous capability; translunar injection demonstration; the first manned Apollo docking, the first Apollo Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA), performance of the first manned flight of the lunar module (LM); the CSM-LM docking in translunar trajectory, LM undocking in lunar orbit, LM staging in lunar orbit, and manned LM-CSM docking in lunar orbit. Apollo 11 through 17 were lunar landing missions with the exception of Apollo 13 which was forced to circle the moon without landing due to an onboard explosion. The craft was,however, able to return to Earth safely. Apollo 11 was the first manned lunar landing mission and performed the first lunar surface EVA. Landing site was the Sea of Tranquility. A message for mankind was delivered, the U.S. flag was planted, experiments were set up and 47 pounds of lunar surface material was collected for analysis back on Earth. Apollo 12, the 2nd manned lunar landing mission landed in the Ocean of Storms and retrieved parts of the unmanned Surveyor 3, which had landed on the Moon in April 1967. The Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) was deployed, and 75 pounds of lunar material was gathered. Apollo 14, the 3rd lunar landing mission landed in Fra Mauro. ALSEP and other instruments were deployed, and 94 pounds of lunar materials were gathered, using a hand cart for first time to transport rocks. Apollo 15, the 4th lunar landing mission landed in the Hadley-Apennine region. With the first use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), the crew was bale to gather 169 pounds of lunar material. Apollo 16, the 5th lunar landing mission, landed in the Descartes Highlands for the first study of highlands area. Selected surface experiments were deployed, the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph was used for first time on the Moon, and the LRV was used for second time for a collection of 213 pounds of lunar material. The Apollo program came to a close with Apollo 17, the 6th and final manned lunar landing mission that landed in the Taurus-Littrow highlands and valley area. This mission hosted the first scientist-astronaut, Schmitt, to land on the Moon. The 6th automated research station was set up, and 243 ponds of lunar material was gathered using the LRV.

Montage of Apollo Crew Patches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

This montage depicts the flight crew patches for the manned Apollo 7 thru Apollo 17 missions. The Apollo 7 through 10 missions were basically manned test flights that paved the way for lunar landing missions. Primary objectives met included the demonstration of the Command Service Module (CSM) crew performance; crew/space vehicle/mission support facilities performance and testing during a manned CSM mission; CSM rendezvous capability; translunar injection demonstration; the first manned Apollo docking, the first Apollo Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA), performance of the first manned flight of the lunar module (LM); the CSM-LM docking in translunar trajectory, LM undocking in lunar orbit, LM staging in lunar orbit, and manned LM-CSM docking in lunar orbit. Apollo 11 through 17 were lunar landing missions with the exception of Apollo 13 which was forced to circle the moon without landing due to an onboard explosion. The craft was,however, able to return to Earth safely. Apollo 11 was the first manned lunar landing mission and performed the first lunar surface EVA. Landing site was the Sea of Tranquility. A message for mankind was delivered, the U.S. flag was planted, experiments were set up and 47 pounds of lunar surface material was collected for analysis back on Earth. Apollo 12, the 2nd manned lunar landing mission landed in the Ocean of Storms and retrieved parts of the unmanned Surveyor 3, which had landed on the Moon in April 1967. The Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) was deployed, and 75 pounds of lunar material was gathered. Apollo 14, the 3rd lunar landing mission landed in Fra Mauro. ALSEP and other instruments were deployed, and 94 pounds of lunar materials were gathered, using a hand cart for first time to transport rocks. Apollo 15, the 4th lunar landing mission landed in the Hadley-Apennine region. With the first use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), the crew was bale to gather 169 pounds of lunar material. Apollo 16, the 5th lunar landing mission, landed in the Descartes Highlands for the first study of highlands area. Selected surface experiments were deployed, the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph was used for first time on the Moon, and the LRV was used for second time for a collection of 213 pounds of lunar material. The Apollo program came to a close with Apollo 17, the 6th and final manned lunar landing mission that landed in the Taurus-Littrow highlands and valley area. This mission hosted the first scientist-astronaut, Schmitt, to land on the Moon. The 6th automated research station was set up, and 243 ponds of lunar material was gathered using the LRV.

Review of measurements of dust movements on the Moon during Apollo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, Brian J.

2011-11-01

This is the first review of 3 Apollo experiments, which made the only direct measurements of dust on the lunar surface: (i) minimalist matchbox-sized 270 g Dust Detector Experiments (DDEs) of Apollo 11, 12, 14 and 15, produced 30 million Lunar Day measurements 21 July 1969-30 September, 1977; (ii) Thermal Degradation Samples (TDS) of Apollo 14, sprinkled with dust, photographed, taken back to Earth into quarantine and lost; and (iii) the 7.5 kg Lunar Ejecta and Meteoroids (LEAM) experiment of Apollo 17, whose original tapes and plots are lost. LEAM, designed to measure rare impacts of cosmic dust, registered scores of events each lunation most frequently around sunrise and sunset. LEAM data are accepted as caused by heavily-charged particles of lunar dust at speeds of <100 m/s, stimulating theoretical models of transporting lunar dust and adding significant motivation for returning to the Moon. New analyses here show some raw data are sporadic bursts of 1, 2, 3 or more events within time bubbles smaller than 0.6 s, not predicted by theoretical dust models but consistent with noise bits caused by electromagnetic interference (EMI) from switching of large currents in the Apollo 17 Lunar Surface Experiment Package (ALSEP), as occurred in pre-flight LEAM-acceptance tests. On the Moon switching is most common around sunrise and sunset in a dozen heavy-duty heaters essential for operational survival during 350 h of lunar night temperatures of minus 170 °C. Another four otherwise unexplained features of LEAM data are consistent with the "noise bits" hypothesis. Discoveries with DDE and TDS reported in 1970 and 1971, though overlooked, and extensive DDE discoveries in 2009 revealed strengths of adhesive and cohesive forces of lunar dust. Rocket exhaust gases during Lunar Module (LM) ascent caused dust and debris to (i) contaminate instruments 17 m distant (Apollo 11) as expected, and (ii) unexpectedly cleanse Apollo hardware 130 m (Apollo 12) and 180 m (Apollo 14) from LM. TDS photos uniquely document in situ cohesion of dust particles and their adhesion to 12 different test surfaces. This review finds the entire TDS experiment was contaminated, being inside the aura of outgassing from astronaut Alan Shepard's spacesuit, and applies an unprecedented caveat to all TDS discoveries. Published and further analyses of Apollo DDE, TDS and LEAM measurements can provide evidence-based guidance to theoretical analyses and to management and mitigation of major problems from sticky dust, and thus help optimise future lunar and asteroid missions, manned and robotic.

Astronaut Alan Bean holds Special Environmental Sample Container

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot for the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission, holds a Special Environmental Sample Container filled with lunar soil collected during the extravehicular activity (EVA) in which Astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Bean participated. Connrad, who took this picture, is reflected in the helmet visor of the lunar module pilot.

Chlorine isotopic compositions of apatite in Apollo 14 rocks: Evidence for widespread vapor-phase metasomatism on the lunar nearside ∼4 billion years ago

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potts, Nicola J.; Barnes, Jessica J.; Tartèse, Romain; Franchi, Ian A.; Anand, Mahesh

2018-06-01

Compared to most other planetary materials in the Solar System, some lunar rocks display high δ37Cl signatures. Loss of Cl in a H ≪ Cl environment has been invoked to explain the heavy signatures observed in lunar samples, either during volcanic eruptions onto the lunar surface or during large scale degassing of the lunar magma ocean. To explore the conditions under which Cl isotope fractionation occurred in lunar basaltic melts, five Apollo 14 crystalline samples were selected (14053,19, 14072,13, 14073,9, 14310,171 along with basaltic clast 14321,1482) for in situ analysis of Cl isotopes using secondary ion mass spectrometry. Cl isotopes were measured within the mineral apatite, with δ37Cl values ranging from +14.6 ± 1.6‰ to +40.0 ± 2.9‰. These values expand the range previously reported for apatite in lunar rocks, and include some of the heaviest Cl isotope compositions measured in lunar samples to date. The data here do not display a trend between increasing rare earth elements contents and δ37Cl values, reported in previous studies. Other processes that can explain the wide inter- and intra-sample variability of δ37Cl values are explored. Magmatic degassing is suggested to have potentially played a role in fractionating Cl isotope in these samples. Degassing alone, however, could not create the wide variability in isotopic signatures. Our favored hypothesis, to explain small scale heterogeneity, is late-stage interaction with a volatile-rich gas phase, originating from devolatilization of lunar surface regolith rocks ∼4 billion years ago. This period coincides with vapor-induced metasomastism recorded in other lunar samples collected at the Apollo 16 and 17 landing sites, pointing to the possibility of widespread volatile-induced metasomatism on the lunar nearside at that time, potentially attributed to the Imbrium formation event.

View of activity in Mission Control Center during Apollo 15 EVA

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-08-02

S71-41852 (2 Aug. 1971) --- Gerald D. Griffin, foreground, stands near his console in the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) during Apollo 15's third extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. Griffin is Gold Team (Shift 1) flight director for the Apollo 15 mission. Astronauts David R. Scott and James B. Irwin can be seen on the large screen at the front of the MOCR as they participate in sample-gathering on the lunar surface.

Apollo 11 - Prime and Backup Crews - Geology Training - TX

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-03

S69-25199 (25 Feb. 1969) --- Two Apollo 11 astronauts study a rock specimen during a geological field trip to the Quitman Mountains area near the Fort Quitman ruins in far west Texas. On the left is James A. Lovell Jr., Apollo 11 backup crew commander; and on the right is Fred W. Haise Jr., backup crew lunar module pilot. Lovell holds a camera which was used in simulating taking pictures of actual lunar samples on the surface of the Moon.

The impact history of the Moon: implications of new high-resolution U-Pb analyses of Apollo impact breccias

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snape, Joshua F.; Nemchin, Alexander A.; Thiessen, Fiona; Bellucci, Jeremy J.; Whitehouse, Martin J.

2015-04-01

Constraining the impact history of the Moon is a key priority, both for lunar science [1] and also for our understanding of how this fundamental geologic processes [2] has affected the evolution of planets in the inner solar system. The Apollo impact breccia samples provide the most direct way of dating impact events on the Moon. Numerous studies have dated samples from the Apollo landing sites by multiple different methods with varying degrees of precision [3]. This has led to an ongoing debates regarding the presence of a period of intense meteoritic bombardment (e.g. [4-8]). In this study we present high precision U-Pb analyses of Ca-phosphates in a variety of Apollo impact breccias. These data allow us to resolve the signatures of multiple different impact events in samples collected by the Apollo 12, 14 and 17 missions. In particular, the potential identification of three significant impact events between the period of ~3915-3940 Ma, is indicative of a high rate of meteorite impacts at this point in lunar history. A more fundamental problem with interpretations of Apollo breccia ages is that the samples originate from the lunar regolith and do not represent samples of actual bedrock exposures. As such, although improvements in analytical precision may allow us to continue identifying new impact signatures, the proposed links between these signatures and particular impact features remain highly speculative. This is a problem that will only be truly addressed with a more focused campaign of lunar exploration. Most importantly, this would include the acquisition of samples from below the lunar regolith, which could be confidently attributed to particular bedrock formations and provide a degree of geologic context that has been largely absent from studies of lunar geology to date. References: [1] National Research Council (2007) The scientific context for exploration of the Moon, National Academies Press. [2] Melosh H. J. (1989) Impact Cratering: A Geologic Process, Oxford University Press. [3] Stöffler D. et al. (2006) Rev. Min. Geochem., 60, 519-596. [4] Tera F. et al. (1974) EPSL, 22, 1-22. [5] Wetherill G. W. (1981) Multi-ring basins: Formation and evolution, 1-18, Pergamon Press. [6] Ryder G. (1990) Am. Geophy. Union, 71, 313-323. [7] Cohen B. A. et al. (2000) Science, 290, 1754-1756. [8] Baldwin R. B. (2006) Icarus, 184, 308-318.

Celebrated Moon Rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martel, L. M. V.

2009-12-01

The Need for Lunar Samples and Simulants: Where Engineering and Science Meet sums up one of the sessions attracting attention at the annual meeting of the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG), held November 16-19, 2009 in Houston, Texas. Speakers addressed the question of how the Apollo lunar samples can be used to facilitate NASA's return to the Moon while preserving the collection for scientific investigation. Here is a summary of the LEAG presentations of Dr. Gary Lofgren, Lunar Curator at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and Dr. Meenakshi (Mini) Wadhwa, Professor at Arizona State University and Chair of NASA's advisory committee called CAPTEM (Curation and Analysis Planning Team for Extraterrestrial Materials). Lofgren gave a status report of the collection of rocks and regolith returned to Earth by the Apollo astronauts from six different landing sites on the Moon in 1969-1972. Wadhwa explained the role of CAPTEM in lunar sample allocation.

The origin of amino acids in lunar regolith samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsila, Jamie E.; Callahan, Michael P.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Glavin, Daniel P.; McLain, Hannah L.; Noble, Sarah K.; Gibson, Everett K.

2016-01-01

We analyzed the amino acid content of seven lunar regolith samples returned by the Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 missions and stored under NASA curation since collection using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Consistent with results from initial analyses shortly after collection in the 1970s, we observed amino acids at low concentrations in all of the curated samples, ranging from 0.2 parts-per-billion (ppb) to 42.7 ppb in hot-water extracts and 14.5-651.1 ppb in 6 M HCl acid-vapor-hydrolyzed, hot-water extracts. Amino acids identified in the Apollo soil extracts include glycine, D- and L-alanine, D- and L-aspartic acid, D- and L-glutamic acid, D- and L-serine, L-threonine, and L-valine, all of which had previously been detected in lunar samples, as well as several compounds not previously identified in lunar regoliths: α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), D- and L-β-amino-n-butyric acid (β-ABA), DL-α-amino-n-butyric acid, γ-amino-n-butyric acid, β-alanine, and ε-amino-n-caproic acid. We observed an excess of the L enantiomer in most of the detected proteinogenic amino acids, but racemic alanine and racemic β-ABA were present in some samples. We also examined seven samples from Apollo 15, 16, and 17 that had been previously allocated to a non-curation laboratory, as well as two samples of terrestrial dunite from studies of lunar module engine exhaust that had been stored in the same laboratory. The amino acid content of these samples suggested that contamination had occurred during non-curatorial storage. We measured the compound-specific carbon isotopic ratios of glycine, β-alanine, and L-alanine in Apollo regolith sample 70011 and found values of -21‰ to -33‰. These values are consistent with those seen in terrestrial biology and, together with the enantiomeric compositions of the proteinogenic amino acids, suggest that terrestrial biological contamination is a primary source of the amino acids in these samples. However, the presence of the non-proteinogenic amino acids such as AIB and β-ABA suggests the possibility of some contribution from exogenous sources. We did not observe a correlation of amino acid content with proximity to the Apollo 17 lunar module, implying that lunar module exhaust was not a primary source of amino acid precursors. Solar-wind-implanted precursors such as HCN also appear to be at most a minor contributor, given a lack of correlation between amino acid content and soil maturity (as measured by Is/FeO ratio) and the differences between the δ13C values of the amino acids and the solar wind.

Apollo 12 crewmembers shown in Apollo Lunar Module Mission Simulator

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-04

S69-56699 (22 Oct. 1969) --- Astronauts Charles Conrad Jr. (left), Apollo 12 commander; and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, are shown in the Apollo Lunar Module Mission Simulator during simulator training at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Apollo 12 will be the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) second lunar landing mission. The third Apollo 12 crewmember will be astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot.

New Lunar Paleointensity Measurements, Ancient Lunar Dynamo or Lunar Dud?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrence, K. P.; Johnson, C. L.; Tauxe, L.; Gee, J. S.

2007-12-01

We analyze published and new paleointensity data from Apollo samples to reexamine the hypothesis of an early (3.9 to 3.6 Ga) lunar dynamo. Our new paleointensity experiments on four Apollo samples use modern absolute and relative measurement techniques. Our samples (60015, 76535, 72215, 62235) have ages ranging from 3.3 to 4.2 Ga, bracketing the putative period of a lunar dynamo. Samples 60015 (anorthosite) and 76535 (troctolite) failed during absolute paleointensity experiments, using the IZZI-modified Thellier-Thellier method. Samples 72215 and 62235 recorded a complicated, multi-component magnetic history that includes a low temperature (< 500°C) component with a high intensity (~90 μT), and a high temperature (> 500°C) component with a low intensity (~2 μT). These two samples were also subjected to a relative paleointensity experiment (sIRM), from which neither provided unambiguous evidence for a thermal origin of the recorded remanent magnetization. We found similar multi-component behavior in several published experiments on lunar samples. We test and present several magnetization scenarios in an attempt to explain the complex magnetization recorded in lunar samples. Specifically, an overprint from exposure to a small magnetic field (i.e. IRM) results in multi-component behavior (similar to lunar sample results), from which we could not recover the correct magnitude of the original TRM. The non-unique interpretation of these multi-component results combined with IRM (isothermal remanent magnetization) contamination during Apollo sample return ( Strangway et al., 1973), indicates that techniques incapable of distinguishing between single- and multi-component records (e.g., sIRM), cannot be reliably used to infer magnetic conditions of the early Moon. In light of these new experiments and a thorough reevaluation of existing paleointensity measurements, we conclude that there is a paucity of lunar samples that demonstrate a primary thermal remanent magnetization. As relative paleointensity measurements for lunar samples are calibrated using absolute paleointensities, the lack of acceptable absolute paleointensity measurements renders the interpretation of relative paleointensity measurements unreliable. Consequently, current lunar paleointensity measurements are inadequate to determine the existence and strength of an early lunar magnetic field. Surface magnetometry measurements and the return of magnetically uncontaminated samples from future missions are much needed for further progress in understanding the characteristics and origin of lunar crustal remanent magnetization.

APOLLO X - CREW TRAINING

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-06-03

S69-35503 (June 1969) --- Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan (left), lunar module pilot of the Apollo 10 lunar orbit mission, confers with astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. during an Apollo 10 postflight de-briefing session. Aldrin is the lunar module pilot of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission.

Geochemical comparison of impact glasses from lunar meteorites ALHA81005 and MAC88105 and Apollo 16 regolith 64001

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Delano, J.W.

1991-11-01

Most glasses that occur in lunar highland regolith are quenched droplets of impact melt. The chemical compositions of these glasses are equivalent, in the absence of volatile losses, to the original target materials. The compositional range of impact glasses in a regolith reflects the chemical diversity that existed throughout the region up to the time of system closure (e.g., breccia formation). Since these glasses are a product of widespread and random sampling, both in terms of space and time, they can be used for geochemical exploration of the Moon. The major-element compositions of impact glasses occurring in three samples ofmore » lunar feldspathic regolith (ALHA81005; MAC88105; Apollo 16 64001) have been determined by electron microprobe. The glass populations among these three unrelated samples are compositionally distinct. While most of the impact glasses within each of these three samples are compositionally similar to the regolith in which they are found, up to 40% of the impact glasses are different. Some of the compositionally exotic glasses were ballistically transported from other areas of the Moon and thereby provide information about the compositional range of regoliths that exist elsewhere. Since the geological setting of the Apollo 16 region is well known compared to the source areas of the lunar meteorites, the Apollo 16 glasses provide a ground truth for interpretations.« less

50th Anniversary of the World's First Extraterrestrial Sample Receiving Laboratory: The Apollo Program's Lunar Receiving Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calaway, M. J.; Allton, J. H.; Zeigler, R. A.; McCubbin, F. M.

2017-01-01

The Apollo program's Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL), building 37 at NASA's Manned Spaceflight Center (MSC), now Johnson Space Center (JSC), in Houston, TX, was the world's first astronaut and extraterrestrial sample quarantine facility (Fig. 1). It was constructed by Warrior Construction Co. and Warrior-Natkin-National at a cost of $8.1M be-tween August 10, 1966 and June 26, 1967. In 1969, the LRL received and curated the first collection of extra-terrestrial samples returned to Earth; the rock and soil samples of the Apollo 11 mission. This year, the JSC Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office (here-after JSC curation) celebrates 50 years since the opening of the LRL and its legacy of laying the foundation for modern curation of extraterrestrial samples.

Apollo 11 lunar sample

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-24

ISS020-E-14200 (FOR RELEASE 21 JULY 2009) --- A moon rock brought to Earth by Apollo 11, humans? first landing on the moon in July 1969, is shown as it floats aboard the International Space Station. Part of Earth can be seen through the window. The 3.6 billion year-old lunar sample was flown to the station aboard Space Shuttle mission STS-119 in April 2009 in honor of the July 2009 40th anniversary of the historic first moon landing. The rock, lunar sample 10072, was flown to the station to serve as a symbol of the nation?s resolve to continue the exploration of space. It will be returned on shuttle mission STS-128 to be publicly displayed.

Apollo 11 lunar sample

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-24

ISS020-E-014193 (FOR RELEASE 21 JULY 2009) --- A moon rock brought to Earth by Apollo 11, humans? first landing on the moon in July 1969, is shown as it floats aboard the International Space Station. Part of Earth can be seen through the window. The 3.6 billion year-old lunar sample was flown to the station aboard Space Shuttle mission STS-119 in April 2009 in honor of the July 2009 40th anniversary of the historic first moon landing. The rock, lunar sample 10072, was flown to the station to serve as a symbol of the nation?s resolve to continue the exploration of space. It will be returned on shuttle mission STS-128 to be publicly displayed.

Apollo 11 lunar sample

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-24

ISS020-E-14196 (FOR RELEASE 21 JULY 2009) --- A moon rock brought to Earth by Apollo 11, humans? first landing on the moon in July 1969, is shown as it floats aboard the International Space Station. Part of Earth can be seen through the window. The 3.6 billion year-old lunar sample was flown to the station aboard Space Shuttle mission STS-119 in April 2009 in honor of the July 2009 40th anniversary of the historic first moon landing. The rock, lunar sample 10072, was flown to the station to serve as a symbol of the nation?s resolve to continue the exploration of space. It will be returned on shuttle mission STS-128 to be publicly displayed.

Apollo 11 ilmenite revisited. [lunar resources of oxygen and water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cameron, E. N.

1992-01-01

An account is given of the problems associated with beneficiation of the high-Ti regolith represented by Apollo 11's ilmenite sample. Magnetic and electrostatic separation, combined with sizing to reject all but the best fractions of the lunar regolith, will be essential; the production of high-grade ilmenite concentrates on the scale required for lunar oxygen production may still, however, be unachievable. These findings suggest that ilmenite production directly from high-Ti-content basalt may be a superior alternative.

Apollo 9 Lunar Module in lunar landing configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

View of the Apollo 9 Lunar Module, in a lunar landing configuration, as photographed form the Command/Service Module on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 earth-orbital mission. The landing gear on the 'Spider' has been deployed. Lunar surface probes (sensors) extend out from the landing gear foot pads. Inside the 'Spider' were Astronauts James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot.

A spinner magnetometer for large Apollo lunar samples.

PubMed

Uehara, M; Gattacceca, J; Quesnel, Y; Lepaulard, C; Lima, E A; Manfredi, M; Rochette, P

2017-10-01

We developed a spinner magnetometer to measure the natural remanent magnetization of large Apollo lunar rocks in the storage vault of the Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility (LSLF) of NASA. The magnetometer mainly consists of a commercially available three-axial fluxgate sensor and a hand-rotating sample table with an optical encoder recording the rotation angles. The distance between the sample and the sensor is adjustable according to the sample size and magnetization intensity. The sensor and the sample are placed in a two-layer mu-metal shield to measure the sample natural remanent magnetization. The magnetic signals are acquired together with the rotation angle to obtain stacking of the measured signals over multiple revolutions. The developed magnetometer has a sensitivity of 5 × 10 -7 Am 2 at the standard sensor-to-sample distance of 15 cm. This sensitivity is sufficient to measure the natural remanent magnetization of almost all the lunar basalt and breccia samples with mass above 10 g in the LSLF vault.

A spinner magnetometer for large Apollo lunar samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uehara, M.; Gattacceca, J.; Quesnel, Y.; Lepaulard, C.; Lima, E. A.; Manfredi, M.; Rochette, P.

2017-10-01

We developed a spinner magnetometer to measure the natural remanent magnetization of large Apollo lunar rocks in the storage vault of the Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility (LSLF) of NASA. The magnetometer mainly consists of a commercially available three-axial fluxgate sensor and a hand-rotating sample table with an optical encoder recording the rotation angles. The distance between the sample and the sensor is adjustable according to the sample size and magnetization intensity. The sensor and the sample are placed in a two-layer mu-metal shield to measure the sample natural remanent magnetization. The magnetic signals are acquired together with the rotation angle to obtain stacking of the measured signals over multiple revolutions. The developed magnetometer has a sensitivity of 5 × 10-7 Am2 at the standard sensor-to-sample distance of 15 cm. This sensitivity is sufficient to measure the natural remanent magnetization of almost all the lunar basalt and breccia samples with mass above 10 g in the LSLF vault.

Apollo 11 Astronauts Train For Lunar Rock Collection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

In this photograph, Apollo 11 astronauts Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin (left) and Neil A. Armstrong prepare for the first Lunar landing as they practice gathering rock specimens during a geological field trip to the Quitman Mountains area near the Fort Quitman ruins in far west Texas. They used special lunar geological tools to pick up samples and place them in bags.Their practice paid off in July of the same year. Aboard the Marshall Space Fight center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle, the Apollo 11 mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. The 3-man crew aboard the flight consisted of Armstrong, commander; Aldrin, Lunar Module pilot; and a third astronaut Michael Collins, Command Module pilot. Armstrong was the first human to ever stand on the lunar surface, followed by Aldrin, while Collins remained in lunar orbit. The crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material which was returned to Earth for analysis. The lunar surface exploration was concluded in 2½ hours.

An Empirical Relation Between the Lunar Prospector Gamma-Ray and Soil Sample Th Abundances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gillis, Jeffrey J.; Jolliff, Brad L.; Korotev, Randy L.; Lawrence, David J.

2000-01-01

This abstract compares Th abundances for soils from Apollo 12, 14, 16, and the lunar feldspathic meteorites with Th concentrations using a theoretical calibration of the Lunar Prospector gamma-ray data.

Isotopic ages and characteristics of ancient (pre-Serenitatis) crustal rocks at Apollo 17

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Premo, W. R.; Tatsumoto, M.

1992-01-01

The topics covered include the following: (1) problems with the isotopic systematics in lunar samples; (2) ancient crustal ages at the Apollo 17 site; and (3) isotopic characteristics of ancient Apollo 17 rocks - implications for their petrogenesis.

Photograph of Apollo 17 Lunar Roving Vehicle traverses

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-10-01

S72-03145 (October 1972) --- A vertical view of the Apollo 17 Taurus-Littrow site with an overlay to illustrate the three planned Apollo 17 traverses using the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). The EVA-1 traverse has a single station (1); the EVA-2 traverse has four stations (2,3,4,5); and the EVA-3 traverse has five stations (6,7,8,9,10). Stations 10-A and 10-B are alternate locations for Station 10. In addition to the major stations mentioned above, brief stops are planned for sampling between stations using the LRV sampler tool (note diamond-shaped figures), and for deploying explosive charges associated with the Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment (LSPE - note black x-marks).

Apollo 9 Lunar Module in lunar landing configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

View of the Apollo 9 Lunar Module, in a lunar landing configuration, as photographed form the Command/Service Module on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 earth-orbital mission. The landing gear on the Lunar Module 'Spider' has been deployed. Note Lunar Module's upper hatch and docking tunnel.

The Apollo 16 Mare Component: Petrography, Geochemistry, and Provenance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeigler, R. A.; Haskin, L. A.; Korotev, R. L.; Jolliff, B. L.; Gillis, J. J.

2003-01-01

The A16 (Apollo16) site in the lunar nearside highlands is 220 km from the nearest mare. Thus it is no surprise that mare basalt samples are uncommon at the site. Here, we present the petrography and geochemistry of 5 new mare basalt samples found at the A16 site. We also discuss possible provenances of all A16 mare basalt samples using high-resolution global data for the distribution of Fe and Ti on the lunar surface derived from Clementine UV-VIS data [1-2].

Implications for the origins of pure anorthosites found in the feldspathic lunar meteorites, Dhofar 489 group

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagaoka, Hiroshi; Takeda, Hiroshi; Karouji, Yuzuru; Ohtake, Makiko; Yamaguchi, Akira; Yoneda, Shigekazu; Hasebe, Nobuyuki

2014-12-01

Remote observation by the reflectance spectrometers onboard the Japanese lunar explorer Kaguya (SELENE) showed the purest anorthosite (PAN) spots (>98% plagioclase) at some large craters. Mineralogical and petrologic investigations on the feldspathic lunar meteorites, Dhofar 489 and Dhofar 911, revealed the presence of several pure anorthosite clasts. A comparison with Apollo nearside samples of ferroan anorthosite (FAN) indicated that of the FAN samples returned by the Apollo missions, sample 60015 is the largest anorthosite with the highest plagioclase abundance and homogeneous mafic mineral compositions. These pure anorthosites (>98% plagioclase) have large chemical variations in Mg number (Mg# = molar 100 × Mg/(Mg + Fe)) of each coexisting mafic mineral. The variations imply that these pure anorthosites underwent complex formation processes and were not formed by simple flotation of plagioclase. The lunar highland samples with pure anorthosite and the PAN observed by Kaguya suggest that pure anorthosite is widely distributed as lunar crust lithology over the entire Moon.

Astronaut John Young collecting samples at North Ray crater during EVA

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-04-23

AS16-117-18826 (23 April 1972) --- Astronaut John W. Young collects samples at the North Ray Crater geological site during the mission's third and final Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA). He has a rake in his hand, and the gnomon is near his foot. Note how soiled Young's Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) is. While astronauts Young, commander; and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot; descended in the Apollo 16 Lunar Module (LM) "Orion" to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Casper" in lunar orbit.

Apollo 12 crewmembers shown in Apollo Lunar Module Mission Simulator

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-04

S69-56700 (22 Oct. 1969) --- A fish-eye lens view of astronauts Charles Conrad Jr. (on left), Apollo 12 commander, and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, inside the Apollo Lunar Module Mission Simulator during simulator training at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Apollo 12 will be the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) second lunar landing mission. The third Apollo 12 crewmember will be astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot.

The Violent Early Solar System, as Told by Lunar Sample Geochronology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Barbara

2012-01-01

One of the legacies of the samples collected by the Apollo and Luna missions is the link forged between radiometric ages of rocks and relative ages according to stratigraphic relationships and impact crater size-frequency distributions. Our current understanding of the history of the inner solar system is based on the relative chronology of individual planets, tied to the absolute geochronology of the Moon via these important samples. Samples from these nearside locations reveal a preponderance of impact-disturbed or recrystallized ages between 3.75 and 3.95 billion years. Argon and lead loss (and correlated disturbances in the Rb-Sr system) have been attributed to metamorphism of the lunar crust by an enormous number of impacts in a brief pulse of time, called the Lunar Cataclysm or Late Heavy Bombardment. Subsequent high-precision geochronometric analyses of Apollo samples and lunar highlands meteorites show a wider range of ages, but very few older than 4 Ga. The paucity of ancient impact melt rocks has been interpreted to mean that either that most impact basins formed at this time, or that ejecta from the large, near-side, young basins dominates the Apollo samples. Selenochronology is getting more complicated: new results question meaning of sample ages, crater counts, crater production functions, and the solar system itself. Improved geological mapping of lunar geologic units and boundaries using multiple remote sensing datasets. High-resolution image-based crater counting of discrete geologic units and relating them to location. Improved understanding of the regolith thickness and its global variation (GRAIL). Tying the sampling of impact-melt rocks to the lunar impact flux. Using improved techniques (magnetic fields, diffusion studies, isotopic analysis) on existing samples. New sample return from benchmark craters, particularly SPA, which appears in 2013 Decadal Survey.

An analysis of Apollo lunar soil samples 12070,889, 12030,187, and 12070,891: Basaltic diversity at the Apollo 12 landing site and implications for classification of small-sized lunar samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, Louise; Snape, Joshua F.; Joy, Katherine H.; Downes, Hilary; Crawford, Ian A.

2016-09-01

Lunar mare basalts provide insights into the compositional diversity of the Moon's interior. Basalt fragments from the lunar regolith can potentially sample lava flows from regions of the Moon not previously visited, thus, increasing our understanding of lunar geological evolution. As part of a study of basaltic diversity at the Apollo 12 landing site, detailed petrological and geochemical data are provided here for 13 basaltic chips. In addition to bulk chemistry, we have analyzed the major, minor, and trace element chemistry of mineral phases which highlight differences between basalt groups. Where samples contain olivine, the equilibrium parent melt magnesium number (Mg#; atomic Mg/[Mg + Fe]) can be calculated to estimate parent melt composition. Ilmenite and plagioclase chemistry can also determine differences between basalt groups. We conclude that samples of approximately 1-2 mm in size can be categorized provided that appropriate mineral phases (olivine, plagioclase, and ilmenite) are present. Where samples are fine-grained (grain size <0.3 mm), a "paired samples t-test" can provide a statistical comparison between a particular sample and known lunar basalts. Of the fragments analyzed here, three are found to belong to each of the previously identified olivine and ilmenite basalt suites, four to the pigeonite basalt suite, one is an olivine cumulate, and two could not be categorized because of their coarse grain sizes and lack of appropriate mineral phases. Our approach introduces methods that can be used to investigate small sample sizes (i.e., fines) from future sample return missions to investigate lava flow diversity and petrological significance.

Rock sample brought to earth from the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

Close-up view of Apollo 12 sample 12,052 under observation in the Manned Spacecraft Center's Lunar Receiving Laboratory. This sample, collected during the second Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA-2) of Astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., and Alan L. Bean, is a typical fine-grained crystalline rock with a concentration of holes on the left part of the exposed side. These holes are called vesicles and have been labeled as gas bubbles formed during the crystallization of the rock. Several glass-lined pits can be seen on the surface of the rock. An idea of the size of the rock can be gained by reference to the gauge on the bottom portion of the number meter.

Magnetic Memory of Two Lunar Samples, 15405 and 15445

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kletetschka, G.; Kamenikova, K.; Fuller, M.; Cizkova, K.

2016-08-01

We reanalyzed Apollo's literature records using empirical scaling law methods to search for the presence of Lunar iron carriers capable of recording reliable magnetic paleofields. Lunar rocks have a large spectrum of paleofields (1-100uT).

A potpourrie of regolith breccias: ``New'' samples from the Apollo 14, 16, and 17 landing sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jerde, Eric A.; Warren, Paul H.; Morris, Richard V.; Heiken, Grant H.; Vaniman, David T.

