“41-B ONBOARD SCENE OF EVA---Astronaut Robert L. Stewart, 41-B mission specialist, uses hand controls on his nitrogen-propelled backpack, called a manned maneuvering unit, to move above the cargo bay of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Challenger. In the midst of darkness, Stewart is only one of three visible objects in the photo. A TV camera is lower right edge and the shield for the Westar VI satellite is nearby.”

This is such a unique & cool view. Per/at the following link, it's supposedly taken by the fixed camera in Bruce McCandless's helmet. Although taken by McCandless, since the perspective is too low to have been taken from the aft-facing flight deck windows, it possibly was by the fixed camera, However, the fixed camera is attached to the MMU itself. The video camera is the one in the helmet.

The fixed still camera is quite conspicuous & easily identifiable. In this photograph of MMU no. 2, it's the appendage sticking out from the upper left corner of it.

I assume the following is a raw image, unless a nearby unreported UFO was emitting the green glow:

nara.getarchive.net/media/41b-21-850-sts-41b-view-of-astr...

Credit: NARA website

Possibly the only correct statement at the above link is "Stewart flies the MMU down the payload bay to the Shuttle Pallet Satellite (SPAS) 01A."

Regardless, interesting trivia, paraphrased from the Astronautix website, at:

www.astronautix.com/s/sts-41-b.html

The German-built SPAS-01A, first flown on STS-7, became the first satellite refurbished & flown again. Unfortunately, it remained in the payload bay due to an electrical problem with the Remote Manipulator System (RMS).

Better, although low resolution:

www.astronautix.com/graphics/1/10061777.jpg

Credit: Astronautix website

Would both Astronauts be wearing their respective MMUs simultaneously during the same EVA? I seriously doubt it...but who knows. If one seriously malfunctioned, I suppose you’d need the guy with the good one equally ‘suited up’ to render aid.

1965 cut-away diagram of the Lunar Excursion Module Ascent Stage, representing the 'final' version. Note that "Excursion" was still part of the nomenclature as of the printing of the photo.

Note the Major Matt Mason-like space suit worn by the Astronaut. Sort of looks like an A2-L and/or immediately subsequent.

“Mariner 9 spacecraft showing some of instrumentation and scan platform with cameras pointing obliquely downward.”

Above hand-annotated (in cursive!) on the verso. I think written by a knowledgeable JPL employee…refreshing.

Also, per the caption of the equivalent NASA-numbered version, dated April 30, 1971:

“The Mariner Mars 1971 spacecraft is a Mars orbiter which is fully attitude stabilized using the Sun and the star Canopus as the basic attitude references. The spacecraft’s basic structure is a 40-pound, 8 sided magnesium framework with eight electronic compartments. The electronic assemblies fastened within the compartments provide structural support to the spacecraft. The weight of the spacecraft is approximately 2200 pounds. The launch vehicle/spacecraft upper adapter weight is about 72 pounds. The spacecraft measures 9 feet from the separation plane to the top of the low-gain antenna and has a burn-out weight of approximately 1190 pounds. Its span is 22 feet 7-1/2 inches with the solar panels extended. The basic octagonal structure is 54-1/2 inches high. Four solar panels, each 84-1/2 inches long and 35-1/2 inches wide, are attached on outriggers to the octagon.”

The Golden Gate Bridge's north tower rises majestically through the twilight, its International Orange paint glowing warmly under artificial lighting while the deep blue hour sky provides dramatic backdrop. Photographed from the rocky shoreline near Fort Point on the San Francisco side, this perspective captures the bridge at its most atmospheric—that fleeting moment when day surrenders to night and the iconic structure transforms into a beacon of light.

The bridge's distinctive Art Deco tower stands tall against Marin Headlands silhouetted in the distance, its steel lattice framework illuminated by powerful lights mounted at the base and along the span. The red aviation warning light at the tower's peak blinks as a safety measure for aircraft, while the decorative lighting traces the suspension cables and vertical supports. This lighting design, implemented in the 1980s, ensures the bridge remains visible and photogenic after dark while honoring its status as one of the world's most recognizable structures.

Fort Point area facilities cluster at the tower's base—the historic fortification, visitor amenities, and access roads all bathed in warm artificial light that creates a glowing pool against the darkening landscape. The juxtaposition of military history and engineering marvel is evident here, where a Civil War-era brick fort sits in the shadow of the 1937 suspension bridge that chief engineer Joseph Strauss designed to span directly over it rather than requiring its demolition.

The rocky foreground typical of San Francisco's rugged coastline frames the composition, while the calm bay waters reflect the bridge's illumination. Marin County's hills rise across the strait, their dark forms punctuated by scattered lights from Sausalito and other North Bay communities. The atmospheric conditions—likely some fog or marine layer evident in the soft focus of distant hills—create that quintessential Golden Gate Bridge aesthetic where the structure emerges from and disappears into California's coastal weather.

The deep blue twilight sky shows perfect timing for this type of photography. Too early and the artificial lights wouldn't register dramatically; too late and the sky would be completely black, losing the color gradation that provides context and mood. This blue hour window—perhaps fifteen minutes when the light balance is just right—requires planning and patience but yields images that capture the bridge's romantic, almost ethereal quality that has made it a global icon.

“The Apollo 10 Saturn V space vehicle rushes skyward from the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39B today at the start of the lunar orbit mission. The 363-foot-high space vehicle generated a liftoff thrust of 7.7 million pounds.”

“Rushes”??? Not yet…later. First time I’ve ever read that verbiage. At least it’s not “blasts off” and even reveals a noble albeit mediocre attempt at dramatic flair.

This is by far the best image - in a physical photograph of this event - that I’ve come across.

[And to be clear, I'm not boasting, it's a fact. Nearly all others I've seen, to include my others, are as I describe...IMHO.]

Although the launch was indeed under cloudy/overcast conditions, to me it also seemed that nearly all period/vintage “A KODAK PAPER” (and non-water marked prints) of this were really yellowed, along with a low contrast, dull, dingy appearance. This one breaks the mold.

“This image was returned by the Voyager 2 spacecraft on July 3, 1989, when it was 76 million kilometers (47 million miles) from Neptune. The planet and its largest satellite, Triton, are captured in the field of view of Voyager's narrow-angle camera through violet, clear and orange filters. Triton appears in the lower right corner at about 5 o'clock relative to Neptune. Recent measurements from Voyager images show Triton to be between 1,400 and 1,800 kilometers (about 870 to 1,100 miles) in radius with a surface that is about as bright as freshly fallen snow. Because Triton is barely resolved in current narrow-angle images, it is too early to see features on its surface. Scientists believe Triton has at least a small atmosphere of methane and possibly other gases. During its closest approach to Triton on August 25, 1989, Voyager should provide high-resolution views of the moon's icy surface and reveal whether Triton's atmosphere has clouds. JPL manages the Voyager Project for NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications.

pg. 57-5”

The cited page number possibly of some NASA/JPL documentation on which the image was featured?

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01491

Credit: JPL Photojournal website

“In this picture the Pioneer 11 spacecraft is entering the thermal-vacuum chamber at TRW Space Systems Division in Redondo Beach, Ca.

The dish antenna focuses the 8-watt radio on the Earth almost one billion miles away. The spacecraft weighed at launch 570 lbs. This included 65 lbs. of scientific instruments. Pioneer 11 carries 11 onboard scientific instruments.

The Pioneer 11 spacecraft will make its closest approach to Saturn on September 1, and one of its moons, Titan on September 2.

The Pioneer Saturn project is managed by NASA’s Ames Research Center, Mountain View, Ca. The spacecraft was built by TRW.”

Awkwardly written, oddly only referencing the Saturn approach, with no mention of the year for that. But by golly it’ll be in ‘some’ September.

At least it indirectly brought attention to the puny power of the radio, the mind-boggling distance it had to transmit with that power, and the remarkably light weight of the spacecraft.

An excellent photograph of the M-5 LEM mockup at Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation’s (GAEC) Bethpage, N. Y. plant.

Note the laid out components, photos, graphics, schematics, displays, etc. of LEM systems. I assume for VIP/NASA visitations/presentations in conjunction with their attendance at testing, evaluations, meetings, conferences, etc.

And that repellent flooring that was EVERYWHERE during my childhood. As if being fugly wasn’t enough:

inspectapedia.com/hazmat/Asbestos_Floor_Tile_Color_Guide....

Credit: InspectAPedia website

I'm pretty sure this is another unicorn. An original ca. 1966/67 Lunar Orbiter I panoramic photograph measuring 3’ 5.5” x 9’ 9.75”.

Yes, it’s nearly 10 feet long!

The earth itself is 15” in diameter!

