Apollo 16: Preliminary Science Report

Manned Spacecraft Center (U.S.)

Jan 1972 · Scientific and Technical Information Office, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

About this ebook

The Apollo 16 flight and lunar landing are discussed with emphasis on the scientific endeavors conducted to explore the lunar highlands. The scientific investigations of the mission covered three broad areas: lunar surface sampling and observation, lunar surface experiments, and inflight experiments, which included three biomedical studies. Geologic studies included sample collection, soil mechanics, activation of passive and active seismometers, and lunar surface magnetometry. Radiation-related studies included far UV camera/spectroscopy, solar wind composition, cosmic ray spectra, gegenschein photography, gamma ray spectrometry, X-ray spectrometry, alpha particle spectrometry, mass spectrum analysis, subsatellite measurement of plasma and energetic particles, S-band transponder tracking, and bistatic radar probe. Additional experiments included ultraviolet photography of the Earth and Moon, flux of meteoroids, and biomedical experiments. The biomedical experiments were studies of the biological effects of galactic cosmic radiation using the biostack module, light flash observation, and a microbial ecology evaluation device.