Explore how the Sea of Tranquility became the site where history was made
Farouk El-Baz was a guiding force in the Apollo lunar landing site selection process. With his comprehensive knowledge of the lunar surface, he advised on site selection and trained astronauts for orbital science observations. Join us for the first lecture in the Exploring Space series, as El-Baz describes his experiences as an eyewitness to the management, planning, and implementation of the Apollo program.
After Apollo, El-Baz joined the Smithsonian as the founding director of the National Air and Space Museum's Center for Earth and Planetary Studies. He also served as principal investigator for earth observations and photography for the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. He recently retired as director of Boston University's Center for Remote Sensing.
The Old Moon and the New
Lunar samples and data from Apollo transformed our understanding not only of the Moon but of solar system science as a whole. To view the lunar surface is to look back through time, at terrains that record the story of the early development of the Moon and planets. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing, this series will explore what the Moon has taught us, what it continues to teach us, and what new windows it may yet open in science, technology, and exploration. Four distinguished speakers will look at lunar exploration with an eye toward yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
The Exploring Space Lecture Series is made possible by the generous support of Aerojet Rocketdyne and United Launch Alliance.