Apollo 12 Passive Seismic Experiment
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The Apollo 12 Passive Seismic Experiment (PSE) was placed on the lunar surface by the
Specification
The PSE unit was constructed principally of
The seismometers consisted of an inertial mass on a sensor boom suspended by springs and hinges, a capacitor plate and a damping magnet. The LP seismometers could function in a flat-response mode and in a peaked response mode. In the flat response mode, the LP seismometers had a natural period of 15 s. In the peaked-response mode, they acted as
Deployment
The seismometers were deployed on 19 November 1969 and operated at reduced gain while the astronauts were on the lunar surface and turned to maximum sensitivity for most of the time after that. The ALSEP central station was located at 3°00′34″S 23°25′29″W / 3.0094°S 23.4246°W. The passive seismic experiment was deployed 3 meters east of the central station. The SP seismometer displayed reduced sensitivity at low signal levels following deployment. Seismic disturbances were noted throughout the lunar day, but particularly near sunrise and sunset, these were believed to be due to expansion and contraction of the mylar shroud and/or the cable to the central station.
Once the astronauts had returned to the CSM, the LM ascent stage was released and collided with the Moon. The LM hit the lunar surface at 6,048 km/h and created an estimated 9 meter wide crater. The shock waves from the impact were a surprise to the scientists, with the Moon vibrating for over 55 minutes. The seismometers also recorded signals that were totally unlike any received before, starting with small waves that gained in size to a peak which persisted for a long time. It was reported that even after an hour the smallest reverberations had not yet stopped.
The Apollo 13 S-IVB with its Instrument Unit was guided to crash onto the lunar surface on April 14, 1970, providing a signal for the PSE.
Operation was normal with a few minor incidents over the years until the PSE was commanded to standby on 30 September 1977 as part of the ALSEP station shutdown.
See also
References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the
- "Passive Seismic Experiment (PSE)". NASA.
- Lindsay, Hamish (2008). "Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package". NASA.
Further reading
- Apollo 12 PSE Thermal Anomaly Final Report Griffin, J. (1970)