I was informed by the gentleman I obtained it from, who lives/lived in Seattle, Washington, that it came from the estate of a Boeing employee there, who stated that it was originally tacked to a wall, possibly of a hallway, at the Boeing Missile Production Center, also in Seattle, where the Lunar Orbiter spacecraft were assembled.

I have no doubts regarding the validity of the above assertion. There are in fact ‘vintage’ tack holes in the corners. Although the verso bears no watermark, it is definitely some sort of photographic paper, with a very slight, appealing actually, sepia tone. Although, it's not as prominent as this photograph would suggest. However, reducing the saturation to accurately reflect the photograph makes the flooring look suspiciously colorless. You're just going to have to take my word for it. The two visible plexiglass panels are of course to keep the photograph flat. Lighting was oblique natural under somewhat overcast conditions.

It's really in remarkable condition.

Note how the following 'full' version extends the scene further to the left:

nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/html/object_page/lo1_h102_123....

Credit: NSSDCA website

This is the only other reference to a large/larger version of this amazing photograph that I’ve seen:

www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1496

Credit: SPACEREF website

moonviews.com/?cat=48

Credit: MOONVIEWS: Official website of the Lunar Orbiter Image Recovery Project (LOIRP)

twitter.com/NASAhistory/status/1066783585171111937

Credit: NASA History Office/Twitter

www.nasa.gov/topics/moonmars/features/LOIRP/EL-2002000508...

The above query was from 2011, so I’m pretty sure Mr. Cowing has found one by now. 😉

Looks to be another print from the same ‘production run’, also with the white border & I think the same size:

history.nasa.gov/SP-4308/ch10.htm

Last, but not least:

archive.org/details/loirpimagegallery

Credit: Internet Archive website...I really need to donate to their superior efforts.

“GRUMMAN AIRCRAFT ENGINEERING CORP., BETHPAGE, NEW YORK

LM MANUFACTURING----Apollo Lunar Module-5 in Final Assembly Area during demate procedures.”

I believe those are Chinese characters stamped on the verso. Makes me wonder where this has been, along with resisting the urge to defecate on it.

“This photo of a bulletin board shows some of the clippings taken from leading U. S. newspapers during and shortly after the Lunar Orbiter I mission. Stories of the mission were given prominent play in such leading publications as the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, the Pasadena Independent, Life magazine, Time and Newsweek magazines.”

The bulletin board was likely at Boeing’s Seattle, Washington headquarters.

Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation (GAEC) print/artwork, ca. 1967, depicting Lunar Module powered descent just prior to touchdown on the lunar surface.

GAEC + LEM/LM + artist's concept pretty much = Craig Kavafes. However, his signature is not to be found, unlike the vast majority of his other works, even early on. Somehow though, it doesn't quite look to be by his hand. Idk. Whoever it is, it’s awesome.

11” x 14”.

“APOLLO 10 ROLL OUT----Aerial view at Launch Complex

Aerial view at Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, showing a closeup of the 363-ft. tall Apollo 10 (Spacecraft 106/Lunar Module-4/Saturn 505) space vehicle on its way to Pad B. The Saturn V stack and its mobile launch tower are atop a huge crawler-transporter. The Apollo 10 flight is scheduled as a lunar orbit mission. The Apollo 10 crew will be Astronauts Thomas P. Stafford, commander; John W. Young, command module pilot; and Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot.”

The original “mega rocket”.

A stunning image despite the obvious yellowing, low contrast & creasing of both top corners into the image (not visible in either scan).

“Washington, D.C., -- The world’s first view of the Earth taken by a spacecraft from the vicinity of the Moon. The photo was transmitted to Earth by the United States Lunar Orbiter I and received at the NASA tracking station at Robledo de Chavela near Madrid, Spain. This crescent of the Earth was photographed August 23, at 16:35 GMT when the spacecraft was on its 16th orbit and just about to pass behind the Moon. This is the view the astronauts will have when they come around the backside of the Moon and face the Earth. The Earth is shown on the left of the photo with the U.S. east coast in the upper left, southern Europe toward the dark or night side of Earth, and Antarctica at the bottom of Earth crescent. The surface of the Moon is shown on the right side of the photo.”

www.space.com/12707-earth-photo-moon-nasa-lunar-orbiter-1...

Credit: Space.com website

nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/html/object_page/lo1_h102_123....

Also…really cool:

www.planetary.org/explore/space-topics/earth/pics-of-eart...

Credit: The Planetary Society website

And I'm sure plenty of others.

“This artist's concept of the Voyager spacecraft with its antenna pointing to Earth. The identical Voyager spacecraft are three-axis stabilized systems that use celestial or gyro referenced attitude control to maintain pointing of the high-gain antennas toward Earth. The prime mission science payload consisted of 10 instruments (11 investigations including radio science). Only five investigator teams are still supported, though data are collected for two additional instruments.”

The above & image at/from:

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04495

Credit: JPL Photojournal website

A reverse image search of this photograph reveals that everybody - I mean EVERYBODY - and their brother, mother, second-cousin, the neighbor across the street…you name it, has posted this. Even NASA.

From the estate of Eric Burgess and possibly featured as “figure 4-8(a)” in one of his many books.

Based on the photo ID number and its overall gorgeous appearance, possibly by Ken Hodges.

in madrid, where the "cuatro torres" stretch, two giants reach for the sky, nearly piercing the cotton-like clouds above. glass surfaces mirror the ambition of a city, reflecting fragments of blue and white in a spectacle of modernity. there's a conversation between earth and heaven here, a visual poetry of aspiration, where human ingenuity meets the artistry of the skies. the towers, like beacons of progress, stand as sentinels at the threshold of the clouds, their tips disappearing into a dreamscape where the boundaries of reality seem to blur into the ether.

“The world’s first view of the Earth taken by a spacecraft from the vicinity of the Moon. The photo was transmitted to Earth by the United States Lunar Orbiter 1 and received at the NASA tracking station at Robledo De Chavela near Madrid, Spain. This crescent of the Earth was photographed August 23, at 16:35 GMT when the spacecraft was on its 16th orbit and just about to pass behind the Moon. This is the view the astronauts will have when they come around the backside of the moon and face the Earth. The Earth is shown on the left of the Photo with the U.S. east coast in the upper left, southern Europe toward the dark or night side of Earth, and Antarctica at the bottom of Earth crescent. The surface of the Moon is shown on the right side of the photo. Re-enhanced photograph - October 24, 1966.”

This photo is part of the historic & iconic ‘first photo of Earth from the moon’ panorama, comprising the middle ~third of it. The first photograph linked to below is NASA photo ID no. 66-H-1379, it being the right/upper (depending upon orientation) ~third of that panorama. Could that mean there’s a 66-H-1381…it being the left/lower ~third? I doubt it, that would be logical/make too much sense.

The conspicuous ‘dark’ crater to the right is Khvol’son. Hilbert E is at the lower right of the image. A portion of Hilbert Crater & its multiple other satellite craters are spread across the surface to the left of Hilbert E.

See also:

www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/lunarorbiter/frame/?1102

Specifically:

www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/lunarorbiter/images/preview/11...

Both above credit: LPI website

“This image of Neptune's satellite 1989N1 was obtained on Aug. 25, 1989 from a range of 146,000 kilometers (91,000 miles). The resolution is about 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) per line pair. The satellite, seen here about half illuminated, has an average radius of some 200 kilometers (120 miles). It is dark (albedo 6 percent) and spectrally grey. Hints of crater-like forms and groove-like lineations can be discerned. The apparent graininess of the image is caused by the short exposure necessary to avoid significant smear. The Voyager Mission is conducted by JPL for NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications.”

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00062

Credit: JPL Photojournal website

Being from the estate of Eric Burgess, the photograph was sourced for ‘Figure 5-15’, page 111, in his book “FAR ENCOUNTER – THE NEPTUNE SYSTEM”, with the following caption/description:

“This image of 1989N1 was obtained from a range of 91,000 miles (146,000 km). The satellite is half illuminated. There are hints of many craters and grove-like lineaments. What appears to be a huge crater with a diameter of 90 miles (150 km) mars the top part of the terminator region (NASA/JPL)”

The above, with the image (of the scanned book) is available at:

archive.org/details/farencounternept00burg/page/110/mode/2up

Credit: Internet Archive website (account required to view). Regardless, an account is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, there’s no obligation and you WILL NOT regret it!)

1989N1 was later named ‘Proteus’ on September 16, 1989. The subsequent caption associated with that name, but applied to the same image:

“Proteus is the second largest moon of Neptune behind the mysterious Triton. Proteus was discovered only in 1989 by the Voyager 2 spacecraft. This is unusual since Neptune has a smaller moon - Nereid - which was discovered 33 years earlier from Earth. The reason Proteus was not discovered sooner is that its surface is very dark and it orbits much closer to Neptune. Proteus has an odd box-like shape and were it even slightly more massive, its own gravity would cause it to reform itself into a sphere.

