AS11-40-5878 (20 July 1969) --- A close-up view of an astronaut's bootprint in the lunar soil, photographed with a 70mm lunar surface camera during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon. While astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit.

AS11-40-5880 (20 July 1969) --- A close-up view of an astronaut's boot and bootprint in the lunar soil, photographed with a 70mm lunar surface camera during the Apollo 11 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA). While astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander, and Edwin A. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM)" Columbia" in lunar orbit.

S71-43052 (August 1971) --- A close-up view of a container full of green-colored lunar soil in the Non-Sterile Nitrogen Processing Line (NNPL) in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL) at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC). This sample, broken down into six separate samples after this photo was made, was made up of comprehensive fines from near Spur Crater on the Apennine Front. The numbers assigned to the sample include numbers 15300 through 15305. Astronauts David R. Scott and James B. Irwin took the sample during their second extravehicular activity (EVA) at a ground elapsed time (GET) of 146:05 to 146:06.

S69-53894 (October 1969) --- Dr. Charles H. Walkinshaw, Jr., Spaceflight Biotechnology Branch botanist, Preventive Medicine Division, Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), examines sorghum and tobacco plants in lunar (germ free) soil in the Plant Laboratory of the MSC’s Lunar Receiving Laboratory. The soil was brought back from the moon by the crew of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission.

AS14-64-9127 (5-6 Feb. 1971) --- A close-up view of lunar soil, showing bootprints made by the Apollo 14 astronauts during extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. Also visible are tracks made by the modularized equipment transporter (MET) and deployed gnomon. Astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, descended in the Apollo 14 Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon, while astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

AS16-107-17561 (16-27 April 1972) --- One of the Apollo 16 astronauts scoops up lunar soil at the base of a small boulder at Station No. 9 during the second Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Descartes landing site. Depressions to the right of the scoop were made when a surface sample was taken. This photograph was taken just before the boulder was rolled over. While astronauts John W. Young, commander; and Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot; descended in the Apollo 16 Lunar Module (LM) "Orion" to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Casper" in lunar orbit.

Surveyor 5 image of the footpad resting in the lunar soil. The trench at right was formed by the footpad sliding during landing. Surveyor 5 landed on the Moon on 11 September 1967 at 1.41 N, 23.18E in Mare Tranquillitatis.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, college students arrive for NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

AS17-137-20989 (12 Dec. 1972) --- A close-up view of the much-publicized orange soil which the Apollo 17 crewmen found at Station 4 (Shorty Crater) during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The orange soil was first spotted by scientist-astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt. While astronauts Schmitt and Eugene A. Cernan descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Challenger" to explore the lunar surface, astronaut Ronald E. Evans remained with the Apollo 17 Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit. The orange soil was never seen by the crewmen of the other lunar landing missions - Apollo 11 (Sea of Tranquility); Apollo 12 (Ocean of Storms); Apollo 14 (Fra Mauro); Apollo 15 (Hadley-Apennines); and Apollo 16 (Descartes).

AS17-137-20992 (12 Dec. 1972) --- A view looking into Shorty Crater, taken at Station 4, showing the orange soil. Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt found the orange soil on the moon during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. While astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, commander, and Schmitt, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Challenger" to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "America" in lunar orbit.

The second manned lunar landing mission, Apollo 12 launched from launch pad 39-A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 14, 1969 via a Saturn Five launch vehicle. The Saturn V vehicle was developed by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) under the direction of Dr. Wernher von Braun. Aboard Apollo 12 was a crew of three astronauts: Alan L. Bean, pilot of the Lunar Module (LM), Intrepid; Richard Gordon, pilot of the Command Module (CM), Yankee Clipper; and Spacecraft Commander Charles Conrad. The LM, Intrepid, landed astronauts Conrad and Bean on the lunar surface in what’s known as the Ocean of Storms while astronaut Richard Gordon piloted the CM, Yankee Clipper, in a parking orbit around the Moon. Their lunar soil activities included the deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), finding the unmanned Surveyor 3 that landed on the Moon on April 19, 1967, and collecting 75 pounds (34 kilograms) of rock samples. In this photograph, one of the astronauts on the Moon’s surface is holding a container of lunar soil. The other astronaut is seen reflected in his helmet. Apollo 12 safely returned to Earth on November 24, 1969.

