October 20, 2014

Monday Geology Picture(s): Geological Sampling on the Moon

Posted by Evelyn Mervine

Lunar geological sampling tools #1.

Lunar geological sampling tools #1.

If you think that regular geological field work and sampling can be challenging, try doing those tasks in a spacesuit. During my recent (June 2014) trip to Washington, DC, I visited the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Among many wonderful things, I saw a display that included some sampling tools that astronauts in spacesuits used to help them collect samples from the lunar surface during the Apollo missions. You can read more about these sampling tools here, and you can read more about the geology of the moon here.

Below are a few more pictures of the lunar geological sampling tools. My apologies for the poor quality of the images The displays were difficult to photograph with my point-and-shoot camera.

Lunar sampling #2.

Lunar geological sampling tools #2.

Lunar geological sampling tools #3.

Lunar geological sampling tools #3.

Lunar geological sampling tools #4.

Lunar geological sampling tools #4.

Lunar geological sampling tools #5.

Lunar geological sampling tools #5.