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Chapter 10: Problem 40

No Apollo mission landed on the far side of the Moon. Why do you suppose this was? What would have been the scientific benefits of a mission to the far side?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Apollo missions didn't land on the far side of the Moon primarily due to communication challenges as the far side always faces away from Earth, breaking line-of-sight communication. A mission to the far side, however, could offer unique insights into Lunar history due to its different topography and composition, and also serve as a prime location for deep space observation shielded from Earth's radio emissions.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Apollo Missions

The Apollo missions were a series of space missions conducted by NASA with the aim of landing humans on the Moon and bringing them back safely. Part of the safety precautions was to always stay in communication with the mission crew. The spacecraft orbiting the moon and the Earth station must be in line-of-sight to maintain good communication. Since the far side of the moon is always facing away from Earth, landing there would result in loss of direct communication with the crew, which could pose serious safety risks.
02

Evaluate the Unique Features of the Far Side of the Moon

The far side of the moon, sometimes referred to as the 'dark side' is never visible from Earth due to a phenomenon called tidal locking. This leads to some distinct characteristics unique to the far side including a different topography with more craters and less lunar maria (dark, flat plains), as well as potential differences in the composition of the Lunar surface that could provide valuable scientific information about the moon's formation and history.
03

Assess Potential Scientific Benefits

A mission to the far side of the moon could shed light on many unexplored scientific aspects. These could include understanding the cause for the difference in topography between the near and far side, studying the composition of the Lunar surface and testing theories about the moon’s formation. The far side is also shielded from Earth's radio emissions, making it an ideal location for placing radio telescopes for deep space observation.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

In a whimsical moment during the Apollo 14 mission, astronaut Alan Shepard hit two golf balls over the lunar surface. Give two reasons why they traveled much farther than golf balls do on Earth.

Why are there no sedimentary rocks on the Moon?

Temperature variations between day and night are much more severe on the Moon than on Earth. Explain why.

On the basis of moon rocks brought back by the astronauts, explain why the maria are dark-colored but the lunar highlands are light-colored.

Rocks found on the Moon are between \(3.1\) and \(4.47\) billion years old. By contrast, the majority of the Earth's surface is made of oceanic crust that is less than 200 million years old, and the very oldest Earth rocks are about 4 billion years old. If the Earth and Moon are essentially the same age, why is there such a disparity in the ages of rocks on the two worlds?
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