A Reproduced Copy

6 OF
(NASa-CR-87454) L U N A R O33ZTER RISSION V - N79-73429
POTENTIAL A A P L A N D I N G S I T E S (Bellcontm, Inc.)
19 P
Unclas
00/91
~-
12922
I

Reproduced for NASA

by the .
NASA Scientific and Technical Information Facility

FFNo 672 Aug 65

 !
'!

\,
\
\ \

i
; f ..,.'
,. ' '*
I
' , i

..
 BELLCOMM.
INC.
1100 Seventeenth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036

SUBJECT: Lunar O r b i t e r Mission V: DATE: J u l y 26, 1967

P o t e n t i a l AAP Landing S i t e s
Case 232 FROM: Farouk El-Baz

ABSTRACT

S i x t e e n s i t e s , c o n c e n t r a t e d mainly i n t h e n o r t h e r n
half of t h e l u n a r f r o n t face, c o n s t i t u t e t h e p o t e n t i a l AAP
l a n d i n g s i t e s p r o p o s e d f o r Lunar O r b i t e r Mission V. Two s i t e s
f a l l w i t h i n c r a t e r s (Copernicus and Alphonsus). The r e s t , how-
e v e r , are a t l e a s t p a r t l y i n mare material o r mare-like b l a n k e t s ,
e s p e c i a l l y a t o r near contacts w i t h highland t e r r a i n s .
S p e c i f i c p o i n t s o f i n t e r e s t i n t h e s e s i t e s are
shown on r e p r o d u c t i o n s of M i s s i o n I V p h o t o g r a p h s . T h i s i s done
to a l l o w a c l e a r r e p r e s e n t a t i o n of t h e g e n e r a l c h a r a c t e r o f t h e
s i t e s , a l b e d o v a r i a t i o n s , approach p a t h s , l a n d i n g p o i n t s and
p r i o r i t i e s among t h e p o i n t s o f i n t e r e s t t h e m s e l v e s .
It i s concluded t h a t t h e 1 6 s i t e s r e p r e s e n t a
good v a r i e t y o f l u n a r s u r f a c e u n i t s and s t r u c t u r a l f e a t u r e s
d i r e c t l y o r i n d i r e c t l y r e l a t e d to major s c i e n t i f i c q u e s t i o n s
c o n c e r n i n g t h e moon. T h i s r e p o r t s h o u l d b e of u s e d u r i n g t h e
m i s s i o n and of v a l u e i n f u t u r e p l a n n i n g o f AAP manned l a n d i n g
missions.
M
 SUBJECT: Lunar O r b i t e r Mission V: DATE: July 2 6 , 1967
P o t e n t i a l AAP Landing S i t e s
Case 232 FROM: Farouk El-Baz

MEMORANDUM FOR FILE

I. INTRODUCTION
The Lunar O r b i t e r P r o j e c t O f f i c e has approved, w i t h
minor m o d i f i c a t i o n s , t h e M i s s i o n V P l a n s u b m i t t e d by t h e M i s s i o n V
P l a n n i n g Group and Subgroup on J u n e 14, 1967." F o l l o w i n g i s a
d e s c r i p t i o n of t h o s e s i t e s c o n s i d e r e d a t p r e s e n t t o be p o t e n t i a l
AAP l a n d i n g s i t e s .

11. LOCATION
A s it s t a n d s , t h e Mission P l a n i n c l u d e s 1 6 s i t e s
t o b e c o n s i d e r e d as p o t e n t i a l AAP l a n d i n g s i t e s . F i g u r e 1 i s
an i n d e x map of t h e i r l o c a t i o n . F o r e a c h s i t e a s e r i a l number
i s g i v e n f o l l o w e d by t h e p h o t o g r a p h i c o r b i t number. The map
i n d i c a t e s t h a t t h e s e s i t e s are d i s t r i b u t e d as f o l l o w s :
P o r t i o n of l u n a r f r o n t f a c e No of S i t e s
Upper l e f t q u a r t e r o f moon 8
Upper r i g h t q u a r t e r of moon 6
Lower r i g h t q u a r t e r of moon 0
Lower l e f t q u a r t e r o f moon 2

