Apollo Sites from LRO Options

[Phil Stooke]

Back to Apollo 17. On the return leg of EVA 2 the astronauts stopped at Victory crater, really a V-shaped secondary crater. After dropping off an explosive charge and just prior to collecting a small sample they made a rover panorama. Cernan drove the LRV in a tight circle around the explosive charge while Schmitt took a series of images. This is the resulting panorama. The foregrounds don't match up well because the viewpoint is changing, but the background offers the only detailed view of Victory from the surface (right-hand end of the panorama).

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

Too many other things happening at the moment to move quickly on Apollo 17, but here is where I am at the moment. This is Station 7 on North Massif. The Station 7 panorama projected, taking slope into account. I am mapping EVA 3 with a goal of making the Apollo 17 EVAs my LPSC poster topic.

Phil

[monty python]

I can never get over how bold this adventure was. Looking forward to your poster!

[Shan]

Apollo 17th Challenger in one piece with both ascent and descent stages.

This was taken from Apollo17 CSM after Challenger had landed on lunar surface (4 hrs after it's landing)

Was enhanced from this image - http://wms.lroc.asu.edu/apollo/view?camera...ame=AS17-P-2314

[Phil Stooke]

A nice picture, Shan. It's interesting to compare it with an LRO image (in this case M168000580R). The resolution of the LRO image is significantly better (not all are this good, of course).

Phil

[Shan]

A nice picture, Shan. It's interesting to compare it with an LRO image (in this case M168000580R). The resolution of the LRO image is significantly better (not all are this good, of course).

Phil

Thanks Phil.. My idea was just to see what would have been the view from command module when the 2 astronauts were walking on the Moon..
And the above one I posted was 4 hrs after the landing & the 2 astronauts were in the process of taking out the LRV & that's the reason you don't see a lot of disturbance..

[Phil Stooke]

Yes, that before-after comparison is interesting as well. I was looking more at the visibility of small craters. People sometimes talk about the Apollo panoramic camera images as if they are about the same resolution as the LRO NAC images, and the best ones are comparable, but generally they are not as good as LRO.

Phil

[kymani76]

LROC website recently updated traverse data for Apollo 11, 12 and 14. I could not resist turning it into my usual traverse map style.
I liked the results, especially for Apollo 12, so I wanted to share it with all of you. Note separate tracks for commander (Conrad, orange)
and lunar module pilot (Bean, green).
Will post A11 and A14 in near feature.

[Phil Stooke]

Apollo 15 will be coming to their site soon.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

Apollo 15, new website with a traverse map you can follow step by step.

Phil

http://lroc.sese.asu.edu/posts/1198

[monty python]

I was at the cape to see this mission launched. I'll never forget the sound; my chest being hit by punches and the ground shaking. What a grand time to be alive.

[kymani76]

The view of Apollo 15's traverses from the other side of the Hadley's rille. The view is really spectacular.
I can only hope they will also update Apollos 16/17 in the future.

[climber]

Discovered this article (in French) that says that Eagle’s 2nd stage could still be in lunar orbit : https://blogs.futura-sciences.com/feldmann/...orbite-lunaire/
I put it here because, if not true, I the crash site could have been spotted by LRO.
Somebody has a clue ?
Thanks

[Phil Stooke]

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2105.10088

This is the actual link to the preprint - it has now been published. The conclusion is that the LM Ascent Stage is in a stable orbit that has not impacted on the Moon yet.

Phil

[Phil Stooke]

This link:

https://snoopy.rogertwank.net/2022/03/orion...-of-impact.html


is to a blog post by Jim Meador about the Apollo 16 lunar module ascent stage. It suggests an impact which was actually detected in ALSEP seismic data, but unfortunately the impact has not yet been located in LRO images.

Phil