NASA LRC Lunar Orbiter Project, Mission III: Surface of the Moon
Artist
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
(American, founded 1958)
CultureAmerican
Date1967
MediumVintage gelatin silver print
DimensionsOverall, Image: 20 1/2 × 16 in. (52.1 × 40.6 cm)
Overall, Support: 24 × 18 in. (61 × 45.7 cm)
Overall, Mat: 28 × 22 in. (71.1 × 55.9 cm)
Overall, Support: 24 × 18 in. (61 × 45.7 cm)
Overall, Mat: 28 × 22 in. (71.1 × 55.9 cm)
Credit LineGift of Charles Isaacs and Carol Nigro
Object number2016.42.5
Not on view
DescriptionThis photograph shows the suface of the moon. It was taken by the NASA LRC Lunar Orbiter on February 20, 1967. It was made at 1:13.17.5 (GMT) from an altitude of 53 kilometers on February 20, 1967. The image was then reassembled by the Army Map Service, Corps of Engineers on March 23, 1967. The print was produced by the Army Mapping Service on April 17, 1967. The main Kodak-designed photo system consisted of a dual-lens camera, on-board film processor, and readout system. An 80-mm lens provided wife coverage on negatives marked M (medium resolution). The film was scanned onboard, trasmitted back to earth where it was reassembled into the image, and then rephotographed to yield the present large print.Label TextNational Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) American, founded 1958 NASA LRC Lunar Orbiter Project, Mission III: Surface of the Moon, 1967 Vintage gelatin silver print (photograph) Five Lunar Orbiter missions were launched from 1966 to 1967 to map the lunar surface in preparation for the Apollo landings. The Orbiters were designed with an ingenious imaging system, which consisted of a dual-lens camera, an onboard darkroom, a readout scanner, and a film handling apparatus. The lenses passed imagery to adjacent areas on film, which was automatically moved during exposure to compensate for the spacecraft’s speed. The film was chemically processed on board, scanned, and transmitted back to Earth, where it was printed and assembled into a single frame. Gift of Charles Isaacs and Carol Nigro 2016.42.5ProvenanceGifted to the Chrysler Museum of art by Charles Isaacs and Carol Nigro in December 2016. Isaacs obtained the image from a collector/dealer named Randy Liebermann.Exhibition History"5 Years of Photography: Building the Chrysler Collection," Photography & Focus Galleries, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, VA, June 26 - November 10, 2019.
