Lunar Exploration Facts

Fun Facts about Lunar Exploration

  1. In 1967, engineers resurfaced ten acres of volcanic rock and cinders near Flagstaff, Arizona to create a reproduction of the area known as Mare Tranquillitatis on the Moon. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Astrogeology Branch graded the land, marked crater locations, then set off explosive charges in three waves to replicate the Moon’s surface. The Cinder Lake Crater Fields became the training grounds where Apollo astronauts practiced exploring the “lunar surface,” sampling “lunar rocks,” setting up experiment packages, and test drove the newly developed Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV).

  2. The oldest known Moon rock from our limited lunar exploration is 4.46 billion years old. The oldest ages of Earth rocks which are between 3.8 and 4.28 billion years old.

  3. Astronauts exploring on the Moon had difficulty gauging the sizes of craters and landscapes on the Moon. In one case, they weren’t even able to see the bottom of a crater!

  4. Apollo 17 Astronauts Harrison “Jack” Schmitt and Eugene “Gene” Cernan discovered orange soil while exploring the lunar surface in 1972. The orange soil contains glass fragments and spheres most probably created from volcanic activity.

  5. Apollo 17 Astronauts Schmitt and Cernan hold the record for the longest single lunar surface excursion at 7 hours, 37 minutes, and 22 seconds. They also took the LRV for its farthest ride of 12.5 miles during their mission.

  6. As on Earth, everything can be repaired with duct tape on the Moon! Tape has been vital during lunar exploration. Apollo 17 Astronauts Schmitt and Cernan replaced the LRV’s damaged rear fender with duct tape and plastic-coated maps. Duct tape was used  to repair Astronaut Jim Irwin's broken antenna on Apollo 15 and the tape was used to hold open the solar panels on the Apollo 17 Surface Electrical Properties (SEP) transmitter.

  7. Only twelve humans have ever walked on the Moon. On July 20, 1969, Astronaut Neil Armstrong created the first boot print on the lunar surface and on December 14, 1972, Astronaut Eugene Cernan left the last.

  8. Astronaut Alan Shepard is the only person to hit a golf ball on the moon. He hit three golf balls which remain on the Moon today.

  9. Space suits used for lunar exploration, Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMUs), are white because white reflects heat. Temperatures in direct sunlight in space can be more than 275 degrees Fahrenheit.

  10. At the end of the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions, a lightweight television camera was attached to the LRV to film the astronauts as they left the Moon. Engineers made mathematical calculations to allow the camera to tilt automatically to follow the Lunar Module as it lifted off the Moon. Although the mechanism failed on Apollo 15, and the mathematics and timing were slightly off for 16, the filming of the Apollo 17 liftoff was perfect, capturing the liftoff in its entirety.