Instruments similar to this Passive Seismic Experiment Array were deployed as components of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Packages (ALSEPs) deployed on Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16. This particular unit was built for Apollo 17, though it was not flown. The experiment was designed to detect vibrations on the lunar surface in the vertical and two horizontal directions. The seismometers were used to determine the structure of the moon's interior, the nature of meteoroid strikes, tidal shifts in the lunar surface, and changes in the moon's gravitational field. Like other ALSEP experiments, this experiment was powered by a Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG).
This unit was stored by Bendix Aerospace until NASA transferred the object to the Smithsonian in 1982.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
EQUIPMENT-Lunar
Manufacturer
Teledyne Corporation, Earth Sciences Division
Dimensions
3-D (Approx. on Stand): 76.8 × 31.7 × 30.5cm (2 ft. 6 1/4 in. × 1 ft. 1/2 in. × 1 ft.)
Materials
Unknown Metal (possibly Beryllium)
Aluminum
Coating
Plastic
Rubber
Synthetic
Copper Alloy
Inventory Number
A19820511000
Credit Line
Transferred from the NASA - Johnson Space Center
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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