Original NASA caption: This image of Neptune's satellite 1989N1 was obtained on Aug. 25, 1989 from a range of 146,000 kilometers (91,000 miles). The resolution is about 2.7 kilometers (1.7 miles) per line pair.

The satellite, seen here about half illuminated, has an average radius of some 200 kilometers (120 miles). It is dark (albedo 6 percent) and spectrally grey. Hints of crater-like forms and groove-like lineations can be discerned. The apparent graininess of the image is caused by the short exposure necessary to avoid significant smear.”

Above at/from:

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Proteus_(Voyager_2).jpg

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Way more than I expected to find regarding 1989N1/Proteus. A few being:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proteus_(moon)

Credit: Wikipedia

astro.if.ufrgs.br/solar/proteus.htm

Credit: UFRGS (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul) website

“Note the enormous impact crater, the result of a powerful collision that almost tore Proteus apart 4 billion years ago. According to some, that impact would have produced a large cloud of debris, some of which spiraled away into space, and some of which might have formed the tiny moon Hippocamp.

The above paraphrased from:

www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-new-neptune-...

Credit: Los Angeles Times online website

Finally, the image at the far right would appear to be a state-of-art processed version of my posted photo, which seems to resolve the 'massive crater' into multiple overlapping smaller impact craters:

twitter.com/tedstryk/status/963538615816081408

pbs.twimg.com/media/DV8s-dXX4AAa4L4?format=jpg&name=9...

Both above credit: Ted Stryk/Twitter

“December 12, 1996

A chain of impact craters on Callisto

P-48124

A portion of a chain of impact craters on Jupiter's moon Callisto is seen in this image taken by the Galileo spacecraft on November 4, 1996. This crater chain on Callisto is believed to result from the impact of a split object, similar to the fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 which smashed into Jupiter's atmosphere in July of 1994. This high-resolution view, taken by Galileo's solid state imaging television camera during its third orbit around Jupiter, is of Callisto's northern hemisphere at 35 degrees north, 46 degrees west, and covers an area of about eight miles (13 kilometers) across. The smallest visible crater is about 140 yards (130 meters) across. The image was taken at a range of 974 miles (1,567 kilometers).

On a global scale, Callisto is heavily cratered, indicating the great age of its surface. At the scale of this image, it was anticipated that the surface would be heavily cratered as well; however, there is a surprising lack of small craters, suggesting that one or more processes have obliterated these and other small-scale features. For example, downslope movement of ice-rich debris could bury small craters. The bright slopes visible in this picture represent places where downslope movement has taken place, exposing fresh ice surfaces.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, D.C. This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the Galileo mission home page on the World Wide Web at www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo. Background information and educational context for the images can be found at www.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/sepo”

Above & image also at:

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00514

A mosaic of images that reveals the crater chain better:

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00549

Also, with others:

nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogallery-callisto.html

Credit: NSSDCA website

And then there’s THIS, wow…what a chain:

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00581

All above credit: JPL Photojournal website

towering assertively against the madrid sky, the KPMG tower at Cuatro Torres is a spectacle of reflective glass and steel. It stands as a testament to modern engineering and design, reaching for the clouds that casually drift by. The building's facade is a canvas for the shifting sky, reflecting the ever-changing tableau above, while below, the city pulses with its ceaseless rhythm.

“This picture was taken on March 4, 1979 at 2:30 A.M. PST by Voyager 1 from a distance of 2.6 million kilometers (1.6 million miles). Ganymede is Jupiter's largest satellite with a radius of about 2600 kilometers, about 1.5 times that of our Moon. Ganymede has a bulk density of only approximately 2.0 g/cc almost half that of the Moon. Therefore, Ganymede is probably composed of a mixture of rock and ice. The features here, the large dark regions, in the northeast quadrant, and the white spots, resemble features found on the Moon, mare and impact craters respectively. The long white filaments resemble rays associated with impacts on the lunar surface. The various colors of different regions probably represent differing surface materials. There are several dots on the picture of single color (blue, green, and orange) which are the result of markings on the camera used for pointing determinations and are not physical markings. JPL manages and controls the Voyager project for NASA's Office of Space Science.”

The photograph is from the collection of Eric Burgess.

In color with the above, at:

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00353

Also:

“After its close flyby of Io, Voyager 1 headed for Ganymede, the largest of the Galilean satellites. This global view of Ganymede, taken on March 4 at a range of 2.6 million kilometers, shows features as small as 50 kilometers. At the time, Voyager scientists speculated that the numerous white spots were impact craters, surrounded in some cases by icy ejecta blankets splashed onto the surrounding surface. However, many narrow white streaks, especially those in the lower left quadrant, promised new and exciting geological features on this satellite.”

Above is the caption associated with the color image on page 79, of NASA SP-439: “Voyage To Jupiter”, 1980, written by David Morrison & Jane Samz.

“LUNAR MODULE -- Full scale mock up of the lunar module used at the Manned Spacecraft Center for equipment tests. Jack D. Mays, test subject from Crew Systems Division, MSC, stands on top of the LM with hand-held prototype of television camera. He wears thermal over garment, a protective suit, over the International Latex Corp., space suit.”

Mr. Mays was basically the non-Astronaut 'face' of the Apollo program's outdoor terrestrial/Terran Extravehicular Activity, testing, assessing/evaluating, etc. lunar space suit designs/configurations & associated lunar surface tasks, during their development.

www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum38/HTML/002223.html

Credit: collectSPACE website

historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/o...

Note the developmental/precursor “Snoopy Cap” worn by Mr. Mays.

Note also the rendezvous radar antenna. Both it’s interesting rotational/gimbaling capacity, and the fact that it’s pointing off to the side. To my knowledge, the final configuration only slewed up & down.

Maybe it was installed incorrectly? 😉

See also:

archive.org/details/S65-11363

archive.org/details/S66-45461

Credit: Internet Archive website

The Montjuïc Communications Tower, also known as the Torre Calatrava, is a striking architectural structure located in the Olympic Park of Montjuïc in Barcelona, Spain. Designed by the renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, the tower was constructed between 1989 and 1992. Its futuristic design, representing an athlete holding the Olympic flame, has become an iconic symbol of the city. The tower also serves as a functional element, transmitting television coverage of the 1992 Olympic Games.

Despite the apparent multiple-choice nature of the affixed caption, based on the 8/17/92 date on the caption & loosely, on other sort of similarly numbered photos – I’m going with “b”/“no. 2”.

Obviously, meant for internal consumption, so I’ll cut the NASA photo ‘professionals’ some undeserved slack.

So, I’m going to assume the following applies, regardless of choice:

“VAB/OMEF OPERATIONS.”

With that, my final answer, at least for now, is:

“STS-47. OV-105. BEFORE MATED TO STACK.”

Finally, “CUSTOMER EXPOSED FILM-D’ARCANGELO” means…what? Mr./Ms. D’Arcangelo? Was he/she the photographer? If so, representing/working for/contracted by…the “customer”? Rockwell Int'l/Rocketdyne maybe, based on the “VAB/OMEF” nomenclature in the caption? BTW, there’s very little available on the OMEF, which I’m guessing was located within the VAB & possible predecessor to the Space Shuttle Main Engine Processing Facility (SSMEPF), which appears to have been located within/adjacent(?) to OPF-3. Whatever…close enough.

All that really matters is that it’s a damned good photograph of space flight stuff.

I've forgotten why, but I think these photographs support my identification:

georgesrockets.com/GRP/Scale/ShuttleData/HTMLshuttlepics/...

Credit: George Gassaway's wonderful site, "George's Rocketry Pages" website. No longer maintained, it will mark another sad day when it is no longer available, which I'm sure is sooner rather than later.

“In KSC’s Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF), assembly is complete of the Cassini Trailbazer, a model of the Cassini spacecraft slated to embark on an interplanetary journey to Saturn in October 1997. The Trailblazer will be transferred to the launch pad at Launch Complex 40 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, where it will undergo a series of fit checks with pad interfaces and the Titan IV expendable vehicle that will launch it into space. Access checks to the spacecraft for both personnel and equipment also will be conducted, as well as validation of the spacecraft timelines and procedures that will be used once the actual Cassini spacecraft arrives next year. The Trailblazer is scheduled to spend about two weeks at Complex 40 before being transported back to the PHSF to undergo preparations for its return to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. JPL is managing the Cassini project for NASA and several international partners, including the European Space Agency (ESA), the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and several separate European academic and industrial contributors.”

