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On August 23, 1966, NASA first recorded the image of the earth from the orbit of the moon through an unmanned mission Lunar orbital 1The spacecraft was launched on August 10, 1966 with a very specific purpose: to photograph the smooth areas of the lunar surface to select and control the safe landing points for missions Surveyor And ApolloField
However, history reserved something much more. A photograph of the Earth was not in the original design of the mission – the idea spontaneously came from the control group when the mission was already begun. The result was one of the most iconic images in the history of the study of space.
The photograph was taken from a distance of about 380,000 kilometers and depicts half of the earth, from Constantinople to Cape Town, and the eastern plots plunged at night. Although in 1966 the surface details did not reveal, its emotional and scientific value was straight and out of time.
Technological avant -garde of the revolutionary image
A Lunar orbital 1 He had an innovative EASTMAN KODAK cameras system weighing 68 kg, with wide lenses and the ability to display the film, scan and send images back to the ground. Later it turned out that the camera was originally developed by the US National Division of the United States (NRO) and was previously used in the SPY satellite Samos E-1Field
The initial image has never been restored in its complete analysis from the mission. We had to reach 2008 when his image restoration program Lunar orbital apparatus (Loirp) He managed to restore and significantly improve the quality of historical photography, revealing the details that were hidden for more than four decades.
Mission Lunar orbital 1 It was completed on October 29, 1966, when the boat deliberately crashed into the moon so as not to interfere with future missions. During his work, he completely achieved his goals, taking a total of 205 images of the lunar surface.
ROBLEDO NOT TSAVELA: 60 years old, Spanish “window” in space
Madrid Madrid Space Center (MDSCC), located in the Roblabo -de -Ilela and operates the National Institute of Aerospace Technologies (Inta), is part of the NASA World DSN Network (JPL), as well as NASA (JPL), as well as GOL.
The group was opened in 1964 by the then Prince of Spain Juan Carlos and began to work in July 1965 with an antenna of 26 meters, supporting the mission Sailor 4The first one who sends photos from the surface of Mars. The Spanish agreement was signed on January 29, 1964.
The Robletos station was the one who received the legendary first photograph of the Earth from the Moon on August 23, 1966. Since then, he participated in numerous cosmic missions of great scientific significance, making up a critical connection in the communication chain, which connects the Earth with the ambitious system.
Today there are six antennas in the complex – one 70 meters, three 34 meters and one 26 meters – and continues to play a key role in communicating with deep space, preserving the legacy that began almost 60 years ago, with this first image that changed our prospect of Galazio forever.