Moon reflector1/21/2024 ![]() ![]() This feat, however, was also first achieved by the Soviet Union on February 3, 1966, with their Luna 9. With sufficient measurements to the moon, the next objective for NASA under the direction of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory was to soft land an unmanned spacecraft on the surface with the Surveyor program. In Aldrin’s right hand is the first laser ranging retro-reflector. Neil Armstrong photographs fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin as he moves away to place equipment carried with them during the Apollo 11 landing on July 21, 1969. Ranger 4 became the first spacecraft from the United States to touch the surface when it unintentionally struck the far side of the moon on April 26, 1962, as the result of an onboard computer failure. This program involved nine spacecraft sent to the moon with an objective to obtain close-up photos of the surface between August 23, 1961, and March 21, 1965. The first manmade object to reach the moon occurred on September 14, 1959, when the Soviet Union’s Luna 2 purposely crashed upon the surface, prompting the United States to accelerate their space exploration with their Ranger program. By utilizing this technology, a series of probes were sent by both countries toward the moon during the Soviet Luna program and the American Pioneer program. ![]() Rocket technology for both countries had been bolstered by the capture of German equipment and scientists during WWII. Soon thereafter, an experiment in 1962 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, known as laser ranging, measured the round-trip time that laser pulses reflected directly off the surface of the moon.īecause the United States and the Soviet Union were both intensely exploring space, the ground-based measurements to the moon were continually being refined. Kennedy stated the goal should be to land a man on the moon and safely return by the end of the decade. An expanded program with the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958 increased the intensity of radar measurements to the moon. Naval Research Laboratory while using a 50-foot diameter radio dish. In 1957, earth-based measurements to the moon began being made by radar at the U. ![]() This Retro-Reflector, manufactured by the Bendix Corporation, is identical to the one placed on the moon during Apollo 11. The calculated distance by the meridian crossing method had an uncertainty of about 20 miles and became the definitive lunar distance value for the next half century. Observation stations for this work were located at Greenwich and at Cape of Good Hope, which share nearly the same longitude. Repeated measurements by this method were made between 1905-1910 to determine the angle of elevation at the moment the specific lunar crater, Mösting A, crossed the meridian. Another early method to determine the lunar distance, known as lunar parallax, involved simultaneously measuring the angle between the moon and a chosen reference point from multiple locations.Ī somewhat similar method, known as meridian crossing, involved lunar transits observing the moon as it crossed the meridian from two different locations. His method observed how shadows worked over a long period and determined that when a spherical object is placed in front of the sun, the length of the shadow generated would always be 108 times the diameter of the object itself. In the 2nd Century BC, Greek astronomer Hipparchus is believed to be among the first to determine the distance to the moon with some degree of accuracy. Apollo 11 was deemed a complete success-they had made it.ĭetermining the distance to the moon during all phases of its orbit was a critical aspect in getting man to its surface. Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin joined Armstrong 19 minutes later on the Mare Tranquillitatis, while command module pilot Michael Collins piloted Columbia in lunar orbit. Six hours later, Armstrong exited the lunar module, Eagle, and stepped onto the lunar landscape at 02:56:15 UTC on July 21, 1969. The Eagle has landed.” Neil Armstrong calmly communicated these words from the surface of the moon to those patiently waiting on earth. These were the first measuring devices placed on the surface of the moon during Apollo 11 on July 21, 1969. Above and beyond it is the Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector (LR-3). Buzz Aldrin stands next to the Passive Seismic Experiment Package (PSEP) while being photographed by Neil Armstrong. ![]()
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