What Cameras Were Used On The Apollo Missions'
This folio is not meant to be all inclusive or in whatever mode complete or extremely detailed.
For more information on these cameras, please refer to the links section at the bottom of the page.
For the purpose of this web folio, I volition exclude the cameras carried in the Command Module and in the J-Series Service Module'southward Scientific Musical instrument Module (SIM) bay and focus primarily on the notwithstanding and video cameras used on the lunar surface.
Notation: As is the case with a large office of My Footling Space Museum, much of the information and images on this folio were obtained from the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal, and Kipp Teague's incredible Projection Apollo Image Archive.
However Cameras:
Hasselblad 70mm EDC
Maurer 16mm Data Acquisition Photographic camera
Video Cameras:
Apollo 11: Westinghouse Apollo Lunar Television Camera
Apollos 12-14: Westinghouse Lunar Color Photographic camera
Apollo fifteen-17: RCA J-Series GCTA
Miscellaneous:
Apollo Lunar Surface Close-upward Photographic camera
Apollo xiv: Lunar Geological Exploration Camera (Not Flown)
Apollo 16: Far Ultraviolet Camera/Spectrograph (FUVC)
Related Links
The Hasselblad 70mm EDC
By far the most famous of all Apollo cameras, and perhaps the nigh important likewise, was the Hasselblad EDC, which was adapted from a camera of the same company, designated the Hasselblad 500 EL. Nicknamed "Hassies", these 70mm cameras were used by the astronauts on the lunar surface for still photography, and, as such, took almost all of the photographic images brought back from the lunar surface.
Considering these camera systems had no viewfinder, and were worn on the chest during lunar EVAs, a lot of practise was needed to principal their employ. To that finish, the astronauts were issued cameras to have abode and exercise with.
Left: The "noncombatant" version of the Hasselblad camera used on the moon, the 500 EL.
The square black object under the lens is the shutter release push.
Correct: The lunar version of the camera, without the handle and RCU mount.
Annotation the handle that has been attached for lunar use, and the trigger mechanism.
that were used but onboard the Control Module.
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| 500mm lens body, used to take photos of geological interest | A overnice shot showing the 500mm configuration. Also note the photographic camera mount at the dorsum, used to carry it on the breast pack (RCU) | Astronaut practicing sighting the 500mm | Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott, showing how the camera was mounted to the RCU. Y'all tin also see the sample purse holder clipped to the side of the camera. | RCU diagram, clearly showing the camera mount |
The 16mm Maurer Data Acquisition Camera (ordinarily called "the DAC", pronounced simply "dak") is best known for the movies it was used to take through the Lunar Module Pilot's (LMP's) window during the approach and landing of the LM. Also, all of the movie footage taken on the lunar surface (not to be confused with the video downlink) was washed with the DAC. On Apollo 11, it was likewise used to take stop motion photography out the LMP'south window of near the entire EVA at the setting of i frame per second (fps). On 12, it was mounted on the Lunar Hand Tool Carrier, on 14 it was mounted on the MET, and on the J-Serial missions it was mounted on the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). On 2 of the J-Series missions, 15 & 16, information technology was primarily used to document the geology along the LRV route, set at 1 fps.
A slightly dissimilar version of this organisation was used on board the CSM to take movies of such things as docking operations, etc.
Simple diagram showing main elements of the organisation.
Beauty shot of the DAC from a training photo.
Used on the lunar surface on Apollo 11 only.
Brought as backup photographic camera on Apollo'due south 13 & 14
Few people who lived during the time of Apollo will ever forget where they were when they watched Neil A. Armstrong brand his "One small step" into the history books on July 20, 1969. The fuzzy, gray images beamed back from the lunar surface for two hours that night allowed all of us to share in the wonder of that historic event.
The auto that was used to do this was named only the Apollo Lunar Televsion Photographic camera. Built by Westinghouse, it was a simple organisation which measured 11" x 6" x iii", weighed vii.25 pounds, and used 6.25 watts of power. It was capable of operating at 10 or 0.65 frames per second, depending on light level, and information technology had iv interchangeable lenses.
The photographic camera was mounted inside the Modularized Equipment Stowage Associates (MESA) in Quad 4 of the Lunar Module (LM) Descent Stage. This gave the adequacy of broadcasting the offset steps of the astronauts as they climbed downward the ladder of the LM at the start of the start EVA. The astronauts would and so
disassemble the photographic camera from information technology's mount in the MESA, mountain the camera on a tripod, and carry it away from the LM to testify the progress of the EVA.
My own photo of the camera, taken at the Neil Armstrong Museum in Ohio.
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Right photo is of the electrical cable that connected the camera to the LM.
