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Catalog Data

Manufacturer:
University of Berne, Switzerland  Search this
Materials:
Aluminum
Adhesive
Plastic
Dimensions:
3-D (Foil): 140.3 × 33.7 × 5.7cm (4 ft. 7 1/4 in. × 1 ft. 1 1/4 in. × 2 1/4 in.)
3-D (Rod): 161.9 × 3.8cm (5 ft. 3 3/4 in. × 1 1/2 in.)
Type:
EQUIPMENT-Lunar
Country of Origin:
United States of America
Summary:
This experiment was deployed on Apollo 11, 12, 14, 15, and 16 to determine the chemical composition of solar wind. The moon provided an excellent location to study solar wind because, unlike the Earth, it has no magnetic field to deflect solar wind and no atmosphere to absorb it. The solar wind composition experiment consisted of an aluminum (or in the case of Apollo 16, aluminum and platinum) foil sheet erected on a pole. The charged particles comprising the solar wind would embed in the foil, which would be taken back to Earth for analysis.
It was donated to the Smithsonian by the experiment's Principle Investigator in 1974.
Credit Line:
Donated by Dr. J. Geiss, University of Bern
Inventory Number:
A19740726000
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Location:
National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
Exhibition:
Destination Moon
Data Source:
National Air and Space Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv996b1ab26-513e-442d-be6c-866a2561268a
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nasm_A19740726000