AS17-137-20990 (12 Dec. 1972) --- A view of the area at Station 4 (Shorty Crater) showing the now highly-publicized orange soil which the Apollo 17 crew members found on the moon during the second Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. The tripod-like object is the gnomon and photometric chart assembly which is used as a photographic reference to establish local vertical sun angle, scale and lunar color. The gnomon is one of the Apollo lunar geology hand tools. While astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, commander, and Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Challenger" to explore the Taurus-Littrow region of the moon, astronaut Ronald E. Evans, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "America" in lunar orbit. Schmitt was the crew man who first spotted the orange soil.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, college students prepare their custom lunabot for NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, Lunabotics UAM Team students from the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitano in Mexico transport their lunabot to the Lunarena during NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/lunabotics. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, a color guard brings the U.S. Flag and NASA flag forward during the opening ceremony for NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/lunabotics. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, college students from The University of Akron in Ohio prepare their Lunabot, S.T.E.V.E., for the Lunarena during NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/lunabotics. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, Kennedy Space Center’s Deputy Director Janet Petro speaks during the opening ceremony for NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/lunabotics. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, U.S. and international college students watch the opening ceremony for NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/lunabotics. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, college students from California State University in Chico, prepare their custom lunabot, BEAR, for NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/lunabotics. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, college students prepare their custom lunabot for NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, college students make last minute adjustments to their custom lunabot for NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, college students from the ITT Technical Institute in Henderson, Nev., make last minute adjustments to their custom lunabot, Moon Shredder, for NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/lunabotics. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, two judges monitor the progress of two Lunabots inside the Lunarena during NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/lunabotics. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

AS12-47-6932 (19 Nov. 1969) --- Close-up view of a set of tongs, an Apollo Lunar Hand Tool, being used by astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander, to pick up lunar samples during the Apollo 12 extravehicular activity. This photograph shows Conrad's legs and a good view of the lunar soil.

AS12-49-7286 (20 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, drives a core sample tube into the lunar surface during the Apollo 12 extravehicular activity. Good view of lunar soil.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, Lunabotics Emcee Kimberly Land welcomes U.S. and international college students to NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. Land is the Education, Public Outreach and Communications manager for NASA’s Game Changing Development Program and Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/lunabotics. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, Lunabotics team spirit judges gather on stage during the opening ceremony for NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. From left, are Lead Team Spirit Judge Beth Smith from Kennedy Education Office, Debbie Lewellyn with Caterpillar, Liz Wise with Kennedy’s Ground Processing Directorate, and Jessica Paglialonga, Helen Kane and Joshua Santora, all with Kennedy’s Education Office. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/lunabotics. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology FIRST Argos Team 1756 robot from Limestone Community, Brimfield and Richwoods High Schools in Peoria, Ill., is on display in Caterpillar’s sponsor booth at NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/lunabotics. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, Lunabotics Emcee Kimberly Land gives a high five to a student during the opening ceremony for NASA’s Lunabotics Mining Competition. Land is the Education, Public Outreach and Communications manager for NASA’s Game Changing Development Program and Earth System Science Pathfinder Program. The mining competition is sponsored by NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Education Office for the agency’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. Undergraduate and graduate students from more than 50 universities and colleges in the U.S. and other countries use their remote-controlled Lunabots to maneuver and dig in a supersized sandbox filled with a crushed material that has characteristics similar to lunar soil. For more information, visit www.nasa.gov/lunabotics. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

AS11-40-5875 (20 July 1969) --- Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot of the first lunar landing mission, poses for a photograph beside the deployed United States flag during an Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. The Lunar Module (LM) is on the left, and the footprints of the astronauts are clearly visible in the soil of the moon. Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this picture with a 70mm Hasselblad lunar surface camera. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the LM, the "Eagle", to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit. Photo credit: NASA

AS11-37-5551 (20 July 1969) --- Two components of the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package (EASEP) are seen deployed on the lunar surface in this view photographed from inside the Lunar Module (LM). In the far background is the Passive Seismic Experiment Package (PSEP); and to the right and closer to the camera is the Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector (LR-3). The footprints of Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. are very distinct in the lunar soil.

AS12-48-7149 (20 Nov. 1969) --- A close-up view of astronaut Charles Conrad Jr., commander of the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission, photographed during the extravehicular activity (EVA) on the surface of the moon. An EVA checklist is on Conrad's left wrist. A set of tongs, an Apollo Lunar Hand Tool (ALHT), is held in his right hand. Several footprints can be seen. Astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit while astronauts Conrad and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, descended in the LM to explore the moon. Note lunar soil on the suit of Conrad, especially around the knees and below.

