LRO photographs Apollo landing sites

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, has returned its first imagery of the Apollo moon landing sites. The pictures show the Apollo missions' lunar module descent stages sitting on the moon's surface, as long shadows from a low sun angle make the modules' locations evident.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, or LROC, was able to image five of the six Apollo sites, with the remaining Apollo 12 site expected to be photographed in the coming weeks.

The satellite reached lunar orbit June 23 and captured the Apollo sites between July 11 and 15. Though it had been expected that LRO would be able to resolve the remnants of the Apollo mission, these first images came before the spacecraft reached its final mapping orbit. Future LROC images from these sites will have two to three times greater resolution.

The image of the Apollo 14 landing site had a particularly desirable lighting condition that allowed visibility of additional details. The Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package, a set of scientific instruments placed by the astronauts at the landing site, is discernable, as are the faint trails between the module and instrument package left by the astronauts' footprints.

All images credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/apollosites.html

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• NASA
• apollo
• LRO
• Lunar
• Reconnaissance
• Orbiter
• moon
• landing
• hoax
• conspiracy

[zambi007i]

follow these - both at img153 . image shack . us _ img153 -

1. 8443_23935680 dot png

2. 7681_78845017 dot png

change _s to slashes

the 1st one shows google earth at about 1000 ft eye alt zoomed in on the liberty science center. the parked vehicles show up nicely. any sane person can make out about 8ft objects.

the 2nd one shows google moon at 5feet eye alt. on a11. anyone sanely explaining that is welcome!

[brdasi]

@zambi007i

The satellite used for GMoon has an image resolution of between 7-20m/pixel. GEarth uses a combination of aerial photography for popular areas such as cities or landmarks with image resolutions as low as 15cm/pixel, and satellite photography for remote areas, with resolutions around 15m per pixel. The altitude readings in GMoon are not very accurate. Do you think at 5ft altitude from a birds eye view you would be able to see dozens of craters? Any sane person would understand that

[zambi007i]

@brdasi: moon doesn't have features that could be compared to any on the earth. in google earth, even trees are distinguishable at thousands of places.

i do agree with you in that at 5' no one would see dozens of craters. but on the moon, i'll, and millions more, would be the last of ones to explore craters instead of searching for the apollo leftovers. even at 1000' eye alt, any average educated person should be able to clearly see the lem and other equipments. in the least, the flag (contd)

[brdasi]

@zambi007i

Like I said, the satellite images used for Google Moon have resolutions between 7-20m per pixel. That means one pixel on image is 7-20 metres of landscape. The lunar lander would register as a tiny pixel which would be impossible to identify. The Google Earth pictures are aerial photographs, which are much higher quality, that's why you can see trees, cars and people

[cripplewoox]

ahh the proof at last,tastes so sweet to be right

[boomshanka]

There is absolutely no way that CT retards like WhiteJarrah can continue to deny that the Apollo landings really did take place now.

[helalumo]

@diegotrystero aka "ok we can fake them better" section

[helalumo]

Fake and Gay Footprints... hahaha

[CarlyleSpeaks]

OK, so let me get this straight. People think NASA faked the moon landing and those that don't believe that think NASA's own picture proof, proves the case? OK, so the suspected faker, authenticates a previously suspected work by providing more suspect media? What am I missing? If they faked landing, would they not fake these too? It's MUCH easier to fake a photo in 2011 than a whole movie, years and years ago no? Now if some millionaire builds some supertelescope or something...

[akirafactor]

So fake, just overhead pictures of the simulation models.

[Bramak17]

Nooo! Jesus had grey alien illuminatii build those so reptilian Annunaki could take them into the hollow moon so nazi valkeries could put them on the moon with their rolling moon rock tractors. Miss anyone?

[threeddd33]

The pitiful anarchist *faggots who follow these conspiracy theories are the same ones who have tried to assassinate half of the US Presidents.... nothing new here. They'll tear down anything, building or idea, and maim and kill anyone that gets in their way.

*used with no animosity to gays.... just conspiracy faggots. :)

[enomis9393]

@1MtnBoy yeah now i'm so sad for that skeptik idiots... science won once again

[1MtnBoy]

FOOTPRINTS !!!!!! muhuhahahaha ! explain that away you conspiracy nut jobs !

[vozpit]

@cripplewoox If they ever had any credible evidence against it, I would have needed such proof. This is just icing on the cake.

[joecanukk]

@MrMarkanthony10 As soon as I saw the first photo it struck me as a fraud. No my friend there are other people capable of critical thinking and reason. Guess there was a solar spotlight to mark the greatest achievement of man.