Total 16
What a p p e a r s t o b e a b i a s f o r t h e upper h a l f of
t h e l u n a r f r o n t f a c e i s a c t u a l l y due t o t h e f o l l o w i n g :
1. A r e l a t i v e l y f l a t , smooth s u r f a c e i s c o n s i d e r e d , a t
p r e s e n t , a prime r e q u i r e m e n t f o r AAP. T h i s means
t h a t t h e approach p a t h s and l a n d i n g p o i n t s ought t o
b e mainly i n maria and/or mare-like b l a n k e t s . About
7 0 % o f t h e maria on t h e l u n a r f r o n t f a c e f a l l w i t h i n
t h e u p p e r h a l f o f t h e moon.

"Surveyor O r b i t e r U t i l i z a t i o n Committee Minutes, June 1 4 , 1967.

 B E L L C O M M , INC. - 2 -

2. S c i e n t i f i c a l l y r i c h p o r t i o n s o f t h e maria a r e t h o s e
a t or c l o s e to c o n t a c t s w i t h h i g h l a n d t e r r a i n . J u d q i n g
from t h e above-mentioned f a c t , a l o n g e r s t r i p o f t h e s e
c o n t a c t s i s found i n t h e u p p e r h a l f o f t h e moon's n e a r
side.

3. O r b i t a l c o n f l i c t s w i t h A p o l l o s i t e s , f i l m budget
and o t h e r c o n s t r a i n t s have a l s o p l a y e d a r o l e i n
l i m i t i n g t h e number o f p o t e n t i a l AAP l a n d i n g s i t e s
i n a s p e c i f i c area.

111. PHOTOGRAP'HIC COVERAGE

E l e v e n s i t e s a r e to be p h o t o g r a p h e d by a s e t o f
fast-4 frames.% The r e s t c o n s t i t u t e t h r e e g r o u p s :
A. F a s t - 8 s e t s a r e p l a n n e d f o r two c a s e s where c o n t i n u o u s
c o v e r a g e of a l a r g e area seemed demanding. These
a r e Copernicus (11/63) and Marius H i l l s (16/83).
B. Slow-4*% s e t s were p r e f e r r e d o v e r fast-4 s e t s i n areas
where c o n t i n u o u s c o v e r a g e i s n o t as c r i t i c a l as t h e
e x t e n t of t h e areas to be c o v e r e d ( H a d l e y R i l l e , 6/50
and Copernicus S e c o n d a r i e s , 10/61).
C. One frame w a s a l l o w e d i n t h e c a s e o f Copernicus CD s i t e
( 8 / 5 9 ) . It i s a p a r t i c u l a r c a s e . The one frame c o v e r a g e
would, u n d e r u s u a l c i r c u m s t a n c e s , e x c l u d e t h e s i t e from
t h e l i s t o f p o t e n t i a l AAP l a n d i n g s i t e s , due to t h e
l a c k o f s t e r e o p h o t o g r a h y . However, it w a s f e l t t h a t
t h e s i t e p o s s e s s e s u n i q u e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s and t h e r e f o r e
s h o u l d b e k e p t i n as a p o t e n t i a l l a n d i n g s i t e . T h i s
i s a l s o s u p p o r t e d b y t h e f a c t t h a t a good ? o r t i o n o f
t h e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t i t would b e conveyed by t h e one
frame.

