Challenges of the Lunar
Environment
Dr. Paul Lowman
Paul.D.Lowman@nasa.gov
The Lunar Surface Environment 2006
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Landing sites
Of all
American
And Soviet
missions.
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Surveyor III
Apollo 12
Long Duration Experiment--Surveyor III had been on
the surface for 31 months. Apollo 12 landed nearby to
study the effects of exposure on Surveyor III.
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Apollo 12
Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) provided a
variety of long-term measurements of the lunar environment
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LM
Ascent
Stage
Apollo 17
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Lunar Magnetism
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Ionizing Radiation on the Lunar Surface
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Illumination on the Lunar Surface
Key Components
Albedo
Color
Reflectivity
Polar Shadowing
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Crater Censorinus
And surrounding
Terrain
South of
Mare Tranquillitatis
North is to right
The moon reflects right back at you, just like a highway sign at night!
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Apollo 14
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Lunar South Pole
Clementine
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Lunar South Pole
Radar from Earth
How much does “Earthshine” illumintate the South Pole
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Temperature profile of lunar equatorial regions
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Lunar Surface Meteoroid Environment
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Apollo 15
Largest
Rock
Basalt
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Impact feature in box
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Surveyor III
footpad area
No visible change
in 31 months
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Micrometeoroid Flux vs. mass
From NASA SP-284(1871)
Survey III experience show
that the mircrometeorite flux is
extremely low
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Pahoehoe Lava, 1859 Mauna Loa Flow, Waikoloa, HI
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How long does it
take to pulverize a
lava flow?
Ocean of Storms
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Ocean of Storms
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Tycho
Crater
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The Floor of
Tycho Crater
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Cumulative size-frequency distribution
Of small craters Surveyor I
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Cumulative size-frequency distribution
Of small craters Surveyor VI
Steady-state crater population -- Maria are the same
everywhere on the moon!
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Surveyor 7 view--Rim of Tycho
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Conclusions from study of Surveyor III returned parts
Lunar material on the camera was most
likely the result of the LM landing
Features indicating long-term deposition of
lunar material were not observed on
Surveyor returned parts
Lunar “transport” processes seem relatively
insignificant, if evident at all
Lunar material distributed by ascent or
descent rockets can have a major effect on
equipment on the lunar surface, even at a
substantial distance from the flight path
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