1987-09-01

Forty suspected regolith breccias from the Apollo 14, 16, and 17 landing sites were studied as part of a search for regolith samples exotic to the small traverse areas associated with these missions, as well as a general effort to constrain the nature and origins of regolith breccias. Of these 40 samples, 31 are indeed regolith breccias. Regolith breccias from Apollo 14 exhibit much greater compositional diversity than their soil (sensu stricto) counterparts: 14004,55 displays incompatible element concentrations about 1.4× those found in typical Apollo 14 regolith, while 14315 is radically different in many respects (higher Al, lower Mg and Fe, lower incompatible elements) from all other Apollo 14 regolith materials, and hence probably exotic to the Apollo 14 traverse area. Application of ``mixing'' models to Apollo 14 regolith materials suggests that whereas ``normal'' Apollo 14 regolith contains only slightly more ferroan anorthosite (FA) than alkali anorthosite (AA) and far more KREEP than FA and AA combined, 14315 contains more FA than KREEP and roughly 10 times more FA than AA. Three ``new'' regolith breccias from Apollo 16 bring to 20 the total number of regolith breccias that have been analyzed for Mg and Fe from the site. The molar Mg/)Mg+Fe) (or mg*) ratios of lunar regolith breccias are of great interest, because lunar meteorite ALH81005 has a much higher mg* than two other lunar meteoritic regolith breccias (Y791197 and Y82192/3), even though these three samples are remarkably similar in all other compositional respects. A bimodality in mg* among Apollo 16 regolith breccias may result from: (1) statistical scattering among the small number of samples, (2) a tendency for older regolith breccias from this site to be compositionally distinct form their younger counterparts, or (3) differences between the Cayley and Descartes Formations. Among 10 samples from Apollo 17, all but one proved to be typical Apollo 17 regolith breccias. However, 72504,10 is >99% pure pyroclastic glass, compositionally identical to the Apollo 1 orange galss (74220), even though 72504,10 was obtained at a location over 4 km from Shorty Crater where 74220 was obtained. The nearly pure concentration of 74220-identical glass spherules in 72504-10 attests to the widespread distribution of these distinctive deposits.

Development of a Korean Lunar Simulant(KLS-1) and its Possible Further Recommendations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, I.; Ryn, B. H.; Cho, G. C.

2014-12-01

The rapid development on space exploration finally found that water exists on the moon according to NASA's recent studies. This becomes a turning point in lunar science and surface development because the existence of water raises the possibility of human survival on the moon. In this case, advanced space construction technology against the distinctive lunar environment (i.e., atmosphereless, subgravity, different geology) becomes a key issue for consistent and reliable settlement of human beings. Thus, understandings on the lunar surface and its composition must be secured as an important role in lunar development. During project Apollo (1961~1972), only 320 kg of real lunar soils were collected and sent to the Earth. Due to the lack of samples, many space agencies are attempting to simulate the lunar soil using Earth materials to be used in large and massive practical studies and simulations. In the same vein, we developed a Korean lunar simulant from a specific basalt type Cenozoic Erathem in Korea. The simulated regolith sample shows a high similarity to the Apollo average samples in mineral composition, density, and particle shape aspects. Therefore, the developed regolith simulant is expected to be used in various lunar exploration purposes.

Apollo 8 Astronaut Anders Suits Up For Countdown Demonstration Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1968-01-01

Apollo 8 astronaut William Anders, Lunar Module (LM) pilot, is suited up for the Apollo 8 mission countdown demonstration test. The first manned Apollo mission launched aboard the Saturn V and first manned Apollo craft to enter lunar orbit, the SA-503, Apollo 8 mission lift off occurred on December 21, 1968 and returned safely to Earth on December 27, 1968. Aboard were Anders and fellow astronauts James Lovell, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Frank Borman, commander. The mission achieved operational experience and tested the Apollo command module systems, including communications, tracking, and life-support, in cis-lunar space and lunar orbit, and allowed evaluation of crew performance on a lunar orbiting mission. The crew photographed the lunar surface, both far side and near side, obtaining information on topography and landmarks as well as other scientific information necessary for future Apollo landings. All systems operated within allowable parameters and all objectives of the mission were achieved.

New paleomagnetic constraints on the lunar magnetic field evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lepaulard, C.; Gattacceca, J.; Weiss, B. P.

2017-12-01

In the 1970s, the first paleomagnetic analyses of lunar samples from the Apollo missions allowed a glimpse of the global evolution of the Moon's magnetic field over time, with evidence for a past dynamo activity [Fuller et Cisowski, 1987]. During the last a decade, a new set of paleomagnetic studies has provided a more refined view of the evolution of the lunar dynamo activity (chronology, intensity) [Weiss et Tikoo, 2014]. The aim of this study is to further refine the knowledge of the lunar dynamo by providing new paleomagnetic data. Based on measurements of the natural remanent magnetization of the main masses of 135 Apollo samples (mass between 50 g and 5 kg) with a portable magnetometer, we have selected nine samples for laboratory analyzes. The selected Apollo samples are: 10018, 15505, 61195 (regolith breccia); 61015 (dimict breccia); 14169 (crystalline matrix breccia); 65055 (basaltic impact melt); 12005, 12021 and 15529 (basalts). Paleointensity of the lunar magnetic fields were obtained by demagnetization by alternative field and normalization with laboratory magnetizations; as well as thermal demagnetization under controlled oxygen fugacity (Thellier-Thellier method) for selected samples. Preliminary results indicate that only three samples (10018, 15505, and 15529) possess a stable high coercivity / high temperature component of magnetization. We estimated the following paleointensities: 1.5 µT for 15505, 13 µT for 15529 (both with alternating field-based methods), and 1 µT for 10018 (thermal demagnetization with the Thellier-Thellier method). The other samples provide only an upper limit for the lunar surface field. These data will be discussed in view of the age of the samples (ages from the literature, and additional dating in progress). References :Fuller, M., and S.M. Cisowski, 1987. Lunar paleomagnetism. Geomagnetism 2, 307-455. Weiss, B.P., and S.M. Tikoo, 2014. The lunar dynamo. Science, 346, doi: 10.1126/science.1246753.

Five Apollo astronauts with Lunar Module at ASVC prior to grand opening

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Some of the former Apollo program astronauts observe a Lunar Module and Moon mockup during a tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. Some of the visiting astonauts were (from left): Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; Apollo 9 Lunar Module Pilot Russell L. Schweikart; Apollo 10 Command Module Pilot and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young; Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford; and Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center.

Apollo scientific experiments data handbook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eichelman, W. F. (Editor); Lauderdale, W. W. (Editor)

1974-01-01

A brief description of each of the Apollo scientific experiments was described, together with its operational history, the data content and formats, and the availability of the data. The lunar surface experiments described are the passive seismic, active seismic, lunar surface magnetometer, solar wind spectrometer, suprathermal ion detector, heat flow, charged particle, cold cathode gage, lunar geology, laser ranging retroreflector, cosmic ray detector, lunar portable magnetometer, traverse gravimeter, soil mechanics, far UV camera (lunar surface), lunar ejecta and meteorites, surface electrical properties, lunar atmospheric composition, lunar surface gravimeter, lunar seismic profiling, neutron flux, and dust detector. The orbital experiments described are the gamma-ray spectrometer, X-ray fluorescence, alpha-particle spectrometer, S-band transponder, mass spectrometer, far UV spectrometer, bistatic radar, IR scanning radiometer, particle shadows, magnetometer, lunar sounder, and laser altimeter. A brief listing of the mapping products available and information on the sample program were also included.

Evidence from Apollo.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowman, Paul D., Jr.

2001-01-01

Discusses the claims of tabloids and television that the U.S. mission to the moon was faked. Recommends using samples brought back from the moon on the Lunar Sample Disk as instructional material to open a discussion. Makes suggestions for examining lunar rocks. (YDS)

First Apollo 11 Lunar Samples Arrive at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

The Apollo 11 mission, the first manned lunar mission, launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida via the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, piloted by Michael Collins remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, named 'Eagle'', carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, landed on the Moon. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. This photograph was taken as the mission's first loaded sample return container arrived at Ellington Air Force Base by air from the Pacific recovery area. The rock box was immediately taken to the Lunar Receiving Laboratory at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) in Houston, Texas. Happily posing for the photograph with the rock container are (L-R) Richard S. Johnston (back), special assistant to the MSC Director; George M. Low, MSC Apollo Spacecraft Program manager; George S. Trimble (back), MSC Deputy Director; Lt. General Samuel C. Phillips, Apollo Program Director, Office of Manned Spaceflight at NASA headquarters; Eugene G. Edmonds, MSC Photographic Technology Laboratory; Dr. Thomas O. Paine, NASA Administrator; and Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, MSC Director.

Mineralogy, Petrology and Oxygen Fugacity of the LaPaz Icefield Lunar Basaltic Meteorites and the Origin of Evolved Lunar Basalts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collins, S. J.; Righter, K.; Brandon, A. D.

2005-01-01

LAP 02205 is a 1.2 kg lunar mare basalt meteorite found in the Lap Paz ice field of Antarctica in 2002 [1]. Four similar meteorites were also found within the same region [1] and all five have a combined mass of 1.9 kg (LAP 02224, LAP 02226, LAP 02436 and LAP 03632, hereafter called the LAP meteorites). The LAP meteorites all contain a similar texture, mineral assemblage, and composition. A lunar origin for these samples comes from O isotopic data for LAP 02205 [1], Fe/Mn ratios of pyroxenes [1-5], and the presence of distinct lunar mineralogy such as Fe metal and baddeleyite. The LAP meteorites may represent an area of the Moon, which has never been sampled by Apollo missions, or by other lunar meteorites. The data from this study will be used to compare the LAP meteorites to Apollo mare basalts and lunar basaltic meteorites, and will ultimately help to constrain their origin.

Future Lunar Sampling Missions: Big Returns on Small Samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shearer, C. K.; Borg, L.

2002-01-01

The next sampling missions to the Moon will result in the return of sample mass (100g to 1 kg) substantially smaller than those returned by the Apollo missions (380 kg). Lunar samples to be returned by these missions are vital for: (1) calibrating the late impact history of the inner solar system that can then be extended to other planetary surfaces; (2) deciphering the effects of catastrophic impacts on a planetary body (i.e. Aitken crater); (3) understanding the very late-stage thermal and magmatic evolution of a cooling planet; (4) exploring the interior of a planet; and (5) examining volatile reservoirs and transport on an airless planetary body. Can small lunar samples be used to answer these and other pressing questions concerning important solar system processes? Two potential problems with small, robotically collected samples are placing them in a geologic context and extracting robust planetary information. Although geologic context will always be a potential problem with any planetary sample, new lunar samples can be placed within the context of the important Apollo - Luna collections and the burgeoning planet-scale data sets for the lunar surface and interior. Here we illustrate the usefulness of applying both new or refined analytical approaches in deciphering information locked in small lunar samples.

The Origin of Amino Acids in Lunar Regolith Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, Jamie E.; Callahan, Michael P.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Glavin, Daniel P.; McLain, Hannah L.; Noble, Sarah K.; Gibson, Everett K., Jr.

2016-01-01

We analyzed the amino acid content of seven lunar regolith samples returned by the Apollo 16 and Apollo 17 missions and stored under NASA curation since collection using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Consistent with results from initial analyses shortly after collection in the 1970s, we observed amino acids at low concentrations in all of the curated samples, ranging from 0.2 parts-per-billion (ppb) to 42.7 ppb in hot-water extracts and 14.5 ppb to 651.1 ppb in 6M HCl acid-vapor-hydrolyzed, hot-water extracts. Amino acids identified in the Apollo soil extracts include glycine, D- and L-alanine, D- and L-aspartic acid, D- and L-glutamic acid, D- and L-serine, L-threonine, and L-valine, all of which had previously been detected in lunar samples, as well as several compounds not previously identified in lunar regoliths: -aminoisobutyric acid (AIB), D-and L-amino-n-butyric acid (-ABA), DL-amino-n-butyric acid, -amino-n-butyric acid, -alanine, and -amino-n-caproic acid. We observed an excess of the L enantiomer in most of the detected proteinogenic amino acids, but racemic alanine and racemic -ABA were present in some samples.

Lunar Plant Biology - A Review of the Apollo Era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferl, Robert J.; Paul, Anna-Lisa

2010-04-01

Recent plans for human return to the Moon have significantly elevated scientific interest in the lunar environment with emphasis on the science to be done in preparation for the return and while on the lunar surface. Since the return to the Moon is envisioned as a dedicated and potentially longer-term commitment to lunar exploration, questions of the lunar environment and particularly its impact on biology and biological systems have become a significant part of the lunar science discussion. Plants are integral to the discussion of biology on the Moon. Plants are envisioned as important components of advanced habitats and fundamental components of advanced life-support systems. Moreover, plants are sophisticated multicellular eukaryotic life-forms with highly orchestrated developmental processes, well-characterized signal transduction pathways, and exceedingly fine-tuned responses to their environments. Therefore, plants represent key test organisms for understanding the biological impact of the lunar environment on terrestrial life-forms. Indeed, plants were among the initial and primary organisms that were exposed to returned lunar regolith from the Apollo lunar missions. This review discusses the original experiments involving plants in association with the Apollo samples, with the intent of understanding those studies within the context of the first lunar exploration program and drawing from those experiments the data to inform the studies critical within the next lunar exploration science agenda.

Lunar plant biology--a review of the Apollo era.

PubMed

Ferl, Robert J; Paul, Anna-Lisa

2010-04-01

Recent plans for human return to the Moon have significantly elevated scientific interest in the lunar environment with emphasis on the science to be done in preparation for the return and while on the lunar surface. Since the return to the Moon is envisioned as a dedicated and potentially longer-term commitment to lunar exploration, questions of the lunar environment and particularly its impact on biology and biological systems have become a significant part of the lunar science discussion. Plants are integral to the discussion of biology on the Moon. Plants are envisioned as important components of advanced habitats and fundamental components of advanced life-support systems. Moreover, plants are sophisticated multicellular eukaryotic life-forms with highly orchestrated developmental processes, well-characterized signal transduction pathways, and exceedingly fine-tuned responses to their environments. Therefore, plants represent key test organisms for understanding the biological impact of the lunar environment on terrestrial life-forms. Indeed, plants were among the initial and primary organisms that were exposed to returned lunar regolith from the Apollo lunar missions. This review discusses the original experiments involving plants in association with the Apollo samples, with the intent of understanding those studies within the context of the first lunar exploration program and drawing from those experiments the data to inform the studies critical within the next lunar exploration science agenda.

Apollo 17 Lunar Surface Experiment: Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites Experiment

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-11-30

S72-37257 (November 1972) --- The Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites Experiment (S-202), one of the experiments of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package which will be carried on the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission. The purpose of this experiment is to measure the physical parameters of primary and secondary particles impacting the lunar surface.

Lunar paleomagnetism: a new analysis of the Apollo-era paleomagnetic measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuller, M.; Weiss, B. P.

2011-12-01

The Apollo era lunar paleomagnetism suffered from the lack of modern instrumentation and data analysis techniques. However, paleomagnetic data for nearly 100 samples were reported. We have completed a reanalysis of these old Apollo paleomagnetic data using modern techniques of analysis. The principal result from the mare basalts is that many samples such as 10020, 10017, 10049, 12022, and 70215 appear to be carrying primary natural remanent magnetization (NRM) acquired on the Moon as they initially cooled on the lunar surface, but in almost every case alternating field (AF) demagnetization was not carried out to strong enough fields to isolate this primary magnetization properly. When modern measurements are available, the agreement between old Apollo era data and new data is strikingly good. It also appears that the fields recorded by the basalts of Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 may be stronger than those recorded by Apollo 12 basalts, but the small number of high fidelity magnetic recorders among the latter group make this tentative at present. The histories of breccias are more complicated than those of mare basalts and their NRM is harder to interpret. The regolith and fragmental breccias have NRM, which is either a combination of shock remanent magnetization (SRM) acquired during shock lithification and partial to total thermal remanent magnetization (TRM) depending upon the residual temperature after the shock event. For regolith breccias, interpretations are complicated because of their strong superparamagnetic components and their complex, polymict lithologies. It would be unwise to use these samples for paleointensity estimates unless one can be sure that the NRM was entirely acquired as TRM during cooling after the shock event, such as may be the case for 15498. In contrast, the melt rock and melt breccias, which are formed at high temperatures far above the Curie point of any magnetic carriers, have an excellent chance of recording lunar fields faithfully when they cool. This cooling may have taken place in a melt pool in a simple crater, or in a melt layer in a complex crater. Such samples would then have been excavated and deposited in the regolith. Samples 14310, 68416, 77017 and 77135 may have had such simple histories and some appear to have recorded strong fields, but more work needs to be done to test this suggestion. Other melt rocks and melt breccias have had more complicated histories and appear to have been deposited in ejecta blankets, where final cooling took place. The samples from the Apollo 17 layered boulder 1 at station 2 provide an example of this history. If a pTRM can be related to this secondary cooling, then we may recover a record of the field during this cooling. Samples such as 62235 and 72215 may provide just such a record, with Apollo-era and modern estimates of fields of the order of around 100 microT. Explaining such high paleointensities so late in lunar history is a major challenge to dynamo models given the small size of the lunar core.

Lessons Learned from Lunar Exploration: The Moon Continues to Surprise Us

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pieters, C. M.

2002-01-01

This article addresses unexpected discoveries in recent lunar exploration, including the South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA), a thorium 'hot spot' in the Imbrium Basin, hydrogen (possibly water ice) at the lunar poles, and the contrast between the appearance of lunar soil samples and remote imagery of the lunar surface. It also summarizes the history of manned and unmanned lunar exploration, from the Apollo program to Clementine and Lunar Prospector in the 1990s. A section at the end of the article addresses the importance of lunar samples.

Extending the Reach of IGSN Beyond Earth: Implementing IGSN Registration to Link Nasa's Apollo Lunar Samples and Their Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Todd, Nancy S.

2016-01-01

The rock and soil samples returned from the Apollo missions from 1969-72 have supported 46 years of research leading to advances in our understanding of the formation and evolution of the inner Solar System. NASA has been engaged in several initiatives that aim to restore, digitize, and make available to the public existing published and unpublished research data for the Apollo samples. One of these initiatives is a collaboration with IEDA (Interdisciplinary Earth Data Alliance) to develop MoonDB, a lunar geochemical database modeled after PetDB (Petrological Database of the Ocean Floor). In support of this initiative, NASA has adopted the use of IGSN (International Geo Sample Number) to generate persistent, unique identifiers for lunar samples that scientists can use when publishing research data. To facilitate the IGSN registration of the original 2,200 samples and over 120,000 subdivided samples, NASA has developed an application that retrieves sample metadata from the Lunar Curation Database and uses the SESAR API to automate the generation of IGSNs and registration of samples into SESAR (System for Earth Sample Registration). This presentation will describe the work done by NASA to map existing sample metadata to the IGSN metadata and integrate the IGSN registration process into the sample curation workflow, the lessons learned from this effort, and how this work can be extended in the future to help deal with the registration of large numbers of samples.

Extending the Reach of IGSN Beyond Earth: Implementing IGSN Registration to Link NASA's Apollo Lunar Samples and their Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Todd, N. S.

2016-12-01

The rock and soil samples returned from the Apollo missions from 1969-72 have supported 46 years of research leading to advances in our understanding of the formation and evolution of the inner Solar System. NASA has been engaged in several initiatives that aim to restore, digitize, and make available to the public existing published and unpublished research data for the Apollo samples. One of these initiatives is a collaboration with IEDA (Interdisciplinary Earth Data Alliance) to develop MoonDB, a lunar geochemical database modeled after PetDB. In support of this initiative, NASA has adopted the use of IGSN (International Geo Sample Number) to generate persistent, unique identifiers for lunar samples that scientists can use when publishing research data. To facilitate the IGSN registration of the original 2,200 samples and over 120,000 subdivided samples, NASA has developed an application that retrieves sample metadata from the Lunar Curation Database and uses the SESAR API to automate the generation of IGSNs and registration of samples into SESAR (System for Earth Sample Registration). This presentation will describe the work done by NASA to map existing sample metadata to the IGSN metadata and integrate the IGSN registration process into the sample curation workflow, the lessons learned from this effort, and how this work can be extended in the future to help deal with the registration of large numbers of samples.

Apollo 7 to 11 - Medical Concerns and Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berry, C. A.

1969-01-01

The goal of the Apollo Program is to land men on the moon and safely return them to earth. The medical task thus outlined required confirmation of the Gemini findings and definition and solution of any problems encountered in the four Apollo flights prior to the Apollo 11 lunar landing. The medical concerns included the following: 1. The effect of decreased red blood cell mass and decreased exercise capacity and of cardiovascular de conditioning on the ability of the crew to do lunar-surface activity; 2. The capability to work effectively in one-sixth the force of gravity and the energy cost of such work; 3. The ability to get adequate rest and sleep in flight and on the lunar surface; 4. The prevention of preflight, inflight, and post-flight illness by proper preventive medicine; 5. The possible development of motion sickness of vestibular origin; 6. The conduct of a post-flight quarantine of crew and lunar samples. The results of the Apollo 7 to 11 missions, demonstrating the ability of man to handle this difficult task and the environment successfully, are discussed in detail and are related to the future of manned flight.

KSC-2009-4345

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA will honor Apollo astronaut Al Worden with the presentation of this Ambassador of Exploration Award, a moon rock encased in Lucite, mounted for public display. He is being honored for his contributions to the U.S. space program. Worden received the award during a ceremony July 30 at the Apollo Saturn V Center at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, where the moon rock will be displayed. Worden served as command module pilot for the Apollo 15 mission, which set several moon records for NASA, including the longest lunar surface stay time, the longest lunar extravehicular activity and the first use of a lunar roving vehicle. Worden spent 38 minutes in a spacewalk outside the command module and logged a total of 295 hours, 11 minutes in space during the mission. NASA is giving the Ambassador of Exploration Award to the first generation of explorers in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs for realizing America's goal of going to the moon. The rock is part of the 842 pounds of lunar samples collected during six Apollo expeditions from 1969 to 1972. Those astronauts who receive the award will then present the award to a museum of their choice. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

We Did This Before - The Lunar Receiving Laboratory (1969-1972)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Carlton; Allton, Judith

2011-01-01

The six Apollo missions to the lunar surface, between 1969 and 1972, returned 2,196 individual rock, soil and core samples, with a total mass of 381.69 kg. The astronauts selected samples, photographed the rocks and soils prior to collection, packaged them in uniquely identified containers, and transported them to the Lunar Module

Apollo 16 Evolved Lithology Sodic Ferrogabbro

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeigler, Ryan; Jolliff, B. L.; Korotev, R. L.

2014-01-01

Evolved lunar igneous lithologies, often referred to as the alkali suite, are a minor but important component of the lunar crust. These evolved samples are incompatible-element rich samples, and are, not surprisingly, most common in the Apollo sites in (or near) the incompatible-element rich region of the Moon known as the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT). The most commonly occurring lithologies are granites (A12, A14, A15, A17), monzogabbro (A14, A15), alkali anorthosites (A12, A14), and KREEP basalts (A15, A17). The Feldspathic Highlands Terrane is not entirely devoid of evolved lithologies, and rare clasts of alkali gabbronorite and sodic ferrogabbro (SFG) have been identified in Apollo 16 station 11 breccias 67915 and 67016. Curiously, nearly all pristine evolved lithologies have been found as small clasts or soil particles, exceptions being KREEP basalts 15382/6 and granitic sample 12013 (which is itself a breccia). Here we reexamine the petrography and geochemistry of two SFG-like particles found in a survey of Apollo 16 2-4 mm particles from the Cayley Plains 62283,7-15 and 62243,10-3 (hereafter 7-15 and 10-3 respectively). We will compare these to previously reported SFG samples, including recent analyses on the type specimen of SFG from lunar breccia 67915.

Mapping the Apollo 17 landing site area based on Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera images and Apollo surface photography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haase, I.; Oberst, J.; Scholten, F.; Wählisch, M.; Gläser, P.; Karachevtseva, I.; Robinson, M. S.

2012-05-01

Newly acquired high resolution Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) images allow accurate determination of the coordinates of Apollo hardware, sampling stations, and photographic viewpoints. In particular, the positions from where the Apollo 17 astronauts recorded panoramic image series, at the so-called “traverse stations”, were precisely determined for traverse path reconstruction. We analyzed observations made in Apollo surface photography as well as orthorectified orbital images (0.5 m/pixel) and Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) (1.5 m/pixel and 100 m/pixel) derived from LROC Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) and Wide Angle Camera (WAC) images. Key features captured in the Apollo panoramic sequences were identified in LROC NAC orthoimages. Angular directions of these features were measured in the panoramic images and fitted to the NAC orthoimage by applying least squares techniques. As a result, we obtained the surface panoramic camera positions to within 50 cm. At the same time, the camera orientations, North azimuth angles and distances to nearby features of interest were also determined. Here, initial results are shown for traverse station 1 (northwest of Steno Crater) as well as the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package (ALSEP) area.

Preliminary geologic investigation of the Apollo 12 landing site: Part A: Geology of the Apollo 12 Landing Site

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shoemaker, E.M.; Batson, R.M.; Bean, A.L.; Conrad, C.; Dahlem, D.H.; Goddard, E.N.; Hait, M.H.; Larson, K.B.; Schaber, G.G.; Schleicher, D.L.; Sutton, R.L.; Swann, G.A.; Waters, A.C.

1970-01-01

This report provides a preliminary description of the geologic setting of the lunar samples returned fromt he Apollo 12 mission. A more complete interpretation of the geology of the site will be prepared after thorough analysis of the data.

Apollo 11 Geology training

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-05

S69-25944 (25 Feb. 1969) --- These two Apollo 11 crew astronauts study rock samples during a geological field trip to the Quitman Mountains area near the Fort Quitman ruins in far west Texas. Neil A. Armstrong (in background) is the Apollo 11 commander; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. is the lunar module pilot.

In-Situ XRF Measurements in Lunar Surface Exploration Using Apollo Samples as a Standard

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Kelsey E.; Evans, C.; Allen, C.; Mosie, A.; Hodges, K. V.

2011-01-01

Samples collected during the Apollo lunar surface missions were sampled and returned to Earth by astronauts with varying degrees of geological experience. The technology used in these EVAs, or extravehicular activities, included nothing more advanced than traditional terrestrial field instruments: rock hammer, scoop, claw tool, and sample bags. 40 years after Apollo, technology is being developed that will allow for a high-resolution geochemical map to be created in the field real-time. Handheld x-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology is one such technology. We use handheld XRF to enable a broad in-situ characterization of a geologic site of interest based on fairly rapid techniques that can be implemented by either an astronaut or a robotic explorer. The handheld XRF instrument we used for this study was the Innov-X Systems Delta XRF spectrometer.

Astronaut Alan Bean deploys ALSEP during first Apollo 12 EVA on moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

Astronaut Alan L. Bean, Apollo 12 lunar module pilot, deploys components of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) during the first Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon. The photo was made by Astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., Apollo 12 commander, using a 70mm handheld Haselblad camera modified for lunar surface usage.

75 FR 65673 - Notice of Information Collection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-26

... purpose of this survey is to assimilate lunar regolith stimulant requirements as well as Apollo sample.... III. Data Title: Lunar Regolith & Stimulant Users' Survey for the In Situ Resource Utilization Web...

75 FR 53349 - Notice of Information Collection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-31

... purpose of this survey is to assimilate lunar regolith stimulant requirements as well as Apollo sample.... III. Data Title: Lunar Regolith & Stimulant Users' Survey for the In Situ Resource Utilization Web...

On the history of the early meteoritic bombardment of the Moon: Was there a terminal lunar cataclysm?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michael, Greg; Basilevsky, Alexander; Neukum, Gerhard

2018-03-01

This work revisits the hypothesis of the so-called 'lunar terminal cataclysm' suggested by Tera et al. (1973, 1974) as a strong peak in the meteorite bombardment of the Moon around 3.9 Ga ago. According to the hypothesis, most of the impact craters observed on the lunar highlands formed during this short time period and thus formed the majority of the lunar highland impact breccias and melts. The hypothesis arose from the observation that the ages of highland samples from all the lunar missions are mostly grouped around 3.9-4.0 Ga. Since those missions, however, radiometric dating techniques have progressed and many samples, both old and new, have been re-analyzed. Nevertheless, the debate over whether there was a terminal cataclysm persists. To progress in this problem we summarized results of 269 K-Ar datings (mostly made using the 40Ar-39Ar technique) of highland rocks represented by the Apollo 14, 15, 16, 17 and Luna 20 samples and 94 datings of clasts of the highland rocks from 23 lunar meteorites representing 21 localities on the lunar surface, and considered them jointly with the results of our modelling of the cumulative effect of the impact gardening process on the presence of impact melt of different ages at the near-surface of the Moon. The considered results of K-Ar dating of the Apollo-Luna samples of lunar highland rocks confirmed a presence of strong peak centered at 3.87 Ga. But since the time when the hypothesis of terminal cataclysm was suggested, it has become clear that this peak could be a result of sampling bias: it is the only prominent feature at the sites with an apparent domination of Imbrium basin ejecta (Apollo 14 and 15) and the age pattern is more complicated for the sites influenced not only by Imbrium ejecta but also that of other basins (Nectaris at the Apollo 16 site and Serenitatis at the Apollo 17 site). Our modelling shows that the cataclysm, if it occurred, should produce a strong peak in the measured age values but we see in the considered histograms and relative probability plots not only the 3.87 Ga peak (due to Imbrium basin), but also several secondary peaks caused by the formation of other basins distributed between 3.87 and 4.25 Ga. The lunar terminal cataclysm hypothesis is in disagreement with the distribution of K-Ar ages for the highland rocks of the lunar meteorites. The population of lunar meteorites representing localities randomly distributed over the lunar surface, and thus free from the mentioned sampling bias, shows no ∼3.9 Ga peak as it should, if the cataclysm did occur. We conclude that the statistics of sample ages contradict the terminal cataclysm scenario in the bombardment of the Moon. We also see evidence for the formation of several impact basins between 3.87 and 4.25 Ga which is likewise incompatible with the hypothesis of a short interval cataclysm. There remain other basins, including the largest South Pole - Aitken, the ages of which should be determined in future studies to further clarify the impact history. Sample-return missions targeted to date several key basins need to be planned, and the continued study of lunar meteorites may also bring new details to the general view of the impact bombardment of the Moon.

Exploring the Moon: A Teacher's Guide with Activities for Earth and Space Sciences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

This educational guide concerns exploring the moon. Activities are divided into three units: Pre-Apollo, Learning from Apollo, and The Future. These correspond, at least roughly, to exercises that can be done before the Lunar Sample Disk (available from NASA) arrives to the school (Pre-Apollo), while it is there (Learning from Apollo), and after…

Apollo lunar surface experiments package. Apollo 17 ALSEP (array E) familiarization course handout

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The familiarization course for the Apollo 17 ALSEP (ARRAY E) is presented. The subjects discussed are: (1) power and data subsystems, (2) lunar surface gravimeter, (3) lunar mass spectrometer, (4) lunar seismic profiling experiment, and (5) heat flow experiment.

The Surface Chemical Composition of Lunar Samples and Its Significance for Optical Properties

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gold, T.; Bilson, E.; Baron, R. L.

1976-01-01

The surface iron, titanium, calcium, and silicon concentration in numerous lunar soil and rock samples was determined by Auger electron spectroscopy. All soil samples show a large increase in the iron to oxygen ratio compared with samples of pulverized rock or with results of the bulk chemical analysis. A solar wind simulation experiment using 2 keV energy alpha -particles showed that an ion dose corresponding to approximately 30,000 years of solar wind increased the iron concentration on the surface of the pulverized Apollo 14 rock sample 14310 to the concentration measured in the Apollo 14 soil sample 14163, and the albedo of the pulverized rock decreased from 0.36 to 0.07. The low albedo of the lunar soil is related to the iron + titanium concentration on its surface. A solar wind sputter reduction mechanism is discussed as a possible cause for both the surface chemical and optical properties of the soil.

The Apollo Missions and the Chemistry of the Moon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pacer, Richard A.; Ehmann, William D.

1975-01-01

Presents the principle chemical features of the moon obtained by analyzing lunar samples gathered on the Apollo missions. Outlines the general physical features of the moon and presents theories on its origin. (GS)

Apollo 9 Lunar Module in lunar landing configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

View of the Apollo 9 Lunar Module, in a lunar landing configuration, as photographed form the Command/Service Module on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 earth-orbital mission. The Lunar Module 'Spider' is flying upside down in relation to the earth below. The landing gear on the 'Spider' had been deployed. Lunar surface probes (sensors) extend out from the landing gear foot pads.

Six Apollo astronauts in front of Saturn V at ASVC prior to grand opening

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Some of the former Apollo program astronauts pose in front of an Apollo Command and Service Module during a tour the new Apollo/Saturn V Center (ASVC) at KSC prior to the gala grand opening ceremony for the facility that was held Jan. 8, 1997. The astronauts were invited to participate in the event, which also featured NASA Administrator Dan Goldin and KSC Director Jay Honeycutt. The astronauts are (from left): Apollo 14 Lunar Module Pilot Edgar D. Mitchell; Apollo 10 Command Module Pilot and Apollo 16 Commander John W. Young; Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr.; Apollo 10 Commander Thomas P. Stafford; Apollo 10 Lunar Module Pilot and Apollo 17 Commander Eugene A. Cernan; and Apollo 9 Lunar Module Pilot Russell L. Schweikart. The ASVC also features several other Apollo program spacecraft components, multimedia presentations and a simulated Apollo/Saturn V liftoff. The facility will be a part of the KSC bus tour that embarks from the KSC Visitor Center.

High-priority lunar landing sites for in situ and sample return studies of polar volatiles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lemelin, Myriam; Blair, David M.; Roberts, Carolyn E.; Runyon, Kirby D.; Nowka, Daniela; Kring, David A.

2014-10-01

Our understanding of the Moon has advanced greatly over the last several decades thanks to analyses of Apollo samples and lunar meteorites, and recent lunar orbital missions. Notably, it is now thought that the lunar poles may be much more enriched in H2O and other volatile chemical species than the equatorial regions sampled during the Apollo missions. The equatorial regions sampled, themselves, contain more H2O than previously thought. A new lunar mission to a polar region is therefore of great interest; it could provide a measure of the sources and processes that deliver volatiles while also evaluating the potential in situ resource utilization value they may have for human exploration. In this study, we determine the optimal sites for studying lunar volatiles by conducting a quantitative GIS-based spatial analysis of multiple relevant datasets. The datasets include the locations of permanently shadowed regions, thermal analyses of the lunar surface, and hydrogen abundances. We provide maps of the lunar surface showing areas of high scientific interest, including five regions near the lunar north pole and seven regions near the lunar south pole that have the highest scientific potential according to rational search criteria. At two of these sites-a region we call the “Intercrater Polar Highlands” (IPH) near the north pole, and Amundsen crater near the south pole-we provide a more detailed assessment of landing sites, sample locations, and exploration strategies best suited for future human or robotic exploration missions.

Investigations of lunar materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Comstock, G. M.; Fvwaraye, A. O.; Fleischer, R. L.; Hart, H. R., Jr.

