RESEARCH IN AUTOMATIC BALLOON INSTRUMENTATION FOR SELENODETIC MAPPING PHOTOGRAPHY.
Abstract
A study was conducted to determine the feasibility of an automatic balloon-borne selenodetic plate camera for high-resolution photography of the moon. The areas of investigation include the optical system, system configuration, system stabilization, photographic materials, plate camera arrangement and operation, plate calibration, possibilities for improved resolution, and estimated system performance. Diagrammatic arrangements of the system are provided. Studies indicate that low-contrast lunar details having dimensions exceeding 1000 feet can be recorded photographically by working at the f/20 focal plane of a 36-inch telescopic optical system. The optical form will be similar to that employed in Stratoscope II. Study results indicate the desirability of incorporating ground-controlled acquisition and automatic tracking of the lunar surface. It is concluded that an automatic balloon-borne selenodetic plate camera system is feasible. In preliminary exploration of the moon, selenodetic photography is useful for identifying areas suitable for detailed investigation prior to unmanned and manned landings. The system, if flown outside most of the earth's atmosphere, would be capable of routinely producing lunar photographs with resolutions which have not been obtained from terrestrial observing sites. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 20, 1964
- Accession Number
- AD0430942