Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-26-1978

Abstract

On each of the last three Apollo lunar missichs, two camera systema were uaed to take orbital phatographs of tho Moon, From these photographa ortho- phetomans have been made oF approximately 157 of the lunar eurface at a 1:250,000 scale and or aelected areas at 1:50,000 to 1:10,000 scales. These maps are better than those avallable for many areas of the Barth. Phatogranhy from Earth orbit or the Gemini, Aoollo, Skylab, and Apollo- Soyus missions also establlahed the utility or color rilm in studying and mapping the Earth. Por example, photorraphs fron these miaslone have been used to mao malor fault systens and subsidtary fractures, to nl aaslfy soll tvnes in desert reglons, and to determine prowth patterne of river deltas, However, the resolution or these photcgraphs, like that of Landsat data, ie below what is reguired for detailed study and mapptr The Soace 3huttle propram w11l onen the way for programs that apoly what has been learned from prevlous space misslons in order to bhtain better photo- graphs of the Earth. This w1ll be done by using the so-designated "Large Fornst camera," which w11l nermit the acqllsition or mapring quallty, ateree. and hich-resoluticn (10 to 20 m) photorrachs on color and/or b1ack-and-whlte fiim. Thls camera (305mm, f/6 lens] derives its name from the sizg of individual framesi each frame 1s approximately 23 om x 46 cm, with a 40 x 74 degree field-of-view. The frame overlap can be aet at up to 80x to allow for the reguired stereo mapping accuracy. Edge fiduclal marks constitute the calibration reforence, and the radlal diatortion 1s measured to be t 10 micrometers. The camera's framing rate vartes from 5 to. 45 seconds for use It various altitudes. The spectral range of the canera 1s 400 to 900 nanometers, and 80 11nes/mm (2:1 contrast) to the eyatem resolution ie measured to be 100 lines/mm (1000:1 contrast) NASA presently plans to fly the Large Format Camera on an sarly Shuttle mission. _Photography from the first flight w1ll mainly be used by the U.S. Geological Survey and other agencies to update old tonographic MaDa and compile new ones and Will also be avallable for detalled study and resource surveys. ecause the low orbit inclination of the firat Shuttle missions (annroximately 309) the covered areas will be restricted to the equatorial zone or the Earth. In addition to lts utillty in Earth orbit, the Large Format Camera 1s designed for high-altitudr acrial photozraphs." Por example, this camera can rovide 1 re photcgraphs from an altitude or 20 Im. There- ore, the camera ns the ray for accurate, high quality photography for local and/or multinational mapoing and for detalled land and resource surveys.

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