1972-01-01

The investigations were directed at determining the radiation history and surface chronology of lunar materials using the etched particle track technique. The major lunar materials studied are the igneous rocks and double core from Apollo 12, the breccia and soil samples from Apollo 14, and the core samples from Luna 16. In the course of this work two new and potentially important observations were made: (1) Cosmic ray-induced spallation-recoil tracks were identified. The density of such tracks, when compared with the density of tracks induced by a known flux of accelerator protons, yields the time of exposure of a sample within the top meter or two of moon's surface. (2) Natural, fine scale plastic deformation was found to have fragmented pre-existing charged particle tracks, allowing the dating of the mechanical event causing the deformation.

View of the orange soil which Apollo 17 crewmen found at Station 4 during EVA

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-12-12

AS17-137-20989 (12 Dec. 1972) --- A close-up view of the much-publicized orange soil which the Apollo 17 crewmen found at Station 4 (Shorty Crater) during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The orange soil was first spotted by scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt. While astronauts Schmitt and Eugene A. Cernan descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Challenger" to explore the lunar surface, astronaut Ronald E. Evans remained with the Apollo 17 Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit. The orange soil was never seen by the crewmen of the other lunar landing missions - Apollo 11 (Sea of Tranquility); Apollo 12 (Ocean of Storms); Apollo 14 (Fra Mauro); Apollo 15 (Hadley-Apennines); and Apollo 16 (Descartes).

Apollo 9 Lunar Module in lunar landing configuration

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-07

AS09-21-3199 (7 March 1969) --- Excellent view of the Apollo 9 Lunar Module, "Spider," in a lunar landing configuration, as photographed from the Command and Service Modules on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 Earth-orbital mission. The landing gear on the "Spider" has been deployed. Lunar surface probes (sensors) extend out from the landing gear foot pads. Inside the "Spider" were astronauts James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot. Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the Command Module, "Gumdrop," while the other two astronauts checked out the Lunar Module.

Apollo 9 Lunar Module in lunar landing configuration

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-07

AS09-21-3212 (7 March 1969) --- A view of the Apollo 9 Lunar Module (LM), "Spider", in a lunar landing configuration, as photographed from the Command and Service Modules (CSM) on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 Earth-orbital mission. The landing gear on the "Spider" has been deployed. Lunar surface probes (sensors) extend out from landing gear foot pads. Inside the "Spider" were astronauts James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander, and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot. Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the Command Module (CM), "Gumdrop", while the other two astronauts checked out the Lunar Module.

Ferromagnetic phases of lunar fines and breccias - Electron magnetic resonance spectra of Apollo 16 samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weeks, R. A.

1973-01-01

Electron magnetic resonance measurements have been made at 9 GHz and at temperatures from 1.2 to 400 K and 35 GHz (300 K) on samples of fines and breccias from Apollo 11-16. Unsorted Apollo 16 fines (less than 1 mm) have Delta H (average) = 580 G and specific intensities that have the same range as fines from the other Apollo collections. The magnetic properties of the 'characteristic' resonance are not in accord with those of iron particles. On the bases of the properties of the 'characteristic' resonance as a function of temperature and Apollo site, laboratory heat treatments on synthetic materials and lunar crystalline rocks and a comparison with the 'characteristic' resonance of the resonance spectra of breccia specimens for which iron particle sizes have been determined from other measurements, it is suggested that some fraction (about 20%) of the 'characteristic' resonance is due to sub-micron particles of ferric oxide phases.

Vertical view of Apollo 16 landing site located Descartes area lunar nearside

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

A vertical view of the Apollo 16 landing site located in the Descartes area lunar nearside. The overlay indicates the location of the proposed touchdown point for the Apollo 16 Lunar Module. Descartes is located west of the Sea of Nectar and southwest of the Sea of Tranquility. This photograph was taken with a 500mm lens camera from lunar orbit by the Apollo 14 crew.

The Impact of Apollo-Era Microbiology on Human Space Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elliott, T. F; Castro, V. A.; Bruce, R. J.; Pierson, D. L.

2014-01-01

The microbiota of crewmembers and the spacecraft environment contributes significant risk to crew health during space flight missions. NASA reduces microbial risk with various mitigation methods that originated during the Apollo Program and continued to evolve through subsequent programs: Skylab, Shuttle, and International Space Station (ISS). A quarantine of the crew and lunar surface samples, within the Lunar Receiving Laboratory following return from the Moon, was used to prevent contamination with unknown extraterrestrial organisms. The quarantine durations for the crew and lunar samples were 21 days and 50 days, respectively. A series of infections among Apollo crewmembers resulted in a quarantine before launch to limit exposure to infectious organisms. This Health Stabilization Program isolated the crew for 21 days before flight and was effective in reducing crew illness. After the program developed water recovery hardware for Apollo spacecraft, the 1967 National Academy of Science Space Science Board recommended the monitoring of potable water. NASA implemented acceptability limits of 10 colony forming units (CFU) per mL and the absence of viable E. coli, anaerobes, yeasts, and molds in three separate 150 mL aliquots. Microbiological investigations of the crew and spacecraft environment were conducted during the Apollo program, including the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and Skylab. Subsequent space programs implemented microbial screening of the crew for pathogens and acceptability limits on spacecraft surfaces and air. Microbiology risk mitigation methods have evolved since the Apollo program. NASA cancelled the quarantine of the crew after return from the lunar surface, reduced the duration of the Health Stabilization Program; and implemented acceptability limits for spacecraft surfaces and air. While microbial risks were not a main focus of the early Mercury and Gemini programs, the extended duration of Apollo flights resulted in the increased scrutiny of impact of the space flight environment on crew health. The lessons learned during that era of space flight continue to impact microbiology risk mitigation in space programs today.

View of rim of South Ray crater on traverse up Stone Mountain during EVA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

A view of the rim of South Ray crater photographed with a 500mm lens from Station no.4 -- the highest point on the traverse up Stone Mountain -- during the second Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-2) at the Descartes landing site. South Ray crater was a 'fresh' source of angular ejecta in the Lunar Module-Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package area and for samples at Station No.8.

Apollo lunar surface experiments package

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Developments in the ALSEP program are reported. A summary of the status for the total ALSEP program is included. Other areas discussed include: (1) status of Apollo 16 (array D) and Apollo 17 (array E), (2) lunar seismic profiling experiment, (3) lunar ejecta and meteorites experiment, and (4) lunar mass spectrometer experiments.

Radiographic analysis of sedimentary structures and depositional histories in Apollo 15 cores

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coch, N. K.

1977-01-01

Radiographs of the Apollo 15 deepdrill drive tubes were analyzed on an SDS electronic enhancer to determine sedimentary structures in the core samples. The data obtained were compared with all other Apollo mission radiographs and used to make inferences on the character of sedimentary depositional processes on the lunar surface.

Apollo 14 Lunar glass fragment known as Genesis bean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

A tiny green glass fragment taken from an Apollo 14 core tube sampling. Because of its scientific significance and shape, the fragment has been nicknamed the 'Genesis bean'. The main constituents are iron and magnesium.

APOLLO 10 ASTRONAUT ENTERS LUNAR MODULE SIMULATOR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

Apollo 10 lunar module pilot Eugene A. Cernan prepares to enter the lunar module simulator at the Flight Crew Training Building at the NASA Spaceport. Cernan, Apollo 10 commander Thomas P. Stafford and John W. Young, command module pilot, are to be launched May 18 on the Apollo 10 mission, a dress rehearsal for a lunar landing later this summer. Cernan and Stafford are to detach the lunar module and drop to within 10 miles of the moon's surface before rejoining Young in the command/service module. Looking on as Cernan puts on his soft helmet is Snoopy, the lovable cartoon mutt whose name will be the lunar module code name during the Apollo 10 flight. The command/service module is to bear the code name Charlie Brown.

Magnetic phases in lunar material and their electron magnetic resonance spectra - Apollo 14.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weeks, R. A.

1972-01-01

Electron magnetic resonance spectra of soil samples 14163,68, 14148,31, 14149,47, 14156,31, and 14003,60, and of fragmental rocks 14301,66, 14303,42, 14310,68, 14311,36, 14318,36, and 14321,166 have been recorded at 9 and 35 GHz at 300 K and at 9 GHz at 130 K. One spectral component, the characteristic ferromagnetic resonance, of all the soil samples is 50 to 1000 times more intense than any other component in the soils or in the spectra of the rocks. The intensity of this component in Apollo 11, Apollo 12, and Apollo 14 soils varies only within one order of magnitude. It varies with depth below lunar surface but is not correlated with depth. The intensity does not have any correlation with the fraction of glassy particles nor with the fraction of anorthositic particles.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-08-01

This photograph was taken during the Apollo 15 mission on the lunar surface. Astronaut David R. Scott waits in the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) for astronaut James Irwin for the return trip to the Lunar Module, Falcon, with rocks and soil collected near the Hadley-Apernine landing site. The Apollo 15 was the first mission to use the LRV. Powered by battery, the lightweight electric car greatly increased the range of mobility and productivity on the scientific traverses for astronauts. It weighed 462 pounds (77 pounds on the Moon) and could carry two suited astronauts, their gear and cameras, and several hundred pounds of bagged samples. The LRV's mobility was quite high. It could climb and descend slopes of about 25 degrees. The LRV was designed and developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center and built by the Boeing Company.

Apollo 12 crewmembers during geological field trip

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-10-24

S69-55662 (10 Oct. 1969) --- Astronauts Alan L. Bean (left) and Charles Conrad Jr., the two crewmen of the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission who are scheduled to participate in two lengthy periods of extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface, are pictured during a geological field trip and training at a simulated lunar surface area near Flagstaff, Arizona. Here Conrad, the Apollo 12 commander, gets a close look through hand lens at the stratigraphy (study of strata or layers beneath the surface) of a man-dug hole, while Bean, the Apollo 12 mission's lunar module pilot, looks on. The topography in this area, with several man-made modifications, resembles very closely much of the topography found on the lunar surface. While Conrad and Bean explore the lunar surface (plans call for Apollo 12 spacecraft to land in the Sea of Storms), astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot for the Apollo 12 mission, will remain with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit. The Apollo 12 mission is scheduled to lift off from Cape Kennedy on Nov. 14, 1969.

Ion microprobe mass analysis of plagioclase from 'non-mare' lunar samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, C., Jr.; Anderson, D. H.; Bradley, J. G.

1974-01-01

The ion microprobe was used to measure the composition and distribution of trace elements in lunar plagioclase, and these analyses are used as criteria in determining the possible origins of some nonmare lunar samples. The Apollo 16 samples with metaclastic texture and high-bulk trace-element contents contain plagioclase clasts with extremely low trace-element contents. These plagioclase inclusions represent unequilibrated relicts of anorthositic, noritic, or troctolitic rocks that have been intermixed as a rock flour into the KREEP-rich matrix of these samples. All of the plagioclase-rich inclusions which were analyzed in the KREEP-rich Apollo 14 breccias were found to be rich in trace elements. This does not seem to be consistent with the interpretation that the Apollo 14 samples represent a pre-Imbrium regolith, because such an ancient regolith should have contained many plagioclase clasts with low trace-element contents more typical of plagioclase from the pre-Imbrium crust. Ion-microprobe analyses for Ba and Sr in large plagioclase phenocrysts in 14310 and 68415 are consistent with the bulk compositions of these rocks and with the known distribution coefficients for these elements. The distribution coefficient for Li (basaltic liquid/plagioclase) was measured to be about 2.

LUNSORT list of lunar orbiter data by LAC area

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hixon, S.

1976-01-01

Lunar orbiter (missions 1-5) photographic data are listed sequentially according to the number (1 to 147) LAC (Lunar Aeronautical Chart) areas by use of a computer program called LUNSORT. This listing, as well as a similar one from Apollo would simplify the task of identifying images of a given Lunar area. Instructions and sample case are included.

Pristine Igneous Rocks and the Early Differentiation of Planetary Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, Paul H.

1998-01-01

Our studies are highly interdisciplinary, but are focused on the processes and products of early planetary and asteroidal differentiation, especially the genesis of the ancient lunar crust. Most of the accessible lunar crust consists of materials hybridized by impact-mixing. Rare pristine (unmixed) samples reflect the original genetic diversity of the early crust. We studied the relative importance of internally generated melt (including the putative magma ocean) versus large impact melts in early lunar magmatism, through both sample analysis and physical modeling. Other topics under investigation included: lunar and SNC (martian?) meteorites; igneous meteorites in general; impact breccias, especially metal-rich Apollo samples and polymict eucrites; effects of regolith/megaregolith insulation on thermal evolution and geochronology; and planetary bulk compositions and origins. We investigated the theoretical petrology of impact melts, especially those formed in large masses, such as the unejected parts of the melts of the largest lunar and terrestrial impact basins. We developed constraints on several key effects that variations in melting/displacement ratio (a strong function of both crater size and planetary g) have on impact melt petrology. Modeling results indicate that the impact melt-derived rock in the sampled, megaregolith part of the Moon is probably material that was ejected from deeper average levels than the non-impact-melted material (fragmental breccias and unbrecciated pristine rocks). In the largest lunar impacts, most of the impact melt is of mantle origin and avoids ejection from the crater, while most of the crust, and virtually all of the impact-melted crust, in the area of the crater is ejected. We investigated numerous extraordinary meteorites and Apollo rocks, emphasizing pristine rocks, siderophile and volatile trace elements, and the identification of primary partial melts, as opposed to partial cumulates. Apollo 15 sample 15434,28 is an extraodinarily large glass spherule, nearly if not entirely free of meteoritic contamination, and provides insight into the diversity of mare basalts in the Hadley-Apennine region. Apollo 14 sample 14434 is in many respects a new rock type, intermediate between nonmare gabbronorites and mare basalts. We helped to both plan and implement a consortium to study the Yamato-793605 SNC/martian meteorite.

Apollo 12 Mission image - View of lunar surface mound

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-19

AS12-46-6825 (19 Nov. 1969) --- Close-up view of a lunar rock, small crater, and lunar mound as photographed during the Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA). Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Apollo 12 Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit while astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon.

Lunar Roving Vehicle parked in lunar depression on slope of Stone Mountain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The Lunar Roving Vehicle appears to be parked in a deep lunar depression on the slope of Stone Mountain in this photograph of the lunar scene at Station no. 4, taken during the second Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-2) at the Descartes landing site. A sample collection bag is in the right foreground. Note field of small boulders at upper right.

Lunar Science Conference, 6th, Houston, Tex., March 17-21, 1975, Proceedings. Volume 3 - Physical studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merrill, R. B.

1975-01-01

Recent investigations of the moon are reported. Topics discussed include the Apollo 17 site, selenography, craters, remote sensing, selenophysics, lunar surface fields and particles, magnetic properties of lunar samples, physical property measurements, surface-correlated properties, micrometeoroids, solar-system regoliths, and cosmic rays. Lunar orbital data maps are presented, and the evolution of lunar features is examined.

Lithologies contributing to the clast population in Apollo 17 LKFM basaltic impact melts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Norman, Marc D.; Taylor, G. Jeffrey; Spudis, Paul; Ryder, Graham

1992-01-01

LKFM basaltic impact melts are abundant among Apollo lunar samples, especially those from Apollo 15, 16, and 17. They are generally basaltic in composition, but are found exclusively as impact melts. They seem to be related to basins and so could represent the composition of the lower lunar crust. They contain lithic clasts that cannot be mixed in any proportion to produce the composition of the melt matrix; components rich in transition elements (Ti, Cr, Sc) and REE are not considered. To search for the mysterious cryptic component, we previously investigated the mineral clast population in two Apollo 14 LKFM basaltic impact melts, 15445 and 15455. The cryptic component was not present in the mineral clast assemblage of these breccias either, but some olivine and pyroxene grains appeared to be from lithologies not represented among identified igneous rocks from the lunar highlands. In addition, none of the mineral clasts could be unambiguously assigned to a ferroan anorthosite source. We have now extended this study to Apollo 17, starting with two LKFM impact melt breccias (76295 and 76315) from the Apollo 17 station 6 boulder. The results from the study are presented.

Apollo 13 Astronaut James Lovel during lunar surface simulation training

NASA Image and Video Library

1970-01-16

S70-28229 (16 Jan. 1970) --- Astronaut James A. Lovell Jr., commander of the Apollo 13 lunar landing mission, participates in lunar surface simulation training at the Manned Spacecraft Center. Lovell is attached to a Six Degrees of Freedom Simulator. He is carrying an Apollo Lunar Hand Tools carrier in his right hand.

Apollo 13 Emblem

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-12-01

S69-60662 (December 1969) --- This is the insignia of the Apollo 13 lunar landing mission. The Apollo 13 prime crew will be astronauts James A. Lovell Jr., commander; Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot; and Fred W. Haise Jr., lunar module pilot. Represented in the Apollo 13 emblem is Apollo, the sun god of Greek mythology, symbolizing how the Apollo flights have extended the light of knowledge to all mankind. The Latin phrase Ex Luna, Scientia means "From the Moon, Knowledge." Apollo 13 will be the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) third lunar landing mission.

Launch of the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-12-07

S72-55482 (7 Dec. 1972) --- The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 17 (Spacecraft 114/Lunar Module 12/Saturn 512) space vehicle is launched from Pad A., Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, at 12:33 a.m. (EST), Dec. 7, 1972. Apollo 17, the final lunar landing mission in NASA's Apollo program, was the first nighttime liftoff of the Saturn V launch vehicle. Aboard the Apollo 17 spacecraft were astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, commander; astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot; and scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot. Flame from the five F-1 engines of the Apollo/Saturn first (S-1C) stage illuminates the nighttime scene. A two-hour and 40-minute hold delayed the Apollo 17 launching.

Launch of the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-09-07

S72-55070 (7 Dec. 1972) --- The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 17 (Spacecraft 114/Lunar Module 12/Saturn 512) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, at 12:33 a.m. (EST), Dec. 7, 1972. Apollo 17, the final lunar landing mission in NASA's Apollo program, was the first nighttime liftoff of the Saturn V launch vehicle. Aboard the Apollo 17 spacecraft were astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, commander; astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot; and scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot. Flame from the five F-1 engines of the Apollo/Saturn first (S-1C) stage illuminates the nighttime scene. A two-hour and 40-minute hold delayed the Apollo 17 launching.

Apollo Program Summary Report: Synopsis of the Apollo Program Activities and Technology for Lunar Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Overall program activities and the technology developed to accomplish lunar exploration are discussed. A summary of the flights conducted over an 11-year period is presented along with specific aspects of the overall program, including lunar science, vehicle development and performance, lunar module development program, spacecraft development testing, flight crew summary, mission operations, biomedical data, spacecraft manufacturing and testing, launch site facilities, equipment, and prelaunch operations, and the lunar receiving laboratory. Appendixes provide data on each of the Apollo missions, mission type designations, spacecraft weights, records achieved by Apollo crewmen, vehicle histories, and a listing of anomalous hardware conditions noted during each flight beginning with Apollo 4.

Lunar volcanism in space and time

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Head, J.W. III

1976-05-01

Data obtained from lunar orbit and earth-based observations were used to extend the detailed characterizations derived from Apollo and Luna sample return missions to other parts of the moon. Lunar mare and highland volcanism are described including the distribution, volcanic features, the relation of mare morphologic features to the style of volcanic eruption, the characteristics and ages of other mare deposits, and sample results. (JFP)

A Thorium-rich Mare Basalt Rock Fragment from the Apollo 12 Regolith: A Sample from a Young Procellarum Flow?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jolliff, B. L.; Zeigler, R. A.; Korotev, R. L.; Barra, F.; Swindle, T. D.

2005-01-01

In this abstract, we report on the composition, mineralogy and petrography of a basaltic rock fragment, 12032,366-18, found in the Apollo 12 regolith. Age data, collected as part of an investigation by Barra et al., will be presented in detail in. Here, only the age dating result is summarized. This rock fragment garnered our attention because it is significantly enriched in incompatible elements, e.g., 7 ppm thorium, compared to other known lunar basalts. Its mineral- and trace-element chemistry set it apart from other Apollo 12 basalts and indeed from all Apollo and Luna basalts. What makes it potentially very significant is the possibility that it is a sample of a relatively young, thorium-rich basalt flow similar to those inferred to occur in the Procellarum region, especially northwestern Procellarum, on the basis of Lunar Prospector orbital data. Exploiting the lunar regolith for the diversity of rock types that have been delivered to a landing site by impact processes and correlating them to their likely site of origin using remote sensing will be an important part of future missions to the Moon. One such mission is Moonrise, which would collect regolith samples from the South Pole-Aitken Basin, concentrating thousands of rock fragments of 3-20 mm size from the regolith, and returning the samples to Earth.

Understanding lunar magnetic field through magnetization and dynamo mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, K. H.; Kuang, W.

2016-12-01

It has been known that the Moon does not have an active global magnetic field. But past missions to the Moon (e.g. Apollo missions, Lunar Prospector) have detected magnetic anomalies in many areas on the lunar surface. They carry rich information about geophysical processes on and within the Moon, thus central for understanding the structure and dynamics in the interior, e.g. the core and the suggested magma ocean. One unsettling problem for understanding the lunar magnetic anomaly is its origin. There have been several mechanisms suggested in the past, either on the anomalies in specific regions, or only at the conceptual stage. The latter include the paleo dynamo. The lunar dynamo mechanism is conceptually very simple: lunar crustal magnetization was acquired in an internal magnetic field that was generated and maintained by dynamo action in the lunar core. Could this simple mechanism suffice to explain most of the observed lunar magnetic anomalies? We present our theoretical calculations of possible paleo-lunar magnetic field strengths based on paleomagnetic measurements of Apollo samples.

APOLLO XII - ART CONCEPT - COMMAND MODULE

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-10

S69-58005 (10 Nov. 1969) --- An artist's concept of the Apollo 12 Command Module's (CM) interior, with the command module pilot at the controls. The Apollo 12 Lunar Module (LM) and a portion of the lunar surface are seen out of the window. Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr. will maneuver the Apollo 12 Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit while astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, explore the moon.

Apollo 8 crew shown during intravehicular activity during mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1968-01-01

Astronaut Frank Borman, commander, is shown during intravehicular activity on the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission. This still print was made from movie film taken by an on-board 16mm motion picture camera (56531); Astronaut William A. Anders, lunar module pilot, is shown during intravehicular activity on the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission (56532); Astronaut James A. Lovell Jr., command module milot, is shown during intravehicular activity on the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission (56533).

Indigenous Carbon Embedded in Apollo 17 Black Volcanic Glass Surface Deposits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas-Keprta, Kathie L.; Ross, D. K.; Le, L.; Gonzalez, C.; McKay, D. S.; Gibson, E. K.

2012-01-01

The assessment of indigenous organic matter in returned lunar samples was one of the primary scientific goals of the Apollo program. The levels of such organic material were expected to be and found to be small. Previous work on this topic includes Murphy et al. [1] who reported the presence of anthropogenic organics with sub-ppm concentrations in Apollo 11 fines. In Apollo 12 samples, Preti et al. [2] detected low levels, < 10 ppb or below, of more complex organic material that may have been synthesized by abrupt heating during analysis. Kvenvolden et al. [3] detected porphyrin-like pigments at the ng to pg level in an Apollo 11 bulk sample. Hodgson et al. [4] and Ponnamperuma et al. [5] suggested that most if not all porphyrins were synthesized from rocket fuel during module landing. Chang et al. [6] reported indigenous carbon ranging from 5-20 g/g in the form of metal carbides in Apollo 11 fines. Hare et al. [7] reported amino acids at he 50 ng/g level in Apollo 11 samples but suggested the results may be explained as contamination. More recently, Clemett et al. [8] reported simple polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at concentrations of < 1ppm in an Apollo 16 soil. Low concentrations of lunar organics may be a consequence not only of its paucity, but also its heterogeneous distribution. If the sample size required for a measurement is large relative to the localization of organics, detection is limited not by ultimate sensitivity but rather by the ability to distinguish an indigenous signature from background contamination [9].

Virtual Microscope Views of the Apollo 11 and 12 Lunar Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gibson, E. K.; Tindle, A. G.; Kelley, S. P.; Pillinger, J. M.

2016-01-01

The Apollo virtual microscope is a means of viewing, over the Internet, polished thin sections of every rock in the Apollo lunar sample collections via software, duplicating many of the functions of a petrological microscope, is described. Images from the Apollo 11 and 12 missions may be viewed at: www.virtualmicroscope.org/content/apollo. Introduction: During the six NASA missions to the Moon from 1969-72 a total of 382 kilograms of rocks and soils, often referred to as "the legacy of Apollo", were collected and returned to Earth. A unique collection of polished thin sections (PTSs) was made from over 400 rocks by the Lunar Sample Curatorial Facility at the Johnson Spacecraft Center (JSC), Houston. These materials have been available for loan to approved PIs but of course they can't be simultaneously investigated by several researchers unless they are co-located or the sample is passed back and forward between them by mail/hand carrying which is inefficient and very risky for irreplaceable material. When The Open University (OU), the world's largest Distance Learning Higher Education Establishment found itself facing a comparable problem (how to supply thousands of undergraduate students with an interactive petrological microscope and a personal set of thin sections), it decided to develop a software tool called the Virtual Microscope (VM). As a result it is now able to make the unique and precious collection of Apollo specimens universally available as a resource for concurrent study by anybody in the world's Earth and Planetary Sciences community. Herein, we describe the first steps of a collaborative project between OU and the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Curatorial Facility to record a PTS for every lunar rock, beginning with those collected by the Apollo 11 and 12 missions. Method: Production of a virtual microscope dedicated to a particular theme divides into four main parts - photography, image processing, building and assembly of virtual microscope components, and publication on a website. Two large research quality microscopes are used to collect all the images required for a virtual microscope. The first is part of an integrated package that utilizes Leica PowerMosaic software and a motorised XYZ stage to generate large area mosaics. It includes a fast acquisition camera and depending on the PTS size normally is used to produce seamless mosaic images consisting of 100-500 individual photographs. If the sample is suitable, three mosaics of each sample are recorded - plane polarised light, between crossed polars and reflected light. In order for the VM to be a true petrological microscope it is necessary to recreate the features of a rotating stage and perform observations using filters to produce polarised light. Thus the petrological VM includes the capability of seeing changes in optical properties (pleochroism and birefringence) during rotation allowing mineral identification. The second microscope in the system provides the functions of the rotating stage. To this microscope we have added a robotically controlled motor to acquire seventy-two images (5 degree intervals) in plane polarised light and between crossed polars. To process the images acquired from the two microscopes involves a combination of proprietary software (Photoshop) and our own in-house code. The final stage involves assembling all the components in an HTML5 environment. Pathfinder investigations: We have undertaken a number of pilot studies to demonstrate the efficacy of the petrological microscope with lunar samples. The first was to make available on-line images collected from the Educational Package of Apollo samples provided by NASA to the UK STFC (Science and Technical Facilities Council) for loan as educational material e.g. for schools. The real PTSs of the samples are now no longer sent out to schools removing the risks associated with transport, accidental breakage and eliminating the possibility of loss. The availability of lunar sample VM-related material was further extended to include twenty-eight specimens from all of the Apollo missions. Some of these samples were made more generally available through an ibook entitled "Moon Rocks: an introduction to the Geology of the Moon," free from the Apple Bookstore. Research possibilities: Although the Virtual Microscope was originally conceived as a teaching aid and was later recognised as a means of public outreach and engagement, we now realize that it also has enormous potential as a high level research tool. Following discussions with the JSC Curators we have received Curation and Analysis Planning Team for Extraterrestrial Materials (CAPTEM) permission to embark on a programme of digitizing the entire lunar sample PTS collection for all three of the above purposes. By the time of the 47th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC) we will have completed 81 rocks collected during the Apollo 11 and 12 missions and the data, with cross-links to the Lunar Sample Compendium will go live on the Web at the 47th LPSC. The VM images of the Apollo 11 (41 VM images) and 12 (40 VM images) missions can be viewed at: http:/www.virtualmicroscope.org/content/apollo. The lunar sample VM will enable large numbers of skilled/unskilled microscopists (professional and amateur researchers, educators and students, enthusiasts and the simply curious non-scientists) to share the information from a single sample. It will mean that all the PTSs already cut, even historical ones, could be available for new joint investigations or private study. The scientific return from the collection will increase exponentially as a result of further debate and discussion. Simultaneously the VM will remove the need for making unnecessary multiple samplings, avoid consignment of delicate/breakable specimens (all of which are priceless) to insecure mail/courier services and reduce direct labour and indirect costs, travel budgets and unproductive travelling time necessary for co-location of collaborating researchers. For the future we have already recognized further potential for virtual technology. There is nothing that a petrologist likes more than to see the original rock as a hand specimen. It is entirely possible to recreate virtual hand specimens with 3-D hard and software, already developed for viewing fossils, located within the Curatorial Facility, http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/lunar/lsc/index.cfm.

Studies related to the evolution of the lunar soil materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carter, J. L.

1973-01-01

Studies of the chemistry and morphology of the lunar samples are reported. The presence of fragments of plagoclase in the centers of the impact craters indicate that the glass spheres were derived by meteoritic impact from high velocity particles, while the glass was at high temperatures. From the study of the Apollo 16 samples, it is suggested that this material was formed in a hot impact ejecta blanket, or in an igneous environment, and later exposed to meteoritic impact. It is suggested that particles from Apollo 17 were formed in a cloud of siliceous vapors.

Closer Look at Lunar Highland Crust

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-12-05

This image depicting the porosity of the lunar highland crust was derived using bulk density data from NASA GRAIL mission and independent grain density measurements from NASA Apollo moon mission samples as well as orbital remote-sensing data.

Petrology of lunar rocks and implication to lunar evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ridley, W. I.

1976-01-01

Recent advances in lunar petrology, based on studies of lunar rock samples available through the Apollo program, are reviewed. Samples of bedrock from both maria and terra have been collected where micrometeorite impact penetrated the regolith and brought bedrock to the surface, but no in situ cores have been taken. Lunar petrogenesis and lunar thermal history supported by studies of the rock sample are discussed and a tentative evolutionary scenario is constructed. Mare basalts, terra assemblages of breccias, soils, rocks, and regolith are subjected to elemental analysis, mineralogical analysis, trace content analysis, with studies of texture, ages and isotopic composition. Probable sources of mare basalts are indicated.

Apollo 16 astronauts in Apollo Command Module Mission Simulator

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-03-14

S72-31047 (March 1972) --- Astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II (right foreground), command module pilot of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, participates in extravehicular activity (EVA) training in Building 5 at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC). Mattingly is scheduled to perform EVA during the Apollo 16 journey home from the moon. Astronaut John W. Young, commander, can be seen in the left background. In the right background is astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot. They are inside the Apollo Command Module Mission Simulator. While Mattingly remains with the Apollo 16 Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit, Young and Duke will descend in the Lunar Module (LM) to the moon's Descartes landing site.

The Apollo Program and Amino Acids

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Sidney W.

1973-01-01

Discusses the determination of hydrolyzable amino acid precursors and a group of six amino acids in the returned lunar samples of the Apollo programs. Indicates that molecular evolution is arrested at the precursor stage on the Moon because of lack of water. (CC)

Apollo 16 Astronaut Salutes the U.S. Flag on Lunar Surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

An Apollo 16 astronaut salutes the U.S. flag on the lunar surface. The Lunar Module (LM) and Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) can be seen behind him. Apollo 16 launched from the Kennedy Space Center on April 16, 1972 for a 3-day stay on Earth's Moon. It's 3-man crew consisted of Thomas K. Mattingly II, Command Module pilot; John W. Young, Mission Commander; and Charles M. Duke Jr., Lunar Module pilot. The first study of the highlands area, the landing site for Apollo 16 was the Descartes Highlands. The fifth lunar landing mission out of six, Apollo 16 was famous for deploying and using an ultraviolet telescope as the first lunar observatory. The telescope photographed ultraviolet light emitted by Earth and other celestial objects. The LRV, developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, was also used for collecting rocks and data on the mysterious lunar highlands. The mission ended April 27, 1972 as the crew splashed down into the Pacific Ocean.

Apollo 9 Lunar Module in lunar landing configuration

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-07

AS09-21-3181 (7 March 1969) --- A View of the Apollo 9 Lunar Module (LM), "Spider," in a lunar lading configuration, as photographed from the Command and Service Modules (CSM) on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 Earth-orbital mission. The landing gear on the "Spider" has been deployed. Inside the "Spider" were astronauts James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot. Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the Command Module (CM), "Gumdrop," while the other two astronauts checked out the LM.

Chariots for Apollo: A History of Manned Lunar Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brooks, C. G.; Grimwood, J. M.; Swenson, L. S., Jr.

1979-01-01

Beginning with the challenges presented by Sputnik 1 in 1957, and the formation of NASA, the apollo lunar exploration program is reviewed through Apollo Flight 11. The focal points are the spacecraft including the command and service modules, and the lunar module.

Apollo 12 Mission image - View of lunar surface mound

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-19

AS12-46-6795 (19-20 Nov. 1969) --- A view of the lunar surface in the vicinity of the Apollo 12 lunar landing site, photographed during the extravehicular activity (EVA) of astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot. Conrad and Bean encountered the odd, anthill-shaped mound during their lunar traverse. The two descended in the Apollo 12 Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon, while astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

APOLLO XV - (LIFTOFF) - CAPE

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-07-26

S71-41810 (26 July 1971) --- The 363-feet tall Apollo 15 (Spacecraft 112/Lunar Module 10/Saturn 510) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 9:34:00.79 a.m., July 26, 1971, on a lunar landing mission. Aboard the Apollo 15 spacecraft were astronauts David R. Scott, commander; Alfred M. Worden, commander module pilot; and James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot. Apollo 15 is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) fourth manned lunar landing mission.

APOLLO IX - ART CONCEPTS - EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITY (EVA)

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-02-06

S69-18546 (February 1969) --- North American Rockwell artist's concept illustrating the docking of the Lunar Module ascent stage with the Command and Service Modules during the Apollo 9 mission. The two figures in the Lunar Module represent astronauts James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot. The figure in the Command Module represents astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot. The Apollo 9 mission will evaluate spacecraft lunar module systems performance during manned Earth-orbital flight.

Amino acid analyses of Apollo 14 samples.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gehrke, C. W.; Zumwalt, R. W.; Kuo, K.; Aue, W. A.; Stalling, D. L.; Kvenvolden, K. A.; Ponnamperuma, C.

1972-01-01

Detection limits were between 300 pg and 1 ng for different amino acids, in an analysis by gas-liquid chromatography of water extracts from Apollo 14 lunar fines in which amino acids were converted to their N-trifluoro-acetyl-n-butyl esters. Initial analyses of water and HCl extracts of sample 14240 and 14298 samples showed no amino acids above background levels.

Introduction to the Apollo collections. Part 1: Lunar igneous rocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcgee, P. E.; Warner, J. L.; Simonds, C. H.