AS12-49-7278 (19-20 Nov. 1969) --- Astronaut Alan L. Bean holds a Special Environmental Sample Container filled with lunar soil collected during the extravehicular activity (EVA) in which astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Bean, lunar module pilot, participated. Conrad, who took this picture, is reflected in Bean's helmet visor. Conrad and Bean descended in the Apollo 12 Lunar Module (LM) to explore the lunar surface while astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr., command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit. Photo credit: NASA

AS15-92-12424 (31 July-2 Aug. 1971) --- Astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, uses a scoop in making a trench in the lunar soil during Apollo 15 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon. Mount Hadley, which rises approximately 14,765 feet (about 4,500 meters) above the plain, is in the background. Its base is some 14 kilometers (about 8.4 miles) away. The gnomon is at left. While astronauts Irwin, and David R. Scott, commander, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon, astronaut Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

AS15-88-11894 (31 July-2 Aug. 1971) --- A close-up view of a commemorative plaque left on the moon at the Hadley-Apennine landing site in memory of 14 NASA astronauts and USSR cosmonauts, now deceased. Their names are inscribed in alphabetical order on the plaque. The plaque was stuck in the lunar soil by astronauts David R. Scott, commander, and James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, during their Apollo 15 lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA). The names on the plaque are Charles A. Bassett II, Pavel I. Belyayev, Roger B. Chaffee, Georgi Dobrovolsky, Theodore C. Freeman, Yuri A. Gagarin, Edward G. Givens Jr., Virgil I. Grissom, Vladimir Komarov, Viktor Patsayev, Elliot M. See Jr., Vladislav Volkov, Edward H. White II, and Clifton C. Williams Jr. The tiny, man-like object represents the figure of a fallen astronaut/cosmonaut. While astronauts Scott and Irwin descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Falcon" to explore the Hadley-Apennine area of the moon, astronaut Alfred M. Worden, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

AS11-40-5964 (20 July 1969) --- Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, is photographed during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon. He is driving one of two core tubes into the lunar soil. Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this picture with a 70mm lunar surface camera. Aldrin stands near the Solar Wind Composition (SWC) experiment, a component of the Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package (EASEP, deployed earlier). The SWC is in the center background.

jsc2011e118361 - Panorama view of Apollo 15 lunar module pilot James B. Irwin, using a scoop in making a trench in the lunar soil during the second moonwalk of the mission. The panoramas were built by combining Apollo 15 images starting with frame AS15-92-12420 thru end frame AS15-92-12438. The panoramic images received minimal retouching by NASA imagery specialists, including the removal of lens flares that were problematic in stitching together the individual frames and blacking out the sky to the lunar horizon. These adjustments were made based on observations of the Moon walkers who reported that there are no stars visible in the sky due to the bright lunar surface reflection of the Sun.

The lunar highlands exhibit rhythmic patterns thought to result from slow, downslope creep of the loose regolith soil. These subtle patterns are most easily seen when the Sun is low to the horizon in this image taken by NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbit

AS14-64-9135 (6 Feb. 1971) --- Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, took this close-up view of a large boulder, approximately five feet long, during the second extravehicular activity (EVA), on Feb. 6, 1971. Astronauts Shepard and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the moon, while astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

AS14-68-9448 (6 Feb. 1971) --- A close-up view of a large multi-colored boulder in the boulder field located on the rim of Cone Crater, as photographed by the moon-exploring crew members of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission. This view is looking west by southwest. The Lunar Module (LM) can be seen in the background. While astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, were exploring the moon, after descending in the LM, astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

Scientists at Marshall's Materials and Processes Lab are pulling glass fibers from simulated lunar soil. This technology could lead to the building of thermally protected lunar buildings made of materials already there.

AS17-146-22367 (7-19 Dec. 1972) --- This is an excellent view of the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) which was used extensively by astronauts Eugene A. Cernan and Harrison H. Schmitt at the Taurus-Littrow landing site.

Diane Linne in the Simulated Lunar Operations, SLOPE Lab - Percussive Excavation Bucket reduces reaction forces for extraterrestrial digging of loose and compacted or icy soils.

A technology demonstration flying aboard the next delivery for NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative could change how research teams collect and study soil and rock samples on other planetary bodies. Lunar PlanetVac, or LPV, is one of 10 payloads set to be carried to the Moon by the Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander in 2025. Developed by Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin company of Altadena, California, LPV is designed to, essentially, operate as a vacuum cleaner with a pneumatic, compressed gas-powered sample acquisition and delivery system to efficiently collect and transfer lunar soil from the surface to other science instruments or sample return containers. Investigations and demonstrations, such as LPV, launched on CLPS flights will help NASA study Earth’s nearest neighbor under Artemis and pave the way for future crewed missions on the Moon. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the development for seven of the 10 CLPS payloads that will be carried on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander.

