Organic Analyses of Selected Areas of Surveyor III recovered on the Apollo 12 Mission

Abstract

THE Apollo 12 astronauts recovered the television camera, the trenching scoop and a few smaller items from Surveyor III, which had been on the Moon for 31 months¹. They noticed that the white surfaces of the spacecraft had become tan. The television camera remained in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL) during quarantine period and afterwards preliminary microscopic visual examinations and extensive photography were conducted at the LRL. The camera was then shipped to Hughes Aircraft Company for detailed studies and disassembly. Whenever possible the camera was handled and examined in laminar flow clean areas. On close examination, optical interference patterns were found on the camera mirror. The effects of lunar particles on this mirror had been observed earlier². We report here the organic contamination of the mirror surface and camera exterior (shroud) attributable to the spacecraft outgassing, Lunar Module (LM) descent engine blasting, possible Surveyor III engine exhaust products—although thought to be unlikely due to the spatial configuration of the spacecraft components—and unknown sources. A more detailed report of these data will be published by NASA³.