1977-01-01

The basic petrographic, chemical, and age data is presented for a representative suite of igneous rocks gathered during the six Apollo missions. Tables are given for 69 samples: 32 igneous rocks and 37 impactites (breccias). A description is given of 26 basalts, four plutonic rocks, and two pyroclastic samples. The textural-mineralogic name assigned each sample is included.

The Apollo lunar surface experiment package suprathermal ion detector experiment. [bibliographies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

A compilation of reports and scientific papers is presented for the following topics: (1) the lunar ionosphere; (2) electric potential of the lunar surface; (3) ion activity on the lunar nightside; (4) bow shock protons; (5) magnetosheath and magnetotail; (6) solar wind-neutral gas cloud interactions at the lunar surface; (7) penetrating solar particles; and (8) rocket exhaust products from Apollo missions. Descriptions and photographs of ion detecting equipment at the lunar sites of Apollo 12, 13, 14, and 15 are given.

Inflight - Apollo 9 (Crew Activities)

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-06

S69-26150 (6 March 1969) --- Television watchers on Earth saw this view of the Apollo 9 Command Module during the second live telecast from Apollo 9 early Thursday afternoon on the fourth day in space. This view is looking through the docking window of the Lunar Module. The cloud-covered Earth can be seen in the background. Inside the Lunar Module "Spider" were Astronauts James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot. At this moment Apollo 9 was orbiting Earth with the Command and Service Modules docked nose-to-nose with the Lunar Module. Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the Command Module "Gumdrop" while the other two astronauts checked out the Lunar Module. McDivitt and Schweickart moved into the Lunar Module from the Command Module by way of the docking tunnel.

Thermal diffusivity of four Apollo 17 rock samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Horai, K.; Winkler, J.L. Jr.

1976-01-01

The thermal diffusivities of four Apollo 17 rock samples (70017,77; 70215,18; 72395,14; and 77035,44) are measured in the temperature range between 180/sup 0/K and 460/sup 0/K at interstitial gaseous pressures of 1 atm and 10/sup -6/ torr of air. The thermal diffusivities at 1 atm are decreasing functions of temperature. Basalt samples (70017,77 and 70215,18) show higher thermal diffusivities than breccias (72395,14 and 77035,44), indicating that the thermal contact between mineral grains is better in crystalline rocks than in breccias. The magnitude of thermal diffusivities of the Apollo 17 basalt samples is intermediate between published diffusivities of Apollo 11 andmore » 12 basalts, suggesting that the intergranular cohesion of Apollo 17 basalts is weaker than that of Apollo 11 basalts but is stronger than that of Apollo 12 basalt. The thermal diffusivities measured at 10/sup -6/ torr are less temperature dependent. The basalt samples still show higher thermal diffusivities than the breccias, however. The low thermal diffusivity of the porous breccia sample (72395,14) is comparable to the lunar anorthositic gabbro (77017,24) studied by Mizutani and Osako (1974) that has the lowest thermal diffusivity of lunar rock samples ever reported. The difference between the thermal diffusivities the samples exhibit under atmospheric and vacuum conditions cannot be explained by the effect of thermal conduction through the gas medium filling the interstices of the samples that are absent under vacuum condition. A hypothesis is presented that the thermal conduction across the intergranular contact surfaces is strongly influenced by the adsorption of gas molecules on the surfaces of mineral grains. Measurements are also made in carbon dioxide atmosphere, in the temperature range between 200/sup 0/K and 460/sup 0/K.« less

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-09

In this photograph, laboratory technician Bart Ruark visually inspects a Japanese Qail confined within a class III cabinet in the Intervertebrae, Aves, and Fish Laboratory of the Lunar Receiving Laboratory, Building 37 of the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) in Houston, Texas. This laboratory was part of the overall physical, chemical, and biological test program of the Apollo 11 returned lunar samples. Aboard the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle, the Apollo 11 mission launched from The Kennedy Space Center, Florida on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. The 3-man crew aboard the flight consisted of astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Edwin Aldrin, Lunar Module (LM) pilot; and Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot. The CM, piloted by Michael Collins remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, named “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, landed on the Moon. In 2 1/2 hours, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material which was returned to Earth for analysis.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-09

In this photograph, a laboratory technician handles a portion of the more than 20 different plant lines that were used within the Lunar Receiving Laboratory, Building 37 of the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) in Houston, Texas. This laboratory was part of the overall physical, chemical, and biological test program of the Apollo 11 returned lunar samples. Aboard the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle, the Apollo 11 mission launched from The Kennedy Space Center, Florida on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. The 3-man crew aboard the flight consisted of astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Edwin Aldrin, Lunar Module (LM) pilot; and Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot. The CM, piloted by Michael Collins remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, named “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, landed on the Moon. In 2 1/2 hours, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material which was returned to Earth for analysis.

Astronaut Alan Bean holds Special Environmental Sample Container

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-20

AS12-49-7278 (19-20 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean holds a Special Environmental Sample Container filled with lunar soil collected during the extravehicular activity (EVA) in which astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Bean, lunar module pilot, participated. Conrad, who took this picture, is reflected in Bean's helmet visor. Conrad and Bean descended in the Apollo 12 Lunar Module (LM) to explore the lunar surface while astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit. Photo credit: NASA

Lunar orbital mass spectrometer experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lord, W. P.

1971-01-01

The design, development, manufacture, test and calibration of five lunar orbital mass spectrometers with the four associated ground support equipment test sets are discussed. A mass spectrometer was installed in the Apollo 15 and one in the Apollo 16 Scientific Instrument Module within the Service Module. The Apollo 15 mass spectrometer was operated with collection of 38 hours of mass spectra data during lunar orbit and 50 hours of data were collected during transearth coast. The Apollo 16 mass spectrometer was operated with collection of 76 hours of mass spectra data during lunar orbit. However, the Apollo 16 mass spectrometer was ejected into lunar orbit upon malfunction of spacecraft boom system just prior to transearth insection and no transearth coast data was possible.

Lunar Surface Potential Increases during Terrestrial Bow Shock Traversals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collier, Michael R.; Stubbs, Timothy J.; Hills, H. Kent; Halekas, Jasper; Farrell, William M.; Delory, Greg T.; Espley, Jared; Freeman, John W.; Vondrak, Richard R.; Kasper, Justin

2009-01-01

Since the Apollo era the electric potential of the Moon has been a subject of interest and debate. Deployed by three Apollo missions, Apollo 12, Apollo 14 and Apollo 15, the Suprathermal Ion Detector Experiment (SIDE) determined the sunlit lunar surface potential to be about +10 Volts using the energy spectra of lunar ionospheric thermal ions accelerated toward the Moon. We present an analysis of Apollo 14 SIDE "resonance" events that indicate the lunar surface potential increases when the Moon traverses the dawn bow shock. By analyzing Wind spacecraft crossings of the terrestrial bow shock at approximately this location and employing current balancing models of the lunar surface, we suggest causes for the increasing potential. Determining the origin of this phenomenon will improve our ability to predict the lunar surface potential in support of human exploration as well as provide models for the behavior of other airless bodies when they traverse similar features such as interplanetary shocks, both of which are goals of the NASA Lunar Science Institute's Dynamic Response of the Environment At the Moon (DREAM) team.

Liftoff of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-16

S69-39961 (16 July 1969) --- The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 11 (Spacecraft 107/Lunar Module S/Saturn 506) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), at 9:32 a.m. (EDT), July 16, 1969. Onboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft are astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. Apollo 11 is the United States' first lunar landing mission. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descend in the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Collins will remain with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit. Photo credit: NASA

Launch - Apollo XV Space Vehicle - KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-07-26

S71-41356 (26 July 1971) --- The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 15 (Spacecraft 112/Lunar Module 10/Saturn 510) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, at 9:34:00:79 a.m. (EDT), July 26, 1971, on a lunar landing mission. Aboard the Apollo 15 spacecraft were astronauts David R. Scott, commander; Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot; and James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot. Apollo 15 is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) fourth manned lunar landing mission. While astronauts Scott and Irwin will descend in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon, astronaut Worden will remain with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

Feldspar basalts in lunar soil and the nature of the lunar continents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reid, A. M.; Ridley, W. I.; Harmon, R. S.; Warner, J.; Brett, R.; Jakes, P.; Brown, R. W.

1974-01-01

It is found that 25% on the Apollo-14 glasses have the same composition as the glasses in two samples taken from the Luna-16 column. The compositions are equivalent to feldspar basalt and anorthosite gabbro, and are similar to the feldspar basalts identified from Surveyor-7 analysis for lunar continents.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-04-01

The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) was designed to transport astronauts and materials on the Moon. An LRV was used on each of the last three Apollo missions; Apollo 15, Apollo 16, and Apollo 17, in 1971 and 1972, to permit the crew to travel several miles from the lunar landing site. This photograph was taken during the Apollo 16 mission.

Astronaut John Young reaches for tools in Lunar Roving Vehicle during EVA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, reaches for tools in the Apollo lunar hand tool carrier at the aft end of the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the second Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-2) at the Descartes landing site. This photograph was taken by Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot. This view is looking south from the base of Stone Mountain.

The relationship between orbital, earth-based, and sample data for lunar landing sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, P. E.; Hawke, B. R.; Basu, A.

1990-01-01

Results are reported of a detailed examination of data available for the Apollo lunar landing sites, including the Apollo orbital measurements of six major elements derived from XRF and gamma-ray instruments and geochemical parameters derived from earth-based spectral reflectivity data. Wherever orbital coverage for Apollo landing sites exist, the remote data were correlated with geochemical data derived from the soil sample averages for major geological units and the major rock components associated with these units. Discrepancies were observed between the remote and the soil-anlysis elemental concentration data, which were apparently due to the differences in the extent of exposure of geological units, and, hence, major rock eomponents, in the area sampled. Differences were observed in signal depths between various orbital experiments, which may provide a mechanism for explaining differences between the XRF and other landing-site data.

Toward a Suite of Standard Lunar Regolith Simulants for NASA's Lunar Missions: Recommendations of the 2005 Workshop of Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlagheck, R. A.; Sibille, L.; Carpenter, P.

2005-01-01

As NASA turns its exploration ambitions towards the Moon once again, the research and development of new technologies for lunar operations face the challenge of meeting the milestones of a fast-pace schedule, reminiscent of the 1960's Apollo program. While the lunar samples returned by the Apollo and Luna missions have revealed much about the Moon, these priceless materials exist in too scarce quantities to be used for technology development and testing. The need for mineral materials chosen to simulate the characteristics of lunar regoliths is a pressing issue that is being addressed today through the collaboration of scientists, engineers and NASA program managers. The issue of reproducing the properties of lunar regolith for research and technology development purposes was addressed by the recently held Workshop on Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials at Marshall Space Flight Center. The conclusions from the workshop and considerations concerning the feasibility (both technical and programmatic) of producing such materials will be presented here.

KSC-2009-4351

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex in Florida, Apollo astronaut Al Worden (center) is flanked by Center Director Bob Cabana (left) and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. Worden was presented with the Ambassador of Exploration Award to honor his contributions to the U.S. space program. A moon rock encased in Lucite, the award is seen in the foreground and will be displayed at Kennedy. Worden served as command module pilot for the Apollo 15 mission, which set several moon records for NASA, including the longest lunar surface stay time, the longest lunar extravehicular activity and the first use of a lunar roving vehicle. Worden spent 38 minutes in a spacewalk outside the command module and logged a total of 295 hours, 11 minutes in space during the mission. NASA is giving the Ambassador of Exploration Award to the first generation of explorers in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs for realizing America's goal of going to the moon. The rock is part of the 842 pounds of lunar samples collected during six Apollo expeditions from 1969 to 1972. Those astronauts who receive the award will then present the award to a museum of their choice. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-4346

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, External Relations Director Lisa Malone speaks to an audience in Kennedy's Visitor Complex about the Ambassador of Exploration Award being given to Al Worden, an Apollo astronaut. Worden is being honored for his contributions to the U.S. space program. The award, to be displayed at Kennedy, is a moon rock encased in Lucite, mounted for public display. Worden served as command module pilot for the Apollo 15 mission, which set several moon records for NASA, including the longest lunar surface stay time, the longest lunar extravehicular activity and the first use of a lunar roving vehicle. Worden spent 38 minutes in a spacewalk outside the command module and logged a total of 295 hours, 11 minutes in space during the mission. NASA is giving the Ambassador of Exploration Award to the first generation of explorers in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs for realizing America's goal of going to the moon. The rock is part of the 842 pounds of lunar samples collected during six Apollo expeditions from 1969 to 1972. Those astronauts who receive the award will then present the award to a museum of their choice. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-4349

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex in Florida, Apollo astronaut Al Worden shares his thoughts about the Space Program after receiving the Ambassador of Exploration Award. Worden is being honored for his contributions to the U.S. space program. A moon rock encased in Lucite, the award is seen at right and will be displayed at Kennedy. Worden served as command module pilot for the Apollo 15 mission, which set several moon records for NASA, including the longest lunar surface stay time, the longest lunar extravehicular activity and the first use of a lunar roving vehicle. Worden spent 38 minutes in a spacewalk outside the command module and logged a total of 295 hours, 11 minutes in space during the mission. NASA is giving the Ambassador of Exploration Award to the first generation of explorers in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs for realizing America's goal of going to the moon. The rock is part of the 842 pounds of lunar samples collected during six Apollo expeditions from 1969 to 1972. Those astronauts who receive the award will then present the award to a museum of their choice. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-4348

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden addresses guests who have gathered in Kennedy's Visitor Complex to celebrate Apollo astronaut Al Worden's receiving the Ambassador of Exploration Award. Worden is being honored for his contributions to the U.S. space program. The award, to be displayed at Kennedy, is a moon rock encased in Lucite, mounted for public display. Worden served as command module pilot for the Apollo 15 mission, which set several moon records for NASA, including the longest lunar surface stay time, the longest lunar extravehicular activity and the first use of a lunar roving vehicle. Worden spent 38 minutes in a spacewalk outside the command module and logged a total of 295 hours, 11 minutes in space during the mission. NASA is giving the Ambassador of Exploration Award to the first generation of explorers in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs for realizing America's goal of going to the moon. The rock is part of the 842 pounds of lunar samples collected during six Apollo expeditions from 1969 to 1972. Those astronauts who receive the award will then present the award to a museum of their choice. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-4350

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex in Florida, Apollo astronaut Al Worden shares his thoughts about the Space Program after receiving the Ambassador of Exploration Award. Worden is being honored for his contributions to the U.S. space program. A moon rock encased in Lucite, the award is seen at right and will be displayed at Kennedy. Worden served as command module pilot for the Apollo 15 mission, which set several moon records for NASA, including the longest lunar surface stay time, the longest lunar extravehicular activity and the first use of a lunar roving vehicle. Worden spent 38 minutes in a spacewalk outside the command module and logged a total of 295 hours, 11 minutes in space during the mission. NASA is giving the Ambassador of Exploration Award to the first generation of explorers in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs for realizing America's goal of going to the moon. The rock is part of the 842 pounds of lunar samples collected during six Apollo expeditions from 1969 to 1972. Those astronauts who receive the award will then present the award to a museum of their choice. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2009-4347

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-30

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. –At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Director Bob Cabana speaks to an audience in Kennedy's Visitor Complex about Apollo astronaut Al Worden, who is receiving the Ambassador of Exploration Award. Worden is being honored for his contributions to the U.S. space program. The award, to be displayed at Kennedy, is a moon rock encased in Lucite, mounted for public display. Worden served as command module pilot for the Apollo 15 mission, which set several moon records for NASA, including the longest lunar surface stay time, the longest lunar extravehicular activity and the first use of a lunar roving vehicle. Worden spent 38 minutes in a spacewalk outside the command module and logged a total of 295 hours, 11 minutes in space during the mission. NASA is giving the Ambassador of Exploration Award to the first generation of explorers in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs for realizing America's goal of going to the moon. The rock is part of the 842 pounds of lunar samples collected during six Apollo expeditions from 1969 to 1972. Those astronauts who receive the award will then present the award to a museum of their choice. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Fish-eye lens view Astronauts Shepard and Mitchell in Lunar Module Simulator

NASA Image and Video Library

1970-07-15

S70-45555 (July 1970) --- A fish-eye lens view showing astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr. (foreground) and Edgar D. Mitchell in the Apollo lunar module mission simulator at the Kennedy Space Center during preflight training for the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission. Shepard is the Apollo 14 commander; and Mitchell is the lunar module pilot.

Apollo 14 visibility tests: Visibility of lunar surface features and lunar landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ziedman, K.

1972-01-01

An in-flight visibility test conducted on the Apollo 14 mission is discussed. The need for obtaining experimental data on lunar feature visibility arose from visibility problems associated with various aspects of the Apollo missions; and especially from anticipated difficulties of recognizing lunar surface features at the time of descent and landing under certain illumination conditions. Although visibility problems have influenced many other aspects of the Apollo mission, they have been particularly important for descent operations, due to the criticality of this mission phase and the crew's guidance and control role for landing site recognition and touchdown point selection. A series of analytical and photographic studies were conducted during the Apollo program (prior to as well as after the initial manned lunar operations) to delineate constraints imposed on landing operations by visibility limitations. The purpose of the visibility test conducted on Apollo 14 was to obtain data to reduce uncertainties and to extend the analytical models of visibility in the lunar environment.

Apollo 9 Mission image - Lunar Module

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-07

AS09-21-3183 (7 March 1969) --- A view of the Apollo 9 Lunar Module (LM) "Spider" in a lunar landing configuration, as photographed from the Command and Service Modules (CSM) on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 Earth-orbital mission. The landing gear on the "Spider" has been deployed. Lunar surface probes (sensors) extend out from the landing gear foot pads. Inside the "Spider" were astronauts James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot. Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the Command Module (CM), "Gumdrop," while the other two astronauts checked out the LM. Schweickart, lunar module pilot, is photographed from the CM "Gumdrop" during his extravehicular activity (EVA) on the fourth day of the Apollo 9 Earth-orbital mission. The CSM is docked with the LM. Astronaut James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander, was inside the LM "Spider." Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the CM.

Apollo 9 Mission image - Lunar Module

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-07

AS09-21-3197 (7 March 1969) --- A view of the Apollo 9 Lunar Module (LM) "Spider" in a lunar landing configuration, as photographed from the Command and Service Modules (CSM) on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 Earth-orbital mission. The landing gear on the "Spider" has been deployed. Lunar surface probes (sensors) extend out from the landing gear foot pads. Inside the "Spider" were astronauts James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot. Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the Command Module (CM), "Gumdrop," while the other two astronauts checked out the LM. Schweickart, lunar module pilot, is photographed from the CM "Gumdrop" during his extravehicular activity (EVA) on the fourth day of the Apollo 9 Earth-orbital mission. The CSM is docked with the LM. Astronaut James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander, was inside the LM "Spider." Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the CM.

Search for magnetic monopoles in lunar material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alvarez, L. W.; Eberhard, P. H.; Ross, R. R.; Watt, R. D.

1972-01-01

Magnetic monopoles in 19.8 kg. of lunar material returned by Apollo 11, 12 and 14 missions were investigated. The search was done with a detector which is capable of detecting any single monopole of any charge equal to or larger than the minimum value compatible with Dirac's theory. Two experiments were performed, each one with different lunar material. In each experiment the lunar material was divided into several measurement samples. No monopole was found. The magnetic charge of each sample was consistent with zero.

LUNAR SAMPLES - APOLLO 11 - MSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-28

S69-45025 (27 July 1969) --- This is the first lunar sample that was photographed in detail in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory at the Manned Spacecraft Center. The photograph shows a granular, fine-grained, mafic (iron magnesium rich) rock. At this early stage of the examination, this rock appears similar to several igneous rock types found on Earth. The scale is printed backwards due to the photographic configuration in the Vacuum Chamber. The sample number is 10003. This rock was among the samples collected by astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. during their lunar surface extravehicular activity on July 20, 1969.

APOLLO 9 - PRELAUNCH (CDDT) - KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-02-20

S69-27089 (11 March 1969) --- Overall view of Pad B, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, showing the Apollo 10 (Spacecraft 106/Lunar Module-4/Saturn 505) space vehicle during a Countdown Demonstration Test. The Apollo 10 flight is scheduled as a lunar orbit mission. The Apollo 10 crew will be astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, commander; John W. Young, command module pilot; and Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-01-31

Stuart A. Roosa, Apollo 14 Command Module pilot, undergoes a final space suit check prior to liftoff. The Apollo 14, carrying a crew of three astronauts: Roosa; Alan B. Shepard, Jr., Mission Commander; and Edgar D. Mitchell, Lunar Module pilot, lifted off from launch complex 39A at KSC on January 31, 1971. It was the third manned lunar landing, the first manned landing in exploration of the lunar highlands, and it demonstrated pinpoint landing capability. The major goal of Apollo 14 was the scientific exploration of the Moon in the foothills of the rugged Fra Mauro region. The lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) of astronauts Shepard and Mitchell included setting up an automated scientific laboratory called Apollo Lunar Scientific Experiments Package (ALSEP), and collecting a total of about 95 pounds (43 kilograms) of Moon rock and soil for a geological investigation back on the Earth. Apollo 14 safely returned to Earth on February 9, 1971.

Radioactivities in returned lunar materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The Ar37, Ar39, and H3 were measured at four depths (from 0 to 19.5 cm) of the deep core from Apollo 16 and in four other Apollo 16 samples. The Ar37 increased steadily from 40 dpm/kg at the top of the core to 68 dpm/kg at 19-cm depth. The comparison of the Ar37 in the core with that in rock 15555 shows that the solar flare at the time of the Apollo 16 mission was approximately an order of magnitude less intense than solar flares of 24 January 1971 and 2 November 1969, which occurred before the Apollo 14 and 12 missions. The Ar39 activities in the top 19 cm of the deep core varied little with depth. Because the Apollo 16 samples have a much higher Ca content and much lower Fe and Ti contents than do the documented rocks from previous missions, the Ar39 in the Fe, Ca, and K can be determined from Ar39 measurements on lunar material if a Ti cross section is assumed.

Astronaut Alan Bean deploys Lunar Surface Magnetometer on lunar surface

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-19

Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, deploys the Lunar Surface Magnetometer (LSM) during the first Apollo 12 extravehicular activity on the Moon. The LSM is a component of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP). The Lunar Module can be seen in the left background.

Astronaut Alan Bean deploys Lunar Surface Magnetometer on lunar surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, deploys the Lunar Surface Magnetometer (LSM) during the first Apollo 12 extravehicular activity on the Moon. The LSM is a component of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP). The Lunar Module can be seen in the left background.

An Interdisciplinary Method for the Visualization of Novel High-Resolution Precision Photography and Micro-XCT Data Sets of NASA's Apollo Lunar Samples and Antarctic Meteorite Samples to Create Combined Research-Grade 3D Virtual Samples for the Benefit of Astromaterials Collections Conservation, Curation, Scientific Research and Education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blumenfeld, E. H.; Evans, C. A.; Oshel, E. R.; Liddle, D. A.; Beaulieu, K.; Zeigler, R. A.; Hanna, R. D.; Ketcham, R. A.

2016-01-01

New technologies make possible the advancement of documentation and visualization practices that can enhance conservation and curation protocols for NASA's Astromaterials Collections. With increasing demands for accessibility to updated comprehensive data, and with new sample return missions on the horizon, it is of primary importance to develop new standards for contemporary documentation and visualization methodologies. Our interdisciplinary team has expertise in the fields of heritage conservation practices, professional photography, photogrammetry, imaging science, application engineering, data curation, geoscience, and astromaterials curation. Our objective is to create virtual 3D reconstructions of Apollo Lunar and Antarctic Meteorite samples that are a fusion of two state-of-the-art data sets: the interior view of the sample by collecting Micro-XCT data and the exterior view of the sample by collecting high-resolution precision photography data. These new data provide researchers an information-rich visualization of both compositional and textural information prior to any physical sub-sampling. Since January 2013 we have developed a process that resulted in the successful creation of the first image-based 3D reconstruction of an Apollo Lunar Sample correlated to a 3D reconstruction of the same sample's Micro- XCT data, illustrating that this technique is both operationally possible and functionally beneficial. In May of 2016 we began a 3-year research period during which we aim to produce Virtual Astromaterials Samples for 60 high-priority Apollo Lunar and Antarctic Meteorite samples and serve them on NASA's Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation website. Our research demonstrates that research-grade Virtual Astromaterials Samples are beneficial in preserving for posterity a precise 3D reconstruction of the sample prior to sub-sampling, which greatly improves documentation practices, provides unique and novel visualization of the sample's interior and exterior features, offers scientists a preliminary research tool for targeted sub-sample requests, and additionally is a visually engaging interactive tool for bringing astromaterials science to the public.

An Interdisciplinary Method for the Visualization of Novel High-Resolution Precision Photography and Micro-XCT Data Sets of NASA's Apollo Lunar Samples and Antarctic Meteorite Samples to Create Combined Research-Grade 3D Virtual Samples for the Benefit of Astromaterials Collections Conservation, Curation, Scientific Research and Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blumenfeld, E. H.; Evans, C. A.; Zeigler, R. A.; Righter, K.; Beaulieu, K. R.; Oshel, E. R.; Liddle, D. A.; Hanna, R.; Ketcham, R. A.; Todd, N. S.

2016-12-01

New technologies make possible the advancement of documentation and visualization practices that can enhance conservation and curation protocols for NASA's Astromaterials Collections. With increasing demands for accessibility to updated comprehensive data, and with new sample return missions on the horizon, it is of primary importance to develop new standards for contemporary documentation and visualization methodologies. Our interdisciplinary team has expertise in the fields of heritage conservation practices, professional photography, photogrammetry, imaging science, application engineering, data curation, geoscience, and astromaterials curation. Our objective is to create virtual 3D reconstructions of Apollo Lunar and Antarctic Meteorite samples that are a fusion of two state-of-the-art data sets: the interior view of the sample by collecting Micro-XCT data and the exterior view of the sample by collecting high-resolution precision photography data. These new data provide researchers an information-rich visualization of both compositional and textural information prior to any physical sub-sampling. Since January 2013 we have developed a process that resulted in the successful creation of the first image-based 3D reconstruction of an Apollo Lunar Sample correlated to a 3D reconstruction of the same sample's Micro-XCT data, illustrating that this technique is both operationally possible and functionally beneficial. In May of 2016 we began a 3-year research period during which we aim to produce Virtual Astromaterials Samples for 60 high-priority Apollo Lunar and Antarctic Meteorite samples and serve them on NASA's Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation website. Our research demonstrates that research-grade Virtual Astromaterials Samples are beneficial in preserving for posterity a precise 3D reconstruction of the sample prior to sub-sampling, which greatly improves documentation practices, provides unique and novel visualization of the sample's interior and exterior features, offers scientists a preliminary research tool for targeted sub-sample requests, and additionally is a visually engaging interactive tool for bringing astromaterials science to the public.

Ultrathin amorphous coatings on lunar dust grains.

PubMed

Bibring, J P; Duraud, J P; Durrieu, L; Jouret, C; Maurette, M; Meunier, R

1972-02-18

UItrathin amorphous coatings have been observed by high-voltage electron microscopy on micrometer-sized dust grains from the Apollo 11, Apollo 12, Apollo 14, and Luna 16 missions. Calibration experiments show that these coatings result from an "ancient" implantation of solar wind ions in the grains. This phenomenon has interdisciplinary applications concerning the past activity of the sun, the lunar albedo, the ancient lunar atmosphere and magnetic field, the carbon content of lunar soils, and lunar dynamic processes.

Lunar Paleomagnetism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuller, M.; Weiss, B. P.

2013-05-01

We have completed a reanalysis of the old Apollo paleomagnetic data using modern techniques of analysis and presentation. The principal result from the mare basalts is that several samples, such as 10020, 10017, 10049, and 70215 appear to be carrying primary natural remanent magnetization (NRM) acquired on the Moon as they cooled initially on the lunar surface, but in almost every case alternating field (AF) demagnetization was not carried out to strong enough fields to isolate this primary magnetization properly. When modern measurements are available, the agreement between old Apollo era data and new data is strikingly good. It also appears that the fields recorded by the basalts of Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 are stronger than those recorded by Apollo 12 and Apollo 15 basalts. Indeed it is not clear that any reliable records have come from these younger samples. The histories of breccias are more complicated than those of mare basalts and their NRM is harder to interpret. For regolith breccias, interpretations are complicated because of their strong superparamagnetic components and their complex, polymict lithologies. It would be unwise to use these samples for paleointensity estimates unless one can be sure that the NRM was entirely acquired as TRM during cooling after the shock event, as may be the case for 15498. In contrast, the melt rock and melt breccias, which include samples formed at high temperatures far above the Curie point of any magnetic carriers, have an excellent chance of recording lunar fields faithfully as they cool. This cooling may have taken place in a melt pool in a simple crater, or in a melt layer in a complex crater. Such samples would then have been excavated and deposited in the regolith and some appear to have recorded strong fields, but more work needs to be done to test this suggestion. Other melt rocks and melt breccias have had more complicated histories and appear to have been deposited in ejecta blankets, where final cooling took place. A useful, if imperfect, analogy may be pyroclastic volcanic deposits. The samples from the Apollo 17 layered boulder 1 at station 2 provide an example of this history. If a pTRM can be related to this secondary cooling, then we may recover a record of the field during this cooling. Samples such as 62235 and 72215 may provide just such a record, with Apollo-era and modern estimates of fields of the order of around 100 microT. Explaining such high paleointensities so late in lunar history is a major challenge to dynamo models based on cooling of the core, given its small size, and has led to alternative models.

Apollo 8 Commander Frank Borman Receives Presidential Call

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1968-01-01

Apollo 8 Astronaut Frank Borman, commander of the first manned Saturn V space flight into Lunar orbit, accepted a phone call from the U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson prior to launch. Borman, along with astronauts William Anders, Lunar Module (LM) pilot, and James Lovell, Command Module (CM) pilot, launched aboard the Apollo 8 mission on December 21, 1968 and returned safely to Earth on December 27, 1968. The mission achieved operational experience and tested the Apollo command module systems, including communications, tracking, and life-support, in cis-lunar space and lunar orbit, and allowed evaluation of crew performance on a lunar orbiting mission. The crew photographed the lunar surface, both far side and near side, obtaining information on topography and landmarks as well as other scientific information necessary for future Apollo landings. All systems operated within allowable parameters and all objectives of the mission were achieved.

Apollo 8 Astronaut James Lovell On Phone With President Johnson

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1968-01-01

Apollo 8 Astronaut James Lovell, Command Module (CM) pilot of the first manned Saturn V space flight into Lunar orbit, accepted a phone call from the U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson prior to launch. Lovell, along with astronauts William Anders, Lunar Module (LM) pilot, and Frank Borman, commander, launched aboard the Apollo 8 mission on December 21, 1968 and returned safely to Earth on December 27, 1968. The mission achieved operational experience and tested the Apollo command module systems, including communications, tracking, and life-support, in cis-lunar space and lunar orbit, and allowed evaluation of crew performance on a lunar orbiting mission. The crew photographed the lunar surface, both far side and near side, obtaining information on topography and landmarks as well as other scientific information necessary for future Apollo landings. All systems operated within allowable parameters and all objectives of the mission were achieved.

Apollo 8 Astronaut William Anders On Phone With President Johnson

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1968-01-01

Apollo 8 Astronaut William Anders, Lunar Module (LM) pilot of the first manned Saturn V space flight into Lunar orbit, accepted a phone call from the U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson prior to launch. Anders, along with astronauts James Lovell, Command Module (CM) pilot, and Frank Borman, commander, launched aboard the Apollo 8 mission on December 21, 1968 and returned safely to Earth on December 27, 1968. The mission achieved operational experience and tested the Apollo command module systems, including communications, tracking, and life-support, in cis-lunar space and lunar orbit, and allowed evaluation of crew performance on a lunar orbiting mission. The crew photographed the lunar surface, both far side and near side, obtaining information on topography and landmarks as well as other scientific information necessary for future Apollo landings. All systems operated within allowable parameters and all objectives of the mission were achieved.

Lunar highlands volcanism implications from Luna 20 and Apollo 16

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilshire, H.G.; Wilhelms, D.E.; Howard, K.A.

1974-01-01

Highlands materials sampled at the Apollo 16 and Luna 20 sites represent units of distinctive morphology that are widespread on the lunar nearside. Samples from the Apollo 16 site represent hilly and furrowed materials of the Descartes highlands and Cayley Formation. Materials were collected by Luna 20 from terrain resembling the Descartes terrain. Most photogeologic interpretations of these units favored volcanic origins, but the samples fail to support this interpretation. Luna 20 soil fragments are mainly glassy microbreccia with lithic inclusions of fine-grained hornfels; less than 3 percent of the fragments have textures of volcanic rocks, and most of these are likely crystalline products of impact melting. Apollo 16 soils formed on ejecta derived from a plutonic anorthosite-norite-troctolite suite. The similarity of Luna 20 soils indicates that these too formed as regolith on ejecta of anorthosite-norite-troctolitc composition. Interpretation of the samples from the two locations now suggests that hilly and furrowed terrains, previously thought to be of volcanic origin, are impact ejecta; in view of the plutonic nature of the source rocks and their extensive fusion and metamorphism, it is likely that the ejecta were derived from multiring basins. At one point, the Apollo 16 site, the Cayley Formation is composed of basin ejecta.

Apollo 16 Lunar Module 'Orion' at the Descartes landing site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The Apollo 16 Lunar Module 'Orion' is part of the lunar scene at the Descartes landing site, as seen in the reproduction taken from a color television transmission made by the color TV camera mounted on the Lunar Roving Vehicle. Note the U.S. flag deployed on the left. This picture was made during the second Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-2).

Astronaut David Scott using Apollo Lunar Surface Drill during second EVA

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-08-01

S71-41501 (1 Aug. 1971) --- Astronaut David R. Scott, Apollo 15 commander, is seen carrying the Apollo Lunar Surface Drill (ALSD) during the second lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) in this black and white reproduction taken from a color transmission made by the RCA color television camera mounted on the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). This transmission was the fourth made during the mission.

The Petrology and Geochemistry of Feldspathic Granulitic Breccia NWA 3163: Implications for the Lunar Crust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McLeod, C. L.; Brandon, A. D.; Lapen, T. J.; Shafer, J. T.; Peslier, A. H.; Irvine, A. J.