IV. CHARACTERISTICS

It i s b e l i e v e d t h a t a t h o r o u g h d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e
s e l e c t e d s i t e s c o u l d o n l y b e g i v e n u s i n g p h o t o g r a p h s . T h i s way,
t h e reader becomes much more f a m i l i a r w i t h t h e g e n e r a l c h a r a c t e r
o f t h e s i t e as w e l l as t h e parameters to b e c o n s i d e r e d i n s e l e c t i n g
s p e c i f i c p o i n t s o f i n t e r e s t . I n a d d i t i o n , p r e s e n t i n g t h e photo-
g r a p h s may s e r v e as a c r o s s check of t h e i n f o r m a t i o n d u r i n g more
d e t a i l e d e x a m i n a t i o n s of t h e s i t e s .

% i . e . f o u r frames t h e h i g h r e s o l u t i o n photography c o n t i g u o u s .
% * i . e . f o u r frames t h e low r e s o l u t i o n photography c o n t i g u o u s .
 B E L L C O M MI N, C . - 3 -

F o r t h i s r e a s o n Lunar O r b i t e r I V P h o t o g r a p h s were u s e d
i n describing t h e sites. Figures 3 through 10.
F i g u r e 2 s e r v e s as a key to t h e method u s e d i n p r e p a r i n g
F i g u r e s 3-10. An a p p r o a c h p a t h of a b o u t 1 0 k m i s i n d i c a t e d as
a n east-west l i n e i n e a c h s i t e . T h i s l i n e S e r v e s a l s o as a
s c a l e . A suggested landing p o i n t i s represented i n each s i t e
by an "x" a t t h e l e f t end o f t h e a p p r o a c h p a t h . Specific points
o f s c i e n t i f i c i n t e r e s t are marked by numbers (1,2,3, e t c . )
i n order of decreasing p r i o r i t y .
It must be s t a t e d however t h a t no u n i v e r s a l a g r e e -
ment e x i s t s c o n c e r n i n g t h e p r e s e t n e d d a t a . What i s p r o v i d e d
c o n s t i t u t e s t h e a u t h o r ' s own u n d e r s t a n d i n g of t h e d e t a i l s
w i t h i n e a c h area o f t h e 1 6 s i t e s .
F a c t o r s s u c h as a p p r o a c h p a t h s and l a n d i n g p o i n t s
a r e l i k e l y t o change a f t e r c l o s e r e x a m i n a t i o n o f t h e s i t e s
f o l l o w i n g t h e M i s s i o n . The s p e c i f i c p o i n t s o f i n t e r e s t i n e a c h
s i t e and t h e i r p r i o r i t y l i s t s are g i v e n f o r u s e p r i o r to t h e
M i s s i o n . They may o r may n o t change when M i s s i o n V p h o t o g r a p h s
are s t u d i e d i n the f u t u r e .
F i g u r e 11 i s a summary d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s
o f t h e i n d i v i d u a l s i t e s w i t h s p e c i a l emphasis on t h e g e o l o g i c a l
v i e w p o i n t . T h i s i s supplemented by F i g u r e 1 2 , which r e p r e s e n t s
a c u m u l a t i v e g r a p h o f t h e f r e q u e n c y o f l u n a r s u r f a c e u n i t s and
s t r u c t u r a l f e a t u r e s i n t h e 1 6 s i t e s . Both f i g u r e s s h o u l d b e o f
value i n :
1. Real-time p l a n n i n g of a non-nominal m i s s i o n i n case
of need to s e l e c t r e p l a c e m e n t s s i t e s .
2. F u t u r e s e l e c t i o n o f s i t e s f o r a c t u a l AAP manned l a n d i n g
missions.
From t h e two f i g u r e s i t i s c l e a r t h a t c e r t a i n f e a t u r e s
of t h e l u n a r s u r f a c e are n o t r e p r e s e n t e d i n t h e 1 6 s i t e s . F o r
example t h e r e i s no c o v e r a g e o f p i t t e d h i g h l a n d p l a i n s , a c r a t e r
p a i r , areas showing c l e a r i n d i c a t l o n s o f e r o s i o n and/or d e p o s i t i o n
of m a t e r i a l , r a y s i n h i g h l a n d t e r r a i n s , e s c a r p m e n t s w i t h p o s s i b l e
e x p o s u r e of m a j o r s t r a t i g r a p h i c unit.;, e t c . It i s a l s o c l e a r
t h a t some f e a t u r e s a r e r e p r e s e n t e d i n many more s i t e s t h a n o t h e r s .
A s a n example, t h e r e a r e n i n e s i t e s which i n c l u d e f r e s h (young)
c r a t e r s as opposed to o n l y one i n c i d e n c e o f g h o s t c r a t e r s .