A technology demonstration flying aboard the next delivery for NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative could change how research teams collect and study soil and rock samples on other planetary bodies. Lunar PlanetVac, or LPV, is one of 10 payloads set to be carried to the Moon by the Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander in 2025. Developed by Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin company of Altadena, California, LPV is designed to, essentially, operate as a vacuum cleaner with a pneumatic, compressed gas-powered sample acquisition and delivery system to efficiently collect and transfer lunar soil from the surface to other science instruments or sample return containers. Investigations and demonstrations, such as LPV, launched on CLPS flights will help NASA study Earth’s nearest neighbor under Artemis and pave the way for future crewed missions on the Moon. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the development for seven of the 10 CLPS payloads that will be carried on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander.

A technology demonstration flying aboard the next delivery for NASA’s CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative could change how research teams collect and study soil and rock samples on other planetary bodies. Lunar PlanetVac, or LPV, is one of 10 payloads set to be carried to the Moon by the Blue Ghost 1 lunar lander in 2025. Developed by Honeybee Robotics, a Blue Origin company of Altadena, California, LPV is designed to, essentially, operate as a vacuum cleaner with a pneumatic, compressed gas-powered sample acquisition and delivery system to efficiently collect and transfer lunar soil from the surface to other science instruments or sample return containers. Investigations and demonstrations, such as LPV, launched on CLPS flights will help NASA study Earth’s nearest neighbor under Artemis and pave the way for future crewed missions on the Moon. NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, manages the development for seven of the 10 CLPS payloads that will be carried on Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander.

S69-53666 (30 Sept. 1969) --- A close-up view of numerous fern plants growing in a sprinkling of lunar soil brought back from the lunar surface by the crew of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. The photograph of the fern plants was taken 50 days after the plants were exposed to the lunar matter. The plants - Onoclea sensidilis, or more commonly known as Sensitive Fern - were photographed on a dish containing the minimal nutrients for germination. The cabbage-like, darker circle of plants, about 3/8-inch tall at the highest point, is germinating in contact with the lunar material, but the lighter colored, blurred plant material surrounding the cabbage-like clump is not in contact with any of the lunar soil. The strong thrive of these plants has been termed surprising and outstanding by MSC plant specialists.

AS11-37-5505 (20 July 1969) --- This photograph shows in fine detail the impressions in the lunar soil made by astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. during their lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA). While astronauts Armstrong, commander, and Aldrin, lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit.

AS14-64-9181 (5-6 Feb. 1971) --- A view of the lunar terrain at the Apollo 14 Fra Mauro landing site as photographed through the left window of the Lunar Module (LM). Note the clump of lunar soil in the foreground, and a crater in the center on the horizon. While astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander; and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot; descended in the LM to explore the moon, astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