2013-01-01

Lunar meteorites are crucial to understand the Moon s geological history because, being samples of the lunar crust that have been ejected by random impact events, they potentially originate from areas outside the small regions of the lunar surface sampled by the Apollo and Luna missions. The Apollo and Luna sample sites are contained within the Procellarum KREEP Terrain (PKT, Jolliff et al., 2000), where KREEP refers to potassium, rare earth element, and phosphorus-rich lithologies. The KREEP-rich rocks in the PKT are thought to be derived from late-stage residual liquids after approx.95-99% crystallization of a lunar magma ocean (LMO). These are understood to represent late-stage liquids which were enriched in incompatible trace elements (ITE) relative to older rocks (Snyder et al., 1992). As a consequence, the PKT is a significant reservoir for Th and KREEP. However, the majority of the lunar surface is likely to be significantly more depleted in ITE (84%, Jolliff et al., 2000). Lunar meteorites that are low in KREEP and Th may thus sample regions distinct from the PKT and are therefore a valuable source of information regarding the composition of KREEP-poor lunar crust. Northwest Africa (NWA) 3163 is a thermally metamorphosed ferroan, feldspathic, granulitic breccia composed of igneous clasts with a bulk anorthositic, noritic bulk composition. It is relatively mafic (approx.5.8 wt.% FeO; approx.5 wt.% MgO) and has some of the lowest concentrations of ITEs (17ppm Ba) compared to the feldspathic lunar meteorite (FLM) and Apollo sample suites (Hudgins et al., 2011). Localized plagioclase melting and incipient melting of mafic minerals require localized peak shock pressures in excess of 45 GPa (Chen and El Goresy, 2000; Hiesinger and Head, 2006). NWA 3163, and paired samples NWA 4481 and 4883, have previously been interpreted to represent an annealed micro-breccia which was produced by burial metamorphism at depth in the ancient lunar crust (Fernandes et al., 2009). This is in contrast to the interpretation of Hudgins et al. (2009) where NWA 3163 was interpreted to have formed through contact metamorphism. To further constrain its origin, we examine the petrogenesis of NWA 3163 with a particular emphasis on in-situ measurement of trace elements within constituent minerals, Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isotopic systematics on separated mineral fractions and petrogenetic modeling.

Apollo 14 - Press Kit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

Apollo 14, the sixth United States manned flight to the Moon and fourth Apollo mission with an objective of landing men on the Moon, is scheduled for launch Jan. 31 at 3:23 p.m. EST from Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The Apollo 14 lunar module is to land in the hilly upland region north of the Fra Mauro crater for a stay of about 33 hours, during which the landing crew will leave the spacecraft twice to set up scientific experiments on the lunar surface and to continue geological explorations. The two earlier Apollo lunar landings were Apollo 11 at Tranquility Base and Apollo 12 at Surveyor 3 crater in the Ocean of Storms.

Magnetic studies on Apollo 15 and 16 lunar samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearce, G. W.; Gose, W. A.; Strangway, D. W.

1973-01-01

The magnetic properties of lunar samples are almost exclusively due to rather pure metallic iron. The mare basalt contains about 0.06 wt.% Fe, the soils 0.5-0.6 wt.%, and the breccias 0.3-1.0 wt.%. Most of the additional iron in the soils and breccias is believed to be the result of reduction processes operating on the lunar surface. Whereas the total metallic iron content of the soils from all landing sites is rather constant, the Fe(0)/Fe(++) ratio and the average iron grain size increase with the age of the landing site, reflecting increasing maturity. The crystalline rocks studied from Apollo 16 have highly variable, but generally, very high metallic Fe content (up to 1.7 wt.% Fe). It is suggested that these rocks are either breccias or igneous samples which have been severely thermally metamorphosed in a highly reducing environment.

Engineering potential for lunar missions after Apollo.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burke, J. D.

1972-01-01

The need for continuing post-Apollo lunar research is defined by outlining problems in stellar, planetary, biological, and social evolution which require specific studies of the moon. Engineering capabilities existing immediately after the Apollo program are described in the areas of launch vehicles and spacecraft, lunar surface mobility, instrumentation, and communications.

INFLIGHT - APOLLO 9 (CREW ACTIVITIES)

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-03-07

S69-26698 (March 1969) --- A photograph from a live television transmission from Apollo 9. This view shows the interior of the Lunar Module "Spider." Astronaut James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander, is in right foreground. In left background is astronaut Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot. At this moment Apollo 9 was orbiting Earth with the Command Module docked nose-to-nose with the Lunar Module. Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the Command Module "Gumdrop" while the other two astronauts checked out the Lunar Module.

Apollo XVI TV TRANSMISSION - POOR QUALITY

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-04-22

S72-35611 (21 April 1972) --- Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, leaps from the lunar surface as he salutes the U.S. flag, during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon, as seen in this reproduction taken from a color television transmission made by the color television camera mounted on the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, is standing in the background. While astronauts Young and Duke descended in the Apollo 16 Lunar Module (LM) "Orion" to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Casper" in lunar orbit.

Probabilistic Classification Using Elemental Abundance Distributions and Lossless Image Compression in Apollo 17 Lunar Dust Samples from Mare Serenitatis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Storrie-Lombardi, Michael C.; Hoover, Richard B.; Abbas, Mian; Jerman, Gregory; Coston, James; Fisk, Martin

2006-01-01

We have previously outlined a strategy for the detection of fossils [Storrie-Lombardi and Hoover, 2004] and extant microbial life [Storrie-Lombaudi and Hoover, 20051 during robotic missions to Mars using co-registered structural and chemical signatures. Data inputs included image lossless compression indices to estimate relative textural complexity and elemental abundance distributions. Two exploratory classification algorithms (principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis) provide an initial tentative classification of all targets. Nonlinear stochastic neural networks are then trained to produce a Bayesian estimate of algorithm classification accuracy. The strategy previously has been successful in distinguishing regions of biotic and abiotic alteration of basalt glass from unaltered samples. [Storrie-Lombardi and Fisk, 2004; Storrie-Lombardi and Fisk, 2004] Such investigations of abiotic versus biotic alteration of terrestrial mineralogy on Earth are compromised by .the difficulty finding mineralogy completely unaffected by the ubiquitous presence of microbial life on the planet. The renewed interest in lunar exploration offers an opportunity to investigate geological materials that may exhibit signs of aqueous alteration, but are highly unlikely to contain contaminating biological weathering signatures. We here present an extension of our earlier data set to include lunar dust samples obtained during the Apollo 17 mission. Apollo 17 landed in the Taurus-Littrow Valley in Mare Serenitatis. Most of the rock samples from this region of the lunar highlands are basalts comprised primarily of plagioclase and pyroxene and selected examples of orange and black volcanic glass. SEM images and elemental abundances (C6, N7, O8, Na11, Mg12, Al13, Si14, P15, S16, Cll7, K19, Ca20, Fe26) for a series of targets in the lunar dust samples are compared to the extant cyanobacteria, fossil trilobites, Orgueil meteorite, and terrestrial basalt targets previously discussed. The data set provides a first step in producing a quantitative probabilistic methodology for geobiological analysis of returned lunar samples or in situ exploration.

Horizons and opportunities in lunar sample science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

The Moon is the cornerstone of planetary science. Lunar sample studies were fundamental in developing an understanding of the early evolution and continued development of planetary bodies, and have led to major revisions in understanding of processes for the accumulation of planetesimals and the formation of planets. Studies of lunar samples have increased an understanding of impact cratering, meteoroid and micrometeoroid fluxes, the interaction of planetary surfaces with radiations and particles, and even the history of the Sun. The lunar sample research program was especially productive, but by no means have all the important answers been determined; continued study of lunar samples will further illuminate the shadows of our knowledge about the solar system. Further, the treasures returned through the Apollo program provide information that is required for a return to the Moon, beginning with new exploration (Lunar Geoscience Observer (LGO)), followed by intensive study (new sample return missions), and eventually culminating in a lunar base and lunar resource utilization.

Magnesium and Silicon Isotopes in HASP Glasses from Apollo 16 Lunar Soil 61241

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herzog, G. F.; Delaney, J. S.; Lindsay, F.; Alexander, C. M. O'D; Chakrabarti, R.; Jacobsen, S. B.; Whattam, S.; Korotev, R.; Zeigler, R. A.

2012-01-01

The high-Al (>28 wt %), silica-poor (<45 wt %) (HASP) feldspathic glasses of Apollo 16 are widely regarded as the evaporative residues of impacts in the lunar regolith [1-3]. By virtue of their small size, apparent homogeneity, and high inferred formation temperatures, the HASP glasses appear to be good samples in which to study fractionation processes that may accompany open system evaporation. Calculations suggest that HASP glasses with present-day Al2O3 concentrations of up to 40 wt% may have lost 19 wt% of their original masses, calculated as the oxides of iron and silicon, via evaporation [4]. We report Mg and Si isotope abundances in 10 HASP glasses and 2 impact-glass spherules from a 64-105 m grain-size fraction taken from Apollo 16 soil sample 61241.

KSC-2012-1845

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-02-17

Apollo Capsule/Lunar Lander: The goal of Project Apollo was to land man on the moon and return them safely to the Earth. The Apollo spacecraft consisted of a command module serving as the crew’s quarters and flight control section and the lunar module, carrying two crewmembers to the surface of the moon. The first Apollo spacecraft to land on the moon was Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969. The program concluded with Apollo 17 in December 1972 after putting 27 men into lunar orbit and 12 of them on the surface of the moon. Poster designed by Kennedy Space Center Graphics Department/Greg Lee. Credit: NASA

Ion microprobe mass analysis of lunar samples. Lunar sample program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, C. A.; Hinthorne, J. R.

1971-01-01

Mass analyses of selected minerals, glasses and soil particles of lunar, meteoritic and terrestrial rocks have been made with the ion microprobe mass analyzer. Major, minor and trace element concentrations have been determined in situ in major and accessory mineral phases in polished rock thin sections. The Pb isotope ratios have been measured in U and Th bearing accessory minerals to yield radiometric age dates and heavy volatile elements have been sought on the surfaces of free particles from Apollo soil samples.

Astronaut John Young replaces tools in Lunar Roving Vehicle during EVA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, replaces tools in the Apollo lunar hand tool carrier at the aft end of the Lunar Roving Vehicle during the second Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-2) at the Descartes landing site. This photograph was taken by Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot. Smoky Mountain, with the large Ravine crater on its flank, is in the left background. This view is looking northeast.

Lunar soils grain size catalog

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graf, John C.

1993-01-01

This catalog compiles every available grain size distribution for Apollo surface soils, trench samples, cores, and Luna 24 soils. Original laboratory data are tabled, and cumulative weight distribution curves and histograms are plotted. Standard statistical parameters are calculated using the method of moments. Photos and location comments describe the sample environment and geological setting. This catalog can help researchers describe the geotechnical conditions and site variability of the lunar surface essential to the design of a lunar base.

Apollo 12 voice transcript pertaining to the geology of the landing site

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bailey, N.G.; Ulrich, G.E.

1975-01-01

This document is an edited record of the conversations between the Apollo 12 astronauts and mission control pertaining to the geology of the landing site. It contains all discussions and observations documenting the lunar landscape, its geologic characteristics, the rocks and soils collected, and the lunar surface photographic record along with supplementary remarks essential to the continuity of events during the mission. This transcript is derived from audio tapes and the NASA Technical Air-to-Ground Voice Transcription and includes time of transcription, and photograph and sample numbers. The report also includes a glossary, landing site amp, and sample table.

Experimental petrology and origin of Fra Mauro rocks and soil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walker, D.; Longhi, J.; Hays, J. F.

1972-01-01

Melting experiments over the pressure range 0 to 20 kilobars were conducted on Apollo 14 igneous rocks 14310 and 14072 and on comprehensive fines 14259. The mineralogy and textures of rocks 14310 and 14072 are presumed to be the result of near-surface crystallization. The chemical compositions of the samples show special relationships to multiply-saturated liquids in the system: anorthite-forsterite-fayalite-silica at low pressure. Partial melting of a lunar crust consisting largely of plagioclase, low calcium pyroxene, and olivine, followed by crystal fractionation at the lunar surface is proposed as a mechanism for the production of the igneous rocks and soil glasses sampled by Apollo 14.

Geochronology and petrogenesis of the western highlands alkali suite: Radiogenic isotopic evidence from Apollo 14

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snyder, Gregory A.; Taylor, Lawrence A.; Halliday, Alex N.

1993-03-01

Several rocks of alkalic affinity, from the western highlands of the Moon, have been analyzed for their Nd and Sr isotopic compositions. One sample yields a Sm-Nd mineral isochron of 4110 = 41 Ma. This age, in conjunction with U-Pb zircon ages on two other alkalic rocks from the Apollo 14 landing site suggests a distinct western highlands 'event' which was approximately 100 Ma in duration. Since the last dregs of the lunar magma ocean likely crystallized prior to 4.3 Ga, this alkalic 'event' may have included the re-melting of evolved plutons or the remobilization of urKREEP trapped liquid from upper mantle cumulates. Alkalic lithologies such as granites and felsites have been known from the Moon since the earliest days of the Apollo lunar sample returns. However, not until 1977 were alkali-rich rocks recognized from typical highlands suites such as ferroan anorthosites (FAN) and norites and Mg-suite rocks. In the intervening years, several other alkali suite samples have been discovered and characterized, mostly through labor-intesive breccia pull-apart studies of clasts and analyses of coarse-fine fractions of soils. We will speculate on the origins of this suite of lunar highlands rocks.

Geochronology and petrogenesis of the western highlands alkali suite: Radiogenic isotopic evidence from Apollo 14

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Snyder, Gregory A.; Taylor, Lawrence A.; Halliday, Alex N.

1993-01-01

Several rocks of alkalic affinity, from the western highlands of the Moon, have been analyzed for their Nd and Sr isotopic compositions. One sample yields a Sm-Nd mineral isochron of 4110 = 41 Ma. This age, in conjunction with U-Pb zircon ages on two other alkalic rocks from the Apollo 14 landing site suggests a distinct western highlands 'event' which was approximately 100 Ma in duration. Since the last dregs of the lunar magma ocean likely crystallized prior to 4.3 Ga, this alkalic 'event' may have included the re-melting of evolved plutons or the remobilization of urKREEP trapped liquid from upper mantle cumulates. Alkalic lithologies such as granites and felsites have been known from the Moon since the earliest days of the Apollo lunar sample returns. However, not until 1977 were alkali-rich rocks recognized from typical highlands suites such as ferroan anorthosites (FAN) and norites and Mg-suite rocks. In the intervening years, several other alkali suite samples have been discovered and characterized, mostly through labor-intesive breccia pull-apart studies of clasts and analyses of coarse-fine fractions of soils. We will speculate on the origins of this suite of lunar highlands rocks.

Crew Training - Apollo 9 - Grumman Aircraft Eng. Corp. (GAEC)

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-01-25

S69-17615 (25 Jan. 1969) --- Astronaut Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot of the Apollo 9 prime crew, participates in a press conference at the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation. Grumman is the contractor to NASA for the Lunar Module. Schweickart is holding a model of a docked Lunar Module/Command and Service Modules. The Apollo 9 mission will evaluate spacecraft lunar module systems performance during manned Earth-orbital flight.

Apollo 16 lunar module 'Orion' photographed from distance during EVA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The Apollo 16 Lunar Module 'Orion' is photographed from a distance by Astronaut Chares M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, aboard the moving Lunar Roving Vehicle. Astronauts Duke and John W. Young, commander, were returing from the third Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-2). The RCA color television camera mounted on the LRV is in the foreground. A portion of the LRV's high-gain antenna is at top left.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-01-01

This photograph was taken during the testing of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) at the Johnson Space Center. Developed by the MSFC, the LRV was the lightweight electric car designed to increase the range of mobility and productivity of astronauts on the lunar surface. It was used on the last three Apollo missions; Apollo 15, Apollo 16, and Apollo 17.

Of time and the moon.

PubMed

Wetherill, G W

1971-07-30

Considerable information concerning lunar chronology has been obtained by the study of rocks and soil returned by the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 missions. It has been shown that at the time the moon, earth, and solar system were formed, approximately 4.6 approximately 10(9) years ago, a severe chemical fractionation took place, resulting in depletion of relatively volatile elements such as Rb and Pb from the sources of the lunar rocks studied. It is very likely that much of this material was lost to interplanetary space, although some of the loss may be associated with internal chemical differentiation of the moon. It has also been shown that igneous processes have enriched some regions of the moon in lithophile elements such as Rb, U, and Ba, very early in lunar history, within 100 million years of its formation. Subsequent igneous and metamorphic activity occurred over a long period of time; mare volcanism of the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 sites occurred at distinctly different times, 3.6 approximately 10(9) and 3.3 approximately 10(9) years ago, respectively. Consequently, lunar magmatism and remanent magnetism cannot be explained in terms of a unique event, such as a close approach to the earth at a time of lunar capture. It is likely that these phenomena will require explanation in terms of internal lunar processes, operative to a considerable depth in the moon, over a long period of time. These data, together with the low present internal temperatures of the moon, inferred from measurements of lunar electrical conductivity, impose severe constraints on acceptable thermal histories of the moon. Progress is being made toward understanding lunar surface properties by use of the effects of particle bombardment of the lunar surface (solar wind, solar flare particles, galactic cosmic rays). It has been shown that the rate of micrometeorite erosion is very low (angstroms per year) and that lunar rocks and soil have been within approximately a meter of the lunar surface for hundreds of millions of years. Future work will require sampling distinctly different regions of the moon in order to provide data concerning other important lunar events, such as the time of formation of the highland regions and of the mare basins, and of the extent to which lunar volcanism has persisted subsequent to the first third of lunar history. This work will require a sufficient number of Apollo landings, and any further cancellation of Apollo missions will jeopardize this unique opportunity to study the development of a planetary body from its beginning. Such a study is fundamental to our understanding of the earth and other planets.

Lunar Meteorites Miller Range 090034, 090070 and 090075: Composition and Pairing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, D. J. P.; Joy, K. H.

2014-09-01

Three Miller Range meteorites (MIL 34, MIL 70 and MIL 75) were analysed for their compositions and textures. Similarities indicate they are launch paired. Also, they are comparable to Apollo FAN samples so may originate from the lunar nearside.

Melting behavior and phase relations of lunar samples. [Apollo 12 rock samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hays, J. F.

1975-01-01

Cooling rate studies of 12002 were conducted and the results interpreted in terms of the crystallization history of this rock and certain other picritic Apollo 12 samples. Calculations of liquid densities and viscosities during crystallization, crystal settling velocities, and heat loss by the parent rock body are discussed, as are petrographic studies of other Apollo 12 samples. The process of magmatic differentiation that must have accompanied the early melting and chemical fractionation of the moon's outer layers was investigated. The source of regions of both high- and low-titanium mare basalts were also studied.

Launch of Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-12-21

S68-56001 (21 Dec. 1968) --- The Apollo 8 (Spacecraft 103/Saturn 503) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, at 7:51 a.m. (EST), Dec. 21, 1968. The crew of the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission is astronauts Frank Borman, commander; James A. Lovell Jr., command module pilot; and William A. Anders, lunar module pilot. Apollo 8 was the first manned Saturn V launch. (Just after ignition)

Petrographic and petrological study of lunar rock materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winzer, S. R.

1977-01-01

Impact melts and breccias from the Apollo 15 and 16 landing sites were examined optically and by electron microscope/microprobe. Major and trace element abundances were determined for selected samples. Apollo 16 breccias contained impact melts, metamorphic and primary igneous rocks. Metamorphic rocks may be the equivalents of the impact melts. Apollo 15 breccias studied were fragment-laden melts derived from gabbro and more basalt target rocks.

View of Mount Hadley as photographed by Apollo 15 during EVA

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-07-31

AS15-87-11849 (31 July-2 Aug. 1971) --- An excellent view of Mount Hadley, fully lighted, showing abundant linear features, as photographed during the Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA). This view is looking north from the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) site. Mount Hadley rises about 4,500 meters (approximately 14,765 feet) above the plain. While astronauts David R. Scott, commander, and James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, descended in the Apollo 15 Lunar Module (LM) "Falcon" to explore the Hadley-Apennine area of the moon, astronaut Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

Photographic replica of the plaque Apollo 13 astronauts will leave on moon

NASA Image and Video Library

1970-04-13

S70-34685 (April 1970) --- A photographic replica of the plaque which the Apollo 13 astronauts will leave behind on the moon during their lunar landing mission. Astronauts James A. Lovell Jr., commander; and Fred W. Haise Jr., lunar module pilot, will descend to the lunar surface in the Lunar Module (LM) "Aquarius". Astronaut John L. Swigert Jr., command module pilot, will remain with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit. The plaque will be attached to the ladder of the landing gear strut on the LM?s descent stage. Commemorative plaques were also left on the moon by the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 astronauts.

Plaque the Apollo 14 crew will leave on the Moon

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-01-27

S71-16637 (January 1971) --- A close-up view of the plaque which the Apollo 14 astronauts will leave behind on the moon during their lunar landing mission. Astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, will descend to the lunar surface in the Lunar Module (LM) "Antares". Astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, will remain with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit. The seven by nine inch stainless steel plaque will be attached to the ladder on the landing gear strut on the LM's descent stage. Commemorative plaques were also left on the moon by the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 astronauts.

An Apollo 15 Mare Basalt Fragment and Lunar Mare Provinces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryder, Graham; Burling, Trina Cox

1996-01-01

Lunar sample 15474,4 is a tiny fragment of olivine-augite vitrophyre that is a mare basalt. Although petroraphically distinct from all other Apollo 15 samples, it has been ignored since its first brief description. Our new petrographic and mineral chemical data show that the olivines and pyroxenes are distinct from those in other basalts. The basalt cooled and solidified extremely rapidly; some of the olivine might be cumulate or crystallized prior to extrusion. Bulk-chemical data show that the sample is probably similar to an evolved Apollo 15 olivine-normative basalt in major elements but is distinct in its rare earth element pattern. Its chemical composition and petrography both show that 15474,4 cannot be derived from other Apollo 15 mare basalts by shallow-level crystal fractionation. It represents a distinct extrusion of magma. Nonetheless, the chemical features that 15474,4 has in common with other Apollo 15 mare basalts, including the high FeO/Sc, the general similarity of the rare earth element pattern, and the common (and chondritic) TiO2/Sm ratio, emphasize the concept of a geochemical province at the Apollo 15 site that is distinct from basalts and provinces elsewhere. In making a consistent picture for the derivation of all of the Apollo 15 basalts, both the commonalities and the differences among the basalts must be explained. The Apollo 15 commonalities and differences suggest that the sources must have consisted of major silicate phases with the same composition but with varied amounts of a magma trapped from a contemporary magma ocean. They probably had a high olivine/pyroxene ratio and underwent small and reasonably consistent degrees of partial melting to produce the basalts. These inferences may be inconsistent with models that suggest greatly different depths of melting among basalts, primitive sources for the green glasses, or extensive olivine fractionation during ascent. An integrated approach to lunar mare provinces, of which the Apollo 15 mare basalts constitute only one, offers advances in our understanding of the physical and chemical processes of source formation and mare production but has so far not been utilized.

Apollo 12 Mission image - View of part of the deployed Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package (ALSEP)

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-19

AS12-47-6918 (19 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, took this photograph of three of the components of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) which was deployed on the moon during the first Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA). The Passive Seismic Experiment (PSE) is in the center foreground. The largest object is the Central Station; and the white object on legs is the Suprathermal Ion Detector Experiment (SIDE). A portion of the shadow of astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander, can be seen at the left center edge of the picture. Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Apollo 12 Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit while Conrad and Bean descended in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon.

PHOTO MICROGRAPH - LUNAR SAMPE 10022

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-08-28

S69-47900 (September 1969) --- This is a photo micrograph of lunar sample 10022. Magnification one inch equals one-tenth millimeter. The light blue and white mineral is plagioclase. The black is ilmenite, and the blue and/or green and/or orange and/or yellow and/or red mineral is pyroxene. The large pyroxene is a phenocryst that had been partially resorbed. The lunar samples collected by astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. during the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission have been subjected to extensive tests and examinations at the Manned Spacecraft Center’s Lunar Receiving Laboratory.

Crater studies: Part A: lunar crater morphometry

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pike, Richard J.

1973-01-01

Morphometry, the quantitative study of shape, complements the visual observation and photointerpretation in analyzing the most outstanding landforms of the Moon, its craters (refs. 32-1 and 32-2). All three of these interpretative tools, which were developed throughout the long history of telescopic lunar study preceding the Apollo Program, will continue to be applicable to crater analysis until detailed field work becomes possible. Although no large (>17.5 km diameter) craters were examined in situ on any of the Apollo landings, the photographs acquired from the command modules will markedly strengthen results of less direct investigations of the craters. For morphometry, the most useful materials are the orbital metric and panoramic photographs from the final three Apollo missions. These photographs permit preparation of contour maps, topographic profiles, and other numerical data that accurately portray for the first time the surface geometry of lunar craters of all sizes. Interpretations of craters no longer need be compromised by inadequate topographic data. In the pre-Apollo era, hypotheses for the genesis of lunar craters usually were constructed without any numerical descriptive data. Such speculations will have little credibility unless supported by accurate, quantitative data, especially those generated from Apollo orbital photographs. This paper presents a general study of the surface geometry of 25 far-side craters and a more detailed study of rim-crest evenness for 15 near-side and far-side craters. Analysis of this preliminary sample of Apollo 15 and 17 data, which includes craters between 1.5 and 275 km in diameter, suggests that most genetic interpretations of craters made from pre-Apollo topographic measurements may require no drastic revision. All measurements were made from topographic profiles generated on a stereoplotter at the Photogrammetric Unit of the U.S. Geological Survey, Center of Astrogeology, Flagstaff, Arizona.

Liftoff - Apollo XI - Lunar Landing Mission - KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-16

S69-39962 (16 July 1969) --- The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 11 (Spacecraft 107/Lunar Module 5/Saturn 506) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), at 9:32 a.m. (EDT), July 16, 1969. Aboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. Apollo 11 is the United States' first lunar landing mission. This view of the liftoff was taken by a camera mounted on the mobile launch tower. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descend in the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Collins will remain with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit.

Liftoff of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-16

S69-39959 (16 July 1969) --- The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 11 (Spacecraft 107/Lunar Module 5/ Saturn 506) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), at 9:32 a.m. (EDT), July 16, 1969. Aboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. Apollo 11 is the United States' first lunar landing mission. This view of the liftoff was taken by a camera mounted on the mobile launch tower. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descend in the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Collins will remain with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit. Photo credit: NASA

Microphysical, microchemical and adhesive properties of lunar material. 3: Gas interaction with lunar material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grossman, J. J.; Mukherjee, N. R.; Ryan, J. A.

1972-01-01

Knowledge of the reactivity of lunar material surfaces is important for understanding the effects of the lunar or space environment upon this material, particularly its nature, behavior and exposure history in comparison to terrestrial materials. Adsorptive properties are one of the important techniques for such studies. Gas adsorption measurements were made on an Apollo 12 ultrahigh vacuum-stored sample and Apollo 14 and 15 N2-stored samples. Surface area measurements were made on the latter two. Adsorbate gases used were N2, A, O2 and H2O. Krypton was used for the surface area determinations. Runs were made at room and liquid nitrogen temperature in volumetric and gravimetric systems. It was found that the adsorptive/desorptive behavior was in general significantly different from that of terrestrial materials of similar type and form. Specifically (1) the UHV-stored sample exhibited very high initial adsorption indicative of high surface reactivity, and (2) the N2-stored samples at room and liquid nitrogen temperatures showed that more gas was desorbed than introduced during adsorption, indicative of gas release from the samples. The high reactivity is a scribed cosmic ray track and solar wind damage.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-04-16

The sixth marned lunar landing mission, the Apollo 16 (SA-511), carrying three astronauts: Mission commander John W. Young, Command Module pilot Thomas K. Mattingly II, and Lunar Module pilot Charles M. Duke, lifted off on April 16, 1972. The Apollo 16 continued the broad-scale geological, geochemical, and geophysical mapping of the Moon's crust, begun by the Apollo 15, from lunar orbit. This mission marked the first use of the Moon as an astronomical observatory by using the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph. It photographed ultraviolet light emitted by Earth and other celestial objects. The Lunar Roving Vehicle was also used. The mission ended on April 27, 1972.

Apollo 11 Launch HD SILENT

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-03-08

On July 16, 1969, the huge, 363-feet tall Saturn V rocket launches on the Apollo 11 mission from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, at 9:32 a.m. EDT. Onboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft are astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. Apollo 11 was the United States' first lunar landing mission. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the Lunar Module "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Collins remained with the Command and Service Modules "Columbia" in lunar orbit.

APOLLO 16 ASTRONAUTS UNDERGO SIMULATED LUNAR TRAVERSE DURING TRAINING

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The Apollo 16 flight crew, astronauts Charles M. Duke, Jr., and John W. Young, prepare to undergo a simulated lunar traverse in the training area. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Apollo 16, the eighth Apollo Lunar landing, is scheduled to land in the mountainous highland region near the crater Descartes to explore the area for a three day period collecting surface material. Making geological observations, and deploying the fourth geophysical station on the Moon. The flight crew of the mission are: John W. Young, commander; Charles M. Duke, Jr., lunar module pilot; and Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot.

Earth-Moon Impacts at 300 Ma and 500 Ma Ago

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zellner, N. E. B.; Delano, J. W.; Swindle, T. D.; Barra, F.; Whittet, D. C. B.; Spudis, P. D.

2005-01-01

Impact events have played an important role in the evolution of planets and small bodies in the Solar System. Meteorites, lunar melt rocks, and lunar impact glasses provide important information about the geology of the parent body and the age of the impacting episodes. Over 2400 impact glasses from 4 Apollo regolith samples have been geochemically analyzed and a subset has been dated by the (40)Ar/(39)Ar method. New results, consistent with 2 break-ups in the Asteroid Belt, are presented here. Our previous study reported that (40)Ar/(39)Ar ages from 9 impact glasses showed that the Moon experienced significant impacts at approx. 800 Ma and at approx. 3800 Ma ago, somewhere in the vicinity of the Apollo 16 landing site. Additionally, reported on Apollo 12 samples with ages around 800 Ma, together implying global bombardment events. New data on 7 glasses from regolith sample 66041,127 show that the Moon also experienced impact events at approx. 300 Ma and > 500 Ma ago, which may coincide with the break-ups in the Asteroid Belt of the L- and H-chrondrite parent bodies. Since meteoritic evidence for these breakups has been found on Earth, it follows that evidence should be found in lunar samples as well. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Isotopic composition of carbon and hydrogen in some Apollo 14 and 15 lunar samples

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Friedman, I.; Hardcastle, K.G.; Gleason, J.D.

1974-01-01

Isotopic composition of carbon and hydrogen in some Apollo 14 and 15 lunar samples was determined by use of a newly constructed combustion line that yields low blanks for CO/sub 2/ and H/sub 2/. The results from combustion of fines and breccia from Apollo 14 lunar samples and of fines, breccia, and hasalt from Apollo 15 were compared with data obtained by heating samples in vacuo to over 1,350 deg C. The two techniques gave similar results. Total carbon in the flnes ranged from 51 to 110 p/m with a delta C/sup 13/ of 112 to --8 per mil (partsmore » per thousand) PDB. The breccias contain 22 to 50 p/m carbon with a delta C/sup 13/ of -21 to -25 per mil. The crystalline rock (sample 15555) has a carbon contert of about 7 p/m and a delta C/sup 13/ of --28 per mil. The total hydrogen in the fines ranges from 66 to 120 p/m with a (D/H) x 10/sup -6/ of 39 to 90. The breccias contain 8 to 38 p/m H/sub 2/ with a (D/H) x 10/sup -6/of 103 to 144. The crystalline rock contains about 2 p/m H/sub 2/ with a (D/H) x 10/sup -6/ of about 140. Arguments are presented to show that the contamination by Earth materials is not as serious a problem as has been proposed by previous authors. (auth)« less

Launch of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-01-31

S71-18395 (31 Jan. 1971) --- The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 14 (Spacecraft 110/Lunar Module 8/Saturn 509) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida at 4:03:02 p.m. (EST), Jan. 31, 1971, on a lunar landing mission. Aboard the Apollo 14 spacecraft were astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander; Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot; and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot.

Launch - Apollo 14 Lunar Landing Mission - KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-01-31

S71-17621 (31 Jan. 1971) --- The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 14 (Spacecraft 110/Lunar Module 8/Saturn 509) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 4:03:02 p.m. (EST), Jan. 31, 1981, on a lunar landing mission. Aboard the Apollo 14 spacecraft were astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander; Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot; and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot.

LUNAR SAMPLES - APOLLO XI - MSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-28

S69-45009 (27 July 1969) --- This is the first lunar sample that was photographed in detail in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL) at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC). The photograph shows a granular, fine-grained, mafic (iron magnesium rich) rock. At this early stage of the examination, this rock appears similar to several igneous rock types found on Earth. The scale is printed backwards due to the photographic configuration in the Vacuum Chamber. The sample number is 10003. This rock was among the samples collected by astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. during their lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) on July 20, 1969.

Apollo 13 - Press Kit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1970-01-01

Apollo 13, the third U.S. manned lunar landing mission, will be launched April 11 from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., to explore a hilly upland region of the Moon and bring back rocks perhaps five billion years old. The Apollo 13 lunar module will stay on the Moon more than 33 hours and the landing crew will leave the spacecraft twice to emplace scientific experiments on the lunar surface and to continue geological investigations. The Apollo 13 landing site is in the Fra Mauro uplands; the two National Aeronautics and Space Administration previous landings were in mare or 'sea' areas, Apollo 11 in the Sea of Tranquility and Apollo 12 in the Ocean of Storms.

Astronaut John Young looks over a boulder at Station no. 13 during EVA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, looks over a large boulder at Station No. 13 during the third Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-3) at the Descartes landing site. This was the site of the permanently shadowed soil sample which was taken from a hole extending under overhanging rock. Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, took this photograph. Concerning Young's reaching under the big rock, Duke remarked: 'You do that in west Texas and you get a rattlesnake!'

Apollo 17 Astronauts during EVA training

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-06-08

S72-44423 (8 Sept. 1972) --- Two Apollo 17 crewmen ready a Lunar Roving Vehicle trainer following its deployment from a Lunar Module trainer in the Flight Crew Training Building at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Taking part in the Apollo 17 training exercise were astronauts Eugene A. Cernan (right), commander; and Harrison H. "Jack" Schmitt, lunar module pilot.

Launch of Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-12-21

S68-56050 (21 Dec. 1968)--- The Apollo 8 (Spacecraft 103/Saturn 503) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), at 7:51 a.m. (EST), Dec. 21, 1968. The crew of the Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission is astronauts Frank Borman, commander; James A. Lovell Jr., command module pilot; and William A. Anders, lunar module pilot. Apollo 8 is the first manned Saturn V launch. (water in foreground, seagulls)

Seismometer reading viewed in ALSEP Room in Misson Control during Apollo 17

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The seismometer readings from the impact made by the Apollo 17 Saturn S-IVB stage when it struck the lunar surface are viewed in the ALSEP Room in the Misson Control Center at Houston by Dr. Maurice Ewing, professor of geophysics of the Universtiy of Texas at Galveston. The seismic tracings are from sensings made by seismometers of Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Packages left on the Moon during earlier Apollo lunar landing missions.

