The
Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (
ALSEP) comprised a set of scientific instruments placed by the
astronautAn astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
s at the landing site of each of the five Apollo missions to land on the Moon following
Apollo 11The Apollo 11 mission was the first human spaceflight to land on the Moon. Launched on July 16, 1969, it carried Mission Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr...
(Apollos
12Apollo 12 was the sixth manned mission in the Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon. The mission was commanded by Charles "Pete" Conrad. It was launched on 14 November 1969, four months after Apollo 11. Pete Conrad and Alan L. Bean performed just over one day and seven hours of lunar...
,
14Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the Apollo program and the third mission to land on the Moon. The nine-day mission was launched on January 31, 1971, with lunar touch down on February 5. The Lunar Module landed in the Fra Mauro formation; this had originally been the target of the...
,
15Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the Apollo program and the fourth mission to land on the Moon. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous missions. The mission began on July 26,...
,
16Apollo 16 was the tenth manned mission in the Apollo program, the fifth mission to land on the Moon and the first to land in a highlands area. The mission was launched on April 16, 1972, and concluded on April 27. It was a J-class mission, featuring a Lunar Rover and it brought back 94.7 kg of...
, and
17Apollo 17 was the eleventh manned space mission in the NASA Apollo program. It was the first night launch of a U.S. human spaceflight and the sixth and final lunar landing mission of the Apollo program. The mission was launched at 12:33 a.m. EST on December 7, 1972, and concluded on December 19. It...
). Apollo 11 left a smaller, temporary package called the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package, or EASEP.
The instrumentation and experiments that would comprise ALSEP were decided in February 1966.
The
Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (
ALSEP) comprised a set of scientific instruments placed by the
astronautAn astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
s at the landing site of each of the five Apollo missions to land on the Moon following
Apollo 11The Apollo 11 mission was the first human spaceflight to land on the Moon. Launched on July 16, 1969, it carried Mission Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr...
(Apollos
12Apollo 12 was the sixth manned mission in the Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon. The mission was commanded by Charles "Pete" Conrad. It was launched on 14 November 1969, four months after Apollo 11. Pete Conrad and Alan L. Bean performed just over one day and seven hours of lunar...
,
14Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the Apollo program and the third mission to land on the Moon. The nine-day mission was launched on January 31, 1971, with lunar touch down on February 5. The Lunar Module landed in the Fra Mauro formation; this had originally been the target of the...
,
15Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the Apollo program and the fourth mission to land on the Moon. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous missions. The mission began on July 26,...
,
16Apollo 16 was the tenth manned mission in the Apollo program, the fifth mission to land on the Moon and the first to land in a highlands area. The mission was launched on April 16, 1972, and concluded on April 27. It was a J-class mission, featuring a Lunar Rover and it brought back 94.7 kg of...
, and
17Apollo 17 was the eleventh manned space mission in the NASA Apollo program. It was the first night launch of a U.S. human spaceflight and the sixth and final lunar landing mission of the Apollo program. The mission was launched at 12:33 a.m. EST on December 7, 1972, and concluded on December 19. It...
). Apollo 11 left a smaller, temporary package called the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package, or EASEP.
Background
The instrumentation and experiments that would comprise ALSEP were decided in February 1966. Specifically, the experiments, institutions responsible, and principal investigators and coinvestigators were:
- Passive Lunar Seismic Experiment: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological research...
, Frank PressFrank Press is an American geophysicist.Born in Brooklyn, New York, Press is the recipient of 30 honorary degrees. He graduated with his B.S. degree from the City College of New York . Went on to complete his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Columbia University.-Notable accomplishments:*President of...
; Columbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private university in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. Columbia's main campus lies in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, in New York City...
, George Sutton.
- Lunar Tri-axis Magnetometer: NASA Ames Research Center
NASA Ames Research Center located at Moffett Field, California, was founded Dec. 20, 1939 as the second National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics laboratory. The center was named after Joseph Sweetman Ames, a founding member and longtime chairman of the NACA...
, C. P. Sonett; Marshall Space Flight CenterThe George C. Marshall Space Flight Center , the original home of NASA, is a lead center for propulsion, Space Shuttle propulsion, Space Shuttle external tank, crew training and payloads, International Space Station design and construction, for computers, networks, and information management...
, Jerry Modisette.