AS11-40-5877 (20 July 1969) --- A close-up view of an astronaut's bootprint in the lunar soil, photographed with a 70mm lunar surface camera during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the moon. While astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A team of competitors works with a robotic vehicle taking part in NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The competition challenges university students to build machines that can collect soil such as the material found on the moon. Working inside the Caterpillar LunArena, the robotic craft dig soil that simulates lunar material. The event is judged by a machine's abilities to collect the soil, its design and operation, size, dust tolerance and its level of autonomy. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A robotic vehicle takes part in NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The competition challenges university students to build machines that can collect soil such as the material found on the moon. Working inside the Caterpillar LunArena, the robotic craft dig soil that simulates lunar material. The event is judged by a machine's abilities to collect the soil, its design and operation, size, dust tolerance and its level of autonomy. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A team of competitors prepares for a turn in NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The competition challenges university students to build machines that can collect soil such as the material found on the moon. Working inside the Caterpillar LunArena, the robotic craft dig soil that simulates lunar material. The event is judged by a machine's abilities to collect the soil, its design and operation, size, dust tolerance and its level of autonomy. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A robotic mascot moves among participants during NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The competition challenges university students to build machines that can collect soil such as the material found on the moon. Working inside the Caterpillar LunArena, the robotic craft dig soil that simulates lunar material. The event is judged by a machine's abilities to collect the soil, its design and operation, size, dust tolerance and its level of autonomy. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A videogame simulates driving excavators during NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The competition challenges university students to build machines that can collect soil such as the material found on the moon. Working inside the Caterpillar LunArena, the robotic craft dig soil that simulates lunar material. The event is judged by a machine's abilities to collect the soil, its design and operation, size, dust tolerance and its level of autonomy. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A team of competitors prepares for a turn in NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The competition challenges university students to build machines that can collect soil such as the material found on the moon. Working inside the Caterpillar LunArena, the robotic craft dig soil that simulates lunar material. The event is judged by a machine's abilities to collect the soil, its design and operation, size, dust tolerance and its level of autonomy. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A team of competitors works with its machine during NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The competition challenges university students to build machines that can collect soil such as the material found on the moon. Working inside the Caterpillar LunArena, the robotic craft dig soil that simulates lunar material. The event is judged by a machine's abilities to collect the soil, its design and operation, size, dust tolerance and its level of autonomy. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A team of competitors works with its machine during NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The competition challenges university students to build machines that can collect soil such as the material found on the moon. Working inside the Caterpillar LunArena, the robotic craft dig soil that simulates lunar material. The event is judged by a machine's abilities to collect the soil, its design and operation, size, dust tolerance and its level of autonomy. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A team of competitors waits for a turn in NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The competition challenges university students to build machines that can collect soil such as the material found on the moon. Working inside the Caterpillar LunArena, the robotic craft dig soil that simulates lunar material. The event is judged by a machine's abilities to collect the soil, its design and operation, size, dust tolerance and its level of autonomy. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Participants watch NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The competition challenges university students to build machines that can collect soil such as the material found on the moon. Working inside the Caterpillar LunArena, the robotic craft dig soil that simulates lunar material. The event is judged by a machine's abilities to collect the soil, its design and operation, size, dust tolerance and its level of autonomy. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Teams taking part in NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition were eligible for unique trophies such as this. The competition challenged university students to build machines that could collect soil such as the material found on the moon. Working inside the Caterpillar LunArena, the robotic craft dug soil that simulated lunar material. The event was judged by a machine's abilities to collect the soil, its design and operation, size, dust tolerance and its level of autonomy. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A team of competitors works with its machine during NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The competition challenges university students to build machines that can collect soil such as the material found on the moon. Working inside the Caterpillar LunArena, the robotic craft dig soil that simulates lunar material. The event is judged by a machine's abilities to collect the soil, its design and operation, size, dust tolerance and its level of autonomy. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A team of competitors works with its machine during NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The competition challenges university students to build machines that can collect soil such as the material found on the moon. Working inside the Caterpillar LunArena, the robotic craft dig soil that simulates lunar material. The event is judged by a machine's abilities to collect the soil, its design and operation, size, dust tolerance and its level of autonomy. Photo credit: NASA/Glenn Benson

iss071e462520 (Aug. 12, 2024) --- NASA astronaut and Expedition 71 Flight Engineer Matthew Dominick displays a bag containing simulated lunar soil and other materials mixed with a liquid solution. He was exploring how microgravity affects the production of cement materials that could be used to build infrastructure on the lunar surface.

S71-23772 (11-12 March 1971) --- Two members of the prime crew of the Apollo 15 lunar landing mission collect soil samples during a simulation of lunar surface extravehicular activity in the Taos, New Mexico area. Astronaut James B. Irwin, lunar module pilot, is using a scoop. Astronaut David R. Scoot (right), commander, is holding a sample bag. On the left is a Lunar Roving Vehicle trainer.

AS14-72-9975 (February 1971) --- A near vertical view of the inner wall of King Crater located on the lunar farside, as photographed from the Apollo 14 spacecraft in lunar orbit. The coordinates of the center of King Crater are 120.7 degrees east longitude and 14.3 degrees north latitude.

AS08-17-2670 (21-27 Dec. 1968) --- Near vertical view of the lunar farside as photographed from the Apollo 8 spacecraft. The center of the picture is located approximately at 162 degrees west longitude and 6 degrees south latitude.

AS8-17-2744 (21-27 Dec. 1968) --- Oblique view of the lunar surface taken from the Apollo 8 spacecraft looking westward showing typical lunar farside terrain. (HOLD PICTURE SO THAT DARK IRREGULAR AREA SURROUNDED BY LIGHT SPOTS IS IN THE LOWER RIGHT QUARTER). The sharp crater near the center of then scene is near 117 degrees east longitude and 5 degrees south latitude; and it is 25 kilometers (15 statute miles) in diameter. That crater is on the rim of a large crater that occupies the lower right quarter of the photograph.