Apollo 12 Mission image - Modular Equipment Stowage Assemble (MESA) and the Fuel Cask on the Lunar Module (LM)

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-19

AS12-48-7034 (19 Nov. 1969) --- A close-up view of a portion of quadrant II of the descent stage of the Apollo 12 Lunar Module (LM), photographed during the Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA). At lower left is the LM's Y footpad. The empty Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) fuel cask is at upper right. The fuel capsule has already been removed and placed in the RTG. The RTG furnishes power for the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) which the Apollo 12 astronauts deployed on the moon. The LM's descent engine skirt is in the center background. The rod-like object protruding out from under the footpad is a lunar surface sensing probe. Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit while astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander; and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, descended in the LM to explore the moon.

Apollo 11 Command/Service modules photographed from Lunar Module in orbit

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-20

AS11-37-5445 (20 July 1969) --- The Apollo 11 Command and Service Modules (CSM) are photographed from the Lunar Module (LM) in lunar orbit during the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. The lunar surface below is in the north central Sea of Fertility. The coordinates of the center of the picture are 51 degrees east longitude and 1 degree north latitude. About half of the crater Taruntius G is visible in the lower left corner of the picture. Part of Taruntius H can be seen at lower right.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-04-27

The Apollo 16 Command Module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on April 27, 1972 after an 11-day moon exploration mission. The sixth manned lunar landing mission, the Apollo 16 (SA-511), carrying three astronauts: Mission Commander John W. Young, Command Module pilot Thomas K. Mattingly II, and Lunar Module pilot Charles M. Duke, lifted off on April 16, 1972. The Apollo 16 continued the broad-scale geological, geochemical, and geophysical mapping of the Moon’s crust, begun by the Apollo 15, from lunar orbit. This mission marked the first use of the Moon as an astronomical observatory by using the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph which photographed ultraviolet light emitted by Earth and other celestial objects. The Lunar Roving Vehicle, developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, was also used.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-04-18

This view of the back side of the Moon was captured by the Apollo 16 mission crew. The sixth manned lunar landing mission, the Apollo 16 (SA-511), carrying three astronauts: Mission Commander John W. Young, Command Module pilot Thomas K. Mattingly II, and Lunar Module pilot Charles M. Duke, lifted off on April 16, 1972. The Apollo 16 continued the broad-scale geological, geochemical, and geophysical mapping of the Moon’s crust, begun by the Apollo 15, from lunar orbit. This mission marked the first use of the Moon as an astronomical observatory by using the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph which photographed ultraviolet light emitted by Earth and other celestial objects. The Lunar Roving Vehicle, developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, was also used. The mission ended on April 27, 1972.

Production of continuous glass fiber using lunar simulant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tucker, Dennis S.; Ethridge, Edwin C.; Curreri, Peter A.

1991-01-01

The processing parameters and mechanical properties of glass fibers pulled from simulated lunar basalt are tested. The simulant was prepared using a plasma technique. The composition is representative of a low titanium mare basalt (Apollo sample 10084). Lunar gravity experiments are to be performed utilizing parabolic aircraft free-fall maneuvers which yield 30 seconds of 1/6-g per maneuver.

The Shawmere anorthosite and OB-1 as lunar highland regolith simulants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Battler, Melissa M.; Spray, John G.

2009-12-01

Anorthosite constitutes a major component of the lunar crust and comprises an important, if not dominant, ingredient of the lunar regolith. Given the need for highland regolith simulants in preparation for lunar surface engineering activities, we have selected an appropriate terrestrial anorthosite and performed crushing trials to generate a particle size distribution comparable to Apollo 16 regolith sample 64 500. The root simulant is derived from a granoblastic facies of the Archean Shawmere Complex of the Kapuskasing Structural Zone of Ontario, Canada. The Shawmere exhibits minimal retrogression, is homogeneous and has an average plagioclase composition of An 78 (bytownite). Previous industrial interest in this calcic anorthosite has resulted in quarrying operations, which provide ease of extraction and access for potential large-scale simulant production. A derivative of the Shawmere involves the addition of olivine slag, crushed to yield a particle size distribution similar to that of the agglutinate and glass components of the Apollo sample. This simulant is referred to as OB-1. The Shawmere and OB-1 regolith simulants are lunar highland analogues, conceived to produce geotechnical properties of benefit to designing and testing drilling, excavation and construction equipment for future lunar surface operations.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-09

In this photograph, technicians are transferring mice from a support germ free isolator, through a hypochlorite dunk tank, into the class III cabinetry in the Germ-free and Conventional Animal Laboratories of the Lunar Receiving Laboratory, building 37, of the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas. This laboratory was part of the overall physical, chemical, and biological test program of the Apollo 11 returned lunar samples. Aboard the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle, the Apollo 11 mission launched from The Kennedy Space Center, Florida on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. The 3-man crew aboard the flight consisted of astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Edwin Aldrin, Lunar Module (LM) pilot; and Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot. The CM, piloted by Michael Collins remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, named “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, landed on the Moon. In 2 1/2 hours, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material which was returned to Earth for analysis.

Apollo program soil mechanics experiment. [interaction of the lunar module with the lunar surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, R. F.

1975-01-01

The soil mechanics investigation was conducted to obtain information relating to the landing interaction of the lunar module (LM) with the lunar surface, and lunar soil erosion caused by the spacecraft engine exhaust. Results obtained by study of LM landing performance on each Apollo mission are summarized.

Lunar electrical conductivity, permeability and temperature from Apollo magnetometer experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyal, P.; Parkin, C. W.; Daily, W. D.

1977-01-01

Magnetometers were deployed at four Apollo sites on the moon to measure remanent and induced lunar magnetic fields. Measurements from this network of instruments were used to calculate the electrical conductivity, temperature, magnetic permeability, and iron abundance of the lunar interior. The measured lunar remanent fields range from 3 gammas minimum at the Apollo 15 site to 327 gammas maximum at the Apollo 16 site. Simultaneous magnetic field and solar plasma pressure measurements show that the remanent fields at the Apollo 12 and 16 sites interact with, and are compressed by, the solar wind. Remanent fields at Apollo 12 and Apollo 16 are increased 16 gammas and 32 gammas, respectively, by a solar plasma bulk pressure increase of 1.5 X 10 to the -7th power dynes/sq cm. Global lunar fields due to eddy currents, induced in the lunar interior by magnetic transients, were analyzed to calculate an electrical conductivity profile for the moon. From nightside magnetometer data in the solar wind it was found that deeper than 170 km into the moon the conductivity rises from .0003 mhos/m to .10 mhos/m at 100 km depth. Recent analysis of data obtained in the geomagnetic tail, in regions free of complicating plasma effects, yields results consistent with nightside values.

Age of Lunar Meteorite LAP02205 and Implications for Impact-Sampling of Planetary Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nyquist, L. E.; Shih, C.-Y.; Reese, Y.; Bogard, D. D.

2005-01-01

We have measured the age of lunar meteorite LAP02205 by the Rb-Sr and Ar-Ar methods. Sm-Nd analyses are in progress. The Rb-Sr and Ar-Ar ages indicate a crystallization age of approx. 3 Ga. Comparing the ages of LAP02205 and other lunar mare basaltic meteorites to mare surface ages based on the density of impact craters shows no significant bias in impact- sampling of lunar mare surfaces. Comparing the isotopic and geochemical data for LAP02205 to those for other lunar mare basalts suggests that it is a younger variant of the type of volcanism that produced the Apollo 12 basalts. Representative impact-sampling of the lunar surface

The measurement of radiation exposure of astronauts by radiochemical techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brodzinski, R. L.

1971-01-01

Gamma analyses of the neutron-activated fecal samples from the Apollo 12 and 13 missions were completed, and the data are being evaluated. Samples of the exposed Apollo 12 solar wind composition foil and blank foils were obtained for analysis of the Po-2/0 (Pb-210, Rn-222) content. It is expected that the determination of the Po-210 content of these foils will yield the concentration of radon atoms incident on the foil while exposed to the lunar atmosphere, and this indirectly will permit an estimate of the average uranium concentration of the lunar surface. Proposals to measure the cosmic-ray intensity and energy spectra inside and outside of late Apollo and Project Skylab spacecraft by exposing and subsequently analyzing pure metal foils, and to measure the elemental mass balance in Project Skylab astronauts by instrumental neutron activation analysis of the intake and excreta are summarized.

View of Africa and Madagascar from the Apollo 17 spacecraft

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-12-09

AS17-148-22717 (7 Dec. 1972) --- This view of a portion of Earth was taken from the Apollo 17 spacecraft following trans-lunar insertion during the final lunar landing mission in NASA's Apollo Program. The visible land mass is the southern two-thirds of the African continent, with Madagascar at right. A portion of Antarctica is visible at bottom frame. Onboard the Apollo 17 spacecraft were astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, commander; Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot; and Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot. While astronauts Cernan and Schmitt descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Challenger" to explore the Hadley-Apennine region of the moon, astronaut Evans remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "America" in lunar orbit.

Apollo experience report: Apollo lunar surface experiments package data processing system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eason, R. L.

1974-01-01

Apollo Program experience in the processing of scientific data from the Apollo lunar surface experiments package, in which computers and associated hardware and software were used, is summarized. The facility developed for the preprocessing of the lunar science data is described, as are several computer facilities and programs used by the Principal Investigators. The handling, processing, and analyzing of lunar science data and the interface with the Principal Investigators are discussed. Pertinent problems that arose in the development of the data processing schemes are discussed so that future programs may benefit from the solutions to the problems. The evolution of the data processing techniques for lunar science data related to recommendations for future programs of this type.

Apollo 13 Astronaut Fred Haise during lunar surface simulation training

NASA Image and Video Library

1970-01-19

S70-24012 (19 Jan. 1970) --- Astronaut Fred W. Haise Jr., lunar module pilot of the Apollo 13 lunar landing mission, participates in lunar surface simulation training at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC). Haise is attached to a Six Degrees of Freedom Simulator.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-12-17

Apollo 8 crew members paused before the mission simulator during training for the first manned lunar orbital mission. Frank Borman, commander; James Lovell, Command Module (CM) pilot; and William Anders, Lunar Module (LM) pilot , were also the first humans to launch aboard the massive Saturn V space vehicle. Lift off occurred on December 21, 1968 and returned safely to Earth on December 27, 1968. The mission achieved operational experience and tested the Apollo command module systems, including communications, tracking, and life-support, in cis-lunar space and lunar orbit, and allowed evaluation of crew performance on a lunar orbiting mission. The crew photographed the lunar surface, both far side and near side, obtaining information on topography and landmarks as well as other scientific information necessary for future Apollo landings. All systems operated within allowable parameters and all objectives of the mission were achieved.

Partial view of the deployed Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-04-21

AS16-113-18347 (21 April 1972) --- A partial view of the Apollo 16 Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) in deployed configuration on the lunar surface as photographed during the mission's first extravehicular activity (EVA), on April 21, 1972. The Passive Seismic Experiment (PSE) is in the foreground center; Central Station (C/S) is in center background, with the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) to the left. One of the anchor flags for the Active Seismic Experiment (ASE) is at right. While astronauts John W. Young, commander; and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot; descended in the Apollo 16 Lunar Module (LM) "Orion" to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Casper" in lunar orbit.

Photograph from live TV transmission from interior of Apollo 9 Lunar Module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

A photograph from a live television transmission from Apollo 9. This view shows the interior of the Luanr Module 'Spider'. Astronauts James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander, is in right foreground. He appears to be drinking from a space food pouch. In Left background is Astronaut Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot, who appears to be looking over written documentation. At this moment Apollo 9 was orbiting the earth with the Command/Service Module docked nose-to-nose with the Lunar Module.

LAUNCH - APOLLO 9 - CAPE

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-03

S69-25861 (3 March 1969) --- The Apollo 9 (Spacecraft 104/Lunar Module 3/ Saturn 504) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC) at 11 a.m. (EST), March 3, 1969. Aboard the spacecraft are astronauts James A. McDivitt, commander; David R. Scott, command module pilot; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot. The Apollo 9 mission will evaluate spacecraft lunar module systems performance during manned Earth-orbital flight. Apollo 9 is the second manned Saturn V mission.

Prelaunch - Apollo 10 (rollout)

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-11

S69-27915 (11 March 1969) --- Aerial view at Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, showing a close-up of the 363-feet tall Apollo 10 (Spacecraft 106/Lunar Module 4/Saturn 505) space vehicle on its way to Pad B. The Saturn V stack and its mobile launch tower are atop a huge crawler-transporter. The Apollo 10 flight is scheduled as a lunar orbit mission. The Apollo 10 crew will be astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, commander; John W. Young, command module pilot; and Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot.

An In-Situ Study of REE Abundances in Three Anorthositic Impact Melt Lunar Highland Meteorites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Consolmagno, G. J.; Russell, S. S.; Jeffries, T. E.

2004-03-01

REE measurements of the lunar highland meteorites DAG 400, Dhofar 081, and NWA 482, and models of the REE in melts in equilibrium with them, suggest that they may contain components more primitive than those found in Apollo FAN samples.

Crew Training - Apollo X (Apollo Mission Simulator [AMS])

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-04-05

S69-32787 (3 April 1969) --- Two members of the Apollo 10 prime crew participate in simulation activity at the Kennedy Space Center during preparations for their scheduled lunar orbit mission. Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford, commander, is in the background; and in the foreground is astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot. The two crewmen are in the Lunar Module Mission Simulator.

Astronaut Alan Bean deploys ALSEP during first Apollo 12 EVA on moon

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-19

AS12-47-6919 (19 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, deploys components of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) during the first Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon. The photo was made by astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander, using a 70mm handheld Hasselblad camera modified for lunar surface usage.

ART CONCEPTS - APOLLO IX

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-02-20

S69-19796 (February 1969) --- Composite of six artist's concepts illustrating key events, tasks and activities on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 mission, including vehicles undocked, Lunar Module burns for rendezvous, maximum separation, ascent propulsion system burn, formation flying and docking, and Lunar Module jettison ascent burn. The Apollo 9 mission will evaluate spacecraft lunar module systems performance during manned Earth-orbital flight.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-04-16

The sixth manned lunar landing mission, the Apollo 16 (SA-511), carrying three astronauts: Mission Commander John W. Young, Command Module pilot Thomas K. Mattingly II, and Lunar Module pilot Charles M. Duke, lifted off on April 16, 1972. The Apollo 16 mission continued the broad-scale geological, geochemical, and geophysical mapping of the Moon’s crust, begun by the Apollo 15, from lunar orbit. This mission marked the first use of the Moon as an astronomical observatory by using the ultraviolet camera/spectrograph which photographed ultraviolet light emitted by Earth and other celestial objects. The Lunar Roving Vehicle, developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center, was also used. The mission ended on April 27, 1972.

Lunar Landing Site 2 - Comparisons with Size of Various Metropolitan Areas

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-07

S69-38670 (July 1969) --- A photographic illustration comparing the size of Apollo Landing Site 2 with that of the metropolitan Los Angeles, California area. Site 2 is one of three Apollo 11 lunar landing sites. This will be the landing site if Apollo 11 is launched on July 16, 1969, as scheduled. Site 2 is located at 23 degrees 42 minutes 28 seconds east longitude and 0 degrees 42 minutes 50 seconds north latitude in southwestern Mare Tranquillitatis (Sea of Tranquility). (The white overlay is printed over a lunar surface photograph taken from Apollo 10 during its lunar orbit mission and is numbered AS10-31-4537.)

Osmium isotope and highly siderophile element systematics of lunar impact melt breccias: Implications for the late accretion history of the Moon and Earth

USGS Publications Warehouse

Puchtel, I.S.; Walker, R.J.; James, O.B.; Kring, D.A.

2008-01-01

To characterize the compositions of materials accreted to the Earth-Moon system between about 4.5 and 3.8 Ga, we have determined Os isotopic compositions and some highly siderophile element (HSE: Re, Os, Ir, Ru, Pt, and Pd) abundances in 48 subsamples of six lunar breccias. These are: Apollo 17 poikilitic melt breccias 72395 and 76215; Apollo 17 aphanitic melt breccias 73215 and 73255; Apollo 14 polymict breccia 14321; and lunar meteorite NWA482, a crystallized impact melt. Plots of Ir versus other HSE define excellent linear correlations, indicating that all data sets likely represent dominantly two-component mixtures of a low-HSE target, presumably endogenous component, and a high-HSE, presumably exogenous component. Linear regressions of these trends yield intercepts that are statistically indistinguishable from zero for all HSE, except for Ru and Pd in two samples. The slopes of the linear regressions are insensitive to target rock contributions of Ru and Pd of the magnitude observed; thus, the trendline slopes approximate the elemental ratios present in the impactor components contributed to these rocks. The 187Os/188Os and regression-derived elemental ratios for the Apollo 17 aphanitic melt breccias and the lunar meteorite indicate that the impactor components in these samples have close affinities to chondritic meteorites. The HSE in the Apollo 17 aphanitic melt breccias, however, might partially or entirely reflect the HSE characteristics of HSE-rich granulitic breccia clasts that were incorporated in the impact melt at the time of its creation. In this case, the HSE characteristics of these rocks may reflect those of an impactor that predated the impact event that led to the creation of the melt breccias. The impactor components in the Apollo 17 poikilitic melt breccias and in the Apollo 14 breccia have higher 187Os/188Os, Pt/Ir, and Ru/Ir and lower Os/Ir than most chondrites. These compositions suggest that the impactors they represent were chemically distinct from known chondrite types, and possibly represent a type of primitive material not currently delivered to Earth as meteorites. ?? 2008 Elsevier Ltd.

Lithologic Diversity in Lunar Regolith: Lessons for Future Lunar Exploration Strategies with Application to South Pole-Aitken Basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jolliff, B. L.; Haskin, L. A.; Gillis, J. J.; Korotev, R. L.; Zeigler, R. A.

2002-01-01

Diversity of rock fragments in individual regolith samples from Apollo sites and inferred regolith stratigraphy from large craters and basins in the South Pole-Aitken region are used to assess the value of a single-point sample from the SPA basin. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Coordinated U-Pb geochronology, trace element, Ti-in-zircon thermometry and microstructural analysis of Apollo zircons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crow, Carolyn A.; McKeegan, Kevin D.; Moser, Desmond E.

2017-04-01

We present the results of a coordinated SIMS U-Pb, trace element, Ti-in-zircon thermometry, and microstructural study of 155 lunar zircons separated from Apollo 14, 15, and 17 breccia and soil samples that help resolve discrepancies between the zircon data, the lunar whole rock history and lunar magma ocean crystallization models. The majority of lunar grains are detrital fragments, some nearly 1 mm in length, of large parent crystals suggesting that they crystallized in highly enriched KREEP magmas. The zircon age distributions for all three landing sites exhibit an abundance of ages at ∼4.33 Ga, however they differ in that only Apollo 14 samples have a population of zircons with ages between 4.1 and 3.9 Ga. These younger grains comprise only 10% of all dated lunar zircons and are usually small and highly shocked making them more susceptible to Pb-loss. These observations suggest that the majority of zircons crystallized before 4.1 Ga and that KREEP magmatism had predominantly ceased by this time. We also observed that trace element analyses are easily affected by contributions from inclusions (typically injected impact melt) within SIMS analyses spots. After filtering for these effects, rare-earth element (REE) abundances of pristine zircon are consistent with one pattern characterized by a negative Eu anomaly and no positive Ce anomaly, implying that the zircons formed in a reducing environment. This inference is consistent with crystallization temperatures based on measured Ti concentrations and new estimates of oxide activities which imply temperatures ranging between 958 ± 57 and 1321 ± 100 °C, suggesting that zircon parent magmas were anhydrous. Together, the lunar zircon ages and trace elements are consistent with a ⩽300 My duration of KREEP magmatism under anhydrous, reducing conditions. We also report two granular texture zircons that contain baddeleyite cores, which both yield 207Pb-206Pb ages of 4.33 Ga. These grains are our best constraints on impact ages within our sample population, and suggest at least one large impact is contemporaneous with the most common time of magmatic zircon formation on the Moon's crust visited by the Apollo missions.

The Moon: What Have the Apollo Missions Taught Us? Part II: The View from Apollo.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKeever, S. W. S.

1980-01-01

Summarizes scientific findings resulting from the Apollo missions, including lunar rocks and soil, age determination, and the moon's interior, evolution, and origin. Indicates experiments for future lunar research. (SK)

Magnetic Field Measurements on the Lunar Surface: Lessons Learned from Apollo and Science Enabled by Future Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chi, P. J.

2017-10-01

We discuss the science to be enabled by new magnetometer measurements on the lunar surface, based on results from Apollo and other lunar missions. Also discussed are approaches to deploying magnetometers on the lunar surface with today's technology.

Soil mechanics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, J. K.; Carrier, W. D., III; Houston, W. N.; Scott, R. F.; Bromwell, L. G.; Durgunoglu, H. T.; Hovland, H. J.; Treadwell, D. D.; Costes, N. C.

1972-01-01

Preliminary results are presented of an investigation of the physical and mechanical properties of lunar soil on the Descartes slopes, and the Cayley Plains in the vicinity of the LM for Apollo 16. The soil mechanics data were derived form (1) crew commentary and debriefings, (2) television, (3) lunar surface photography, (4) performance data and observations of interactions between soil and lunar roving vehicle, (5) drive-tube and deep drill samples, (6) sample characteristics, and (7) measurements using the SRP. The general characteristics, stratigraphy and variability are described along with the core samples, penetrometer test results, density, porosity and strength.

Astronaut John Young collecting samples at North Ray crater during EVA

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-04-23

AS16-117-18825 (23 April 1972) --- Astronaut John W. Young, Apollo 16 commander, with a sample bag in his left hand, moves toward the bottom part of the gnomon (center) while collecting samples at the North Ray Crater geological site. Note how soiled Young's Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) is during this the third and final Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA). The Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) is parked at upper left.

PDS Lunar Data Node Restoration of Apollo In-Situ Surface Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, David R.; Hills, H. Kent; Guinness, Edward A.; Lowman, Paul D.; Taylor, Patrick T.

2010-01-01

The Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972 deployed scientific instruments on the Moon's surface which made in-situ measurements of the lunar environment. Apollo II had the short-term Early Apollo Surface Experiments Package (EASEP) and Apollos 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 each set up an Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP). Each ALSEP package contained a different suite of instruments which took measurements and radioed the results back to Earth over periods from 5 to 7 years until they were turned off on 30 September 1977. To this day the ALSEP data remain the only long-term in-situ information on the Moon's surface environment. The Lunar Data Node (LDN) has been formed under the auspices of the Planetary Data System (PDS) Geosciences Node to put relevant, scientifically important Apollo data into accessible digital form for use by researchers and mission planners. We will report on progress made since last year and plans for future data restorations.

Apollo 10 view of the Earth rising above the lunar horizon

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-05-18

AS10-27-3890 (18-26 May 1969) --- A view of Earth rising above the lunar horizon photographed from the Apollo 10 Lunar Module, looking west in the direction of travel. The Lunar Module at the time the picture was taken was located above the lunar farside highlands at approximately 105 degrees east longitude.

A study of lunar models based on Apollo and other data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The research concerned with the interpretation of lunar data developed during the Apollo Program is reported. The areas of research include: X-ray emission spectra and molecular orbitals of lunar materials, magnetic properties of lunar rock, lunar features, thermal history and evolution of the moon, and the internal constitution and evolution of the moon.

First Apollo 11 sample return containers arrive at Ellington AFB

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

The first Apollo 11 sample return container, containing lunar surface material, arrives at Ellington Air Force Base by air from the Pacific recovery area. Happily posing for photographs with the rock box are (left to right) George M. Low, Manager, Apollo Spacecraft Program, Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC); U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Samuel C. Phillips, Apollo Program Director, Office of Manned Space Flight, NASA HQ.; George S. Trimble, MSC Deputy Director (almost obscured); Eugene G. Edmonds, MSC Photographic Technology Laboratory; RIchard S. Johnston (in back), Special Assistant to the MSC Director; Dr. Thomas O. Paine, NASA Administrator; and Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, MSC Director.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1970-06-01

This image depicts the Apollo 16 mission astronauts John Young (right) and Charles Duke (left) in pressure suits during a final crew training on the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), building 4619. Developed by the MSFC, the LRV was the lightweight electric car designed to increase the range of mobility and productivity of astronauts on the lunar surface. It was used on the last three Apollo missions; Apollo 15, Apollo 16, and Apollo 17.

Apollo 13 MCC - MSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1970-04-14

S70-34986 (14 April 1970) --- A group of six astronauts and two flight controllers monitor the console activity in the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) of the Mission Control Center (MCC) during the problem-plagued Apollo 13 lunar landing mission. Seated, left to right, are MOCR Guidance Officer Raymond F. Teague; astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, Apollo 14 prime crew lunar module pilot; and astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., Apollo 14 prime crew commander. Standing, left to right, are scientist-astronaut Anthony W. England; astronaut Joe H. Engle, Apollo 14 backup crew lunar module pilot; astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, Apollo 14 backup crew commander; astronaut Ronald E. Evans, Apollo 14 backup crew command module pilot; and M.P. Frank, a flight controller. When this picture was made, the Apollo 13 moon landing had already been canceled, and the Apollo 13 crew men were in trans-Earth trajectory attempting to bring their damaged spacecraft back home.

Apollo 12 Mission image - High oblique view of Craters 285,287 and Tsiolkovski

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-19

AS12-47-6870 (November 1969) --- An Apollo 12 high-oblique view of the crater Tsiolkovsky (in center of horizon) on the lunar farside, as photographed from lunar orbit. The crew men of the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission were astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander; Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot; and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot. Tsiolkovsky is centered at 128.5 degrees east longitude and 20.5 degrees south latitude. This view is looking south.

Launch - Apollo XIV - Lunar Landing Mission - KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-01-31

S71-18398 (31 Jan. 1971) --- The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 14 (Spacecraft 110/Lunar Module 8/Saturn 509) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida at 4:03:02 p.m. (EST), Jan. 31, 1971, on a lunar landing mission. This view is framed by moss-covered dead trees in the dark foreground. Aboard the Apollo 14 spacecraft were astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander; Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot; and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot.

Astronaut Alan Bean works on Modular Equipment Stowage Assembly

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-19

AS12-46-6749 (19 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot for the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission, works at the Modular Equipment Stowage Assembly (MESA) on the Apollo 12 Lunar Module (LM) during the mission's first extravehicular activity, (EVA) on Nov. 19, 1969. Astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Bean descended in the Apollo 12 LM to explore the moon while astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

Apollo 12 Mission image - Dark view of Astronaut Alan L. Bean climbing down the ladder of the Lunar Module (LM)

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-19

AS12-46-6728 (19 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot for the Apollo 12 mission, is about to step off the ladder of the Lunar Module to join astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., mission commander, in extravehicular activity (EVA). Conrad and Bean descended in the Apollo 12 LM to explore the moon while astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules in lunar orbit.

Apollo Mission Techniques Lunar Orbit Activities - Part 1a

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Interbartolo, Michael A.

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the planned sequence of events and the rationale for all lunar missions, and the flight experiences and lessons learned for the lunar orbit activities from a trajectory perspective. Shown are trajectories which include the moon's position at the various stages in the complete trip from launch, to the return and reentry. Included in the presentation are objectives and the sequence of events,for the Apollo 8, and Apollo 10. This is followed by a discussion of Apollo 11, including: the primary mission objective, the sequence of events, and the flight experience. The next mission discussed was Apollo 12. It reviews the objectives, the ground tracking, procedure changes, and the sequence of events. The aborted Apollo 13 mission is reviewed, including the objectives, and the sequence of events. Brief summaries of the flight experiences for Apollo 14-16 are reviewed. The flight sequence of events of Apollo 17 are discussed. In summary each mission consistently performing precision landings required that Apollo lunar orbit activities devote considerable attention to: (1) Improving fidelity of lunar gravity models, (2) Maximizing availability of ground tracking, (3) Minimizing perturbations on the trajectory, (4) Maximizing LM propellant reserves for hover time. Also the use of radial separation maneuvers (1) allows passive re-rendezvous after each rev, but ... (2) sensitive to small dispersions in initial sep direction

Lunar Processing Cabinet 2.0: Retrofitting Gloveboxes into the 21st Century

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calaway, M. J.

2015-01-01

In 2014, the Apollo 16 Lunar Processing Glovebox (cabinet 38) in the Lunar Curation Laboratory at NASA JSC received an upgrade including new technology interfaces. A Jacobs - Technology Innovation Project provided the primary resources to retrofit this glovebox into the 21st century. NASA Astromaterials Acquisition & Curation Office continues the over 40 year heritage of preserving lunar materials for future scientific studies in state-of-the-art facilities. This enhancement has not only modernized the contamination controls, but provides new innovative tools for processing and characterizing lunar samples as well as supports real-time exchange of sample images and information with the scientific community throughout the world.

Specific heats of lunar surface materials from 90 to 350 degrees Kelvin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robie, R.A.; Hemingway, B.S.; Wilson, W.H.

1970-01-01

The specific heats of lunar samples 10057 and 10084 returned by the Apollo 11 mission have been measured between 90 and 350 degrees Kelvin by use of an adiabatic calorimeter. The samples are representative of type A vesicular basalt-like rocks and of finely divided lunar soil. The specific heat of these materials changes smoothly from about 0.06 calorie per gram per degree at 90 degrees Kelvin to about 0.2 calorie per gram per degree at 350 degrees Kelvin. The thermal parameter ??=(k??C)-1/2 for the lunar surface will accordingly vary by a factor of about 2 between lunar noon and midnight.

Astronaut Charles Duke photographed collecting lunar samples at Station 1

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-04-21

AS16-114-18423 (21 April 1972) --- Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, is photographed collecting lunar samples at Station No. 1, during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA), at the Descartes landing site. This picture, looking eastward, was taken by astronaut John W. Young, commander. Duke is standing at the rim of Plum Crater. The parked Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) can be seen in the left background. While astronauts Young and Duke descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Orion" to explore the Descartes highlands region of the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Casper" in lunar orbit.

Research-Grade 3D Virtual Astromaterials Samples: Novel Visualization of NASA's Apollo Lunar Samples and Antarctic Meteorite Samples to Benefit Curation, Research, and Education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blumenfeld, E. H.; Evans, C. A.; Oshel, E. R.; Liddle, D. A.; Beaulieu, K. R.; Zeigler, R. A.; Righter, K.; Hanna, R. D.; Ketcham, R. A.

2017-01-01

NASA's vast and growing collections of astromaterials are both scientifically and culturally significant, requiring unique preservation strategies that need to be recurrently updated to contemporary technological capabilities and increasing accessibility demands. New technologies have made it possible to advance documentation and visualization practices that can enhance conservation and curation protocols for NASA's Astromaterials Collections. Our interdisciplinary team has developed a method to create 3D Virtual Astromaterials Samples (VAS) of the existing collections of Apollo Lunar Samples and Antarctic Meteorites. Research-grade 3D VAS will virtually put these samples in the hands of researchers and educators worldwide, increasing accessibility and visibility of these significant collections. With new sample return missions on the horizon, it is of primary importance to develop advanced curation standards for documentation and visualization methodologies.

Mobility performance of the lunar roving vehicle: Terrestrial studies: Apollo 15 results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Costes, N. C.; Farmer, J. E.; George, E. B.

1972-01-01

The constriants of the Apollo 15 mission dictated that the average and limiting performance capabilities of the first manned lunar roving vehicle be known or estimated within narrow margins. Extensive studies were conducted and are compared with the actual performance of the lunar roving vehicle during the Apollo 15 mission. From this comparison, conclusions are drawn relating to the capabilities and limitation of current terrestrial methodology in predicting the mobility performance of lunar roving vehicles under in-situ environmental conditions, and recommendations are offered concerning the performance of surface vehicles on future missions related to lunar or planetary exploration.

Data User's Note: Apollo seismological investigations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vostreys, R. W.

1980-01-01

Seismological objectives and equipment used in the passive seismic, active seismic, lunar seismic profiling, and the lunar gravimeter experiments conducted during Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 missions are described. The various formats in which the data form these investigations can be obtained are listed an an index showing the NSSDC identification number is provided. Tables show manned lunar landing missions, lunar seismic network statistics, lunar impact coordinate statistics, detonation masses and times of EP's, the ALSEP (Apollo 14) operational history; compressed scale playout tape availability, LSPE coverage for one lunation, and experimenter interpreted events types.

Candidate samples for the earliest lunar crust

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jovanovic, S.; Reed, G.W. Jr.

1980-01-01

A group of non-mare samples has a Cl/P/sub 2/O/sub 5/ ratio that is much lower than in other lunar samples. Two clusters of samples with order(s) of magnitude differences in minor and trace element contents make up the group. They were all returned from non-mare sites; no mare basalt or Apollo 16 anorthositic samples are included. It is proposed that these samples could be relics from an original lunar crustal layer which evolved more or less independently but concurrently with the differentiation of an underlying deep magma ocean from which all other samples were eventually derived. 2 tables.

Distribution and Origin of Amino Acids in Lunar Regolith Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elsila, J. E.; Callahan, M. P.; Glavin, D. P.; Dworkin, J. P.; McLain, H. L.; Noble, S. K.; Gibson, E. K., Jr.

2015-01-01

The existence of organic compounds on the lunar surface has been a question of interest from the Apollo era to the present. Investigations of amino acids immediately after collection of lunar samples yielded inconclusive identifications, in part due to analytical limitations including insensitivity to certain compounds, an inability to separate enantiomers, and lack of compound-specific isotopic measurements. It was not possible to determine if the detected amino acids were indigenous to the lunar samples or the result of terrestrial contamination. Recently, we presented initial data from the analysis of amino acid abundances in 12 lunar regolith samples and discussed those results in the context of four potential amino acid sources [5]. Here, we expand on our previous work, focusing on amino acid abundances and distributions in seven regolith samples and presenting the first compound-specific carbon isotopic ratios measured for amino acids in a lunar sample.

LUNAR SAMPLES - APOLLO XI - MSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-08-03

S69-40740 (July 1969) --- Dr. Ross Taylor (seated), Australian National University, and John Allen, Brown and Root-Northrop technician, review preliminary data from the optical emission spectrograph in the Spectrographic Laboratory of the Physical-Chemical Test Laboratory. Tests were being conducted on lunar surface material collected by astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. during their lunar surface extravehicular activity on July 20, 1969.

The intensity of the ancient lunar field from magnetic studies on lunar samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephenson, A.; Collinson, D. W.; Runchorn, S. K.

1977-01-01

Palaeointensity determination on Apollo 11, 16, and 17 rocks have indicated that from 3.9 to 4.0 AE ago the strength of the surface lunar magnetic field was about 1.3 Oe, while there is evidence from younger rocks that a field of about one quarter of this value was present at a later time (3.6 AE).

Lunar Rocks: Available for Year of the Solar System Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, J. S.