- Medium-Energy Solar Wind
The solar wind is a stream of charged particles ejected from the upper atmosphere of the sun. It consists mostly of electrons and protons with energies of about 1 keV. The stream of particles varies in temperature and speed with the passage of time...
: Jet Propulsion LaboratoryJet Propulsion Laboratory is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center located in the San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The facility is situated in the northern portion of Pasadena...
, C. W. Snyder and M. M. Neugebauer.
- Suprathermal Ion Detection: Rice University
William Marsh Rice University is a private coeducational research university located in Houston, Texas, United States...
, J. W. Freeman, Jr.; Marshall Space Flight Center, Curt MichelF. Curtis Michel was a NASA Astronaut and is a professor of astrophysics at Rice University in Houston, Texas.-Personal data:Born June 5, 1934, in La Crosse, Wisconsin. He is married and has a son and a daughter. His hobby is photography, and he enjoys tennis, handball, and...
.
- Lunar Heat Flow Management: Columbia University, M. Langseth; Yale University
Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut, and a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Yale has produced many notable alumni, including five...
, S. Clark.
- Low-Energy Solar Wind: Rice University, B. J. O'Brien.
- Active Lunar Seismic Experiment: Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university located in Stanford, California, United States...
, R. L. Kovach; United States Geological SurveyThe United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning...
, J. S. Watkins.
The ALSEP was built and tested by
Bendix AerospaceThe Bendix Corporation was an American manufacturing and engineering company which during various times in its 60 year existence made brake systems, aeronautical hydraulics, avionics, radios, televisions and computers, and which licensed its name for use on home washing machines.-History:Bendix was...
in
Ann Arbor, MichiganAnn Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. It is the state's seventh largest city with a population of 114,024 as of the 2000 Census, of which 36,892 are university or college students...
. The instruments were designed to run autonomously after the astronauts left and to make long term studies of the lunar environment. They were arrayed around a Central Station which supplied power generated by a
radioisotope thermoelectric generatorA radioisotope thermoelectric generator is an electrical generator which obtains its power from radioactive decay. In such a device, the heat released by the decay of a suitable radioactive material is converted into electricity by the Seebeck effect using an array of thermocouples.RTGs can be...
(RTG) to run the instruments and communications so data collected by the experiments could be relayed to Earth. Thermal control was achieved by passive elements (insulation, reflectors, thermal coatings) as well as power dissipation resistors and heaters. Data collected from the instruments were converted into a telemetry format and transmitted to Earth.
Deployment
The ALSEP was stored in the LM's Scientific Equipment (SEQ) Bay in two separate subpackages. The base of the first subpackage formed the Central Station while the base of the second subpackage was part of the RTG. A subpallet was also attached to the second subpackage which usually carried one or two of the experiments and the antenna gimbal assembly. On Apollo 12, 13, and 14, the second subpackage also stored the Lunar Hand Tool Carrier (HTC). The exact deployment of experiments differed by mission. The following pictures show a typical procedure from Apollo 12.
| Picture |
Description |
 |
Pete ConradCharles "Pete" Conrad, Jr. , was an American astronaut and engineer, and the third person to walk on the Moon. He also described himself as the first man to dance on the Moon...
opens the SEQ bay doors through a system of lanyards and pulleys. |
 |
Alan BeanAlan LaVern Bean is a former NASA astronaut and engineer, and became the fourth person to walk on the moon at the age of thirty-seven years in November 1969.-Biography:...