See/read also:

www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/329124main_04.12.96.pdf

Who knew??? Did you??? I didn’t!!!

Cassini: First year eligible “Unmanned Spacecraft Hall of Fame” inductee…a no-brainer.

Easily a “Top 3” of all-time & arguably…No. 1.

“This crescent view of Jupiter was taken by Voyager 1 on March 24, 1979. This image was taken through three color filters and recombined to produce the color image. This photo was assembled from three black and white negatives by the Image Processing Lab at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. JPL manages and controls the Voyager project for NASA's Office of Space Science.”

The above and image, at:

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01324

Also:

“This image of Jupiter was taken looking back almost three weeks after the 5 March closest approach. The Great Red Spot can be seen at lower right. Three images were taken through different filters and combined to give this view. Voyager 1 was roughly 30 million km away when this image was taken. Jupiter is 71,492 km in diameter and north is at 12:00.”

And image, at:

nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/html/object_page/vg1_ipl260668...

Credit: NSSDCA website

As with most anything pertaining to NASA photographic [fill in the blank] during the 1970’s & later, even the photographic paper, despite being KODAK, was IMHO, inferior. Possibly further exacerbated by being considered disposable, hence handled with minimal care/consideration.

So, I suppose the red-shift of the image, common in many vintage photographs, is the primary culprit for the gorgeous, rich & incorrect color.

"At about 100 meters from the cargo bay of the space shuttle Challenger, Bruce McCandless II was further out than anyone had ever been before. Guided by a Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU), astronaut McCandless, pictured above, was floating free in space. McCandless and fellow NASA astronaut Robert Stewart were the first to experience such an "untethered space walk" during Space Shuttle mission 41-B in 1984. The MMU works by shooting jets of nitrogen and has since been used to help deploy and retrieve satellites. With a mass over 140 kilograms, an MMU is heavy on Earth, but, like everything, is weightless when drifting in orbit. The MMU was replaced with the SAFER backpack propulsion unit."

Above at/from:

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Astronaut-in-space.jpg

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Superior to the mediocre smorgasbord of NASA descriptions. Frankly, commencing in earnest some time during the 70’s, "official" NASA captions & descriptions pretty much suck, grammatically and in content, substance & accuracy. As evidenced by the following. And these are mild compared to many others:

Caption no. 1, at THE NASA image website:

“Astronaut Bruce McCandless II, 41-B mission specialist, reaches a maximum distance from the Challenger before reversing direction his manned maneuvering unit (MMU) and returning to the Challenger. A fellow crewmember inside the vehicle's cabin took this photograph with a 70mm camera. The untethered EVA marked the first such experience for astronauts.”

At:

images.nasa.gov/details-S84-27031

Caption no. 2, at a defunct NASA website:

“Astronaut Bruce McCandless, II, mission specialist, participates in a extravehicular activity (EVA), a few meters away from the cabin of the shuttle Challenger. McCandless approaches his maximum distance from the Challenger. He is framed by the blackness of space and below him a cloudy earth. He is floating without tethers connecting him to the shuttle.”

At:

science.ksc.nasa.gov/mirrors/images/images/pao/STS41B/100...

“This dramatic view of the crescents of Neptune and Triton was acquired by Voyager 2 approximately 3 days, 6 and one-half hours after its closest approach to Neptune. The spacecraft is now plunging southward at an angle of 48 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic. This direction, combined with the current season of southern summer in the Neptune system, gives this picture its unique geometry. The spacecraft was at a distance of 4.86 million kilometers (3 million miles) from Neptune when these images were shuttered so the smallest detail discernible is approximately 90 kilometers (56 miles). Color was produced using images taken through the narrow-angle camera's clear, orange and green filters. Neptune does not appear as blue from this viewpoint because the forward scattering nature of its atmosphere is more important than its absorption of red light at this high phase angle (134 degrees). The Voyager Mission is conducted by JPL for NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications.”

Odd that the image is oriented differently, but accounted for in the otherwise identical caption:

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02215

Credit: Jet Propulsion Laboratory Photojournal website

Irrespective of the current owner, impeccable provenance: Mr. Eric Burgess.

I wonder if this actual photograph served as the source for Figure 6-22 of the esteemed author’s book, “Far Encounter: The Neptune System”. Even if not, an honor.

“APOLLO 4 ON PAD AT DAWN----Early morning view of Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, showing Apollo 4 (Spacecraft 017/Saturn 501) unmanned, earth-orbital space mission ready for launch. The huge 363-ft. tall Apollo/Saturn V space vehicle was launched at 7:00:01 a.m. (EST), November 9, 1967.”

By any standard, an absolutely stunning image.

About that moon though, specifically, it's placement...

Compare with the below linked photograph...

Did the clouds really move that little while the earth rotated that much? Even if so, shouldn't there be a larger delta between the relative azimuth of the moon in both images? Our orbed maiden appears to have only seemingly translated horizontally.

I'm pretty certain both photographs were taken from the exact same position.

Something ain't right here.

You know, the more I read about the never ending SLS woes and now raptor engine issues & costs, this remarkable creation should’ve never been abandoned.

“Artist’s concept of lunar landing research vehicle under study for NASA.”

Above per the NASA-appropriated issuance of the photo. Not a whole lot of calories burned on that caption, eh?

A little ironic as well. What’s easily one of the more vivid, creative, almost surrealistic early artist’s concepts pertaining to the Apollo program - and that’s the best that the crack NASA photo braintrust professionals could muster??? Pertaining to one of the most exotic & complex training vehicles of the Apollo Program. WTF, over?

Counterintuitively, the artist's name appears to have been intentionally omitted/cropped,...from this original & official Bell Aerosystems photo, yet retained in the NASA version. WTF deux!

Maybe Carl was a little eccentric, a loose cannon, irreverent, possibly an asshole, and/or pissed off someone in management…and thus png’d.

Even it’s conspicuous omission from the following authoritative document. Befuddling:

www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/LLRV_Monograph.pdf

Credit: ALSJ website

See also:

e05.code.blog/2021/06/15/s-64-18126/

e05.code.blog/tag/llrv/

Both above credit: “numbers station” blog (Lots & lot & lots of wonderful images here…I highly advise you to look around further within.)

The source for the color version above:

www.afmc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1898049/hist...

Credit: Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) website

Also seen here, along with some other remarkable works:

www.popsci.com/story/space/nasa-art-illustrations/

Credit: Popular Science website

Last, but NOT LEAST:

Mr. Zoschke participated in the BATTLE OF THE BULGE!!!

I KNEW there was something more that I liked about him:

buffaloah.com/a/zos/hp.html

Credit: Buffalo Architecture and History website (which thankfully will remain online in perpetuity)!!!

If any of the above even mildly piqued your interest in either artist's concepts, space flight, Carl Zoschke, or any combination thereof, purchase the following book. Seriously:

"The Art of NASA: The Illustrations That Sold the Missions"

Written by Piers Bizony, with additional exhaustive, conscientious, thorough, earnest & impeccable research by Mike Acs.

Wait, if you've got $35 to spare, you really need to put it towards supporting a local NON-KILL shelter or some other organization that's committed to helping, saving/rescuing animals. SERIOUSLY.

Finally, the "T. L. Branigan" referenced on the verso was, during this time, the editor of the "TRW Space Log", a monthly publication put out by the company to highlight their accomplishments, efforts, etc. In his capacity, Thomas L. Branigan worked out of the Kennedy Space Center.

Finally, additional good LLRV reading:

thehighfrontier.blog/2016/11/13/less-than-gravity-the-lun...

Credit: Chris B. Petty/"The High Frontier" blog website

Thanks for the comments. Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission. copyright all rights reserved.

Graphic design forged from a macro photo of an American Waltham pocket watch

A striking & surrealistic visual feast by Carl Zoschke, Bell Aerosystems’ amazing resident artist. Circa possibly 1961/62. Note the two smaller, canted, descent engines (firing), adjacent to the primary? engine of the Lunar Excursion Module. I’ve never seen that before.

I’m a little surprised this isn’t already somewhere on this image hosting 'service'. If it is, I haven’t found it, even using what I think are logical key word searches. If not, it’s about time then.

From/at:

www.afmc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1898049/hist...

Credit: Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) website

Also seen here, along with some other remarkable works:

www.popsci.com/story/space/nasa-art-illustrations/

Credit: Popular Science website

A fantastic book, btw. Written by a superior, acknowledged & respected author. I can also vouch for the guy that provided additional research.

