Thursday, December 12, 2019

it's not easy finding photos of astronauts with cars, that aren't the famous Corvettes... but once upon a time, Alan Shepard and Apollo mission astronauts went to the "Craters Of The Moon" national park. I kid you not. What they were driving, I'm not sure but it was a 1968 to 1970 model


On August 22, 1969, less than six weeks after the first lunar landing, astronauts Gene Cernan, Alan Shepard, Joe Engle, and Ed Mitchell visited Craters of the Moon National Monument in southern Idaho.

The four men had been selected to participate in the Apollo 14 mission. All were superbly trained astronauts with a wealth of experience to call on. Cernan had, in fact, already paid an orbital visit to the moon. (He was the lunar module pilot of the Apollo 10 mission, the "dress rehearsal" for the Apollo 11 lunar landing.) None of the men was a trained geologist, though, and that was the problem.

Lunar rocks are very difficult and expensive to collect (only about 850 pounds have ever been brought back to earth), so it’s very important that lunar astronauts be able to recognize the most valuable specimens to collect. It’s also essential that astronauts be reasonably skilled at recognizing various volcanic features and forms they might encounter on the moon so they can describe them accurately to geologists back on earth.

To acquire and practice these essential skills, lunar astronauts need hands-on experience with volcanic landforms and rocks similar to those found on the lunar surface. The places best suited to that purpose have reasonably fresh volcanic deposits and a variety of volcanic landforms not badly weathered or obscured by vegetation. Hawaii and Iceland have volcanic landscapes like that, and both have been venues for astronaut training. Another wonderful place to get the job done is Crater of the Moon National Monument.

https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2010/01/apollo-astronauts-visited-craters-moon5252
https://magicvalley.com/news/local/when-apollo-came-to-idaho-work-at-craters-of-the/article_9fd4eca3-33fe-56f9-8361-5daf6c98ac6e.html

PS,  that car is behind them turned out to be agreed by everyone, a 1969 AMC Ambassador! I probably would never have thought to look through the AMC cars to try and ID it... I was thinking GM something

PSS the Apollo 15 astronaut James Irwin carried a piece of volcanic rock from Oregon, and left it on the moon

When Jim Irwin was tapped to go to the moon himself on the 1971 Apollo 15 mission, his friend Floyd Watson took note. “I guess he’s been waiting in the wings, kind of seeing if he was going to get picked,” Miller said of his grandfather.

Watson went to Devil’s Lake, about 30 miles west of Bend, and retrieved a chunk of lava rock. Back home, he chipped off a little piece and stuck it in an envelope with a letter addressed to Irwin.
https://www.opb.org/artsandlife/article/apollo-15-oregon-lava-rock-moon-landing-jim-irwin-bend/




3 of the lunar rover trainers, the bottom one is named Grover


https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/astronaut-training-cinder-lake
https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2019/07/22/arizona-space-exploration-moon-landing/
https://www.history.com/news/moon-landing-apollo-11-training-photos
http://www.astronomy.com/galleries/news/meteor-crater-training-apollos-first-lunar-scientists

6 comments:

  1. Based on the front side marker light I think it's a '68 Plymouth Fury 1. Standard gov't plain jane issue.

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  2. Replies
    1. Yup, 1969 AMC Ambassador based on front bumper and side marker light, as well as the badged panel where you would expect a tail light. You can see edge of rear side marker light behind Gene Cernan's right hand.

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    2. Yep, you are correct. I guessed wrong!

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  3. Last photo looks like Cinder Lake east of Flagstaff, AZ

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is correct, and linked to separately of the Craters of the Moon part of the post

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