removes the second subpackage from the SEQ bay. This was accomplished by using the boom which can be seen extended and a pully system to set it on the ground. By Apollo 17, astronauts felt that the use of the boom and pulley system complicated the operation. And as such, the entire system was removed for Apollo 17. On Apollo 11, Buzz Aldrin chose not to use the system because of a lack of time. |
 |
The first subpackage, which Conrad had removed from the SEQ bay earlier. |
 |
Bean lowers the RTG cask into a position where he can access it. |
 |
Bean is beginning to remove the dome off the RTG cask. He is using a specialized tool called the Dome Removal Tool (DRT). Note how he has already prepared the RTG for fueling and has already deployed the HTC. Conrad has already removed the subpallet from the RTG subpackage. |
 |
Bean discards the dome with the DRT still attached. Neither had a use afterward. |
 |
Bean is attempting to remove the fuel element from the cask using the Fuel Transfer Tool (FTT). Note one of the Universal Hand Tools (UHT) attached to the RTG subpackage. On Apollo 12, the fuel element stuck in the cask because of thermal expansion (Bean could feel the heat through his suit). Conrad pounded the side of the cask with a hammer while Bean successfully worked it loose. He then inserted it into the RTG and discarded the FTT. |
 |
Bean attaches the RTG subpackage to the carrybar in preparation for the traverse to the ALSEP deployment site. The carrybar would later be used as the mast for the antenna on the Central Station. |
 |
During the traverse to the ALSEP deployment site, Conrad took this picture. His shadow indicates that he is carrying the subpallet with one of the two UHTs. |
 |
Bean carries the ALSEP out to the deployment site. |
 |
Conrad holds the carrybar in his left hand while he releases the antenna gimbal assembly with a UHT. |
 |
This photo shows Jim LovellJames "Jim" Arthur Lovell, Jr., is a former NASA astronaut and a retired captain in the United States Navy, most famous as the commander of the Apollo 13 mission, which suffered an explosion en route to the Moon but was brought back safely to Earth by the efforts of the crew and mission control...
training for Apollo 13. He is currently deploying a mock-up of the Central Station. The Station was spring loaded. After releasing Boyd bolts, the top of the Station would spring up, deploying it. Note the various locations on top of it which held some of the experiments before deployment. They were also held down with Boyd bolts that were released with a UHT. |
Common Elements
Each ALSEP station had some common elements.
| Name |
Diagram |
Picture |
Description |
| Central Station |
 |
 |
The picture shows the Central Station from Apollo 16's ALSEP.
The Central Station was essentially the command center for the entire ALSEP station. It received commands from Earth, transmitted data, and distributed power to each experiment. Communications with Earth were achieved through a 58 cm long, 3.8 cm diameter modified axial-helical antenna mounted on top of the Central Station and pointed towards Earth by the astronauts. Transmitters, receivers, data processors and multiplexers were housed within the Central Station. The Central Station was a 25 kg box with a stowed volume of 34,800 cubic cm. In addition, on Apollos 12 to 15, a Dust Detector was mounted on the Central Station which measured the accumulation of Lunar dust. |
| Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) |
 |
 |
The picture shows the RTG from Apollo 14 with the Central Station in the background.
The RTG was the power source for the ALSEP. It utilized the heat from the radioactive decay of plutonium-238Plutonium-238, is a radioactive isotope of plutonium with a half-life of 87.7 years. Because it is a very powerful alpha emitter, this isotope is used for radioisotope thermoelectric generators and radioisotope heater units. One gram of plutonium-238 generates approximately 0.5 watts of...
and thermocoupleA thermocouple or thermocouple thermometer is a junction between two different metals that produces a voltage related to a temperature difference. Thermocouples are a widely used type of temperature sensor for measurement and control and can also be used to convert heat into electric power...
s to generate approximately 70 wattThe watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units . It measures rate of energy conversion. One watt is equivalent to 1 joule of energy per second....
s of power. The base of the RTG was the base of the second ALSEP subpackage. |
| RTG Cask |
 |
|
The RTG cask stored the plutonium-238 fuel element. It was located to left of the SEQ bay. The cask was designed to withstand a launch vehicle explosion in the event of an abort or a re-entry into Earth's atmosphere (which is what occurred on Apollo 13). The picture shows Edgar Mitchell practicing the removal of the fuel element. |
List of Experiments
| Name |
Diagram |
Description |
| Active Seismic Experiment (ASE) |
 |
Through the use of seismologySeismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth...
the internal structure of the Moon could be determined to several hundred feet underground. The ASE consisted of three major components. A set of three geophoneThe term geophone derives from the Greek word "geo" meaning "earth" and "phone" meaning "sound".A geophone is a device which converts ground movement into voltage, which may be recorded at a recording station...
s was laid out in a line by an astronaut from the Central Station to detect the explosions. A mortar package was designed to lob a set of four explosives from varying distances away from the ALSEP. Finally, an astronaut activated Thumper was used to detonate one of 22 charges to create a small shock. The diagram shows the Thumper device. |
| Charged Particle Lunar Environment Experiment (CPLEE) |
|
The CPLEE was designed to measure the fluxIn the various subfields of physics, there exist two common usages of the term flux, both with rigorous mathematical frameworks.* In the study of transport phenomena , flux is defined as the amount that flows through a unit area per unit time...