“The Apollo 17 space vehicle was moved today from the Vehicle Assembly Building to complex 39’s Pad A. in preparation for its launch with Astronauts Eugene A. Cernan, Commander; Ronald A. Evans, Command Module Pilot; and Dr. Harrison H. “Jack” Schmitt, Lunar Module Pilot, on the sixth U.S. manned lunar landing mission on December, 1972.

Excellent weather for the rollout of humankind’s last mission to the lunar surface. The beautiful blue sky & distinct puffy clouds made for great aesthetics…not that the Saturn V needs any ‘enhancement’.

August 1972…damn, that was a LONG time ago.

An unidentified test subject/possible astronaut is seen practicing ingress/egress using the M-5 Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) mockup at Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation’s Bethpage facility. The photograph may have been taken during/around the time of the October 5-9, 1964 NASA Inspection and Review of the all-metal mockup.

For the first time in the development & evolution of the LEM, the M-5 featured a ladder attached to the forward (+Z) primary strut of the landing gear. Precursor designs offered a rope, and subsequently, a ladder that was flush mounted - with the capability to pivot/extend the lower end outward - to Quadrant 1 of the descent stage. However, the Astronaut would still have to somehow translate from the LM porch over to the ladder. Possibly still with the aid of a rope? And how would the outward force necessary to ‘deploy’ the ladder be imparted? Who knows, I’ve come across very very little with any specific/detailed - hence useful - documentation that elaborated on rope/offset ladder employment.

Upon input from the Astronauts, the circular forward hatch was subsequently squared off to better facilitate egress/ingress while wearing bulky pressure suits & PLSS. Speaking of PLSSs; per another similar photo, the PLSS seen being worn here may have been operable. Just my guess…although I may be connecting dots that aren’t there. If not, oh well. And note the very early version Apollo pressure suit worn by the subject.

Finally, note also the display/exhibit-like venue set up around the LEM, from what looks like a DPS/LMDE on the floor to the left, with (I think) ascent stage bulkhead mockups? to the rear near the back wall, to the multiple mounted pictures?/diagrams?/artist’s concepts? on the right.

Oh yeah, check out what I assume to be CCTV cameras mounted above the LEM windows.

The substantial audience would seem to support this possibly being part of/associated with the ‘NASA Inspection and Review’ of the LEM design.

“NASA conducted a formal review of the LEM mockup M-5 at the Grumman factory. This inspection was intended to affirm that the M-5 configuration reflected all design requirements and to definitize the LEM configuration. Members of the Mockup Review Board were Chairman Owen E. Maynard, Chief, Systems Engineering Division, ASPO; R. W. Carbee, LEM Subsystem Project Engineer, Grumman; Maxime A. Faget, Assistant Director for Engineering and Development, MSC; Thomas J. Kelly, LEM Project Engineer, Grumman; Christopher C. Kraft, Jr. (represented by Sigurd A. Sjoberg), Assistant Director for Flight Operations, MSC; Owen G. Morris, Chief, Reliability and Quality Assurance Division, ASPO; William F. Rector III, LEM Project Officer, ASPO; and Donald K. Slayton, Assistant Director for Flight Crew Operations, MSC.

The astronauts' review was held on October 5 and 6. It included demonstrations of entering and getting out of the LEM, techniques for climbing and descending the ladder, and crew mobility inside the spacecraft. The general inspection was held on the 7th and the Review Board met on the 8th. Those attending the review used request for change (RFC) forms to propose spacecraft design alterations. Before submission to the Board, these requests were discussed by contractor personnel and NASA coordinators to assess their effect upon system design, interfaces, weight, and reliability.

The inspection categories were crew provisions; controls, displays, and lighting; the stabilization and control system and the guidance and navigation radar; electrical power; propulsion (ascent, descent, reaction control system, and pyrotechnics ; power generation cryogenic storage and fuel cell assemblies ; environmental control; communications and instrumentation; structures and landing gear; scientific equipment; and reliability and quality' control. A total of 148 RFCs were submitted. Most were aimed at enhancing the spacecraft's operational capability; considerable attention also was given to quality and reliability and to ground checkout of various systems. No major redesigns of the configuration were suggested.

As a result of this review, the Board recommended that Grumman take immediate action on those RFC's which it had approved. Further, the LEM contractor and MSC should promptly investigate those items which the Board had assigned for further study. On the basis of the revised M-5 configuration, Grumman could proceed with LEM development and qualification. This updated mockup would be the basis for tooling and fabrication of the initial hardware as well.

MSC, "Lunar Excursion Module, Project Apollo, Board Report for NASA Inspection and Review of M-5 Mockup Lunar Excursion Module, October 5-8, 1964," pp. 1-7, 10-27.”

www.apolloproject.com/sp-4009/asc-v3-04.htm

Credit: APOLLOPROJECT.com

The image, along with a useless & generic 'caption/description' is at the following link. However, the overall content is excellent:

www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4205/ch6-4.html

Surprisingly & most pleasantly, the following link still works:

www.longislandaerospacehistory.com/Select/LM/XXX-LM-PROJE...

Credit: Cradle of Aviation Museum website

Last, but NOT least, a wonderful article written by Bob Smyth (see Figure 1):

web.mit.edu/digitalapollo/Documents/Chapter8/setplem.pdf

Credit: MIT website

Oh yeah...this is awesome:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwHOW7bCfh4

Credit: SDASM Archives

Even more awesome, and speaking of Bob Smyth:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UuRCwsGugg&t=13s

Credit: "From the Vault of MIT"/YouTube

In an image taken by Viking Lander 2’s camera 2, shining on the Martian surface is the aluminum shroud, or cover, which protected the collector head of the surface sampler instrument during the vehicle’s year-long journey from Earth. On September 5, two days after Viking 2 landed, the surface sampler was rotated from its parked position atop the spacecraft and pointed downward about 40 degrees. The shroud was then ejected by a set of eight springs positioned around its base. It struck the porous rock at the bottom of the picture, bounced about 20 inches, hit the surface again and bounced another 20 inches. The scar left by the second bounce is faintly visible halfway between the shroud and the rock it struck. The shroud is 12 inches long and 4 1/2 inches in diameter. The large rock just beyond it is about 2 feet long and about a foot thick. At lower right is footpad of one of the spacecraft s three landing legs.

A trench previously dug by the surface sampler is visible immediately above & slightly to the left of the rounded rock directly to the left of the shroud. The trench was dug September 25, 1976 in the collection of a soil sample for Viking 2's molecular analysis experiment.

The description of an image of that trench being dug:

“Operation of the surface sampler in obtaining Martian soil for Viking 2's molecular analysis experiment last Saturday (September 25) was closely monitored by one of the Lander cameras because of the precision required in trenching the small area--8 by 9 inches-surrounded by rocks. Dubbed 'Bonneville Salt Flats,' the exposure of thin crust appeared unique in contrast with surrounding materials and became a prime target for organic analysis in spite of potential hazards. Large rock in foreground is 8 inches high. At left, the sampler scoop has touched the surface, missing the rock at upper left by a comfortable 6 inches, and the backhoe has penetrated the surface about one-half inch. The scoop was then pulled back to sample the desired point and (second photo) the backhoe furrowed the surface pulling a piece of thin crust toward the spacecraft. The initial touchdown and retraction sequence was used to avoid a collision between a rock in the shadow of the arm and a plate joining the arm and scoop. The rock was cleared by 2 to 3 inches. The third picture was taken 8 minutes after the scoop touched the surface and shows that the collector head has acquired a quantity of soil. With surface sampler withdrawn (right), the foot-long trench is seen between the rocks. The trench is three inches wide and about 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep. The scoop reached to within 3 inches of the rock at far end of trench. Penetration appears to have left a cavernous opening roofed by the crust and only about one inch of undisturbed crust separates the deformed surface and the rock.”

Above, and image, at:

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00145

Additionally, associated with an image taken after shroud ejection and at least two trenching/sampling operations:

"This image was acquired at the Viking Lander 2 site with camera number 2. The rounded rock in the center foreground is about 20 centimeters wide. The angular rock to the right and further back than the rounded rock is about 1.5 meters across. The dark facet on the upper right edge of the angular rock has a color similar to basalts on Earth. There are two trenches that were dug in the regolith to the right of the rounded rock, as well as one behind and slightly to the left. The gently sloping troughs between the artificial trenches and the angular rock which cut from the middle left to the lower right corner of the picture are natural surface features.

This synthetic high resolution color image was created by combining standard low resolution Viking Lander color images with standard high resolution Viking Lander black and white images, using image processing techniques. In simple terms, the colors are separated from the color image. Using the computer, those colors are then painted onto high resolution images covering the same area. The image has had its colors balanced to approximate what a person would see on Mars. Since the Martian atmosphere carries extremely fine-grained red dust in suspension the "on Mars" images are redder.

