Moon pictures released

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32531, 15 February 1971, Page 13

Moon pictures released

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

HOUSTON, Feb. 14.

The desolation, dust and darkness of Fra Mauro were captured in pictures taken on the moon by the Apollo 14 astronauts and released yesterday by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The nine colour and six black-and-white photographs and a segment of 16 m'mmovie film were snapped by Captain Alan Shepard and Captain Edgar Mitchell as they explored the surface. In the photograph, the sky appears ink black and contrasts sharply with the sunbathed landscape, the golden landing craft, Antares, and the white-clad spacemen. The dust is everywhere, clinging to the boots of the moon walkers and clearly showing the imprint of their footfalls and the tyre tracks! I of the two-wheeled equip-

ment cart they pulled across the surface.

For the first time, the astronauts carried a 16 m.m. movie camera to the surface. The colour sequences show an out-the-window view as jAntares came in for a landling, stirring up dust; shots of the bleak terrain; the astronauts beside the American; flag; and pictures of them as. [they shaved and ate in the command ship on the way back to earth. Most of the still shots in the first release were taken near the lunar nodule. There are three black and white pictures showing large boulders, up to three feet high and five to six feet in width. WELCOME HOME Families, friends and a brass band welcomed the three astronauts back to Houston. Their U.S.A.F. transport plane arrived at Ellingtori base from American Samba nearly two hours behind schedule.

“We had a hard time getting away from those (Samoan dancing girls,” joked Captain Shepard.

Still in their quarantine caravan, Captain Shepard, Captain Mitchell and Lieu-tenant-Colonel Stuart Roosa were driven to the Lunar Receiving Laboratory at the nearby manned-spacecraft centre and walked into isolation quarters which will be their home until the postiflight quarantine period ends I in about two weeks. ROCKS OPENED

Scientists have opened the first box of rocks brought back from the moon’s Fra Mauro region. The rocks will be measured, photographed from all angles, weighed, put into categories, numbered and labelled by a group of scientists. About 20 per cent will be cut up and sent to about 200 principal investigators in America and overseas. First tentative findings on the rocks should start emerging from the premiminary examination within a few days. The remaining 80 per cent of the samples will be stored for future years when analysis I has reached a rt«;re advanced | state.