AS08-12-2193 (21-27 Dec. 1968) --- View of the lunar surface taken from the Apollo 8 spacecraft looking southward from high altitude across the Southern Sea. (Hold picture with AS8 number in upper right corner). The bright-rayed crater near the horizon is located near 130 degrees east longitude and 70 degrees south latitude. The dark-floored crater near the middle of the right side of the photograph is about 70 kilometers (45 statute miles) in diameter. Both features are beyond the eastern limb of the moon as viewed from Earth; neither has a name.

AS08-12-2209 (21-27 Dec. 1968) --- High altitude oblique view of the lunar surface, looking northeastward, as seen from the Apollo 8 spacecraft. The crater Joliot-Curie, about 175 kilometers in diameter and centered near 94 degrees east longitude and 27 degrees north latitude, is near the center of the left side of this photograph. The bright rayed crater near the horizon is probably located near 105 degrees east longitude and 45 degrees north latitude. Long, narrow rays that have been reported in the polar region of Earth facing hemisphere may radiate from this crater.

AS08-12-2052 (21-27 Dec. 1968) --- This near-vertical photograph from the Apollo 8 spacecraft covers an area of approximately 50 x 50 statute miles within a 250-statute-miles-in-diameter crater on the lunar farside. The center of this large crater is located at about 157 degrees west longitude and 4 degrees south latitude. The large crater in the center of the picture is about 20 statute miles in diameter.

AS08-12-2196 (21-27 Dec. 1968) --- An oblique view from the Apollo 8 spacecraft looking eastward across the lunar surface from about 115 degrees east longitude to the horizon near 180 degrees east longitude. The crater Tsiolkovsky in the center of the picture is 150 kilometers wide and is located at 129 degrees east longitude and 21 degrees south latitude. While in lunar orbit, Apollo 8 moved toward the camera position over the terrain along the left (north) side of this photograph.

AS08-12-2192 (21-27 Dec. 1968) --- View of the lunar surface taken from the Apollo 8 spacecraft looking southward from high altitude across the Southern Sea. (Hold picture with AS8 number in upper right corner). The bright-rayed crater near the horizon is located near 130 degrees east longitude and 70 degrees south latitude. The dark-floored crater near the middle of the right side of the photograph is about 70 kilometers (45 statute miles) in diameter. Both features are beyond the eastern limb of the moon as viewed from Earth; neither has a name.

AS12-57-8455 (19-20 Nov. 1969) --- An Apollo 12 stereo view showing a three-inch square of the lunar surface. The exposure was made with an Apollo 35mm stereo close-up camera during extravehicular activity of the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission. The camera was developed to get the highest possible resolution of a small area. The three-inch square is photographed with a flash illumination and at a fixed distance. The camera is mounted on a walking stick, and the astronauts use it by holding it up against the object to be photographed and pulling the trigger. Astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, descended in the Apollo 12 Lunar Module to explore the moon while astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr. remained with the Command and Service Modules in lunar orbit in the capacity of command module pilot.

AS14-64-9103 (6 Feb. 1971) --- Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, photographed this overall view of a field of boulders on the flank of Cone Crater during the second extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, joined Shepard in exploring the moon, while astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

AS08-12-2148 (21-27 Dec. 1968) --- View of the lunar surface as photographed from the Apollo 8 spacecraft. Zero-phase bright spot. With near-vertical sun illumination, topographical detail is washed out and differences in surface brightness are accentuated. The numerous small bright-halo craters become conspicuous. A few larger craters have extremely bright inner walls that are commonly streaked by darker material. The bright glow near the conspicuous bright-walled crater is a halo that surrounds the position of the spacecraft shadow.

AS16-117-18728 (23 April 1972) --- Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, exposed this view of the huge "Shadow Rock" with his 70mm Hasselblad camera during the mission's third and final extravehicular activity (EVA), on April 23, 1972. This particular stop was referenced as Station 13. The scoop, a geological hand tool, leans against the rock and helps to give an idea of the size. Station 13 is a little southeast of North Ray Crater at the Descartes area. While astronauts John W. Young, commander; and Duke descended in the Apollo 16 Lunar Module (LM) "Orion" to explore the Descartes highlands landing site on the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Casper" in lunar orbit.

