Footprints and Tire Tracks on the Moon

[joeychitwood]

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter dropped to an orbit only 13 miles above the surface of the moon and snapped these photos of the lunar landing sites of several Apollo Moon missions. In them, you can see pieces of equipment, the Lunar Rover, buggy tracks and most amazingly, the footprints of the astronauts as they walked over the lunar surface.

[capote]

Sweet that the tire tracks and foot prints are left. I've read somewhere that there also are three golf balls on the moon.

[joeychitwood]

Originally Posted by capote

Sweet that the tire tracks and foot prints are left. I've read somewhere that there also are three golf balls on the moon.

Alan Shepard hit two golf balls at the end of his second lunar walk on the Apollo 14 mission. The balls would be sitting on the surface somewhere in the larger photo.

The idea that men repeatedly walked on the Moon over 40 years ago, but right now, there are no definite plans for manned space flight in the near future blows me away.

[Art 1]

[robertneville]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

Alan Shepard hit two golf balls at the end of his second lunar walk on the Apollo 14 mission. The balls would be sitting on the surface somewhere in the larger photo.

The idea that men repeatedly walked on the Moon over 40 years ago, but right now, there are no definite plans for manned space flight in the near future blows me away.

X2. Makes me sad!

[MoBe]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

Alan Shepard hit two golf balls at the end of his second lunar walk on the Apollo 14 mission. The balls would be sitting on the surface somewhere in the larger photo.

The idea that men repeatedly walked on the Moon over 40 years ago, but right now, there are no definite plans for manned space flight in the near future blows me away.

The NASA space program of the early 60`s was a direct consequence of the cold war paranoia of the day.There is nothing to fuel space exploration today other than academic interest.

Having said that I am aware that China is flexing it`s space exploration muscle and plans to send men into space in the near future although I don`t see the point of it except as a political statement.

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by MoBe

The NASA space program of the early 60`s was a direct consequence of the cold war paranoia of the day.There is nothing to fuel space exploration today other than academic interest.

Having said that I am aware that China is flexing it`s space exploration muscle and plans to send men into space in the near future although I don`t see the point of it except as a political statement.

I agree and disagree at the same time. It WAS fueled by the Cold War, beat the Russians etc. And there is not a lot of that incentive today. But, I still think we as mankind are destined to explore. The space race has died down to a trickle, site the economy, or whatever reason you like, there is no denying it, but at least it does continue. I think it is in our nature, to explore. Some suggest we should turn inward now, and study the Oceans, that might be our next big leap in exploration, but unless we wipe ourselves out of existance, some day, we humans WILL walk on Mars and further out in the Galaxy. Like the brave men that explored the new world five hundred years ago, or the first Cro-Magnon to step out of his cave, we have a thirst for knowledge and exploration. Maybe not for several decades, or even centuries, but some day (again, if we're still around), we will expand and explore space.

[Cato]

Originally Posted by joeychitwood

The idea that men repeatedly walked on the Moon over 40 years ago, but right now, there are no definite plans for manned space flight in the near future blows me away.

...and to think when men walked on the moon, we had a war in Vietnam, a Cold War everywhere else, and a war on poverty.

Now all we worry about is gas prices reaching $5.00!

[1675-David]

Originally Posted by capote

Sweet that the tire tracks and foot prints are left. I've read somewhere that there also are three golf balls on the moon.

+ an empty coke tin, couple of big mac wrappers and some gum stuck to the underside of a stone...

[Dr.Brian]

What?
I thought it was all faked?

[swatty]

Originally Posted by Dr.Brian

What?
I thought it was all faked?

Maybe these pics as well

[CoopJr]

Originally Posted by Dr.Brian

What?
I thought it was all faked?

[blackmsport]

So did they have a drag race on the moon with their moon-mobile

[GolfPunk]

Where are the marks from where the 3 'baddies' from planet Krypton kicked off?? (Superman II)

[conrail]

Those are fantastic pics, thanks for sharing!

I agree, it is sad we aren't making exploration a priority. Lets set our sights on a manned Mars mission soon!! Talk about an amazing moment for the world - everyone glued to their tvs or web feeds!

[joeychitwood]

Originally Posted by conrail

I agree, it is sad we aren't making exploration a priority. Lets set our sights on a manned Mars mission soon!! Talk about an amazing moment for the world - everyone glued to their tvs or web feeds!

Here is an interesting graphic which displays the US manned space program. Unfortunately, there is nothing planned for the near future.

[GradyPhilpott]

I think the growing consensus is that we don't need humans for long range space exploration.

Robots can do it better.

As for the moon, there aren't a heck of a lot of reasons to go back.

There's so much space junk orbiting the planet now that everything we've come to depend on in terms of communication, entertainment, national security, navigation, etc. stand in jeopardy of being blasted to smithereens.

Then of course there's the solar flare activity that threatens to fry everything.

I must admit that it was exciting in my youth to follow the space race, but I think those days are gone.

[conrail]

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

I think the growing consensus is that we don't need humans for long range space exploration.

Robots can do it better.

As for the moon, there aren't a heck of a lot of reasons to go back.

There's so much space junk orbiting the planet now that everything we've come to depend on in terms of communication, entertainment, national security, navigation, etc. stand in jeopardy of being blasted to smithereens.

Then of course there's the solar flare activity that threatens to fry everything.

I must admit that it was exciting in my youth to follow the space race, but I think those days are gone.

Robots might be easier, cheaper, safer, "better" - certainly those little guys on Mars are doing a helluva job, but there is just something so magical that brings the whole planet together when a man sets foot on a foreign land. Maybe its something we need to get our positive spirits back!? Everyone/thing is so negative lately...

[NYC6]

very cool

[BarkMaster]

Originally Posted by conrail

Robots might be easier, cheaper, safer, "better" - certainly those little guys on Mars are doing a helluva job, but there is just something so magical that brings the whole planet together when a man sets foot on a foreign land. Maybe its something we need to get our positive spirits back!? Everyone/thing is so negative lately...

Not negative; realistic. Technology has increased from 40 years ago to where the human element is no longer required. This stuff costs money and the cost is greatly increased when life support is required... not to mention shorter missions.

As the saying goes... just because you can do something doesn't mean you should do it.

[sleddog]

Interesting read Joey!! Thanks for posting!!

[bayerische]

Nice pics.

[Cru Jones]

very cool, thanks.

[mtrunner]

Very cool!

[dysondiver]

have you seen ,,, the first man in the moon , sixties film , its great.

[HORNBLOWER]

Looks like the froth on my cappachino.

[gettocard]

yeah yeah...right...

[joeychitwood]

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter once again dropped its orbit temporarily to about 80,000 feet above the surface of the Moon and took these new photos of the Apollo 15 and Apollo 11 landing sites. The detail is incredible, including the shadows of the descent stages of the lunar lander. The LRO must raise its orbit after the drop or it will be pulled into the lunar surface by variations in the lunar gravity.

[britincali]

The legend Buzz Aldrin makes it for me, I was on the fence about the whole fake landing etc until I did some of my own research....

Buzz wearing his favorite mickey watch (no speedmaster in sight)




And about the best vid Ive ever seen of a pensioner laying the smackdown....

http://youtu.be/ZOo6aHSY8hU

[azguy]

Great stuff, to me space exploration is more about dreaming, reaching for the stars and self challenge, more than anything else.

I have been waiting for years for some President to put a flag in the ground like JKF did 50 years ago and challenge us to reach Mars by 2025

Man needs to dream beyond their own world and embrace challenges that many thought otherwise impossible.

It started long before the Vikings and Christopher Columbus and ended with ending of the Space Shuttle program