2010-12-01

NASA is actively exploring the moon with our Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Grail Discovery Mission will launch next year, and each year there is an International Observe the Moon Night providing many events and lunar science focus opportunities to share rocks from the moon with students and the public. In our laboratories, we have Apollo rocks and soil from six different places on the moon, and their continued study provides incredibly valuable ground truth to complement space exploration missions. Extensive information and actual lunar samples are available for public display and education. The Johnson Space Center (JSC) has the unique responsibility to curate NASA's extraterrestrial samples from past and future missions. Curation includes documentation, preservation, preparation, and distribution of samples for research, education, and public outreach. The lunar rocks and soils continue to be studied intensively by scientists around the world. Descriptions of the samples, research results, thousands of photographs, and information on how to request research samples are on the JSC Curation website: http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/ NASA is eager for scientists and the public to have access to these exciting Apollo samples through our various loan procedures. NASA provides a limited number of Moon rock samples for either short-term or long-term displays at museums, planetariums, expositions, and professional events that are open to the public. The JSC Public Affairs Office handles requests for such display samples. Requestors should apply in writing to Mr. Louis Parker, JSC Exhibits Manager. Mr. Parker will advise successful applicants regarding provisions for receipt, display, and return of the samples. All loans will be preceded by a signed loan agreement executed between NASA and the requestor's organization. Email address: louis.a.parker@nasa.gov Sets of twelve thin sections of Apollo lunar samples are available for short-term loan from JSC Curation. The thin sections may be use requested for college and university courses where petrographic microscopes are available for viewing. Requestors should contact Ms. Mary Luckey, Education Sample Curator. Email address: mary.k.luckey@nasa.gov NASA also loans sets of Moon rocks for use in classrooms, libraries, museums, and planetariums through the Lunar Sample Education Program. Lunar samples (three soils and three rocks) are encapsulated in a six-inch diameter clear plastic disk. A CD with PowerPoint presentations, analogue samples from Earth, a classroom activity guide, and additional printed material accompany the disks. Educators may qualify for the use of these disks by attending a content and security certification workshop sponsored by NASA's Aerospace Education Services Program (AESP). Contact Ms. Margaret Maher, AESP Director. Email address: mjm67@psu.edu NASA makes these precious samples available for the public and encourages the use of lunar rocks to highlight Year of the Solar System events. Surely these interesting specimens of another world will enhance the experience of all YSS participants so please take advantage of these lunar samples and borrow them for events and classes.

Apollo 17 Command/Service Modules backdropped against lunar landing site

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-12-10

This 70mm frame, showintg the Apollo 17 Command/Service Modules (CSM) backdropped against the Taurus-Littrow landing site, was exposed from the lunar module (LM) prior to the LM's touchdown on the lunar surface.

Inflight - Apollo IX (Crew Activities)

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-06

S69-26149 (6 March 1969) --- Astronaut James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander, is seen inside the Lunar Module "Spider" drinking from a hand water dispenser in this photograph from the second live television transmission from Apollo 9. Astronaut Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot, is in the left background. The telecast was made early Thursday afternoon on the fourth day in space. At this moment Apollo 9 was orbiting Earth with the Command and Service Modules docked nose-to-nose with the Lunar Module. Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the Command Module "Gumdrop" while the other two astronauts checked out the Lunar Module. McDivitt and Schweickart moved into the Lunar Module from the Command Module by way of the docking tunnel.

Inflight - Apollo IX (Crew Activities)

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-06

S69-26148 (6 March 1969) --- This photograph from the second live television transmission from Apollo 9 was made early Thursday afternoon on the fourth day in space. Though of poor quality, this view shows the interior of the Lunar Module "Spider" with astronauts James A. McDivitt (foreground) and Russell L. Schweickart at their crew stations. McDivitt is the Apollo 9 commander; and Schweickart is the lunar module pilot. At this moment Apollo 9 was orbiting Earth with the Command and Service Modules docked nose-to-nose with the Lunar Module. Astronaut David R. Scott, command module pilot, remained at the controls in the Command Module "Gumdrop" while the other two astronauts checked out the Lunar Module. McDivitt and Schweickart moved into the Lunar Module from the Command Module by way of the docking tunnel.

View of Cosmic Ray Experiment near the Apollo 15 Lunar Module

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-04-21

AS16-107-17442 (22 April 1972) --- A close-up view of the Apollo 16 Cosmic Ray Detector (CRD) experiment deployed at the +Y strut of the Lunar Module (LM). The crewmembers moved it to this position from near the deployment site of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) because, in the words of astronaut John W. Young, commander, "The panels were getting a little warm." Note that the LM did not skid upon landing, as evidenced by the landing contact probe's folded back (neatly) position and the lack of skid marks. While astronauts Young, and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot; descended in the Apollo 16 Lunar Module (LM) "Orion" to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Casper" in lunar orbit.

Observations of silicate reststrahlen bands in lunar infrared spectra

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, A. E., Jr.; Morgan, T. H.

1982-01-01

Thermal emission spectra of three lunar sites (Apollo 11, Descartes Formation, and Tycho central peak) are measured in the 8-14 micron spectral range. Transmission and instrument effects are accounted for by forming ratios of the Descartes and Tycho spectra to the Apollo 11 spectrum. The ratio spectra are compared with ratios of published laboratory spectra of returned lunar samples and also with ratio spectra calculated using the Aronson-Emslie (1975) model. The comparisons show pyroxene bands in the Descartes ratio spectrum and plagioclase bands in the Tycho ratio spectrum. The Tycho spectrum is found to be consistent with the existence of fine plagioclase dust (approximately 1 micron) at the rock surface and a higher-than-usual sodium content of the plagioclase.

Petrologic constraints on the origin of the Moon: Evidence from Apollo 14

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shervais, J.W.; Taylor, L.A.

1984-01-01

The Fra Mauro breccias at Apollo 14 contain distinctive suites of mare basalts and highland crustal rocks that contrast significantly with equivalent rocks from other Apollo sites. These contrasts imply lateral heterogeneity of the lunar crust and mantle on a regional scale. This heterogeneity may date back to the earliest stages of lunar accretion and differentiation. Current theories requiring a Moon-wide crust of Ferroan Anorthosite are based largely on samples from Apollo 16, where all but a few samples represent the FAN suite. However, at the nearside sites, FAN is either scarce (A-15) or virtually absent (A-12, A-14, A-17). Itmore » is suggested that the compositional variations could be accounted for by the acceleration of a large mass of material (e.g., 0.1 to 0.2 moon masses) late in the crystallization history of the magma ocean. Besides adding fresh, primordial material, this would remelt a large pocket of crust and mantle, thereby allowing a second distillation to occur in the resulting magma sea.« less

Apollo 14 Mission image - Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot for the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission, stands by the deployed U.S. flag on the lunar surface during the early moments of the first extravehicular activity (EVA-1) of the mission.

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-02-05

AS14-66-9233 (5 Feb. 1971) --- Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot for the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission, stands by the deployed U.S. flag on the lunar surface during the early moments of the first extravehicular activity (EVA) of the mission. He was photographed by astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., mission commander, using a 70mm modified lunar surface Hasselblad camera. While astronauts Shepard and Mitchell descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Antares" to explore the Fra Mauro region of the moon, astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Kitty Hawk" in lunar orbit.

Apollo 40th Anniversary Morning Television

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-07-19

Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean responds to a question during a live television interview on Monday, July 20, 2009, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Bean was lunar module pilot on Apollo 12, man's second lunar landing. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

Apollo experience report: Lunar module landing radar and rendezvous radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rozas, P.; Cunningham, A. R.

1972-01-01

A developmental history of the Apollo lunar module landing and rendezvous radar subsystems is presented. The Apollo radar subsystems are discussed from initial concept planning to flight configuration testing. The major radar subsystem accomplishments and problems are discussed.

Apollo 15 30-day failure and anomaly listing report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

The significant anomalies that occurred during the Apollo 15 mission are discussed. The five major areas are command and service modules, lunar module, scientific instrument module experiments, Apollo lunar surface experiment package and associated equipment, and government furnished equipment.

Pre-Flight Characterization of Samples for the MISSE-7 Spacesuit Fabric Exposure Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaier, James R.; McCue, Terry R.; Clark, Gregory W.; Rogers, Kerry J.; Mengesu, Tsega

2009-01-01

A series of six sample spacesuit pressure garment assembly (PGA) fabric samples were prepared for the Materials International Space Station Experiment 7 (MISSE-7) flight experiment to test the effects of damage by lunar dust on the susceptibility of the fabrics to radiation damage. These included pristine Apollo-era fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP) fabric, Apollo-era FEP fabric that had been abraded with JSC-1A lunar simulant, and a piece of Alan Bean s Apollo 12 PGA sectioned from near the left knee. Also included was a sample of pristine orthofabric, and orthofabric that had been abraded to two different levels with JSC-1A. The samples were characterized using optical microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Two sets of six samples were then loaded in space environment exposure hardware, one of which was stored as control samples. The other set was affixed to the MISSE-7 experiment package, and will be mounted on the International Space Station, and exposed to the wake-side low Earth orbit environment. It will be retrieved after an exposure of approximately 12 months, and returned for post flight analysis.

Nondestructive determination of radionuclides in lunar samples using a large low-background gamma-ray spectrometer and a novel application of least-squares fitting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eldridge, J. S.; Okelly, G. D.; Northcutt, K. J.; Schonfeld, E.

1972-01-01

Dual-parameter gamma ray spectrometer systems with large volume Nal (Tl) crystals and low backgrounds were used for nondestructive determination of K, Th, U and cosmic ray produced radionuclides in 60 lunar samples. The total weight of samples measured with this system is 28 kg, and the individual sample weights varied from 2 to 2300 g. Samples from Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15 and 16 were measured. Operation of the spectrometers in the coincidence mode and analyzing single coincidence spectra permits the simultaneous determination of 8-10 radionuclides in each lunar sample.

Fragments of quartz monzodiorite and felsite in Apollo 14 soil particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jolliff, B. L.

1991-01-01

Samples of 'evolved' lithologies, felsite, quartz monzodiorite (QMD), and whitlockite-rich quartz monzodiorite, were identified compositionally and petrographically among 2-4-mm soil particles from Apollo 14. Fragments of QMD were found to be extremely rare in the Apollo 14 samples. Felsite is similar to previously reported samples. QMD 14161,7069 is similar to 15405 QMD and has ITE concentrations in KREEP-like concentration ratios of about twice the ITE concentrations of average high-K KREEP. QMD cumulate has the highest measured REE concentrations of any lunar sample to date with the exception of individual whitlockite grains. Felsite and whitlockite-rich lithologies appear to be petrogenetically related and have complementary compositions representing separated fractions of the QMD or KREEP-like parental melt. Felsite is a silica-rich fraction of the residual liquid or it is a derivative of the silica-rich fraction. Felsite or lunar granite of this type results from residual liquid separation following crystal-liquid separation of a QMD-like parent melt with concentration ratios of ITEs similar to those of KREEP.

Measurement of radiation exposure of astronauts by radiochemical techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brodzinski, R. L.

1972-01-01

Only two of the fecal specimens collected inflight during the Apollo 15 mission were returned for analysis. Difficulty in obtaining reasonably accurate radiation dose estimates based on the cosmogenic radionuclide content of the specimens was encountered due to the limited sampling. The concentrations of Na-22, K-40, Cr-51, Fe-59, and Cs-137 are reported. The concentrations of 24 major, minor, and trace elements in these two specimens were determined. Most concentrations are typical of those observed previously. Major exceptions are extremely low values for selenium and extraordinarily high values for rare earth elements. The net Po-210 activities in the Apollo 11 and 12 Solar Wind Composition foils and in the Apollo 8 and 12 spacecraft reflective coatings due to lunar exposure have been determined. Equilibrium concentrations of 0.082 + or - 0.012 disintegrations /sq cm sec of Rn-222 in the lunar atmosphere and 0.0238 + or - 0.0035 disintegrations /sq cm sec of Po-210 on the lunar surface have been calculated for Oceanus Procellarum.

The apollo 15 lunar samples: A preliminary description

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gast, P.W.; Phinney, W.C.; Duke, M.B.; Silver, L.T.; Hubbard, N.J.; Heiken, G.H.; Butler, P.; McKay, D.S.; Warner, J.L.; Morrison, D.A.; Horz, F.; Head, J.; Lofgren, G.E.; Ridley, W.I.; Reid, A.M.; Wilshire, H.; Lindsay, J.F.; Carrier, W.D.; Jakes, P.; Bass, M.N.; Brett, P.R.; Jackson, E.D.; Rhodes, J.M.; Bansal, B.M.; Wainwright, J.E.; Parker, K.A.; Rodgers, K.V.; Keith, J.E.; Clark, R.S.; Schonfeld, E.; Bennett, L.; Robbins, Martha M.; Portenier, W.; Bogard, D.D.; Hart, W.R.; Hirsch, W.C.; Wilkin, R.B.; Gibson, E.K.; Moore, C.B.; Lewis, C.F.

1972-01-01

Samples returned from the Apollo 15 site consist of mare basalts and breccias with a variety of premare igneous rocks. The mare basalts are from at least two different lava flows. The bulk chemical compositions and textures of these rocks confirm the previous conclusion that the lunar maria consist of a series of extrusive volcanic rocks that are rich in iron and poor in sodium. The breccias contain abundant clasts of anorthositic fragments along with clasts of basaltic rocks much richer in plagioclase than the mare basalts. These two rock types also occur as common components in soil samples from this site. The rocks and soils from both the front and mare region exhibit a variety of shock characteristics that can best be ascribed to ray material from the craters Aristillus or Autolycus.

Apollo 12 Lunar Module exhaust plume impingement on Lunar Surveyor III

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Immer, Christopher; Metzger, Philip; Hintze, Paul E.; Nick, Andrew; Horan, Ryan

2011-02-01

Understanding plume impingement by retrorockets on the surface of the Moon is paramount for safe lunar outpost design in NASA's planned return to the Moon for the Constellation Program. Visual inspection, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and surface scanned topology have been used to investigate the damage to the Lunar Surveyor III spacecraft that was caused by the Apollo 12 Lunar Module's close proximity landing. Two parts of the Surveyor III craft returned by the Apollo 12 astronauts, Coupons 2050 and 2051, which faced the Apollo 12 landing site, show that a fine layer of lunar regolith coated the materials and was subsequently removed by the Apollo 12 Lunar Module landing rocket. The coupons were also pitted by the impact of larger soil particles with an average of 103 pits/cm 2. The average entry size of the pits was 83.7 μm (major diameter) × 74.5 μm (minor diameter) and the average estimated penetration depth was 88.4 μm. Pitting in the surface of the coupons correlates to removal of lunar fines and is likely a signature of lunar material imparting localized momentum/energy sufficient to cause cracking of the paint. Comparison with the lunar soil particle size distribution and the optical density of blowing soil during lunar landings indicates that the Surveyor III spacecraft was not exposed to the direct spray of the landing Lunar Module, but instead experienced only the fringes of the spray of soil. Had Surveyor III been exposed to the direct spray, the damage would have been orders of magnitude higher.

LAUNCH - APOLLO 9 - CAPE

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-03

S69-25862 (3 March 1969) --- Framed by palm trees in the foreground, the Apollo 9 (Spacecraft 104/Lunar Module 3/ Saturn 504) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC) at 11 a.m. (EST), March 3, 1969. Aboard the spacecraft are astronauts James A. McDivitt, commander; David R. Scott, command module pilot; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot. The Apollo 9 mission will evaluate spacecraft lunar module systems performance during manned Earth-orbital flight. Apollo 9 is the second manned Saturn V mission.

n/a

NASA Image and Video Library

1967-11-01

Workmen at the Kennedy Space Center hoist the Saturn Lunar Module (LM) Adapter into position during assembly of the 204LM-1, an unmanned Apollo mission that tested the Apollo Lunar Module in Earth orbit. Also known as Apollo 5, the spacecraft was launched on the fourth Saturn IB launch vehicle. Developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) as an interim vehicle in MSFC's "building block" approach to the Saturn rocket development, the Saturn IB utilized Saturn I technology to further develop and refine a larger booster and the Apollo spacecraft capabilities required for the manned lunar missions.

KSC-2011-1308

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-01-29

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Lunar module pilot of Apollo 10 and commander of Apollo 17 Gene Cernan talks to attendees of the Apollo 14 Anniversary Soirée at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex's Saturn V Center. The celebration was hosted by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. Apollo 14 landed on the lunar surface 40 years ago on Feb. 5, 1971. Cernan was the backup commander for the Apollo 14 mission. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

Lunar Sample Compendium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, C.

2009-01-01

The Lunar Sample Compendium is a succinct summary of what has been learned from the study of Apollo and Luna samples of the Moon. Basic information is compiled, sample-by-sample, in the form of an advanced catalog in order to provide a basic description of each sample. Information presented is carefully attributed to the original source publication, thus the Compendium also serves as a ready access to the now vast scientific literature pertaining to lunar smples. The Lunar Sample Compendium is a work in progress (and may always be). Future plans include: adding sections on additional samples, adding new thin section photomicrographs, replacing the faded photographs with newly digitized photos from the original negatives, attempting to correct the age data using modern decay constants, adding references to each section, and adding an internal search engine.

Astronaut John Young looks over a boulder at Station no. 13 during EVA

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-04-23

AS16-106-17413 (23 April 1972) --- Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, looks over a large boulder at Station No.13 during the third Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Descartes landing site. This was the site of the permanently shadowed soil sample which was taken from a hole extending under overhanging rock. Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, took this photograph. Concerning Young's reaching under the big rock, Duke remarked: "You do that in west Texas and you get a rattlesnake!"

Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, Apollo 14 Lunar Module pilot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1970-01-01

Portrait of Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, Apollo 14 lunar landing mission Lunar Module pilot in civilian clothes. Left to right, are Astronauts Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot; Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot; and Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander. They are standing by a Command Module Trainer which was used in the exercise.

Geology of Lunar Landing Sites and Origin of Basin Ejecta from a Clementine Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jolliff, Bradley L.; Haskin, Larry A.

1998-01-01

The goals of this research were to examine Clementine multispectral data covering the Apollo landing sites in order to: (1) provide ground truth for the remotely sensed observations, (2) extend our understanding of the Apollo landing sites to the surrounding regions using the empirically calibrated Clementine data, and (3) investigate the composition and distribution of impact-basin ejecta using constraints based upon the remotely sensed data and the Apollo samples. Our initial efforts (in collaboration with P. Lucey and coworkers) to use the Apollo soil compositions to "calibrate" information derived from the remotely sensed data resulted in two extremely useful algorithms for computing estimates of the concentrations of FeO and TiO2 from the UV-VIS 5-band data. In this effort, we used the average surface soil compositions from 37 individual Apollo and 3 Luna sample stations that could be resolved using the Clementine data. We followed this work with a detailed investigation of the Apollo 17 landing site, where the sampling traverses were extensive and the spectral and compositional contrast between different soils covers a wide range. We have begun to investigate the nature and composition of basin ejecta by comparing the thick deposits on the rim of Imbrium in the vicinity of the Apollo 15 site and those occurring southeast of the Serenitatis basin, in the Apollo 17 region. We continue this work under NAG5-6784, "Composition, Lithology, and Heterogeneity of the lunar crust using remote sensing of impact-basin uplift structures and ejecta as probes. The main results of our work are given in the following brief summaries of major tasks. Detailed accounts of these results are given in the attached papers, manuscripts, and extended abstracts.

Preserving, Enhancing, and Continuing the Scientific Legacy of the Apollo Sample Suite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeigler, R. A.; Evans, C. A.; Lehnert, K.; Cai, Y.; Todd, N. S.

2016-12-01

From 1969 to 1972, Apollo astronauts collected 382 kg of rocks, soils, and core samples from six geologically diverse locations on the Moon. In the nearly 50 years since the samples were collected, over 3000 different studies have been conducted using the nearly 2200 different Apollo samples. Despite the maturity of the sample collection, many new studies of lunar samples are undertaken each year, with an average of >55 requests and >600 distinct subsamples allocated annually over the past five years. The Apollo samples are a finite resource, however. Although new studies are encouraged, it is important that new studies do not duplicate previous studies, and where possible, leverage previous results to inform and enhance the current studies. This helps to preserve the samples and scientific funding, both of which are precious resources. We have initiated several new efforts to rescue some of the early analyses from these samples, including unpublished analytical data. We are actively scanning NASA documentation in paper form that is related to the Apollo missions and sample processing, and we are collaborating with IEDA to establish a geochemical data base called MoonDB. To populate this database, we are actively working with about a dozen prominent lunar PIs to organize and transcribe years of both published and unpublished data, making it available to all researchers. This effort will also take advantage of new online analytical tools like PetDB. There have already been tangible results from the MoonDB data rescue effort. A pilot project involving the rescue of geochemical data of John Delano on Apollo pyroclastic glasses has already been referenced in multiple Apollo sample requests, and in fact, the compiled data was used as part of one of the new studies. Similarly, scanned sample handling reports have been utilized to find previously analyzed samples that were appropriate to fulfill new sample requests. We have also begun to image the Apollo samples using (1) micro-CT scanning to document the interior structure of samples, and (2) comprehensive high resolution photography of samples, enabling high resolution 3D reconstructions of the samples. Both efforts will provide comprehensive access to these samples and allow for more targeted requests, and thus better curation of the samples for decades to come.

Preserving, Enhancing, and Continuing the Scientific Legacy of the Apollo Sample Suite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zeigler, Ryan; Evans, Cindy; Cai, Yue; Lehnert, Kerstin; Todd, Nancy; Blumenfeld, Erika

2016-01-01

From 1969 to 1972, Apollo astronauts collected 382 kg of rocks, soils, and core samples from six geologically diverse locations on the Moon. In the nearly 50 years since the samples were collected, over 3000 different studies have been conducted using the nearly 2200 different Apollo samples. Despite the maturity of the sample collection, many new studies of lunar samples are undertaken each year, with an average of more than 55 requests and more than 600 distinct subsamples allocated annually over the past five years. The Apollo samples are a finite resource, however. Although new studies are encouraged, it is important that new studies do not duplicate previous studies, and where possible, leverage previous results to inform and enhance the current studies. This helps to preserve the samples and scientific funding, both of which are precious resources. We have initiated several new efforts to rescue some of the early analyses from these samples, including unpublished analytical data. We are actively scanning NASA documentation in paper form that is related to the Apollo missions and sample processing, and we are collaborating with IEDA to establish a geochemical data base called MoonDB. To populate this database, we are actively working with about a dozen prominent lunar PIs to organize and transcribe years of both published and unpublished data, making it available to all researchers. This effort will also take advantage of new online analytical tools like PetDB. There have already been tangible results from the MoonDB data rescue effort. A pilot project involving the rescue of geochemical data of John Delano on Apollo pyroclastic glasses has already been referenced in multiple Apollo sample requests, and in fact, the compiled data was used as part of one of the new studies. Similarly, scanned sample handling reports have been utilized to find previously analyzed samples that were appropriate to fulfill new sample requests. We have also begun to image the Apollo samples using (1) micro-CT scanning to document the interior structure of samples, and (2) comprehensive high resolution photography of samples, enabling high resolution 3D reconstructions of the samples. Both efforts will provide comprehensive access to these samples and allow for more targeted requests, and thus better curation of the samples for decades to come.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-25

The Apollo 11 mission, the first manned lunar mission, launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida via the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) developed Saturn V launch vehicle on July 16, 1969 and safely returned to Earth on July 24, 1969. Aboard the space craft were astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, Command Module (CM) pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., Lunar Module (LM) pilot. The CM, piloted by Michael Collins remained in a parking orbit around the Moon while the LM, named “Eagle’’, carrying astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin, landed on the Moon. During 2½ hours of surface exploration, the crew collected 47 pounds of lunar surface material for analysis back on Earth. This photograph was taken as the mission’s first loaded sample return container arrived at Ellington Air Force Base by air from the Pacific recovery area. The rock box was immediately taken to the Lunar Receiving Laboratory at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) in Houston, Texas. Happily posing for the photograph with the rock container are (L-R) Richard S. Johnston (back), special assistant to the MSC Director; George M. Low, MSC Apollo Spacecraft Program manager; George S. Trimble (back), MSC Deputy Director; Lt. General Samuel C. Phillips, Apollo Program Director, Office of Manned Spaceflight at NASA headquarters; Eugene G. Edmonds, MSC Photographic Technology Laboratory; Dr. Thomas O. Paine, NASA Administrator; and Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, MSC Director.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-08-27

Artist’s concept of a manned Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) depicting two-man operation on the Lunar surface. The LRV was developed under the direction of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to provide Apollo astronauts with a greater range of mobility on the lunar surface.

Astronaut Alan Bean works on Modular Equipment Stowage Assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot for the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission, works at the Modular Equipment Stowage Assembly (MESA) on the Apollo 12 Lunar Module during the mission's first extravehicular activity, EVA-1, on November 19, 1969.

Launch - Apollo 14 Lunar Landing Mission - KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-01-31

S71-17620 (31 Jan. 1971) --- The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 14 (Spacecraft 110/Lunar Module 8/Saturn 509) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 4:03:02 p.m. (EST), Jan. 31, 1981, on a lunar landing mission. This view of the liftoff was taken by a camera mounted on the mobile launch tower. Aboard the Apollo 14 spacecraft were astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander; Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot; and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot.

APOLLO SEPARATION - ART CONCEPTS

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-04-14

S69-30520 (April 1969) --- A North American Rockwell Corporation artist's concept depicting the Apollo 10 Lunar Module descending to 50,000 feet for a close look at a lunar landing site. The Command and Service Modules remain in lunar orbit. The landing area is Site 2 on the east central part of the moon in southwestern Sea of Tranquility (Mare Tranquillitatis). The site is about 62 miles east of the rim of the crater Sabine and 118 miles west-southwest of the crater Maskelyne. Apollo 11 is scheduled to be the first lunar landing mission.

Apollo 16 lunar module 'Orion' photographed from distance during EVA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The Apollo 16 Lunar Module 'Orion' is photographed from a distance by Astronaut Chares M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, aboard the moving Lunar Roving Vehicle. Astronauts Duke and John W. Young, commander, were returning from the excursion to Stone Mountain during the second Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-2). The RCA color television camera mounted on the LRV is in the foreground. A portion of the LRV's high-gain antenna is at top left. Smoky Mountain rises behind the LM in this north-looking view at the Descartes landing site.

Apollo 16 liftoff

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-04-16

S72-35347 (16 April 1972) --- The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 16 (Spacecraft 113/Lunar Module 11/ Saturn 511) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, at 12:54:00.569 p.m. (EST), April 16, 1972, on a lunar landing mission. Aboard the Apollo 16 spacecraft were astronauts John W. Young, commander; Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot; and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot. While astronauts Young and Duke descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Orion" to explore the Descartes highlands region of the moon, astronaut Mattingly remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Casper" in lunar orbit.

Artists concept of Apollo 15 crewmen performing deployment of LRV

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-06-26

S71-38188 (26 June 1971) --- An artist's concept showing the Apollo 15 mission commander and the lunar module pilot performing deployment of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) on the lunar surface. The figure on the left represents astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, who here is maintaining a constant pull on the deployment cable to help the LRV unfold, while astronaut David R. Scott (right), commander, pulls the tapes that lower the LRV to the surface. (This is the third in a series of Grumman Aerospace Corporation artist's concepts telling the lunar surface LRV deployment story of the Apollo 15 mission).

Workshop on New Views of the Moon: Integrated Remotely Sensed, Geophysical, and Sample Datasets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jolliff, Brad L. (Editor); Ryder, Graham (Editor)

1998-01-01

It has been more than 25 years since Apollo 17 returned the last of the Apollo lunar samples. Since then, a vast amount of data has been obtained from the study of rocks and soils from the Apollo and Luna sample collections and, more recently, on a set of about a dozen lunar meteorites collected on Earth. Based on direct studies of the samples, many constraints have been established for the age, early differentiation, crust and mantle structure, and subsequent impact modification of the Moon. In addition, geophysical experiments at the surface, as well as remote sensing from orbit and Earth-based telescopic studies, have provided additional datasets about the Moon that constrain the nature of its surface and internal structure. Some might be tempted to say that we know all there is to know about the Moon and that it is time to move on from this simple satellite to more complex objects. However, the ongoing Lunar Prospector mission and the highly successful Clementine mission have provided important clues to the real geological complexity of the Moon, and have shown us that we still do not yet adequately understand the geologic history of Earth's companion. These missions, like Galileo during its lunar flyby, are providing global information viewed through new kinds of windows, and providing a fresh context for models of lunar origin, evolution, and resources, and perhaps even some grist for new questions and new hypotheses. The probable detection and characterization of water ice at the poles, the extreme concentration of Th and other radioactive elements in the Procellarum-Imbrium-Frigon's resurfaced areas of the nearside of the Moon, and the high-resolution gravity modeling enabled by these missions are examples of the kinds of exciting new results that must be integrated with the extant body of knowledge based on sample studies, in situ experiments, and remote-sensing missions to bring about the best possible understanding of the Moon and its history.

Galileo photometry of Apollo landing sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helfenstein, P.; Veverka, J.; Head, James W.; Pieters, C.; Pratt, S.; Mustard, J.; Klaasen, K.; Neukum, G.; Hoffmann, H.; Jaumann, R.

1993-01-01

As of December 1992, the Galileo spacecraft performed its second and final flyby (EM2), of the Earth-Moon system, during which it acquired Solid State Imaging (SSI) camera images of the lunar surface suitable for photometric analysis using Hapke's, photometric model. These images, together with those from the first flyby (EM1) in December 1989, provide observations of all of the Apollo landing sites over a wide range of photometric geometries and at eight broadband filter wavelengths ranging from 0.41 micron to 0.99 micron. We have completed a preliminary photometric analysis of Apollo landing sites visible in EM1 images and developed a new strategy for a more complete analysis of the combined EM1 and EM2 data sets in conjunction with telescopic observations and spectrogoniometric measurements of returned lunar samples. No existing single data set, whether from spacecraft flyby, telescopic observation, or laboratory analysis of returned samples, describes completely the light scattering behavior of a particular location on the Moon at all angles of incidence (i), emission (e), and phase angles (a). Earthbased telescopic observations of particular lunar sites provide good coverage of incidence nad phase angles, but their range in emission angle is limited to only a few degrees because of the Moon's synchronous rotation. Spacecraft flyby observations from Galileo are now available for specific lunar features at many photometric geometries unobtainable from Earth; however, this data set lacks coverage at very small phase angles (a less than 13 deg) important for distinguishing the well-known 'opposition effect'. Spectrogoniometric measurements from returned lunar samples can provide photometric coverage at almost any geometry; however, mechanical properties of prepared particulate laboratory samples, such as particle compaction and macroscopic roughness, likely differ from those on the lunar surface. In this study, we have developed methods for the simultaneous analysis of all three types of data: we combine Galileo and telescopic observations to obtain the most complete coverage with photometric geometry, and use spectrogoniometric observations of lunar soils to help distinguish the photometric effects of macroscopic roughness from those caused by particle phase function behavior (i.e., the directional scattering properties of regolith particles).

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-01-31

In the launch control center at Kennedy Space Flight Center (KSC), Walter J. Kapryan, Director of Launch Operations (center), discusses an aspect of the Apollo 14 flight with Marshall Space Flight Center’s (MSFC) Dr. Rocco A. Petrone, Apollo Program Director (right). The Apollo 14, carrying a crew of three astronauts: Mission commander Alan B. Shepard Jr., Command Module pilot Stuart A. Roosa, and Lunar Module pilot Edgar D. Mitchell, lifted off from launch complex 39A at KSC on January 31, 1971. It was the third manned lunar landing, the first manned landing in exploration of the lunar highlands, and it demonstrated pinpoint landing capability. The major goal of Apollo 14 was the scientific exploration of the Moon in the foothills of the rugged Fra Mauro region. The extravehicular activity (EVA) of astronauts Shepard and Mitchell included setting up an automated scientific laboratory called Apollo Lunar Scientific Experiments Package (ALSEP), and collecting a total of about 95 pounds (43 kilograms) of Moon rock and soil for a geological investigation back on the Earth. Apollo 14 safely returned to Earth on February 9, 1971.

Thermophysical properties of Apollo 14 fines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cremers, C. J.

1974-01-01

The vacuum thermal conductivity of lunar fines sample 14163 was measured for the approximate temperature range of 100 to 400 K. Sample densities of 1500 kg/cu m and 1800 kg/cu m were used. The temperature dependence of the conductivity was found to be well represented by the relation k = A + BT-cubed, which is predicted by elementary theory. The coefficients A and B were obtained by least-squares analysis of the data. The thermal diffusivity was calculated for the various densities using specific heat data from the literature along with the measured conductivities. The results are compared with those obtained for Apollo 11, Apollo 12, and terrestrial basalt samples.

Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 18th, Houston, TX, Mar. 16-20, 1987, Proceedings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryder, Graham (Editor)

1988-01-01

Papers on lunar and planetary science are presented, including petrogenesis and chemistry of lunar samples, geology and petrogenesis of the Apollo 15 landing site, lunar geology and applications, cratering records and cratering effects, differentiated meteorites, chondritic meteorites and asteroids, extraterrestrial grains, Venus, Mars, and icy satellites. The importance of lunar granite and KREEP in very high potassium basalt petrogenesis, indentifying parent plutonic rocks from lunar breccia and soil fragments, glasses in ancient and young Apollo 16 regolith breccias, the formation of the Imbrium basin, the chemistry and petrology of the Apennine Front, lunar mare ridges, studies of Rima Mozart, electromagnetic energy applications in lunar resource mining and construction, detecting a periodic signal in the terrestrial cratering record, and a search for water on the moon, are among the topics discussed. Other topics include the bidirectional reflectance properties of Fe-Ni meteorites, the nature and origin of C-rich ordinary chondrites and chondritic clasts, the dehydration kinetics of shocked serpentine, characteristics of Greenland Fe/Ni cosmic grains, electron microscopy of a hydrated interplanetary dust particle, trapping Ne, Ar, Kr, and Xe in Si2O3 smokes, gossans on Mars, and a model of the porous structure of icy satellites.

ART CONCEPTS - APOLLO IX

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-02-20

S69-19794 (February 1969) --- Composite of two artist's concepts illustrating key events, tasks and activities on the third day of the Apollo 9 mission, including crew transfer and Lunar Module system evaluation. The Apollo 9 mission will evaluate spacecraft lunar module systems performance during manned Earth-orbital flight.

Extended HFSE systematics of Apollo samples - wrenching further Secrets from the Lunar Mantle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiemens, M. M.; Sprung, P.; Munker, C.

