APOLLO 17 ORBITAL EXPERIMENTS

Left: The Apollo 17 Scientific Instrument Module (SIM). Right: The instrument layout within the SIM bay.

In addition to their studies on the lunar surface, the Apollo 17 crew performed intensive studies of the Moon from lunar orbit. In addition to photography performed with handheld cameras in the Command Module, a series of experiments were carried in the Scientific Instrument Module on the Service Module.

The Metric and Panoramic cameras provided systematic photography of the lunar surface.

The Laser Altimeter measured the heights of lunar surface features

The S-Band Transponder Experiment measured regional variations in the Moon's gravitational acceleration.

The Apollo Lunar Sounder Experiment used radar to study the structure of the upper kilometer of the lunar crust.

The Ultraviolet Spectrometer Experiment studied the composition of the lunar atmosphere.

The Infrared Radiometer measured the cooling of the Moon's surface at night as a way to determine the physical properties of the lunar soil.

In addition to lunar studies, several other experiments were performed to study the space environment.

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Apollo 17 Dataset Descriptions
The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) provides data and information on Apollo experiments upon request to individuals or organizations in the United States. The same services are available to scientists outside the United States through the World Data Center for Satellite Information. Normally, a charge is made for the requested data to cover the cost of reproduction and the processing.

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