There have been six Apollo missions to the Moon, during which 12 astronauts have explored its composition and conditions. Thousands of photographs have been taken, and 176kg (3881bs) of Moon-rock were brought back to Earth to be studied. Scientists are interested in finding out what the Moon is made of because this may determine its origin and history. Astronauts also measured the amount of solar particles reaching the lunar surface, the amount of dust in the air, and the power of moonquakes, which are slight movements in the Moon’s crust.
After the Lunar Module landed on the Moon’s Sea of Tranquility, Aldrin and Armstrong conducted a series of landmark scientific experiments. Aldrin deployed the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package (EASEP), which included instruments for several tests to be left on the lunar surface. The Passive Seismic Experiment contained seismometers to measure moonquakes or effects of meteoroid and other impacts on the Moon. The Laser Ranging Retro-reflector allowed for a precise measurement of the distance between Earth and the Moon, obtained by timing how long it took for a laser beam to travel from Earth to the lunar surface and back.
Another experiment created by Swiss Scientists, collected solar-wind particles that researchers could analyze the composition of solar wind. The team also recorded extensive observations of the lunar surface, photographed the terrain and each other, and gathered 22 kilograms of rock, soil, and dust samples—all in the course of approximately two hours.
The observations and material collected by the Apollo 11 crew led to exciting discoveries. Among the most important findings: analysis of the chemical composition of lunar rocks helped strengthen the theory that the Moon was actually a chip off the young Earth.
Researchers now think that soon after the formation of the solar system, Earth was struck by a Mars-sized object, intimately mixing the two bodies. Some of the resulting vapor and rock later congealed into the single satellite that is our Moon today. This origin story would explain why the Moon doesn’t have a large iron core and is mostly composed of materials found in Earth’s crust, and why the ratios of many isotopes on the Moon’s surface are identical to those found in rocks on Earth. It was a stunning finding,” says Shara.
One of the instruments left on the Moon’s surface—the Laser Ranging Retro-reflector—allowed scientists to collect data for decades after Apollo 11’s return to Earth. Findings include that the Moon is moving farther away from Earth and that the universal force of gravity is stable.
Research based on materials gathered during the Apollo missions continues to this day.
Picture Credit : Google