Credit: Mary A. Dale-Bannister, Washington University in St. Louis."

Image at:

nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/image/planetary/mars/vikinglander2-2.jpg

Credit: NSSDCA website

Since the posted photograph was nowhere to be found - with a useful description/identification that is - the description I provided & augmented, is based on that of the following image, which at least is readily available:

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00527

The ONLY version of the image that I came across:

planetary.s3.amazonaws.com/web/assets/pictures/20160408_v...

Credit: The Planetary Society website

Finally, the view prior to shroud jettison & trenching/sampling activities:

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00568

Credit: JPL Photojournal website

I suppose it's somewhere in here:

pds-geosciences.wustl.edu/viking/vl1_vl2-m-lcs-2-edr-v1/v...

Credit: Planetary Data System website

You know, I’m really tired of being unable to find photographs, that in my opinion, should be much more readily available/searchable. The frustration is endless & infuriating. That, combined with the all too often prevalent pabulum 'official' descriptions, which in turn are all to often erroneous, sometimes glaringly, is a disservice - to all.

Preservation of the visual record of a remarkable history demands substantially more commitment & attention to detail.

“This image of Europa, smallest of Jupiter's four Galilean satellites, was acquired by Voyager 2 on July 9, 1979, from a range of 241,000 kilometers (150,600 miles). Europa, the brightest of the Galilean satellites, has a density slightly less than Io, suggesting it has a substantial quantity of water. Scientists previously speculated that the water must have cooled from the interior and formed a mantle of ice perhaps 100 kilometers (62 miles) thick. The complex patterns on its surface suggest that the icy surface was fractured, and that the cracks filled with dark material from below. Very few impact craters are visible on the surface, suggesting that active processes on the surface are still modifying Europa. The tectonic pattern seen on its surface differs drastically from the fault systems seen on Ganymede where pieces of the crust have moved relative to each other. On Europa, the crust evidently fractures but the pieces remain in roughly their original position.”

Above per the following, with what ‘may’ be a/the black & white version of this photograph, with greatly enhanced contrast:

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01503

Credit: JPL Photojournal website

The other color versions I’ve come across, although very similar & also acquired July 9, 1979, are of a different region of Europa.

Additionally, thanks to Galileo (the spacecraft), and since Thera & Thrace Maculae feature prominently in this photo:

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00875

Also credit: JPL Photojournal website

Hmm…Europa Clipper…might wanna reconsider that NASA/ESA. We destroy everything we touch. Might be wise to heed the following:

ALL THESE WORLDS ARE YOURS - EXCEPT EUROPA.

ATTEMPT NO LANDING THERE.

“The southern hemisphere of Umbriel displays heavy cratering in this Voyager 2 image, taken Jan. 24, 1986, from a distance of 557,000 kilometers (346,000 miles). This frame, taken through the clear-filter of Voyager's narrow-angle camera, is the most detailed image of Umbriel, with a resolution of about 10 km (6 mi). Umbriel is the darkest of Uranus' larger moons and the one that appears to have experienced the lowest level of geological activity. It has a diameter of about 1,200 km (750 mi) and reflects only 16 percent of the light striking its surface; in the latter respect, Umbriel is similar to lunar highland areas. Umbriel is heavily cratered but lacks the numerous bright-ray craters seen on the other large Uranian satellites; this results in a relatively uniform surface albedo (reflectivity). The prominent crater on the terminator (upper right) is about 110 km (70 mi) across and has a bright central peak. The strangest feature in this image (at top) is a curious bright ring, the most reflective area seen on Umbriel. The ring is about 140 km (90 miles) in diameter and lies near the satellite's equator. The nature of the ring is not known, although it might be a frost deposit, perhaps associated with an impact crater. Spots against the black background are due to 'noise' in the data. The Voyager project is managed for NASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.”

Being from the estate of Eric Burgess, the following attached description apparently accompanied the image in one of his books:

“Figure 4-16. An early image of Umbriel taken at a distance of 650,000 miles (1.04 million km) was in color. The surface is characterized by its overall dark coloration and lack of any variations in brightness. The surface is generally grey and colorless and covered with impact craters. A bright ring near the satellite’s equator appears unique. The image reproduced here was taken later from a distance of 346,000 miles (557,000 km). It shows evidence of only minor internal activity and a surface molded mainly by impacts. The surface looks very similar to the highland areas of Earth’s Moon, the oldest parts of the lunar surface. Strangely, there are virtually no bright young craters as on the other Uranian satellites. A large crater on the terminator has a bright central peak, and the curious bright ring appears to be the wall of a large crater about 90 miles (140 km) across. The nature of this ring and its possible origin are enigmas.”

See also:

archive.org/details/AILS-A86-7037

Credit: Internet Archive website

photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA00040

Credit: JPL Photojournal website

Tall refinery towers rise against a bright sky, connected by intricate pipes and platforms. The metallic surfaces and bold vertical lines create a striking industrial composition, blending engineering precision with monumental scale.

“Shuttle related interaction with the space telescope.”

Huh?

Yes indeed, the above is a direct copy/paste from 'the' NASA image website, which surprisingly even has the image. Obviously, a generic caption, possibly as part of a batch upload of similar(?) images. Note also the blurred appearance of both the linked image & my actual photograph, commensurate with the above caption effort. And a safe bet that the ‘splotches’ along the lower left edge of the photo are the result of careless and/or incompetent processing, not subsequent damage. Finally, insult to injury - the worm logo.

images.nasa.gov/details-S80-40781

At the consistently superior Internet Archive website, which at least is only a minor indictment of the education system and/or learning capacity prevalent across/within the U.S.

“Artists concept of Space telescope with solar panels deployed.”

archive.org/details/NIX-S80-40781

Credit: Internet Archive website

Based on the date stamped on the verso, the day after the flight/mission, the vehicle is likely Apollo 4, depicted during ascent, propelled by the single J-2 engine of the S-IVB stage.

Stylistically, and with the often-recurring numbering in the corner of the photo, this is likely another lost/forgotten? gem by Russell Arasmith. Although a slightly less polished, less detailed effort when compared to latter renderings. Possibly due to being early/earlier during Mr. Arasmith’s incredible career? And combined with maybe less available imagery to work with, this being the first launch of the Saturn V rocket.

Obviously one of a series, although a little odd that this phase of the flight would be labeled no. 1. I just need to ‘shut up’ & not look a gift-horse in the mouth…this is a win.

A full life:

www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/westminster-ca/russell...

Credit: Dignity Memorial website

I'm sure only a fraction:

www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/history/arasmith-gallery.html

A wonderful peak, confirming my above statement:

d3eguztg5751m.cloudfront.net/as/assets-mem-com/cmi/7/7/9/...

Credit: The Arasmith Family/Dignity Memorial website

“SATURN SPACE VEHICLE LAUNCHING – This is an artist’s conception of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration advanced Saturn space vehicle at moment of launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The first stage is to be developed by The Boeing Company under the technical direction of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.

--Boeing Photo”

While I legitimately & rightfully tout the virtues of black & white photographs and illustrations, boy does this look damned good in color.

One of many stunning works by Boeing artist/illustrator Fred Takasumi.

Wouldn't you agree?

www.pinterest.es/pin/287948969910304990/

Credit: Pinterest/Chase Covello/Dan Beaumont Space Museum (Sadly, it seems Mr. Beaumont has removed the image from this photo hosting site.)

Thanks for the comments. Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit written permission. copyright all rights reserved.

“NUCLEUS OF COMET HALLEY

HALLEY MULTICOLOUR CAMERA COMPOSITE OF 60 IMAGES”

Also, at/from the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS) website, which btw has a whole lot more good stuff:

“A composite image of the nucleus of comet P/Halley

This image is composed of 68 images of varying resolution. The data at the brightest point on the nucleus is at the highest resolution (50 m). The Sun comes from 30 deg above the horizontal to the left and is 17 deg behind the image plane (observation phase angle of 107 deg). The night side of the nucleus can be seen silhouetted against a background of bright dust in the far-field. Jets can be seen originating from two regions on the nucleus. Structure can be seen within the jets. A bright area is seen within the night side of the nucleus. We believe this to be a hill or mountain approximately 500 m high. Other surface details can be seen in the illuminated region.”

www2.mps.mpg.de/en/projekte/giotto/hmc/index_print.html

Additionally:

“In 1978, ESA was invited by NASA to plan a joint mission consisting of a comet Halley fly-by in November 1985 and a rendezvous with comet Tempel 2 in 1988. The mission comprised an American main spacecraft which would carry a European probe. The main spacecraft, with its array of sophisticated cameras and experiments, would complete a fly-by of comet Halley at a safe distance. Shortly before fly-by, the probe would be released towards the nucleus to make detailed in-situ observations in the innermost coma. In January 1980, however, it became clear that financial support for the Halley Fly-by/Tempel 2 Rendezvous mission could not be secured in the USA. By that time the interest of European scientists had built up such momentum that ESA considered the possibility of a purely European mission. The support for a fly-by mission was strong in Europe and went far beyond the small section of scientists specialized in cometary research. A fly-by of comet Halley was suggested to ESA by the scientific community in February 1980. Rather than having the American spacecraft deliver the probe to the comet as in the earlier concept, the Europeans proposed that the capabilities of the small probe be increased by building an independent, self-sufficient spacecraft to be launched using the European Ariane rocket. The limited time available for development and the small financial resources made it advisable to use a spin-stabilized spacecraft derived from the European Earth orbiting spacecraft Geos. This proposal was studied by ESA in the first half of 1980.

