APOLLO 11 SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS
Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr., set up two scientific experiments near their landing site in the Moon's Sea of Tranquility. Called the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package (EASEP), the package consisted of a passive seismic experiment and a laser ranging retroreflector. A third experiment, a Solar Wind Composition Experiment, was deployed and returned to Earth by the crew for analysis by ground scientists.

LASER RANGING RETROREFLECTOR (LRRR)
This experiment consisted of an array of fused silica cubes, arranged to reflect a beam of light back on a parallel path to its origin. The LRRR placed on the Moon was aligned precisely so that it faced the Earth. Scientists directed laser beams at the instrument which reflected them back to Earth; the elapsed time for the round trip permitted precise measurements of distances between the Earth and the Moon-to within 8 centimeters (3 inches). This instrument continued in operation till June 1981.

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Racing to Space
The Moon decision
To reach the moon
Apollo 11
Later Apollo missions
What we learned about the Moon
After the Apollo Program


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Created: 7/99