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Apollo Sites Spotted by Lunar Scout

Space.com
posted: 1 DAY AGO
comments: 2934
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Space.com
(July 17) - For stubborn folks who still believe the Apollo astronauts never landed on the moon, NASA has new images — definitive proof — that clearly show the Apollo 11 lander that carried the first astronauts to the lunar surface 40 years ago.
The images were taken by NASA's first lunar scout in more than a decade, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. They show the Eagle lunar lander at Tranquility Base, where Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on July 20, 1969. They were snapped between July 11 and 15 of this month and released by NASA on Friday.
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The image does not reveal whether the U.S. flag planted there is still standing or not.
The Apollo 11 landing site wasn't the only one that the LRO's camera system (dubbed LROC) photographed: It also snapped pictures of the landing sites of the other five Apollo landings. (The remaining site, for Apollo 12, is expected to be photographed in the coming weeks.) The lunar modules for all of these sites imaged are visible as small dots; their shadows can also be seen. A few more details can be seen in the image of the Apollo 14 landing site, including scientific instruments and astronaut footprints.
"The LROC team anxiously awaited each image," said LROC principal investigator Mark Robinson of Arizona State University. "We were very interested in getting our first peek at the lunar module descent stages just for the thrill -- and to see how well the cameras had come into focus. Indeed, the images are fantastic and so is the focus."
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Follow the Moon Landing 'Live' Online
moon landing
wechoosethemoon.org
Track the Apollo 11 moon mission in real-time from the July 16 liftoff through the July 20 landing at WeChoosetheMoon.org. Chronicle the four-day odyssey exactly as it happened 40 years ago by experiencing the trip as the astronauts did via animation, real mission audio, video, photos, real-time tweets and more.
Plus: AIM Buddy Icons | Moon Landing on KOL | Theme for AOL.com | On Bebo
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As LRO gradually descends to a lower orbit, the images will improve and provide closer looks at the lunar landing sites.
The images of these sites are expected to show scientists how the sites have changed since the astronauts trod across them, whether there are any new craters and how the leftover human artifacts have fared in the lunar environment.
About the size of a Mini Cooper car, the $504 million LRO probe, an orbiting satellite, launched toward the moon on June 18. The probe is expected to spend at least one year mapping the moon for future manned missions, as well as several more years conducting science surveys.
Some people have questioned whether NASA really went to the moon or if the whole thing was faked. No serious and level-headed historian, researcher or space industry analyst doubts the moon landings, however.
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© Imaginova Corp. All rights reserved.
2009-07-17 17:05:02
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Dsteinbennett

02:47 AMJul 20 2009

the ussr knew we went to the moon they have radar data of the apollo craft leaving orbit the ussr in 1969 would love to call it a hoax but couldnt

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Daylex2

02:44 AMJul 20 2009

Report This! CNBC-archioligist CARLOS OHLEMACHER discovers prehistoric chicken bones behind white house....states that by number of bones it was size of a T-REX and feed on watermelon

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Deborahliehr

02:34 AMJul 20 2009

If we didn't land on the moon, why do the space junk, footprints and flag show up on the most powerful telescope on the world? (On Hawaii..look it up)..Are "Buzz" Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and others, liars? Unfortunately, the moon seems to be made up of mostly basalt, which wouldnt even make decent concrete. , so there's no reason to go there and mine the resources, such as they are...

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Mmyk

02:32 AMJul 20 2009

To anyone who thinks the moon landing was a hoax: Think of the number of people (thousands) who would have to have been in on it. Now face the fact that any conspiracy with more than 3 people involved is generally revealed by one of the participants opening his/her fat mouth. Now do the math. And if you still believe it was a conspiracy in which thousands of people have kept the secret for 40 years, you sir/madam, are a blithering moron.

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mnbforu2c

02:31 AMJul 20 2009

OK so NASA lost the lunar landing footage,....so what? We as a race loose more stuff everyday than could ever be imagined,....which is why I keep my SS card and condoms in my wallet,...My wallet holds money and credit cards as well so the odds of losing the wallet is almost zero.....to be honest the 10 year old condom is just for luck.....it has got to improove soon!!!!

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mnbforu2c

02:19 AMJul 20 2009

I think I am job60's fault tonight because of the wonderful messages he/she wrote here tonight,....or you could blame me on my parents,....they get that allot!

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Dsteinbennett

02:16 AMJul 20 2009

going to the moon is like landing a plane in cuba good luck

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mnbforu2c

02:14 AMJul 20 2009

as I stood up to get another beer my chair lost its balance and quietly fell to the floor. Nobody knew of it utill I spoke of it just now,....but that is not the truth,...in truth this is the second attempt to describe a chair falling, because the first time I accidentally hit Esc on the keyboard,....and the reason for bringing it up is even less clear. ...whether it is a tree or a chair,...or a universe, it needs to be noticed to be believed. It takes life forms to take note. The brighter the life form the better the notes. ....and if the moon does infact smell like wet ashes in a fireplace, it can only do so because of intelligent life forms relating understandable descriptions to one another.....so without intelligent life the universe is not real nor is it happening....we are the proof that it is,...

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Lithogrfr5

02:12 AMJul 20 2009

I came to this site thinking that I might find intelligent life and conversation. Would have better chance of finding it on the moon. Hell, most of you can't even spell ! Intelligence my ass ! I'll look on the moon.

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Deborahliehr

01:59 AMJul 20 2009

Damn right! I'm pretty sick of the conspiracy theorists saying that the moon landing was fake! The telescope on Hawaii, which is the most powerful on earth, can show the "space junk" left behind! Funny how the same people who say that aliens are visiting Earth are the same ones who say the moon landing was fake! Go back to watching Fox network and believing "Alien Autopsy"!

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