The European mission to comet Halley was named Giotto after the Italian painter Giotto di Bondone who depicted comet Halley as the `Star of Bethlehem' in one of his frescoes in the Scrovegni chapel in Padua in 1304. The Giotto mission was finally approved as ESA's first interplanetary mission on 7 July 1980. An Announcement of Opportunity was issued shortly thereafter requesting proposals for scientific payload instrumentation. NASA was still interested at this stage but could not decide whether to participate or not, partly because the American scientific community did not whole-heartedly support a cometary fly-by mission. Some scientists believed that the scientific return would not be worth the effort. Finally, NASA declined to participate and refused to provide direct financial support for any American hardware involvement. By the end of January 1981, 11 European experiments were selected to perform the diagnostic measurements during a close fly-by of comet Halley in March 1986.

The mission was a fast flyby in March 1986 after the comet's perihelion, when it is most active. The scientific payload consists of 10 experiments with a total mass of about 60 KG: a camera for imaging the comet nucleus, three mass spectrometers for analysis of the elemental and isotopic composition of the cometary gas and dust environment, various dust impact detectors, a photopolarimeter for measurements of the coma brightness, and a set of plasma instruments for studies of the solar wind/comet interaction. In view of the high flyby velocity of 68.4 km/sec, the experiment active time is only 4 h and all data are transmitted back to Earth in real time at a rate of 40 kbits/s. The Giotto spacecraft is spin-stabilized with a despun, high-gain parabolic antenna inclined at 44.3 degrees to point at the Earth during the encounter. A specially designed dual-sheet bumper shield protects the forward end of the spacecraft from being destroyed by hypervelocity dust impacts. The spacecraft passed the nucleus at a distance of 596+/-2 km on the sunward side. The time of closest approach occurred at 00:03:01.84 UT on March 14 (spacecraft event time). However, at 7.6 s before closest approach, Giotto was hit by a large dust particle, whose impact caused the spacecraft angular momentum vector to shift by 1 degree. The effect of the impact was that the next 32 minutes of scientific data were received only intermittently. It is concluded that the spacecraft traversed a region of high dust concentration (dust jet). A few hours after closest approach, a number of the instruments were determined to be inoperable, probably from the passage through the dust jet. About half of the experiments worked flawlessly during the encounter, while the other half suffered damage due to dust impacts. The spacecraft also suffered some damage, but it was possible to redirect it to the Earth before it was put into hibernation.

Spacecraft ID : GIO

Target name : Halley

Spacecraft Operations Type : FLYBY

MISSION PHASES

Launch:

The Giotto spacecraft was launched on July 2, 1985 onboard an Ariane-1 rocket from Kourou, French Guyana.

Mission phase start time: 1985-07-02

Mission phase stop time: 1985-07-02

Cruise:

The Giotto spacecraft was initially injected into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit. After three revolutions in orbit, the onboard motor was fired near perigee to inject Giotto into a heliocentric orbit. The high gain antenna was despun three days later. The HMC was switched on in Format 3 on August 10, 1985 to monitog of its barrel, followed by the Magnetometer Experiment and Energetic Particles Experiment switch-on on August 22, 1985. After a cruise phase of 8 months, Giotto encountered Comet Halley on Mar 14, 1986. Along its trajectory, the Magnetometer and Energetic Particle experiments remained on. The other instruments followed a on/pyro firing test sequence from Sep through Oct 1985. The science instruments will take data at various times starting on March 9, but only the magnetometer and energetic particle experiments will be able to make use of this continuous coverage. Continuous data coverage was provided in a high-data-rate mode about 50 hours before and 26.5 hours after encounter, at which point the last experiment was switched-off.

Mission phase start time: 1985-07-02

Mission phase stop time: 1986-03-12

Encounter:

There were specific periods of science data availability after the last orbit correction maneuver that occurred on March 12 at 05:00. The time of closest approach on March 14 is 00:03:01.84 UT, given in SCET or spacecraft event time. (This time can be related to GSRT or ground station received time by the equation GSRT = SCET + 8 min 0.1 s.) Some instruments, such as EPA, MAG, and GRE, ran continuously during the encounter which lasted approximately 4 hours. Other instruments were switched-on for some intervals between March 12 and March 13, but by 20:18 on that day all instruments were functioning. Unfortunately, 7.6 s before closest approach, Giotto was hit by a large dust particle in a dust jet. Only intermittent data was received for the next 32 minutes of the encounter and damage to a number of instruments was substantial.

Mission phase start time: 1986-03-12

Mission phase stop time: 1986-03-15

MISSION OBJECTIVES SUMMARY

Mission Objectives Overview:

The Giotto scientific objectives, as formulated by the Giotto Science Study Group are as follows:

1. to provide the elemental and isotopic composition of volatile components in the cometary coma, in particular to identify the parent molecules

2. to characterize the physical processes and chemical reactions that occur in the cometary atmosphere and ionosphere

3. to determine the elemental and isotopic composition of the cometary dust particles

4. to measure the total gas production rate and the dust flux and size/mass distribution and to derive the dust-to-gas ratio

5. to investigate the macroscopic system of plasma flows resulting from the interaction between the cometary and solar-wind plasma

6. to provide numerous images of the comet nucleus with a resolution down to 50 m. From these the nucleus size and rotation may be deduced and its mass may be estimated.

The damage to the spacecraft and the instrument payload was not systematically investigated in the days after encounter by additional operations and thorough analysis of spacecraft and experiment housekeeping data. However, to preserve the possibility of a later mission extension, Giotto's orbit was slightly modified to bring it back to Earth in July 1990 (a `free-return trajectory') before Giotto was put into a safe hibernation configuration on 2 April 1986. In 1987, the thorough analysis of spacecraft and experiment data was finally carried out (Curdt and Keller, 1987) when it became clear that the ESA advisory bodies might be in favor of a mission extension. By using an Earth swing-by maneuver in July 1990, Giotto could be redirected to encounter another comet. Of the available targets comet Grigg-Skjellerup appeared the best choice. The Giotto spacecraft was re-activated in February 1990, after almost five years in hibernation when it was once again within 1 AU of the Earth. The spacecraft and payload were fully checked out in May 1990.

A preliminary damage report based on encounter data indicated that the baffle of HMC had been lost. Except for this deficiency, the camera still seemed operational. This assessment was fully confirmed during the switch-on in May 1990. All subsystems including detectors and mechanisms worked well. HMC, however, could not detect any object in the sky, not even the Sun. It is now believed that the aperture of HMC is covered (possibly by remains of the baffle) and no light can enter the focal plane. The check-out showed that about half of the payload was still functional and the spacecraft was still operational. Based on these findings, the Giotto Extended Mission (GEM) to comet Grigg-Skjellerup was approved.

The Giotto Mission and specifically, the Halley Multicolor Camera project achieved its goals. The existence of the cometary nucleus was verified. Its shape was determined and surface features at a resolution of 50 m per pixel were identified. Dust jets originating from restricted areas were found. Due to the reset at 9.21 seconds before closest approach only limited information could be achieved on the nucleus volume and its rotation. On the other hand, additional information on the dust size distribution and the gas/dust interaction could be derived from the images."

Above at/from:

pdssbn.astro.umd.edu/holdings/gio-c-hmc-3-rdr-halley-v1.0...

Credit: Planetary Data System (PDS) website

A once in a lifetime opportunity & NASA says "Sure...PSYCHE…nah, we'll pass." WTF?!

My guess is that the Shuttle Program had sucked/was sucking/was going to suck all of the oxygen - and money - out of the room.

“STS-103 EVA VIEW --- Astronauts C. Michael Foale (left) and Claude Nicollier participate in the second of three STS-103 spacewalks to service the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). On this task they are replacing one of the telescope’s Fine Guidance Sensors (FGS). Nicollier, a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut, is standing on the end of the remote manipulator system (RMS).”

