Collection Item Summary:
Contact Soil Sampling Devices (2) were flown on Apollo 16 only. Their purpose was to collect special samples of the uppermost layers of lunar regolith. One device had a sampling pad covered with beta cloth and the other had a velvet-covered pad. To sample regolith undisturbed by the descent engine on the lunar lander or dirt scattered by human activities, the astronaut cautiously approached a large boulder far away from the lander. The sampler was carefully extended down to the protected surface on the farside of the boulder using the long handle. This particular unit was not actually flown on the mission.
It was transferred from NASA to the Smithsonian in 1974.
Collection Item Long Description:
Contact Soil Sampling Device, Apollo
National Air and Space Museum
Do not reproduce without permission from the Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum
Transferred from NASA, Johnson Space Center
- Aluminum - box and pad support, Silicon rubber - seal
- Adhesives, Beta Cloth and White Nylon Velvet
3-D: 16 × 21 × 70.5cm (6 5/16 × 8 1/4 × 27 3/4 in.)
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Country of Origin
United States of America