Soviet Lunar Images Options

[Phil Stooke]

Here's another very interesting and little known topic, so this is a chance to ask or to post about it.

I am looking for information on the Soviet Union's lunar missions. Actually I have lots already, but you can always use a bit more.

Specifically, consider this question: what areas were photographed by the Soviet lunar orbiters, Lunas 12, 19 and 22? First I must say that these were NOT systematic mapping missions, they were tests of experimental imaging systems, and the SU never undertook any systematic mapping of the Moon. So coverage is limited.

I have searched high and low for images from these missions, helped especially by the extremely talented and knowledgeable Don Mitchell. For this post I'm going to stick to Luna 19, coming back to the others later. Between us, Don and I have located five Luna 19 images, often of very poor quality (photocopies of prints from magazines, microfilm of russian newspapers, etc.) I reprojected them into approximate mapping geometry and then searched for their locations on the Moon. Result, the first ever (AFAIK) index map of Luna 19 coverage. When I was in Moscow I asked for this but got nowhere, and I'm not sure they ever did it, or certainly didn't publish it. The area often reported as the focus of Luna 19 images refers in fact only to one orbit.

So, here's the index map;



and if anybody can track down any OTHER Luna 19 images I would be VERY grateful for the information.

Phil

[David]

Although the name Columbia certainly refers to America (symbolized by 'the goddess Columbia', a woman dressed in star-spangles), the direct reference is probably to the Columbia of Robert Gray, which explored the Pacific Northwest in the 1790s (and after which the Columbia river, and, indirectly, British Columbia are named).
The other shuttles except for Atlantis are also named after ships of exploration; the HMS Discovery and HMS Endeavour were among the ships of Captain James Cook's expeditions; the HMS Challenger was a British marine research vessel of the 1870s. The Atlantis is named after a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute research ship of the early 20th century.
The program names "Mercury, Gemini, Apollo" are more or less random mythological or astronomical names (and except for Gemini, not very well chosen).
The call signs for the Apollo 9 CSM and LEM (Gumdrop, Spider) were references to the shapes of the craft, one conical, one many-legged.
The call signs for the Apollo 10 CSM and LEM (Charlie Brown, Snoopy) were popular culture references to Charles M. Schulz's comic strip Peanuts.
The Apollo 11 Columbia CSM presumably has the same origin for its name as the Shuttle Columbia. The LEM Eagle is a reference to the American national symbol, and so intended as 'patriotic'.
"Yankee Clipper" (the Apollo 12 CSM) perhaps refers to the PanAm flying boat, if not to actual New England clipper ships. The "Intrepid" LEM probably takes its name from the WWII carrier, and so is a more martial name than the others.
The Apollo 13 CSM "Odyssey" may owe its name to the Kubrick/Clarke movie. The "Aquarius" LEM seems to have been another random astronomical reference, though it probably reminded people of the "Age of Aquarius".
The "Kitty Hawk" CSM of Apollo 14 of course suggests the place where the Wrights flew their first "Flyer", but was also the name of an important aircraft carrier. The LEM "Antares" is apparently another random astronomical reference.
The Apollo 15 CSM "Endeavour" has the same referent as the shuttle. The LEM "Falcon" is named after the Air Force Academy mascot.
The Apollo 16 CSM "Casper" takes its name from the "friendly ghost" of the comic books. There may be some NASA in-joke here I don't get. The LEM "Orion" is another random astronomical reference.
The Apollo 17 CSM "America" of course refers to America, but also the aircraft carrier America and (perhaps) the famous racing yacht. The LEM "Challenger" has the same referent as the Shuttle.
This gives us the following classes of names used by American manned space vessels:
Ships of Exploration: Columbia, Endeavour, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis
Ships of War: Intrepid, Kitty Hawk, America
Other patriotic/martial: Eagle, Falcon, perhaps Yankee Clipper
Astronomy: Aquarius, Antares, Orion
Pop Culture: Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Odyssey, Casper
Other: Gumdrop, Spider

I don't recall all the names given to unmanned American probes. They seem mostly to have been intended to suggest themes of travel: Mariner, Pioneer, Viking, Magellan; although of late they have become descriptive and (if I may say so) pedestrian, tending towards "alphabet soup": MER, MRO, MGS, etc. There are also the probes named after early scientists (Galileo, Cassini). The "inspirational" names Spirit and Opportunity are perfectly serviceable but jejune (at least in America, where they are stock words in political speeches).

[Edited: Updated with information from elsewhere in this thread. Thanks to mcaplinger and dvandorn.]