Overnice photo of the camera deployed on the lunar surface
at Tranquillity Base of operations, where it notwithstanding stands today.
Used on Apollo's 12 & 14
The photographic camera was mounted inside the Modularized Equipment Stowage Associates (MESA) in Quad iv of the Lunar Module (LM) Descent Phase. This gave the capability of dissemination the outset steps of the astronauts equally they climbed down the ladder of the LM at the start of the first EVA.
The astronauts would then detach the photographic camera from it's mount in the MESA, mountain the camera on a tripod,
and behave it abroad from the LM to show the progress of the EVA.
This arrangement was the same TV camera used on previous missions inside the CSM, with a few minor modifications to suit information technology to the lunar environment. It was called the Field Sequential Camera by Westinghouse.
Unfortunately, during the early on moments of the first Apollo 12 EVA, which marked the camera's debut on the moon, astronaut Alan Bean inadvertantly pointed the photographic camera at the unfiltered sun while preparing to mount it on the tripod. This activeness acquired an overload in the secondary vidicon tube, rendering the camera useless for the remainder of the mission. It worked reasonably well on Apollo 14, although in that location were a few problems encountered with the paradigm brightness and dissimilarity.
Beautiful Westinghouse diagram of the colour photographic camera system
Right - Apollo 12 photographic camera at the Ocean of Storms later information technology's fatal malfuntion
RCA J-Series
Footing-Commanded Television receiver Assembly (GCTA)
Used on Apollo'due south 15, 16, & 17
graciously donated by Mr. Frank O'Brien
An MLSM Exclusive
Annotation terminal photo shows where Apollo fifteen crew signed this museum piece.
Thank you, Frank!
Refer to photos and diagrams below for detail descriptions
This advanced system flew aboard the J-Series lunar missions on Apollos 15, 16, & 17. It gave unprecedented quality in the color video transmitted from the moon. But, alas, few people watched as America had by this time lost interest in watching men on the moon.
The system consisted of ii major components: the Colour Televsion Photographic camera (CTV), and the Television Command Unit (TCU). This arrangement was connected directly to the Lunar Communications Relay Unit (LCRU) when mounted on the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV), and the TV point was sent from the LCRU to earth via the High Gain Antenna (HGA) mounted on the LRV.
As with all previous missions, the system was mounted inside the Modularized Equipment Stowage Assembly (MESA) in Quad 4 of the Lunar Module (LM) Descent Stage. This gave the capability of broadcasting the first steps of the astronauts as they climbed down the ladder of the LM at the start of the commencement EVA. The astronauts would then
detach the camera from information technology'south mount in the MESA, mount the photographic camera on a tripod, and carry it away from the LM to show the progress of the EVA. (The crews of Apollo'south 16 & 17 chose to wait until it was setup on the LRV before activating the Goggle box, in order to save time, no dubiousness). What fabricated this camera truly unique was that, once the LRV was fully deployed, it was then mounted on the LRV and controlled past commands from the ground to tilt, pan, and zoom in and out.
Higher up Left - Apollo 16 photo of the GCTA/TCU. Annotation the white sunshade over the lens,
which was added after Apollo 15, and the transmission lens adjustment levers on acme of the lens
Right - Another Apollo 16 photograph, showing all iii main elements of the LRV TV arrangement:
ane. High gain antenna (HGA)
2. GCTA/TCU
3. Lunar Communications Relay Unit (LCRU)
The signal from the photographic camera was routed through the LCRU, processed,
then transmitted to Houston through the HGA
MESA pallet stowage of the TCU, photograph and diagram
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Center - controls on the GCTA, including the lens command levers
Correct center - TCU lonely
Right - TCU/GCTA combination - note absence of sunshade, as it was used on Apollo 15
Apollo Lunar Surface Close-up Camera
For information on this system, see my ALSEP page on the discipline.
Apollo 14 Lunar Geological Exploration Camera (Not Flown)
Very piffling has been written about this system. It is known that it was originally part of a Lunar Geological Staff conceived by Gene Shoemaker. According to the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal, it was subcontracted to a small company that was unable to handle the complexities of the assignment, and was subsequently cancelled.
Quite by accident, I managed to observe a diagram showing the camera, in a GE Apollo Systems Publication most the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). The document is titled "Lunar Roving Vehicle Crew Equipment Stowage Methods and Location", dated June 5, 1970. This diagram shows that it would have been mounted under the main panel of the LRV.
Apollo 16 Far Ultraviolet Photographic camera/Spectograph (FUVC)
For data on this organization, run into my ALSEP folio on the field of study.
Links
Source: http://www.ninfinger.org/karld/My%20Space%20Museum/apollocams.htm
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