Hi everyone. Today we’re highlighting an article posted by Marianne Dyson, one of our Partners. Enjoy the article and be sure to check out her partner page.
Luna 13 a Solid Success
As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Apollo, I thought I’d devote this Science Snack to some little-known lunar science performed by Soviet scientists in preparation for their own planned human landings on the Moon. The following is mostly an excerpt from my new book, Welcome to the Moon, which will be released June 17 from the Aldrin Family Foundation. (See book ordering information below.)
One of the first questions that scientists had to answer is How Hard is it? “It” being the lunar surface! How strong do the legs of a lunar lander need to be? Will the foot pads sink deep into fluffy powder, break rocks into glasslike shards, or smack into solid stone? To find out, Russian engineers devised an experiment for Luna 13 to test the hardness of the lunar surface.
To read the rest of the article – mariannedyson.com/blog/2019/05/29/luna-13-a-solid-success/