AS14-64-9118 (6 Feb. 1971) --- Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, photographed this overall view of a field of boulders on the flank of Cone Crater, during the second extravehicular activity (EVA), on Feb. 6, 1971. The view is looking south across the lunar valley through which the Apollo 14 moon-explorers flew their Lunar Module (LM) during the final approach to the landing. Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, joined Shepard in exploring the moon, while astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

AS17-145-22224 (12 Dec. 1972) --- Astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, Apollo 17 commander, is photographed inside the lunar module on the lunar surface following the second extravehicular activity (EVA) of his mission. Note lunar dust on his suit. The photograph was taken by astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, using a 70mm handheld Hasselblad camera and S0-368 film.

AS17-134-20530 (11 Dec. 1972) --- Astronaut Harrison H. Schmitt, lunar module pilot, displays several days of growth on his beard aboard the Lunar Module (LM) prior to its liftoff from the moon's surface. The photograph was taken by astronaut Eugene A. Cernan, mission commander. The two later re-joined astronaut Ronald E. Evans, who was orbiting the moon in the Apollo 17 Command and Service Modules (CSM).

AS14-68-9452 (5-6 Feb. 1971) --- A hammer and a small collection bag lie atop a lunar boulder to give some indication of size in this view of several boulders clustered together. This is one of the white rocks from which samples were taken by the two moon-exploring crew men of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission. While astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, were exploring the moon, astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

S71-19269 (12 Feb. 1971) --- A close-up view of Apollo 14 sample number 14414 & 14412, a fine lunar powder-like material under examination in the Sterile Nitrogen Atmospheric Processing (SNAP) line in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL) at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC). Scientists are currently making preliminary analyses of material brought back from the moon by the crew of Apollo 14 lunar landing mission.

AS14-68-9414 (6 Feb. 1971) --- Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., Apollo 14 commander, stands beside a large boulder on the lunar surface during the mission's second extravehicular activity (EVA), on Feb. 6, 1971. Note the lunar dust clinging to Shepard's space suit. Astronauts Shepard and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, explored the lunar surface while astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, orbited the moon in the Command and Service Modules (CSM).

AS14-68-9453 (6 Feb. 1971) --- Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, whose shadow is in the foreground, photographs a group of large boulders near the rim of Cone Crater. An interesting feature is the white and brown rock in the boulder. Mitchell removed a sample where the hammer is lying. While astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, and Mitchell descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Antares" to explore the Fra Mauro region of the moon, astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Kitty Hawk" in lunar orbit.

AS12-57-8452 (19-20 Nov. 1969) --- An Apollo 12 stereo view showing a three-inch square of the lunar surface. The exposure was made with an Apollo 35mm stereo close-up camera during extravehicular activity of the Apollo 12 lunar landing mission. The camera was developed to get the highest possible resolution of a small area. The three-inch square is photographed with a flash illumination and at a fixed distance. The camera is mounted on a walking stick, and the astronauts use it by holding it up against the object to be photographed and pulling the trigger. Astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., commander, and Alan L. Bean, lunar module pilot, descended in the Apollo 12 Lunar Module to explore the moon while astronaut Richard F. Gordon Jr. remained with the Command and Service Modules in lunar orbit in the capacity of command module pilot.

AS8-17-2704 (21-27 Dec. 1968) --- Near vertical view of the lunar farside as photographed from the Apollo 8 spacecraft. This crater, which is about 22 statute miles in diameter, is located at 167 degrees east longitude and 11 degrees south latitude. This crater is located on the eastern edge of a much larger unnamed crater which is about 90 statute miles in diameter.

S71-51315 (1 Oct. 1971) --- A close-up view of soybean tissue culture growing in a synthetic medium and Apollo 15 lunar material. Note the greening occurring in areas in contact with the soil particles.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Apollo 13 backup Lunar Module Pilot Charlie Duke, left, scoops up soil at the Kennedy Space Center while backup Commander John Young looks on. Photo credit: NASA

AS11-40-5874 (20 July 1969) --- Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot of the first lunar landing mission, poses for a photograph beside the deployed United States flag during Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA) on the lunar surface. The Lunar Module (LM) is on the left, and the footprints of the astronauts are clearly visible in the soil of the moon. Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this picture with a 70mm Hasselblad lunar surface camera. While astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin descended in the LM the "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility region of the moon, astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit.

Angie Huerta, a first-year Ph.D. student studying particle physics at the University of Notre Dame, recently completed a GEM Fellowship program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At Kennedy, Huerta worked closely on a project testing hydrogen plasma on lunar regolith simulant, which is similar to returned lunar soil samples, to explore the plasma’s reliability and efficiency potential for Artemis, NASA’s lunar exploration program.

