POST-APOLLO LUNAR SC IENCE Report of a Study by the Lunar Science Institute July 1972 Lunar Science Institute 3303 NASA Road 1 Houston, Texas 77058 Copyright @ 1972 by the Lunar Science Institute Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 72-93379 SUMMER STUDY ON POST-APOLLO LUNAR SCIENCE J. W. Chamberlain, Director Eugene M. Shoemaker Lunar Science Institute California Institute of Technology R. A. Phinney (Chairman) Princeton University Nafi M. Toksoz Massachusetts Institute John B. Adams (Co-Chairman) of Techno Zogy Fairleigh Dickinson University Robert M. Walker Washington University P. J. Coleman (Co-Chairman) University of California Gerald J. Wasserburg Los Angeles C~ZiforniaI nstitute of Techno Zogy E. Anders A. L. Burlingame Enrioo Fermi Institute University of CaZifornia Berkeley Kinsey A. Anderson University of California J . Cone1 Berkeley Jet PropuZsion Laboratory James R. Arnold D. R. Criswell University of California Lunar Science Institute San ~ i e ~ o - Michael B. Duke G. Arrhenius NASA/MSC University of California San Diego Geoffrey Eglinton University of BristoZ Ralph R. Baker Colorado State University Farouk E l- Baz Bet Zcomm, Inc. .Peter M. Bell Carnegie Institution Michael Fulle r of Washington university of Pittsburgh Roy G. Brereton Paul Gast Jet P~opulsionL aboratory NASA/MSC Robin P. Brett H. Taylor Howard NASA/MSC Stanford University iii W. M. Kaula S. K. Runcorn University of California University of NewcastZe Los AngeZes upon Tyne Robert L. Kovach Roman A. Schmitt Stanford University Oregon State University Gary Latham Leon T. Silver Marine BiomedicaZ Institute CaZifornia Institute University of Texas of Techno Zogy Kurt Marti W. L. Sjogren University of Ca Zifornia Jet PropuZsion Laboratory Sun Diego Charles P. Sonett Harold Masursky NASA/Ames Research Center U. S. GeoZogicaZ Survey David Strangway W. R. Muehlberger NASA/MSC University of Texas Austin Gordon Swann U. S. GeoZogicaZ Survey Thomas A. Mutch Brown University Harold C. Urey University of CaZifornia R. 0. Pepin San Diego University of Minnesota John A. Wood William L. Quaide Smithsonian Institution NASA/Ames Research Center William W. Rubey University of CaZifornia Los Angezes NASA OBSERVERS R. J. Allenby W. T. O'Bryant NASA Headquarters NASA Headquarters Anthony J. Calio John H. Pomeroy NASA/MSC NASA Headquarters John W. Harris Donald Senich NASA/MSC NASA Headquarters Noel W. Hinners Henry J. Smith NASA Headquarters NASA Headquarters James A. Love11 NASA/MSC As the end of the Apollo lunar missions approaches, there i s much concern for the continued development of the lunar sciences. It i s most important that the limited sums avail- able be spent wisely, i f the huge investment i n Apollo i s t o reap the scientific return that i s s t i l l largely latent i n the photographs, the telemetry tapes, and the returned sam- ples. Accordingly, the Lunar Science Institute assembled a t the University of California, San Diego a group representing the various lunar sciences for the week of July 10, 1972 t o examine the post-Apollo situation. This Report i s the result of that brief Summer Study. The types of scientific analyses that should be undertak- en and the priorities involved received the main thrusts of attention by the Study, and these matters are treated i n Chap- ter 111, the heart of this Report. To set the stage properly, however, Chapter I1 presents a short summary of the present state of Apollo Lunar Science. Moreover, a future return to the Moon, manned or unmanned, should be planned i n the context of what Apollo accomplished and what, i n the light of Apollo, are the outstanding ques- tions. These matters are briefly addressed i n Chapter IV. A few words on the manner of composing the Report are i n order. Most of the text was generated during the one week a t La Jolla, with the help of background "position papers" that many participants prepared and circulated i n advance of the Study. The Executive Committee structured the outline of the Report, and i t s members served as focal points to bring togeth- er a preliminary draft a t the Study. The Chairman and the two Co-Chairmen subsequently distilled and collated the material. All participants were asked to comment on the next-to-final draft, and we have tried to reflect the prevailing views i n this final version. The principal conclusions of the Study appear as a set of general recommendations, summarized i n Chapter I (pp. 4-5)s along with the more detailed and specific recommendations sum- marized i n Section B of Chapter I11 (pp. 31-35) and Section B of Chapter I V (pp. 74-75). J. W. Chamberlain Director Lunar Science Institute Houston October 1972 The Lunar Science Institute gratefully ac- knowledges the time and effort donated by the participants at this Study. In a period when travel funds are scarce i t i s worth noting that as a rule the LSI was not able to pay the travel expenses for invitees. Most participants at- tended a t the expense o f travel funds i n their research grants. Special thanks are due our hosts a t UCSD: Drs. James R. Arnold, Gustaf 0. Arrhenius, Kurt Marti, and Harold C. Urey. Page Chapter I INTRODUCTION A. Significance of Lunar Exploration-------------- 1 B. Organization of the Report--------------------- 3 C. Major Recommendations-------------------------- 4 Chapter I1 SCIENTIFIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF LUNAR EXPLORATION A. The Lunar Surface------------------------------ 6 B. The Lunar Interior----------------------------- 12 C. The Moon-Space Interface----------------------- 18 D. The Evolution of the Moon---------------------- 21 E. The Origin of the Moon------------------------- 26 F. Current Major Unsolved Problems---------------- 27 Chapter I11 A STRATEGY FOR LUNAR SCIENCE AFTER APOLLO A. Introduction----------------------------------- 3 1 B. Summary of Recommendations by Program Area-------------------------------- 3 1 C. The Lunar Sample Analysis Program-------------- 35 Q. The Geophysical Program------------------------ 45 E. The Remote Sensing Program--------------------- 5 5 F. Curatorial Facilities for Samples and the Data Archives--------------------------- 62 G, The Advisory Committees------------------------ 68 H. Relationship of Lunar Studies t o Other Science------------------------------- 71 Chapter I V FUTURE LUNAR EXPLORATION A. Introduction----------------------------------- 74 B. Conclusions and Recommendations---------------- 74 C. Sites for Future Exploration------------------- 76 D. Geophysical and Geochemical Measurements i n Future Exploration----------------------- 81 E. The Interim Period----------------------------- 88 F. International Cooperation---------------------- 90 Appendix A FREQUENTLY USED ACRONYMS------------------- 91 Appendix B SUMMARY OF THE APOLLO SCIEPCE PROGRAM------ 92 Appendix C ADVISORY COMMITTEES CONCERNED WITH LUNAR SCIENCE--------------------------- 97