V. --CONCLUSION

I n s p i t e o f t h e v a r i o u s c o n s t r a i n t s (mainly o r b i t a l
c o n f l i c t s anC fr*ame b u d g e t ) , M i s s i o n V p l a n i n c l u d e s a gcod
v a r i e t y of s i t e s to b e c o n s i d e r e d as p o t e n t i a l AAP l a n d i n g s i t e s .
The s i x t e e n s i t e s s e l e c t e d f o r t h i s c o n s i d e r a t i o n p o r t r a y a w i C e
s p e c t r u m of l u n a r s u r f a c e f e a t u r e s and s t r u c t u r e s d i r e c t l y or
 BELLCOMM,I N C . - 4 -

i n d i r e c t l y c o n n e c t e d w i t h m a j o r g e n e t i c problems r e l a t e d t o
t h e moon and i t s s u r f a c e f e a t u r e s . The p h o t o g r a p h i c c o v e r a g e
of t h e s e s i t e s , as p l a n n e d , s h o u l d a l l o w u s t o draw c o n c l u s i o n s
a s t o t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f t h e areas t o b e c o n s i d e r e d i n f u t u r e
lunar exploration missions.

1012-FEB-ljb Farouk El-Baz

0
 P;
P;
w 2
0 rn
w
w
rn
3

E
rn
3
H
r/l
F3
2
4
x
P;

E?z
P;
w
cl
u
0
P;
2
u
w
m
3
u
H
z
s
rn
fi;
3
P;
a
8
P;
4
P; w w w P; E P; P; 4: I 5
5 2 erl H
a
I4 w w. w H 4 rn
FiI4l 0 4 F3 PI 4 PI PI !n P; H
H w 4 0 P; 0 0 0 3 P;
F3 m X X u I% V u 5 kl 4
 -
T
cn
U
W
I--
dU-
zo
cnw

W l L r
k-Ob
z -
- E =
w o
l ~ n -
o==
on
c n u
I-x
T - w
- 0
onx
n w e
Wk-
e x =
ouo
7 ~ n
U = Y
Y U -

*?
 d
- e
Nu.

z
I b
r=*1

d
 I-
O
U
E
!
0
O
w
-l
A
- w
z m
1 - l
-z z

O LL-l
I L L
e e
w w w w

“44;;
 I- I-
o o
4-
Q, I-=
"f iw
0 -lo+
m o m
0
O - l Y cv
m
k =m"w"
w m w m
I - W I - 3
UI-UI-
mu'z
o m
oI-LL
3,ZW I-
4 - -
I -Ju
W I e Y
Y J Y Z
OZ-Jmo
4-u-l
n m n w
 I-
o
U
I-
r m
0
o
A
-
w

m -
U
e w

w
c?L
3
c3
 VJ
I
s
L W
&
ou
rrg
z +=I-
z-u
I
W p c
L n W V J O
N
I-wo
wms< p z l
I--
O I -
Q A S
I-2a
zu-
ozpz
O m m

... .. ...
--him
--Nc*=tm
cv
00
zc
u\d
?-ILL

-
2

3
 nvavn I I I I
ivwnmi
dolo3
(INVHBIH NI
3WW NI
3lXNllM
Mol3
(INVlHDIH NI

~ (INVlHBIH NI
2I a3Ud I