Angie Huerta, a first-year Ph.D. student studying particle physics at the University of Notre Dame, recently completed a GEM Fellowship program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At Kennedy, Huerta worked closely on a project testing hydrogen plasma on lunar regolith simulant, which is similar to returned lunar soil samples, to explore the plasma’s reliability and efficiency potential for Artemis, NASA’s lunar exploration program.

AS14-67-9367 (5 Feb. 1971) --- The Apollo 14 Lunar Module (LM) as seen by the two moon-exploring crewmen of the Apollo 14 lunar landing mission, photographed against a brilliant sun glare during the first extravehicular activity (EVA). A bright trail left in the lunar soil by the two-wheeled modularized equipment transporter (MET) leads from the LM. While astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, and Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, were exploring the moon, astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, was maneuvering the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit.

S69-40945 (August 1969) --- This is a core tube sample under study and examination in the Manned Spacecraft Center?s (MSC) Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL). The sample was among lunar soil and rock samples collected by astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. during their extravehicular activity (EVA) on July 20, 1969. While astronauts Armstrong, commander; and Aldrin, lunar module pilot; descended in the Apollo 11 Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" to explore the Sea of Tranquility landing site on the moon. Astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Columbia" in lunar orbit.

AS08-17-2821 (21-27 Dec. 1968) --- This oblique view of the lunar surface taken from the Apollo 8 spacecraft looking westward across the Sea of Tranquility shows Apollo Landing Site East 2 illuminated by a sun that is six to eight degrees above the eastern horizon. The landing site is on the dark gray, smooth surface of the Sea of Tranquility and north (to the right) of the bright highland terrain at the lower left corner of the photograph. The landing site is about four tenths of the distance from the left to right margin of the photograph.

AS08-17-2814 (21-27 Dec. 1968) --- This oblique view of the lunar surface taken from the Apollo 8 spacecraft looking westward across the Sea of Fertility into the Sea of Tranquility shows the terrain the astronauts will see as the approach Apollo Landing Site East 2. The landing site is at the horizon about one-third of the distance from the left to the right photograph margin. The prominent crater in the highlands near the center of the picture is Secchi, about 25 kilometers (15 statute miles) in diameter.

AS16-114-18423 (21 April 1972) --- Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., lunar module pilot, is photographed collecting lunar samples at Station No. 1, during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA), at the Descartes landing site. This picture, looking eastward, was taken by astronaut John W. Young, commander. Duke is standing at the rim of Plum Crater. The parked Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) can be seen in the left background. While astronauts Young and Duke descended in the Lunar Module (LM) "Orion" to explore the Descartes highlands region of the moon, astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, command module pilot, remained with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) "Casper" in lunar orbit.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Teams taking part in NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition gather inside the Apollo/Saturn V Center at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida for the awards ceremony at the end of the event. They are seated beneath the first stage of the Saturn V rocket that carried astronauts to the moon. The competition challenged university students to build machines that could collect soil such as the material found on the moon. Working inside the Caterpillar LunArena, the robotic craft dug soil that simulated lunar material. The event was judged by a machine's abilities to collect the soil, its design and operation, size, dust tolerance and its level of autonomy. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The team from the University of Alabama team took home the Joe Kosmo Award for Excellence for designing and operating the winning robotic vehicle during NASA's Lunabotics Mining Competition. The competition challenged university students to build machines that could collect soil such as the material found on the moon. Working inside the Caterpillar LunArena, the robotic craft dug soil that simulated lunar material. The event was judged by a machine's abilities to collect the soil, its design and operation, size, dust tolerance and its level of autonomy. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Apollo 17 Lunar Module Pilot Harrison H. Schmitt, left, scoops soil samples into a specimen bag held by Mission Commander Eugene A. Cernan during a mock lunar surface training exercise conducted at the Kennedy Space Center. Schmitt and Cernan are scheduled to remain on the lunar surface 75 hours, leaving their lunar module spacecraft three times to explore the Moon’s Taurus-Littrow region. Launch of the Apollo Saturn V spacecraft vehicle, also with Astronaut Command Module Pilot Ronald E. Evans onboard, is scheduled no earlier than December 6, 1972. Photo credit: NASA

CAPE CANAVERAl, Fla. - Robert Mueller, left, explains differences in lunar, Martian and Earth soil using simulants to Dr. Mason Peck, NASA's chief Technologist, during a tour of the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at Kennedy. Peck toured the lab facility during a visit to the space center. Photo credit: NASA/Frankie Martin