Additionally, per the “HUBBLESITE” website:

“December 19-27, 1999

SPACE SHUTTLE: Discovery

Crew: Commander Curtis L. Brown, Pilot Scott J. Kelly, Payload Commander Steven L. Smith, Mission Specialists C. Michael Foale, John M. Grunsfield, Claude Nicollier and Jean-Francois Clervoy

NASA decided to split the Servicing Mission 3 (SM3) into two parts, SM3A and SM3B, after the third of Hubble’s six gyroscopes failed. (At that time, Hubble needed three gyroscopes to observe a celestial target.) The second part of the mission, SM3B, took place March 1–12, 2002.

On November 13, 1999, the Hubble Space Telescope was placed into safe mode after the failure of a fourth gyroscope. In safe mode Hubble could not observe targets, but its safety was preserved. This protective mode allows ground control of the telescope, but with only two gyros working, Hubble cannot be aimed with the precision necessary for scientific observations of the sky. Controllers closed the aperture door to protect the optics and aligned the spacecraft to ensure that Hubble’s solar panels would receive adequate power from the Sun.

In the first of the two-part mission, the most pressing task was the replacement of the gyroscopes. The crew, two of whom were Hubble repair veterans, replaced all six gyroscopes — as well as one of Hubble’s three Fine Guidance Sensors, which allow fine pointing and keep Hubble stable during observations, and a transmitter.

The astronauts also installed an advanced central computer, a digital data recorder, an electronics enhancement kit, battery improvement kits, and new outer layers of thermal protection. Hubble was as good as new.

Mission Highlights:

- Replacement of all three Rate Sensing Units (RSUs), each of which contains two gyroscopes

- Installation of new computer, 20 times faster with six times more memory than its predecessor

- Replacement of original reel-to-reel data recorder with digital Solid-State Recorder (SSR) which is faster, more reliable and can store 10 times as much data

- Replacement of no. 2 of 3 Fine Guidance Sensors (FGS) with refurbished unit

- Replacement of failed no. 2 of 2 S-Band Single Access Transmitter (SSAT) used to relay data to the ground

Installation six Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kits (VIKs) on wiring between Solar Arrays and each battery to control charging of Hubble's batteries

- Installation of Shell/Shield Replacement Fabric (SSRF) over the original Multi-Layer Insulation on Hubble’s forward shell and light shield to add thermal protection

- Installation of Handrail Covers around the handrails above the Fine Guidance Sensor bay to prevent possible contamination to the Aft Shroud area from flaking handrail paint

- Fit New Outer Blanket Layers (NOBLs) on equipment Bay 1”

At:

hubblesite.org/mission-and-telescope/servicing-missions

“This view of Jupiter was obtained by Voyager 1 on Feb. 22, 1979, from a distance of 7.6 million miles (12.2 million kilometers). It shows the Great Red Spot just emerging from the brief, five-hour Jovian night. One of three bright, oval clouds which were observed to form approximately 40 years ago can be seen immediately below the Red Spot. Most of the other features appearing in this view are too small to be seen clearly from Earth. The color picture was assembled from three black-and-white photos in the Image Processing Lab at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. JPL manages and controls the Voyager project for NASA’s Office of Space Science.”

The only place I came across it - correctly oriented - with respect to the plane of the ecliptic:

digital.archives.caltech.edu/islandora/object/image%3A8625

Credit: ‘Caltech Archives’ website

Last & least:

They have it, under an Ames Research Center (ARC) photo ID - upside down. But hey, it’s from NASA’s Keystone Cop-emulating historical/archival photo…whatever it is. Although it looks like a scan of an 8” x 10” positive transparency left in the sun too long, it’s better than nothing, which is often the case. So ‘yay’:

images.nasa.gov/details-ARC-1979-AC79-7024

“During STS-31, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), grappled by the remote manipulator system (RMS) end effector, is held against the blackness of space. The two solar array (SA) wings (large gold panels) are fully extended with bistem cassette and secondary deployment mechanism (SDM) handle clearly visible. The two deployed high gain antennae (HGA) masts are parallel to the SA panels. RMS end effector is positioned on the starboard fixture during the pre-deployment checkout operations above

Discovery's, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 103's, payload bay (PLB).”

The above - informative at least, although odd, oddly written/abbreviated/punctuated - is a cut/paste from:

science.ksc.nasa.gov/mirrors/images/images/pao/STS31/1006...

And:

science.ksc.nasa.gov/mirrors/images/images/pao/STS31/1006...

From which this was derived, but with a MUCH better image:

picryl.com/media/sts-31-hubble-space-telescope-hst-is-gra...

And then there’s this:

nara.getarchive.net/media/s31-76-034-sts-031-close-up-vie...

And…the best one yet, non-NASA, non-NARA, and I think, correctly. At least with respect to the photographer’s orientation/position in the aft flight deck:

“The RMS of Space Shuttle Discovery grapples the Hubble Space Telescope, as both solar arrays have been deployed. Taken at an altitude of 615 km over the Philippine Sea.”

At:

commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:S31-76-034.jpg

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

I’ll be damned, it’s even HERE, with unaltered cut/paste of the 'original' odd write-up:

images.nasa.gov/details-s31-76-034

Where the magic happened.

Tim Samshuijzen’s wonderful Lunar Orbiter camera photos (linked to below) and their accompanying Eastman Kodak descriptions, allowed me to compile/paraphrase the following:

“The Kodak photographic subsystem of the Lunar Orbiter contained two cameras, a film processor, and a readout system. The entire unit was contained in a shell of aluminum .015 or 1/64th of an inch thick and measuring 22 x 26 x 32 inches. The pressure, temperature, and humidity in the shell were controlled. Total weight was about 145 pounds. The film, film advance, and shutter control were common to both cameras. A special sensor in the photo subsystem tracked the lunar surface through the 24-inch lens and determined the proper compensation for the movement of the spacecraft relative to the lunar surface.

The two lenses in the two lunar orbiter cameras simultaneously made high- and medium-resolution exposures. The large lens (left), a 24-inch Paxoramic lens manufactured by Pacific Optical Company, produced the high-resolution photos of approximately 3-foot or 1-meter ground resolution. The smaller (right) 80mm Schneider wide-angle lens made the medium-resolution exposures of approximately 8-meter ground resolution. In one photographic pass over the moon’s surface, the Kodak photo subsystem exposed up to 20 frames of two pictures each. The intervals between frames varied from 2.2 to 8.8 seconds. The slow, high-resolution Kodak High-Definition Aerial film, used in the lunar orbiter camera, required long exposures. The film was 70mm wide, the same width as 120 amateur film, with a resolution of 450 lines per millimeter for a potential capability of 29,250 lines for the width of the film used. The optical-mechanical scanner in the subsystem scanned 18,942 lines over the 2¼” width of film. Prior analysis of the lunar surface, based on photographs from the Earth, was used to determine the exposure time. At least 176 frames of two pictures each were exposed with enough extra film footage to provide a potential of about 215 frames. When exposing a picture, the camera unit automatically (1) activated the movement-compensating sensor, (2) clamped the film to the platens and flattened it, and (3) opened the shutters to make two exposures simultaneously. The exposed film was stored on a looper system to await processing at times other than during actual photography or during the lunar night. Nine photographic targets of potential Apollo landing sites were recorded before the film supply was exhausted.

The Kodak photo subsystem processed the film before scanning into the video relay to the ground. The drum, (on the far left) contained the Kodak Bimat film supply. A gelatin layer on this film was saturated with a photographic processing solution. The Bimat film was laminated with the camera film on the small drum in the center where it developed and fixed the film in about 3½ minutes. The Bimat film then left the camera film and passed onto a separate take-up reel (on the right with the spokes). The camera film then passed over the drying drum at the bottom (barely visible above the lip of the shell). At a temperature of 95° F on the drum dried the film in about 11½ minutes. It then moved to the readout system.”

Amazing.

Additionally:

www.drewexmachina.com/2017/08/01/lunar-orbiter-5-filling-...

Credit: Andrew LePage/Drew Ex Machina website

“PIONEER 11 COURSE TOWARD INTERSTELLAR SPACE”

Probably the most beautiful, creative & striking version 😉 out of hundreds, if not thousands, depicting Pioneer 11’s historic mission and path to infinity…and beyond.

It being an Ames Research Center image, from 1974, of a Pioneer-Jupiter spacecraft, with dynamic ‘space’, I gotta go with Rick Guidice.

Despite the rendering, I'm pretty sure the spacecraft didn't fly between Saturn and its rings. Note also the outline of an unpainted deflection arrow at/behind "SPACE".

“INTERSTELLER”, UGH.