es of charged particles such as electronAn electron is a subatomic particle that carries a negative electric charge. It has no known substructure and is believed to be a point particle. An electron has a mass that is approximately 1836 times less than that of the proton. The intrinsic angular momentum of the electron is a half integer...
s and ionAn ion is an atom or molecule where the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge...
s. |
| Cold Cathode Gauge Experiment (CCGE) |
 |
The CCGE was essentially a stand-alone version of the CCIG. |
| Cold Cathode Ion Gauge (CCIG) |
 |
The CCIG experiment was designed to measure the pressure of the Lunar atmosphere The atmosphere of the Moon is very tenuous and insignificant in comparison with that of the Earth. One source of the lunar atmosphere is outgassing: the release of gases such as radon and helium that originate from radioactive decay within the crust and mantle...
. It was originally designed to be part of the SIDE, but its strong magnetic field would have caused interference. The CCIG is on the right of the SIDE in the diagram. |
| Heat Flow Experiment (HFE) |
 |
The HFE was designed to make thermal measurements of the Lunar subsurface in order to determine the rate at which heat flows out of the interior. The measurements could help determine the abundance of radioisotopes and help understand the thermal evolution of the Moon. The HFE consisted of an electronics box and two probes. Each probe was place in a hole by an astronaut that was drilled to about 2.5 m deep. |
| Laser Ranging Retroreflector (LRRR) |
 |
By reflecting a laserA laser is a device that emits light through a process called stimulated emission. Laser light is usually spatially coherent, which means that the light either is emitted in a narrow, low-divergence beam, or can be converted into one with the help of optical components such as lenses...
shot from Earth off one of LRRRs, the distance to the Moon could be accurately determined. The information could be used to study Lunar recession due to tidal dissipation and the irregular motion of the Earth. The LRRRs are the only experiments still in use today. The above diagram shows the Apollo 11The Apollo 11 mission was the first human spaceflight to land on the Moon. Launched on July 16, 1969, it carried Mission Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr...
version. Apollo 14Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the Apollo program and the third mission to land on the Moon. The nine-day mission was launched on January 31, 1971, with lunar touch down on February 5. The Lunar Module landed in the Fra Mauro formation; this had originally been the target of the...
's was similar to Apollo 11's. The lower diagram shows the larger Apollo 15 version. |
| Lunar Atmosphere Composition Experiment (LACE) |
|
The LACE was designed to detect the composition of the Lunar atmosphere. |
| Lunar Ejecta and Meteorites Experiment (LEAM) |
 |
The LEAM was designed to detect secondary particles that had been ejected by meteorite impacts on the lunar surface and to detect primary micrometeorites themselves. |
| Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment (LSPE) |
 |
The LSPE was similar to the ASE except the expected depth was to be several kilometers. It consisted of three major components. As set of four geophones was laid out near the ALSEP by an astronaut. The LSPE antenna was used to send signals the charges. There were eight charges each consisting of various sizes ranging from 1/8 to 6 lbs. The charges were deployed during the roverThe Lunar Roving Vehicle or lunar rover was a 4-wheeled rover used on the Moon during the last three missions of the Apollo program in the early 1970s....
traverses. |
| Lunar Surface Gravimeter (LSG) |
|
The LSG was designed to make very accurate measurements of lunar gravity and its change over time. It was hoped the data could be used to prove the existence of gravitational waveIn physics, a gravitational wave is a fluctuation in the curvature of spacetime which propagates as a wave, traveling outward from the source. Predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity, the waves transport energy known as gravitational radiation...
s. |
| Lunar Surface Magnetometer (LSM) |
 |
The LSM was designed to measure the Lunar magnetic field thumb|right|300px|Total magnetic field strength at the surface of the Moon as derived from the Lunar Prospector electron reflectometer experiment.The external magnetic field of the Moon is very weak in comparison to that of the Earth...
