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Bruce Murray Space Image Library

Apollo 12 Landing Area

Apollo 12 Landing Area
Apollo 12 Landing Area Taken by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, this image shows the remnants of activity by the Apollo 12 astronauts. The Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP) included a seismometer to record "moonquakes" and several experiments designed to make measurements of the lunar environment, including a Solar Wind Spectrometer, a Cold Cathode Ion Gauge, and a Suprathermal Ion Detector. The Apollo 12 ALSEP returned data and measurements to Earth for over seven years following the mission and was turned off in September 1977. The shadow of the still-standing flag, the High Gain Antenna (HGA), and the discarded Portable Life Support System (PLSS) backpacks are also visible. NASA / JPL-Caltech / ASU / Phil Stooke