2016-12-01

As Earth's intimate companion, the Moon provides a close extraterrestrial view on planetary differentiation. In turn, investigating chemical and isotopic compositions of lunar rocks for traces of a putative crystallizing Lunar Magma Ocean (LMO) provides a better understanding of the evolution and differentiation of infant planetary bodies.We expand on high-precision extended High Field Strength Element (HFSE) observations of Münker [1]. In detail, we investigate if the HFSE systematics of low- and high- Ti basalts, KREEPy basalts and breccias, soils, and ferroan anorthosites (FAN) are consistent with their formation from the LMO (FAN, KREEP) or mantle sources comprising mixtures of primary LMO products [2] (mare basalts). Of particular interest is the recently discovered dependence of HFSE partitioning on the Ti-concentration of co-existing melts [3] and that of W partitioning on oxygen fugacity [3,4].Our data form a positively correlated array in Zr/Hf vs. Nb/Ta space, similar to previous high-precision [1] but unlike lower-precision data. The HFSE systematics of different rock types from the Apollo missions mostly form distinct groups. High-Ti and some Apollo 12 low-Ti mare basalts form the lower end of the array, KREEPy samples its upper end. Low Zr/Nb in most high-Ti mare basalts and the globally highest Hf/W confirm involvement of Ti-rich-oxide-bearing cumulates in high-Ti formation [e.g., 1,2]. No global lunar trends exist for Hf/W vs. Zr/Nb. Overall, the composition of KREEPy samples agrees reasonably well with model KREEP-compositions assuming a LMO below IW-1 [1,4].Clearly distinct groupings observed for the various rock types and the lack of a global trend in Hf/W vs. Zr/Nb calls for melting of distinct ultramafic sources [1]. The HFSE systematics of Apollo rocks tend to support a LMO scenario, setting the stage for more detailed petrogenetic modeling. Initial modeling suggests that the lunar mantle must possess residual metal to reconcile the HFSE systematics of Apollo rocks within an LMO-scenario, providing an alternative explanation for the very low abundances of HSE in the lunar crust [5].[1] Münker, C. (2010) GCA 74, 7340-7361. [2] Snyder et al. (1992) GCA 56, 3809-3823. [3] Leitzke et al. (in press) Chem. Geol. [4] Fonseca et al. (2014) EPSL 404, 1-13. [5] Day & Walker (2015) EPSL 423, 114-124

PHOTOMICROGRAPH - SPHERE FRAGMENTS - "ORANGE" SOIL - APOLLO 17 - MSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-01-04

S73-15171 (4 Jan. 1973) --- These orange glass spheres and fragments are the finest particles ever brought back from the moon. Ranging in size from 20 to 45 microns (about 1/1000 of an inch) the particles are magnified 160 times in this photomicrograph made in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory at the Manned Spacecraft Center. The orange soil was brought back from the Taurus-Littrow landing site by the Apollo 17 crewmen. Scientist-astronaut Harrison H. "Jack" Schmitt discovered the orange soil at Shorty Crater during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA). This lunar material is being studied and analyzed by scientists in the LRL. The orange particles in this photomicrograph, which are intermixed with black and black-speckled grains, are about the same size as the particles that compose silt on Earth. Chemical analysis of the orange soil material has shown the sample to be similar to some of the samples brought back from the Apollo 11 (Sea of Tranquility) site several hundred miles to the southwest. Like those samples, it is rich in titanium (8%) and iron oxide (22%). But unlike the Apollo 11 samples, the orange soil is unexplainably rich in zinc ? an anomaly that has scientists in a quandary. This Apollo 17 sample is not high in volatile elements, nor do the minerals contain substantial amounts of water. These would have provided strong evidence of volcanic activity. On the other hand, the lack of agglutinates (rocks made up of a variety of minerals cemented together) indicates that the orange glass is probably not the product of meteorite impact -- strengthening the argument that the glass was produced by volcanic activity.

APOLLO XIII CREW - MISSION OPERATIONS CONTROL ROOM (MOCR) - APOLLO XII - LUNAR EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITY (EVA) - MSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-21

S69-59525 (19 Nov. 1969) --- Overall view of activity in the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) in the Mission Control Center (MCC), Building 30, during the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission. When this picture was made the first Apollo 12 extravehicular activity (EVA) was being televised from the surface of the moon. Photo credit: NASA

Astronaut Eugene Cernan sleeping aboard Apollo 17 spacecraft

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-12-17

AS17-162-24049 (7-19 Dec. 1972) --- A fellow crewman took this picture of astronaut Eugene A. Cernan dozing aboard the Apollo 17 spacecraft during the final lunar landing mission in NASA's Apollo program. Also, aboard Apollo 17 were astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, and scientist-astronaut Harrison H. "Jack" Schmitt, lunar module pilot. Cernan was the mission commander.

MoonDB: Restoration and Synthesis of Lunar Petrological and Geochemical Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lehnert, Kerstin A.; Cai, Yue; Mana, Sara; Todd, Nancy S.; Zeigler, Ryan A.; Evans, Cindy A.

2016-01-01

About 2,200 samples were collected from the Moon during the Apollo missions, forming a unique and irreplaceable legacy of the Apollo program. These samples, obtained at tremendous cost and great risk, are the only samples that have ever been returned by astronauts from the surface of another planetary body. These lunar samples have been curated at NASA Johnson Space Center and made available to the global research community. Over more than 45 years, a vast body of petrological, geochemical, and geochronological studies of these samples have been amassed, which helped to expand our understanding of the history and evolution of the Moon, the Earth itself, and the history of our entire solar system. Unfortunately, data from these studies are dispersed in the literature, often only available in analog format in older publications, and/or lacking sample metadata and analytical metadata (e.g., information about analytical procedure and data quality), which greatly limits their usage for new scientific endeavors. Even worse is that much lunar data have never been published, simply because no forum existed at the time (e.g., electronic supplements). Thousands of valuable analyses remain inaccessible, often preserved only in personal records, and are in danger of being lost forever, when investigators retire or pass away. Making these data and metadata publicly accessible in a digital format would dramatically help guide current and future research and eliminate duplicated analyses of precious lunar samples.

Mossbauer analysis of Luna 16 lunar surface material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nady, D. L.; Cher, L.; Kulcsar, K.

1974-01-01

Samples of Apollo 11 lunar surface material were studied by the Mossbauer effect. Owing to the small number of other resonant isotopes, all measurements were made with Fe-57 nuclei. The principal constituents of the material were as follows: Iron containing silicates (olivine, pyroxene, and so on), ilmenite (FeTiO3), and metallic iron.

Investigating the Sources and Timing of Projectiles Striking the Lunar Surface

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joy, K. H.; Kring, D. A.; Zolensky, M. E.; McKay, D. S.; Ross, D. K.

2011-01-01

The lunar surface is exposed to bombardment by asteroids, comets, and debris from them. Surviving fragments of those projectiles in the lunar regolith provide a direct measure of the sources of exogenous material delivered to the Moon. Con-straining the temporal flux of their delivery will directly address key questions about the bombardment history of the inner Solar System. Regolith breccias, which are consolidated samples of the lunar regolith, were closed to further impact processing at the time they were assembled into rocks [1]. They are, therefore, time capsules of impact bombardment at different times through lunar history. Here we investigate the impact archive preserved in the Apollo 16 regolith breccias and compare this record to evidence of projectile species in other lunar samples.

Lunar Module Communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Interbartolo, Michael A.

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the Apollo lunar module communications. It describes several changes in terminology from the Apollo era to more recent terms. It reviews: (1) Lunar Module Antennas and Functions (2). Earth Line of Sight Communications Links (3) No Earth Line of Sight Communications Links (4) Lunar Surface Communications Links (5) Signal-Processing Assembly (6) Instrumentation System (7) Some Communications Problems Encountered

APOLLO XVI - LIFTOFF - KSC

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-04-16

S72-35345 (16 April 1972) --- The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 16 (Spacecraft 113/Lunar Module 11/Saturn 511) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, at 12:54:00.569 p.m.(EST), April 16, 1972, on a lunar landing mission. Aboard the Apollo 16 spacecraft were astronauts John W. Young, commander; Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot; and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot.

Trace geochemistry of lunar material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morrison, G. H.

1974-01-01

The lunar samples from the Apollo 16 and 17 flights which were analyzed include soil, igneous rock, anorthositic gabbro, orange soil, subfloor basalt, and norite breccia. Up to 57 elements including majors, minors, rare earths and other trace elements were determined in the lunar samples. The analytical techniques used were spark source mass spectrometry and neutron activation analysis. The latter was done either instrumentally or with group radiochemical separations. The differences in abundances of the elements in lunar soils at the various sites are discussed. With regard to the major elements only Si is about the same at all the sites. A detailed analysis which was performed on a sample of the Allende meteorite is summarized.

Introduction to the Apollo collections: Part 2: Lunar breccias

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcgee, P. E.; Simonds, C. H.; Warner, J. L.; Phinney, W. C.

1979-01-01

Basic petrographic, chemical and age data for a representative suite of lunar breccias are presented for students and potential lunar sample investigators. Emphasis is on sample description and data presentation. Samples are listed, together with a classification scheme based on matrix texture and mineralogy and the nature and abundance of glass present both in the matrix and as clasts. A calculus of the classification scheme, describes the characteristic features of each of the breccia groups. The cratering process which describes the sequence of events immediately following an impact event is discussed, especially the thermal and material transport processes affecting the two major components of lunar breccias (clastic debris and fused material).

Radioactive rare gases and tritium in the sample return container, and the $sup 37$Ar and $sup 39$Ar depth profile in the Apollo 16 drill stem

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stoenner, R.W.; Davis, R. Jr.; Bauer, M.

1973-01-01

The gas was extracted from the sample return container from the Apollo 16 and 17 missions by adsorption on charcoal and activated vanadium metal. The hydrogen, argon, and radon were separated and counted to give the tritium, /sup 37/Ar, /suyp 39/Ar, and /sup 222 /Rn activities. The tritium and argon activities observed could be explained by diffusive losses of these gases from the fine material in the container. There was no excess tritium present in the Apollo 17 containers that could be attributed to solar tritons remaining from the intense flare of August 4, 1972. The /sup 222/Rn observed inmore » the sample return container was interpreted as an emanation product from lunar fines and an emanation yield of 1 x 10/sup -4/ was calculated. This yield is consistent with the low radon content observed in the lunar atmosphere. The tritium, sup 37/Ar, / sup 39/Ar, and /sup 222/Rn activities and the K, Ca, Ti, Fe, and Mn contents were measured on a set of samples from the Apollo 16 deep drill stem at depths from 83 to 343 g/cm/sup 2/. The /sup 37/Ar and /sup 39/Ar activities combined with similar measurements at more shallow depth by Fireman and associates (SAO) give the complete activity proflle in the lunar regolith. Since /sup 37/Ar is produced mainly by the /sup 40/Ca(n, alpha )/su p 37/Ar reaction it is possible to determine the neutron production rate in the regolith as a function of the depth. The /sup 222/Rn extracted from the samples by vacuum melting was found to be lower than expected in some samples based upon their uranium contents. The hydrogen and helium contents of the drill stem samples were measured and found to be relatively uniform with depth in contrast to similar measurements on Apollo 15 and 17 drill stems. The H/He atom ratio was higher than the accepted solar-wind value by a factor of two, possibly due to water contamination. (auth)« less

Apollo 15 prime crew portrait

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-06-28

S71-37963 (July 1971) --- These three astronauts are the prime crew of the Apollo 15 lunar landing mission. They are, left to right, David R. Scott, commander; Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot; and James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot. The Apollo 15 emblem is in the background.

Progress photograph of sample experiments being conducted with lunar materia

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-09-29

S69-53126 (30 Sept. 1969) --- A progress photograph of sample experiments being conducted in the Manned Spacecraft Center?s Lunar Receiving Laboratory with lunar material brought back to Earth by the crew of the Apollo 11 mission. Aseptic cultures of liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha) - a species of plant commonly found growing on rocks or in wooded areas - are shown in two rows of sample containers. Seven weeks or some 50 days prior to this photograph 0.22 grams of finely ground lunar material was added to each of the upper samples of cultures. The lower cultures were untreated, and a noted difference can be seen in the upper row and the lower one, both in color and size of the cultures.

Television transmission at end of second extravehicular activity

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-02-06

S71-20784 (5 Feb. 1971) --- Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., Apollo 14 commander, can be seen preparing to swing at a golf ball during a television transmission near the close of the second Extravehicular Activity (EVA-2) at the Apollo 14 Fra Mauro landing site. Shepard is using a real golf ball and an actual six iron, attached to the end of the handle for the contingency sample return. Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, looks on. Also visible in the picture is the erectable S-Band antenna (left foreground). Astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit, while Shepard and Mitchell descended in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon. Photo credit: NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Benefit from NASA

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-08-01

Apollo-era technology spurred the development of cordless products that we take for granted everyday. In the 1960s, NASA asked Black Decker to develop a special drill that would be powerful enough to cut through hard layers of the lunar surface and be lightweight, compact, and operate under its own power source, allowing Apollo astronauts to collect lunar samples further away from the Lunar Experiment Module. In response, Black Decker developed a computer program that analyzed and optimized drill motor operations. From their analysis, engineers were able to design a motor that was powerful yet required minimal battery power to operate. Since those first days of cordless products, Black Decker has continued to refine this technology and they now sell their rechargeable products worldwide (i.e. the Dustbuster, cordless tools for home and industrial use, and medical tools.)

Cordless Products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Apollo-era technology spurred the development of cordless products that we take for granted everyday. In the 1960s, NASA asked Black Decker to develop a special drill that would be powerful enough to cut through hard layers of the lunar surface and be lightweight, compact, and operate under its own power source, allowing Apollo astronauts to collect lunar samples further away from the Lunar Experiment Module. In response, Black Decker developed a computer program that analyzed and optimized drill motor operations. From their analysis, engineers were able to design a motor that was powerful yet required minimal battery power to operate. Since those first days of cordless products, Black Decker has continued to refine this technology and they now sell their rechargeable products worldwide (i.e. the Dustbuster, cordless tools for home and industrial use, and medical tools.)

View of docked Apollo 9 Command/Service Module and Lunar Module

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-03-06

AS09-20-3064 (6 March 1969) --- Excellent view of the docked Apollo 9 Command and Service Modules (CSM) and Lunar Module (LM), with Earth in the background, during astronaut David R. Scott's stand-up extravehicular activity (EVA), on the fourth day of the Apollo 9 Earth-orbital mission. Scott, command module pilot, is standing in the open hatch of the Command Module (CM). Astronaut Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot, took this photograph of Scott from the porch of the LM. Inside the LM was astronaut James A. McDivitt, Apollo 9 commander.

Measurements of Photoelectric Yield and Physical Properties of Individual Lunar Dust Grains

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbas, M. M.; Tankosic, D.; Craven, P. D.; Spann, J. F.; LeClair, A.; West, F. A.; Taylor, L.; Hoover, R.

2005-01-01

Micron size dust grains levitated and transported on the lunar surface constitute a major problem for the robotic and human habitat missions for the Moon. It is well known since the Apollo missions that the lunar surface is covered with a thick layer of micron/sub-micron size dust grains. Transient dust clouds over the lunar horizon were observed by experiments during the Apollo 17 mission. Theoretical models suggest that the dust grains on the lunar surface are charged by the solar UV radiation as well as the solar wind. Even without any physical activity, the dust grains are levitated by electrostatic fields and transported away from the surface in the near vacuum environment of the Moon. The current dust charging and the levitation models, however, do not fully explain the observed phenomena. Since the abundance of dust on the Moon's surface with its observed adhesive characteristics is believed to have a severe impact on the human habitat and the lifetime and operations of a variety of equipment, it is necessary to investigate the phenomena and the charging properties of the lunar dust in order to develop appropriate mitigating strategies. We will present results of some recent laboratory experiments on individual micro/sub-micron size dust grains levitated in electrodynamic balance in simulated space environments. The experiments involve photoelectric emission measurements of individual micron size lunar dust grains illuminated with UV radiation in the 120-160 nm wavelength range. The photoelectric yields are required to determine the charging properties of lunar dust illuminated by solar UV radiation. We will present some recent results of laboratory measurement of the photoelectric yields and the physical properties of individual micron size dust grains from the Apollo and Luna-24 sample returns as well as the JSC-1 lunar simulants.

Astronaut Fred Haise participates in simulation training

NASA Image and Video Library

1970-04-07

S70-34412 (4 April 1970) --- Astronaut Fred W. Haise Jr., Apollo 13 lunar module pilot, participates in simulation training in preparation for the scheduled lunar landing mission. He is in the Apollo Lunar Module Mission Simulator in the Kennedy Space Center's Flight Crew Training building.

Apollo 12 Mission image - Lunar surface near lunar module

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-19

AS12-47-6949 (19-20 Nov. 1969) --- A photograph of the Apollo 12 lunar landing site taken during the extravehicular activity (EVA) of astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander; and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot. The Apollo 12 Lunar Module (LM) is on the left. Barely visible in the center of the picture, in the shadows on the farside of the crater, is the Surveyor 3 spacecraft. The two spacecraft are about 600 feet apart. Conrad and Bean walked over to Surveyor 3 during their second EVA. The television camera and several other pieces were taken from Surveyor 3 and brought back to Earth for scientific examination. Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit, while astronauts Conrad and Bean descended in the LM to explore the moon. The considerable glare in the picture is caused by the position of the sun. The Apollo tool carrier is the object next to the LM footpad.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-12-19

Pictured from left to right, the Apollo 9 astronauts, James A. McDivitt, David R. Scott, and Russell L. Schweickart, pause in front of the Apollo/Saturn V space vehicle that would launch the Apollo 8 crew. The launch of the Apollo 9 (Saturn V launch vehicle, SA-504) took place on March 3, 1968. The Apollo 9 spacecraft, in the lunar mission configuration, was tested in Earth orbit. The mission was designed to rehearse all the steps and reproduce all the events of the Apollo 11 mission with the exception of the lunar touchdown, stay, and liftoff. The command and service modules, and the lunar module were used in flight procedures identical to those that would later take similar vehicles to the Moon, and a landing. The flight mechanics, mission support systems, communications, and recording of data were tested in a final round of verification. Astronauts Scott and Schweickart conducted Extravehicular Activity during this mission.

View of the orange soil which Apollo 17 crewmen found at Station 4 during EVA

NASA Image and Video Library

1972-12-12

AS17-137-20990 (12 Dec. 1972) --- A view of the area at Station 4 (Shorty Crater) showing the now highly-publicized orange soil which the Apollo 17 crew members found on the moon during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The tripod-like object is the gnomon and photometric chart assembly which is used as a photographic reference to establish local vertical sun angle, scale and lunar color. The gnomon is one of the Apollo lunar geology hand tools. While astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, commander, and Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Challenger" to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "America" in lunar orbit. Schmitt was the crew man who first spotted the orange soil.

Saturn Apollo Program

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-01-31

The moon bound Apollo 14, carrying a crew of three astronauts: Mission commander Alan B. Shepard Jr., Command Module pilot Stuart A. Roosa, and Lunar Module pilot Edgar D. Mitchell, lifted off from launch complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on January 31, 1971. It was the third manned lunar landing, the first manned landing in exploration of the lunar highlands, and it demonstrated pinpoint landing capability. The major goal of Apollo 14 was the scientific exploration of the Moon in the foothills of the rugged Fra Mauro region. The lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) of astronauts Shepard and Mitchell included setting up an automated scientific laboratory called Apollo Lunar Scientific Experiments Package (ALSEP), and collecting a total of about 95 pounds (43 kilograms) of Moon rock and soil for a geological investigation back on the Earth. The mission safely returned to Earth on February 9, 1971.

Apollo 12 stereo view of lunar surface upon which astronaut had stepped

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-20

AS12-57-8448 (19-20 Nov. 1969) --- An Apollo 12 stereo view showing a three-inch square of the lunar surface upon which an astronaut had stepped. Taken during extravehicular activity of astronauts Charles Conrad Jr. and Alan L. Bean, the exposure of the boot imprint was made with an Apollo 35mm stereo close-up camera. The camera was developed to get the highest possible resolution of a small area. The three-inch square is photographed with a flash illumination and at a fixed distance. The camera is mounted on a walking stick, and the astronauts use it by holding it up against the object to be photographed and pulling the trigger. While astronauts Conrad and Bean descended in their Apollo 12 Lunar Module to explore the lunar surface, astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr. remained with the Command and Service Modules in lunar orbit.

President Nixon - Welcome - Apollo XI Astronauts - USS Hornet

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-24

S69-21365 (24 July 1969) --- United States President Richard M. Nixon was in the central Pacific recovery area to welcome the Apollo 11 astronauts aboard the USS Hornet, prime recovery ship for the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. Already confined to the Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF) are (left to right) Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. Apollo 11 splashed down at 11:49 a.m. (CDT), July 24, 1969, about 812 nautical miles southwest of Hawaii and only 12 nautical miles from the USS Hornet. The three crewmen will remain in the MQF until they arrive at the Manned Spacecraft Center's (MSC) Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL). While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Collins remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit. Photo credit: NASA

Lunar and Meteorite Thin Sections for Undergraduate and Graduate Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, J.; Galindo, C.; Luckey, M.; Reustle, J.; Todd, N.; Allen, C.

2012-01-01

The Johnson Space Center (JSC) has the unique responsibility to curate NASA's extraterrestrial samples from past and future missions. Curation includes documentation, preservation, preparation, and distribution of samples for research, education, and public outreach. Between 1969 and 1972 six Apollo missions brought back 382 kilograms of lunar rocks, core samples, pebbles, sand and dust from the lunar surface. JSC also curates meteorites collected on US expeditions to Antarctica including rocks from Moon, Mars, and many asteroids including Vesta. Studies of rock and soil samples from the Moon and meteorites continue to yield useful information about the early history of the Moon, the Earth, and the inner solar system.

Pristine moon rocks - A 'large' felsite and a metal-rich ferroan anorthosite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Warren, Paul H.; Jerde, Eric A.; Kallemeyn, Gregory W.

1987-01-01

Results of elemental analyses, performed either by instrumental neutron activation analysis (NAA) or radiochemical NAA, of 19 lunar rock samples obtained by the Apollo 15, 17, and 12 missions are presented. Two of the samples are most extraordinary: 'large' (1 g) felsite from Apollo 12 and a pristine ferroan anorthosite from Apollo 15. The felsite is mainly a graphic intergrowth of K-feldspar and a silica phase, with about 6 pct plagioclase and 1 pct each of ferroaugite, ilmenite, and fayalitic olivine. The Fe-metal content of ferroan anorthosite is 1.2 wt pct in the thin section studied (but, based on mass balance for Co and Ni, must have been lower in the chip used for bulk-rock analysis); the measured bulk-rock concentrations of siderophile elements Re, Os, and Ir are far higher than previously observed among pristine lunar anorthosites. These results underscore the uncertainty associated with any attempt to estimate the overall siderophile element contents of the moon's crust.

Magnetism and the interior of the moon. [measured at Apollo landing sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyal, P.; Parkin, C. W.; Daily, W. D.

1974-01-01

During the time period 1961-1972 eleven magnetometers were sent to the moon. The results of lunar magnetometer data analysis are reviewed, with emphasis on the lunar interior. Magnetic fields have been measured on the lunar surface at the Apollo 12, 14, 15, and 16 landing sites. The remanent field values at these sites are given. Satellite and surface measurements show strong evidence that the lunar crust is magnetized over much of the lunar globe. The origin of the lunar remanent field is not yet satisfactorily understood; several source models are presented. Simultaneous data from the Apollo 12 lunar surface magnetometer and the Explorer 35 Ames magnetometer are used to construct a wholemoon hysteresis curve, from which the global lunar permeability is determined. Total iron abundance is calculated for two assumed compositional models of the lunar interior. Other lunar models with a small iron core and with a shallow iron-rich layer are also discussed in light of the measured global permeability.

Erosive Wear Characterization of Materials for Lunar Construction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mpagazehe, Jeremiah N.; Street, Kenneth W., Jr.; Delgado, Irebert R.; Higgs, C. Fred, III

2012-01-01

NASA s Apollo missions revealed that exhaust from the retrorockets of landing spacecraft may act to significantly accelerate lunar dust on the surface of the Moon. A recent study by Immer et al. (C. Immer, P.T. Metzger, P.E. Hintze, A. Nick, and R. Horan, Apollo 12 Lunar Module exhaust plume impingement on Lunar Surveyor III, Icarus, Vol. 211, pp. 1089-1102, 2011) investigated coupons returned to Earth from the Surveyor III lunar probe which were subjected to lunar dust impingement by the Apollo 12 Lunar Module landing. Their study revealed that even with indirect impingement, the spacecraft sustained erosive damage from the fast-moving lunar dust particles. In this work, results are presented from a series of erosive wear experiments performed on 6061 Aluminum using the JSC-1AF lunar dust simulant. Optical profilometry was used to investigate the surface after the erosion process. It was found that even short durations of lunar dust simulant impacting at low velocities produced substantial changes in the surface.

Apollo 9 prime crew inside Apollo command module boilerplate during training

NASA Image and Video Library

1968-11-05

S68-54850 (5 Nov. 1968) --- The prime crew of the Apollo 9 (Spacecraft 104/Lunar Module 3/Saturn 504) space mission are seen inside an Apollo command module boilerplate during water egress training activity in the Gulf of Mexico. From foreground, are astronauts James A. McDivitt, commander; David R. Scott, command module pilot; and Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot.

Analysis of Lunar Highland Regolith Samples from Apollo 16 Drive Core 64001/2 and Lunar Regolith Simulants - An Expanding Comparative Database

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schrader, Christian M.; Rickman, Doug; Stoeser, Doug; Wentworth, Susan J.; Botha, Pieter WSK; Butcher, Alan R.; McKay, David; Horsch, Hanna; Benedictus, Aukje; Gottlieb, Paul

2008-01-01

We present modal data from QEMSCAN(registered TradeMark) beam analysis of Apollo 16 samples from drive core 64001/2. The analyzed lunar samples are thin sections 64002,6019 (5.0-8.0 cm depth) and 64001,6031 (50.0-53.1 cm depth) and sieved grain mounts 64002,262 and 64001,374 from depths corresponding to the thin sections, respectively. We also analyzed lunar highland regolith simulants NU-LHT-1M, -2M, and OB-1, low-Ti mare simulants JSC-1, -lA, -1AF, and FJS-1, and high-Ti mare simulant MLS-1. The preliminary results comprise the beginning of an internally consistent database of lunar regolith and regolith simulant mineral and glass information. This database, combined with previous and concurrent studies on phase chemistry, bulk chemistry, and with data on particle shape and size distribution, will serve to guide lunar scientists and engineers in choosing simulants for their applications. These results are modal% by phase rather than by particle type, so they are not directly comparable to most previously published lunar data that report lithic fragments, monomineralic particles, agglutinates, etc. Of the highland simulants, 08-1 has an integrated modal composition closer than NU-LHT-1M to that of the 64001/2 samples, However, this and other studies show that NU-LHT-1M and -2M have minor and trace mineral (e.g., Fe-Ti oxides and phosphates) populations and mineral and glass chemistry closer to these lunar samples. The finest fractions (0-20 microns) in the sieved lunar samples are enriched in glass relative to the integrated compositions by approx.30% for 64002,262 and approx.15% for 64001,374. Plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine are depleted in these finest fractions. This could be important to lunar dust mitigation efforts and astronaut health - none of the analyzed simulants show this trend. Contrary to previously reported modal analyses of monomineralic grains in lunar regolith, these area% modal analyses do not show a systematic increase in plagiociase/pyroxene as size fraction decreases.

Crew Training- Apollo 9

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-02-24

S69-19858 (December 1968) --- Two members of the Apollo 9 prime crew participate in simulation training in the Apollo Lunar Module Mission Simulator (LMMS) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). On the left is astronaut James A. McDivitt, commander; and on the right is astronaut Russell L. Schweickart, lunar module pilot.

Apollo 9 Command/Service Modules photographed from Lunar Module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1969-01-01

The Apollo 9 Command/Service Modules photographed from the Lunar Module, 'Spider', on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 earth-orbital mission. Docking mechanism is visible in nose of the Command Module, 'Gumdrop'. Object jutting out from the Service Module aft bulkhead is the high-gain S-Band antenna.

Apollo 12 Mission image - Photo of Al Bean and the TV taken from just inside the rim of Surveyor Crater

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-11-19

AS12-46-6780 (19 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot for the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission, walks from the color lunar surface television camera (center) toward the Apollo 12 Lunar Module (LM - out of frame). The photograph was taken by astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander, during the first extravehicular activity (EVA) of the mission. While astronauts Conrad and Bean descended in the LM "Intrepid" to explore the Ocean of Storms region of the moon, astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Yankee Clipper" in lunar orbit.

View of plaque Apollo 11 astronauts left on moon

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-07-20

AS11-40-5899 (20 July 1969) --- Close-up view of the plaque which the Apollo 11 astronauts left on the moon in commemoration of the historic lunar landing mission. The plaque was attached to the ladder on the landing gear strut on the descent stage of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module (LM). The plaque was covered with a thin sheet of stainless steel during flight. Astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit while astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, explored the moon.

View of the Apollo 15 Command/Service Module in lunar orbit

NASA Image and Video Library

1971-07-30

AS15-88-11974 (30 July 1971) --- A view of the Apollo 15 Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit as photographed from the Lunar Module (LM) just after rendezvous. The lunar nearside is in the background. This view is looking southeast into the Sea of Fertility. The crater Taruntius is at the right center edge of the picture.

Are the Clast Lithologies Contained in Lunar Breccia 64435 Mixtures of Anorthositic Magmas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, J. I.; Mittlefehldt, D. W.; Peng, Z. X.; Nyquist, L. E.; Shih, C.-Y.; Yamaguchi, A.

2015-01-01

The anorthositic crust of the Moon is often used as the archtypical example of a primary planetary crust. The abundance and purity of anorthosite in the Apollo sample collection and remote sensing data are generally attributed to an early global magma ocean which produced widespread floating plagioclase cumulates (the ferroan anorthosites; FANs. Recent geochronology studies report evidence of young (less than 4.4 Ga) FAN ages, which suggest that either some may not be directly produced from the magma ocean or that the final solidification age of the magma ocean was younger than previous estimates. A greater diversity of anorthositic rocks have been identified among lunar meteorites as compared to returned lunar samples. Granted that these lithologies are often based on small clasts in lunar breccias and therefore may not represent their actual whole rock composition. Nevertheless, as suggested by the abundance of anorthositic clasts with Mg# [Mg/(Mg+Fe)] less than 0.80 and the difficulty of producing the extremely high plagioclase contents observed in Apollo samples and the remote sensing data, modification of the standard Lunar Magma Ocean (LMO) model may be in order. To ground truth mission science and to further test the LMO and other hypotheses for the formation of the lunar crust, additional coordinated petrology and geochronology studies of lunar anorthosites would be informative. Here we report new mineral chemistry and trace element geochemistry studies of thick sections of a composite of FAN-suite igneous clasts contained in the lunar breccia 64435 in order to assess the significance of this type of sample for petrogenetic studies of the Moon. This work follows recent isotopic studies of the lithologies in 64435 focusing on the same sample materials and expands on previous petrology studies who identified three lithologies in this sample and worked on thin sections.

Chemical, mineralogical and textural systematics of non-mare melt rocks: Implications for lunar impact and volcanic processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Irving, A. J.

1975-01-01

Based on a synthesis of chemical data for over 200 samples, the nonmare rocks with fine grained melt textures can be classified into 7 major groups: anorthositic basalts, troctolitic basalts, VHA basalts, Apollo 14-type KREEP basalts, Apollo 15-type KREEP basalts, Apollo 17-type KREEP basalts, and aluminous mare basalts. Review of chemical, mineralogical, textural and experimental evidence leads to preferred hypotheses for the origins of these rocks; those hypotheses are discussed in detail.

Apollo 12 - Bean - Conrad - during geological field trip

NASA Image and Video Library

1969-10-24

S69-55667 (10 Oct. 1969) --- Astronauts Charles Conrad Jr. and Alan L. Bean train for their upcoming Apollo 12 lunar landing mission. Here they are entering a simulated lunar surface area near Flagstaff, Arizona. Both are wearing lunar surface cameras strapped to their bodies. Conrad (left), the Apollo 12 mission commander, is carrying some of the tools from the geological tool container. The geological tool container, being carried here by Bean, the lunar module pilot, is similar to the one which will be used during scheduled extravehicular activity (EVA) periods on Nov. 19 and 20, 1969, on the lunar surface. While astronauts Conrad and Bean conduct their scheduled EVA on the moon's surface, astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, will man the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Lunar Geophysics: Rockin' and a-Reelin'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This document contained the following topics: The Influence of Tidal, Despinning, and Magma Ocean Cooling Stresses on the Magnitude and Orientation of the Moon#s Early Global Stress Field; New Approach to Development of Moon Rotation Theory; Lunar Core and Tides; Lunar Interior Studies Using Lunar Prospector Line-of-Sight Acceleration Data; A First Crustal Thickness Map of the Moon with Apollo Seismic Data; New Events Discovered in the Apollo Lunar Seismic Data; More Far-Side Deep Moonquake Nests Discovered; and Manifestation of Gas-Dust Streams from Double Stars on Lunar Seismicity.

Astronaut John Young leaps from lunar surface to salute flag

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, leaps from the lunar surface as he salutes the U.S. Flag at the Descartes landing site during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-1). Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, took this picture. The Lunar Module (LM) 'Orion' is on the left. The Lunar Roving Vehicle is parked beside the LM. The object behind Young in the shade of the LM is the Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph. Stone Mountain dominates the background in this lunar scene.

Standard Lunar Regolith Simulants for Space Resource Utilization Technologies Development: Effects of Materials Choices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sibille, Laurent; Carpenter, Paul K.

2006-01-01

As NASA turns its exploration ambitions towards the Moon once again, the research and development of new technologies for lunar operations face the challenge of meeting the milestones of a fastpace schedule, reminiscent of the 1960's Apollo program. While the lunar samples returned by the Apollo and Luna missions have revealed much about the Moon, these priceless materials exist in too scarce quantities to be used for technology development and testing. The need for mineral materials chosen to simulate the characteristics of lunar regoliths is a pressing issue that is being addressed today through the collaboration of scientists, engineers and NASA program managers. The issue of reproducing the properties of lunar regolith for research and technology development purposes was addressed by the recently held 2005 Workshop on Lunar Regolith Simulant Materials at Marshall Space Flight Center. The recommendation of the workshop of establishing standard simulant materials to be used in lunar technology development and testing will be discussed here with an emphasis on space resource utilization. The variety of techniques and the complexity of functional interfaces make these simulant choices critical in space resource utilization.

Lunar heat-flow experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Langseth, M. G.

1977-01-01

The principal components of the experiment were probes, each with twelve thermometers of exceptional accuracy and stability, that recorded temperature variations at the surface and in the regolith down to 2.5 m. The Apollo 15 experiment and the Apollo 17 probes recorded lunar surface and subsurface temperatures. These data provided a unique and valuable history of the interaction of solar energy with lunar surface and the effects of heat flowing from the deep interior out through the surface of the moon. The interpretation of these data resulted in a clearer definition of the thermal and mechanical properties of the upper two meters of lunar regolith, direct measurements of the gradient in mean temperature due to heat flow from the interior and a determination of the heat flow at the Apollo 15 and Apollo 17 sites.