. The data could be used to determine electrical properties of the subsurface. It was also used to study the interaction of solar plasma and the Lunar surface. |
| Passive Seismic Experiment (PSE) |
 |
The PSE was designed to detect "moonquake A moonquake is the lunar equivalent of an earthquake, i.e., a quake on the Moon. They are thought to be caused by cumulative effects of stress built up by tidal forces exerted on the moon by the earth...
s," either naturally or artificially created, to help study the structure of the subsurface. |
| Passive Seismic Experiment Package (PSEP) |
 |
Similar to the PSE, except it was self-supporting. This meant it carried its own power source (solar arrays Photovoltaics is the field of technology and research related to the application of solar cells for energy by converting solar energy directly into electricity...
), electronics, and communications equipment. In addition, the PSEP also carried a Dust Detector. |
| Solar Wind Spectrometer Experiment (SWS) |
 |
The SWS was designed to study solar wind properties and its effects on the Lunar environment. |
| Suprathermal Ion Detector Experiment (SIDE) |
|
The SIDE was designed to measure various properties of positive ions in the Lunar environment, provide data on the plasma interaction between solar wind and the Moon, and to determine the electrical potential of the Lunar surface. |
Apollo 11The Apollo 11 mission was the first human spaceflight to land on the Moon. Launched on July 16, 1969, it carried Mission Commander Neil Alden Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin Eugene 'Buzz' Aldrin, Jr...
(EASEP)
As stated above, Apollo 11 did not leave a full ALSEP package, but left a simpler version called the Early Apollo Surface Experiments Package (EASEP). Since there was only one 2 hour 40 minute EVA planned, the crew would not have enough time to deploy a full ALSEP, which usually took one to two hours to deploy. Both packages were stored in the LM's SEQ bay.
| Name |
Picture |
Notes |
| LRRR |
 |
Notice that the black dust cover has not yet been removed. |
| PSEP |
 |
Failed after 21 days. |
Apollo 12Apollo 12 was the sixth manned mission in the Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon. The mission was commanded by Charles "Pete" Conrad. It was launched on 14 November 1969, four months after Apollo 11. Pete Conrad and Alan L. Bean performed just over one day and seven hours of lunar...
| Name |
Picture |
Notes |
| LSM |
 |
Stored on the first subpackage. |
| PSE |
 |
Stored on the first subpackage. |
| SWS |
 |
Stored on the first subpackage. |
| SIDE/CCIG |
 |
Stored on the second subpackage as part of the subpallet.
The CCIG can be seen to the left of the SIDE. The CCIG failed after only 14 hours. |
The antenna gimbal assembly was stored on the subpallet. The stool for the PSE, the ALSEP tools, carrybar, and HTC was stored on the second subpackage.
Apollo 13Apollo 13 was the third manned mission by NASA that was intended to land on the moon, but a mid-mission technical malfunction forced the lunar landing to be aborted. The crew members were commander James A. Lovell, command module pilot John L. "Jack" Swigert, and lunar module pilot Fred W....
Because of the aborted landing, none of the experiments were deployed.
| Name |
Notes |
| CPLEE |
Stored on the first subpackage. |
| CCGE |
Stored on the first subpackage.
Only time the CCGE was flown. |
| HFE |
Stored on the first subpackage. |
| PSE |
Stored on the first subpackage. |
The antenna gimbal assembly was stored on the first subpackage. The stool for the PSE, the ALSEP tools, carrybar, and the Lunar drill was stored on the subpallet. The HTC was stored on the second subpackage.
Apollo 14Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the Apollo program and the third mission to land on the Moon. The nine-day mission was launched on January 31, 1971, with lunar touch down on February 5. The Lunar Module landed in the Fra Mauro formation; this had originally been the target of the...
| Name |
Picture |
Notes |
| ASE |
 |
The above image shows the mortar package. The lower one shows Lunar Module Pilot Edgar Mitchell operating the Thumper.
The mortar package, geophones, and Thumper was stored on the first subpackage.
Thirteen of the twenty-two Thumper charges were fired successfully. Because of concerns about the deployment of the mortar package, none of the four explosives were fired. There was an attempt to fire them at the end of the ALSEP's operational lifetime, but the charges failed to work after being dormant for so long. |
| CPLEE |
 |
Stored on the first subpackage. |
| LRRR |
 |
Stored in Quad I of the LM and brought to the ALSEP site separately. |
| PSE |
 |
Stored on the first subpackage. |
| SIDE/CCIG |
 |
Stored on the subpallet.
