Everyone knows the first people to walk on the Moon: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, who flew there in 1969 on the Apollo 11 mission. Less well known are the other 10 astronauts who followed in their footsteps over the next three years.
This picture involves two of them. It is a panorama created from photos taken on the fourth crewed Moon mission, Apollo 15, which landed in August of 1971. The photos were shot by Jim Irwin, and show David R. Scott.
Scott is leaning over to put down a drill used to take core samples. In the foreground is the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package central station, and to the left is the Passive Seismic Experiment and near the centre in the background is a device for measuring the magnetic field.
Scott, Irwin and their colleague Alfred Worden, who stayed in lunar orbit while they descended to the surface, returned to Earth safely a week later.
Originally published by Cosmos as An unfamiliar lunar landscape
Cosmos
Curated content from the editorial staff at Cosmos Magazine.
Read science facts, not fiction...
There’s never been a more important time to explain the facts, cherish evidence-based knowledge and to showcase the latest scientific, technological and engineering breakthroughs. Cosmos is published by The Royal Institution of Australia, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the world of science. Financial contributions, however big or small, help us provide access to trusted science information at a time when the world needs it most. Please support us by making a donation or purchasing a subscription today.
