NASA revived the Apollo 11 landing site and showed where the astronauts went.
NASA has released a very clear photo of the Apollo 11 landing site, taken by the camera from the lunar orbiter (The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera - LROC). Apparently in honor of the upcoming jubilee - the 50th anniversary of the landing of the first people on the moon. The photo shows that the Americans were there after all. At least once. Despite the doubts of evil skeptics.
The released image clearly shows the lunar module landing stage, from which Neil Armstrong and Edwin (Baz) Aldrin in July 1969 launched from the Moon to Earth. Tracks of footprints are visible, trampled by them for 2 hours 31 minutes 40 seconds on the lunar surface in the Sea of Tranquility (Mare Tranquillitatis). The "spots" of the scientific equipment left there are distinguishable - a set for seismic sounding - Passive Seismic Experiment Package (PSEP) and a laser corner reflector - Laser Ranging RetroReflector (LRRR). It still works - it reflects the rays sent from the Earth, making it possible to measure the distance to the Moon. There is also a box from this device nearby.
Astronaut footprints at the Apollo 11 landing site.
The LROC specialists supplemented the landscape - they schematically highlighted the footprints of the astronauts, and the picture itself was essentially interactive, using the available information, including recordings of negotiations, photographs and video filming. Thus, NASA reconstructed all the movements of Armstrong and Aldrin by the minute. And now they can be played by going to the LROC portal.
Below the image with traces there is a timeline (Ground Elapsed Time), "movement" along which, allows you to repeat the travels of astronauts. At the same time, one who follows in the footsteps of the first people on the moon learns what happened at a particular moment in time, what phrases they exchanged between themselves and the Control Center in Houston. The yellow dot is Armstrong, the green one is Aldrin.
One line of footprints stretches to the small West Crater, about 50 meters in diameter. Armstrong went to see him.
NASA claims that this is the first picture taken immediately after landing. Filmed Armstrong from the lander window. In the NASA catalog, this historical image is listed under the number AS11-37-5449.
Promotional video:
The journey ends with the astronauts - yellow and green dots - climbing into the lander and leaving.
STAY! WHO GOES?
NASA has designated restricted areas on the Moon
The Americans introduced restrictions two years ago. They relate to all areas on the moon where Apollo expeditions landed from 1969 to 1972.
As one of the leading NASA employees, Robert Kelso, explained then, the creation of exclusion zones is aimed solely at preserving the places where people stay on the moon. According to him, the time has come to attend to this. After all, amateur astronautics are now developing so rapidly that soon tourists with excursions can often visit our natural satellite.
Naturally, sightseers will want to see where their predecessors were - real American astronauts, where Neil Armstrong jumped off the stairs of the "Eagle" and took his first step on the moon dust - "one giant leap for mankind". By the way, it has survived. Not a step, of course, but a snapshot of the first footprint of the first person on the moon. The track itself was most likely blown off at the start. Like the flag that the Americans planted.
“In addition to traces, we left a lot of artifacts there,” Kelso says, “from scientific instruments, television cameras to lunar cars and containers of urine and containers of feces. These, according to the expert, are different objects of historical and scientific value.
The Americans have been photographing the Apollo 11 landing site for many years from different heights. And with varying degrees of success.
It can be seen better.
The lander is even better distinguishable.
Tourists can trample their tracks, damage equipment, steal something - in a word, they can seriously disturb the "historical landscapes". And NASA would like to preserve them for future generations.
Kelso assures that jet jets of ships on which tourists will someday arrive are also dangerous.
At one time, Apollo-12, which landed only 150 meters from the long-landed automatic station "Surveyor 3", badly damaged the terrain and equipment, raising dust and small stones.
As a result, the agency imposes the following restrictions on commercial and other tourist visits to the moon: all flights are prohibited over the landing sites of Apollo 11 and 17 - the first and last expeditions. Areas of 1200 acres are considered forbidden - this is approximately 5 square kilometers.
On foot, if you can, you cannot come closer than 82 yards - that's about 75 meters - to all landing sites.
Who will keep order is still not known. Perhaps by the time they start touring the moon, the police will be there. Or the guards.
VLADIMIR LAGOVSKY
