Light Beam Reflected Baek From Moon

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29820, 12 May 1962, Page 11

Light Beam Reflected Baek From Moon

(NX. Press Association-Copyright)

CAMBRIDGE. (Massachusetts), May 11. Man for the first time has succeeded in catching the reflection of a beam of light shot at the moon, scientists of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology reported yesterday. The scientists said that the beam of light, sent through a Maser device, would have been clearly visible within a two-mile radius on the moon, the Associated Press reported. The Maser is a revolutionary new optical development which permits highly intensified and concentrated light beams to be shot in a precise direction.

The scientists said that the reflection was caught by a telescope at Cambridge two and a half seconds after 13 bursts of red light had been fired at the moon The pause was because of the fact that the light travelled an estimated half million miles at 186.000 miles a second.

The Iqjhit was produced by four lamps generating light each with energy equal to a two million watt light bulb. This light was then concentrated on the Maser ruby crystal—about 6m long—built up to a peak of energy and then fired out of the Maeer and through a 12in telescope. It is hoped that the Maeer can be developed to transmit power to a aateilße at vast distances from the earth, ’.he scientists said.