The SIDE is in the upper-left corner while the CCIG is in the center of the picture. |
The antenna gimbal assembly was stored on the subpallet. The stool for the PSE, the ALSEP tools, carrybar, and HTC was stored on the second subpackage.
Apollo 15Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the Apollo program and the fourth mission to land on the Moon. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous missions. The mission began on July 26,...
| Name |
Picture |
Notes |
| HFE |
 |
The center of the picture shows the electronics box and the two wires going to each of the probes.
Stored on the second subpackage.
During the drilling operations for each of the holes, more resistance was encountered than expected. As a result, the probes could not be inserted to their planned depth. Accurate scientific data could not be obtained from the Apollo 15 experiment until the data could be compared to Apollo 17's. |
| LRRR |
 |
Stored in Quad III of the LM and brought to the ALSEP site via the Lunar rover. |
| LSM |
 |
Stored on the first subpackage. |
| PSE |
 |
Stored on the first subpackage. |
| SWS |
 |
Stored on the first subpackage. |
| SIDE/CCIG |
 |
The SIDE is on the left while the CCIG is attached on the right.
Stored on the subpallet.
Note the tilt of the SIDE. This was necessary because of the latitude of Apollo 15's landing site. Also note the boom connecting the SIDE and CCIG. This redesign was done because earlier crews complained about the difficulty to deploy the SIDE/CCIG when only wires connected the two experiments. |
The antenna gimbal assembly was stored on the subpallet. The ALSEP tools, carrybar, and stool for the PSE was stored on the second subpackage.
Apollo 16Apollo 16 was the tenth manned mission in the Apollo program, the fifth mission to land on the Moon and the first to land in a highlands area. The mission was launched on April 16, 1972, and concluded on April 27. It was a J-class mission, featuring a Lunar Rover and it brought back 94.7 kg of...
| Name |
Picture |
Notes |
| ASE |
 |
The picture shows the mortar package. Note the new base used to imrove the experiment after problems were encountered with Apollo 14's.
The mortar package, geophones, and Thumper was stored on the first subpackage. The base of the mortar box was stored on the second subpackage.
After three of the explosives were fired successfully, the pitch sensor went off scale. It was then decided not to fire the fourth explosive. Nineteen of the Thumper charges were successfully fired. |
| HFE |
 |
The picture shows the one heat flow probe that was successfully deployed.
Stored on the second subpackage.
After successfully deploying one of the probes, Commander John Young inadvertently caught his foot on the cable to the experiment from the Central Station. The cable was pulled out of its connector on the Central Station. It could not be repaired and the experiment was terminated. |
| LSM |
 |
Stored on the first subpackage. |
| PSE |
 |
Stored on the first subpackage. |
Apollo 17Apollo 17 was the eleventh manned space mission in the NASA Apollo program. It was the first night launch of a U.S. human spaceflight and the sixth and final lunar landing mission of the Apollo program. The mission was launched at 12:33 a.m. EST on December 7, 1972, and concluded on December 19. It...
| Name |
Picture |
Notes |
| HFE |
 |
One of the probes can be seen in the foreground while the electronics box and the other probe can be seen in the background. |
| LACE |
 |
|
| LEAM |
 |
The LEAM is in the foreground. The scientific validity of this experiment has been called into question because of some odd data. |
| LSPE |
 |
The upper image shows the antenna for the LSPE in the foreground. The lower image shows one of the charges. |
| LSG |
 |
Because of a design error, the experiment could not accomplish what it was designed for. |
After Apollo
The ALSEP system and instruments were controlled by commands from Earth. The stations ran from deployment until they were turned off on 30 September 1977 due primarily to budgetary considerations. Also, by that time the power packs could not run both the transmitter and any other instrument, and the ALSEP control room was needed for the attempt to reactivate
SkylabSkylab was the United States' first space station, and the second space station visited by a human crew. It was also the only space station NASA launched alone...
. On several ocassions, ALSEP systems are visible in images taken by the
Lunar Reconnaissance OrbiterThe Lunar Precursor Robotic Program is a program of robotic spacecraft missions which NASA will use to prepare for future human spaceflight missions to the Moon. Two LPRP missions, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite , were launched in June 2009...
during its flybys over Apollo landing sites.
External links