Lunar Surface
Robotic and human exploration of the Moon, particularly during the Apollo era, provided our first views of an alien planetary surface. The insights gleaned were often as surprising as they were spell-binding. There are several ways to access the results of past studies:
One can access results that were presented at the Lunar Science Conference (1971–1977) and subsequent Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (1978–present). An immense amount of high-quality data exists in the three- and two-page abstracts written for those conferences. The titles, authors, and PDF files of the full abstracts presented from 1997 through today are available and can be searched using LPI's Abstract Search tool. Abstracts from earlier conferences will be added to the LPI's searchable abstract collection in the near future.
Full peer-reviewed papers published in the Proceedings of the Apollo 11 Lunar Science Conference (1970), Proceedings of the Lunar Science Conference (1971–1977), Proceedings of the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (1978–1990), and subsequent Proceedings of Lunar and Planetary Science (1991–1992) are currently available through the Smithsonion/NASA ADS Proceedings Query Page.
The LPI Library also has a large collection of additional lunar surface documents. A search of documents in the library can be run using the on-line LPI CIRS Library Catalog.
Another important source of information is the Lunar Sourcebook, which provides an excellent set of post-Apollo summaries of lunar surface research.
Finally, information can be obtained using LUNAR SEARCH (upper left), which accesses information at the Lunar and Planetary Institute and elsewhere.
Lunar Minerals
A good summary of previous results is "Lunar Minerals," which is Chapter 5 of the Lunar Sourcebook (1991). More recent results can be found using LPI's Abstract Search engine.
Lunar Rocks
A good summary of previous results is "Lunar Rocks," which is Chapter 6 of the Lunar Sourcebook (1991). More recent results can be found using LPI's Abstract Search engine.
Lunar Regolith
A good summary of previous results is "The Lunar Regolith," which is Chapter 7 of the Lunar Sourcebook (1991). More recent results can be found using LPI's Abstract Search engine.
Lunar Terrain and Traverse Data for Lunar Roving Vehicle Design Study (1969)
USGS Report, H.J. Moore et al., 209 pages.Lunar Stratigraphy and Sedimentology (1976)
John F. LindsayGeotechnical Properties of Lunar Soil (2005)
W. David Carrier III, 24 pages.Lunar Soil Simulation and Trafficability Parameters (2006)
W. David Carrier III, 17 pages.Crater Slopes and Regolith Surface Roughness (2006)
Brief summary of slopes and surface roughness that characterize the lunar regolith, 32 pages.Parameters of Lunar Soils (2006)
Brief summary of the physical properties of lunar soils, 29 pages.
Chemical Compositions
A good summary of previous results is "Chemistry," which is Chapter 8 of the Lunar Sourcebook (1991). More recent results can be found using LPI's Abstract Search engine.
Impact Craters
Ballistics of the Copernican Ray System (1960)
A classic (and hard to find) paper about secondary cratering, E.M. Shoemaker, 16 pages.A good summary of previous results is "Lunar Surface Processes," which is Chapter 4 of the Lunar Sourcebook (1991). More recent results can be found using LPI's Abstract Search engine. Another excellent source of information is Don Wilhelm's The Geologic History of the Moon, USGS Professional Paper 1348.
Apollo Over the Moon: A View From Orbit (1978)
NASA-SP-362, H. Masursky, G.W. Colton, and F. El-Baz (eds.), 266 pages.
Volcanic Terrains
A good summary of previous results is "Lunar Surface Processes," which is Chapter 4 of the Lunar Sourcebook (1991). More recent results can be found using LPI's Abstract Search engine. Another excellent source of information is Don Wilhelm's The Geologic History of the Moon, USGS Professional Paper 1348.
Apollo Over the Moon: A View From Orbit (1978)
NASA-SP-362, H. Masursky, G.W. Colton, and F. El-Baz (eds.), 266 pages.
Preliminary Science Reports (Apollo)
Apollo 11 Preliminary Science Report (1969)
NASA SP-214Apollo 12 Preliminary Science Report (1970)
NASA SP-235Apollo 14 Preliminary Science Report (1971)
NASA SP-272Post-Apollo Lunar Science; Report of a Study by the Lunar Science Institute (1972)
Recommendations for post-Apollo lunar science activities by many of the participants that planned and executed the Apollo lunar surface science investigations.Apollo 15 Preliminary Science Report (1972)
NASA SP-289Apollo 16 Preliminary Science Report (1972)
NASA SP-315Apollo 17 Preliminary Science Report (1973)
NASA SP-330
Geological Tools
Catalog of Apollo Lunar Surface Geologic Sampling Tools and Containers (1989)
NASA-JSC document number JSC-23454, J. H. Allton, 97 pages.Designing a Robotic Sampler to Collect Moon Rocks (1996) Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union, vol. 77, no. 5, pages 33, 37, and 41
Surface Instruments and Experiments
Catalog of Apollo Experiment Operations (1994)
NASA Reference Publication 1317, T. A. Sullivan, 182 pages.Catalog of Lunar and Mars Science Payloads (1994)
NASA Reference Publication 1345, N. A. Budden, ed., 255 pages.Planetary Surface Instrument Workshop Report (1995)
LPI Technical Report No. 95-05
Astronaut Activity
Lighting Constraints on Lunar Surface Operations (1991)
NASA Technical Memorandum 4271, Dean B. Eppler, 24 pages.Interviews with the Apollo Lunar Surface Astronauts in Support of Planning for EVA Systems Design (1994)
NASA Technical Memorandum 108846, M. Connors, D. Eppler, and D. Morrow, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffet Field, CAGeologic Field Work and General Implications for Planetary EVA Suit Design (1997)
Internal Memo, D. Eppler, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TXAdditional relevant information appears in "The Lunar Environment," which is Chapter 3 of the Lunar Sourcebook (1991).
