Posts: 43576 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 02-25-2020 05:47 PM
NASA video release
This video uses data gathered from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft to recreate some of the stunning views of the moon that the Apollo 13 astronauts saw on their perilous journey around the far side in 1970.
These visualizations, in 4K resolution, depict many different views of the lunar surface, starting with earthset and sunrise and concluding with the time Apollo 13 reestablished radio contact with Mission Control. Also depicted is the path of the free return trajectory around the moon, and a continuous view of the moon throughout that path. All views have been sped up for timing purposes — they are not shown in "real-time."
bernoullis Member
Posts: 14 From: UK Registered: Feb 2009
posted 02-26-2020 11:24 AM
They are great visualisations!
I remarked in a message to a friend this morning that it would be wonderful if the Apollo DAC landing films could be recreated using the same resources. It would give a fabulous wider-angle view of the approaches to landing of all the Apollo sites. I feel sure the Apollo 15 and 17 approaches, in particular, could provide a real sense of the 3D nature of the mountains terrain surrounding those sites - would be glorious screened in an IMAX environment, would they not?
Space Cadet Carl Member
Posts: 225 From: Lake Orion, Michigan Registered: Feb 2006
posted 02-26-2020 06:53 PM
That's actually a very good idea. Provide a nice wide angle view from a position behind the lunar module throughout the entire powered descent phase. With LRO's data, it could be done!
Blackarrow Member
Posts: 3160 From: Belfast, United Kingdom Registered: Feb 2002
posted 02-28-2020 08:18 PM
I've always wondered why the Apollo 17 movie footage of the landing at Taurus-Littrow is so grainy.
Did Cernan and Schmitt underexpose it? Did they then realise it was underexposed and tell the film processing people to "push" it to get a bright enough result, at the expense of grain? Or did "normal" processing of underexposed film produce a grainy result?
It's a pity — it's one of the two most dramatic approaches, but probably (technically) the worst of the six landing movies.