Passive Seismic Experiment, Apollo

A device like this deployed on the lunar surface by the Apollo 11 crew in 1969 contained four seismometers powered by two panels of solar cells, which converted solar energy into electricity. The experiment measured lunar shock waves caused by moonquakes or impacts of meteoroids or of human-made objects on the surface. Data regarding the strength, duration, and approximate direction of the seismic event were relayed to receiving stations on Earth. The seismic instrument package continued sending data for several weeks after the Apollo 11 landing. The seismic experiments left on the surface by the crews of Apollo 11 and four later Apollo missions continued to return valuable information even after the end of the Moon landings.

This unit was the Qualification Model for the unit deployed during the Apollo 11 mission. It was donated to the Museum by the Bendix Corporation in 1972.