The analysis of images of the lunar surface literally led NASA experts into a dead end. To everyone's surprise, they were able to see something that had never been observed on the moon before – an object of unknown origin deep in one of the craters.
The US Space Agency announced a 'spectacular new discovery' on the moon with the help of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Observatory (SOFIA). The probe, capable of ascending to a height of 13 kilometers from the Earth's surface, is equipped with a 2.7-meter reflector telescope, which allows astronomers to study both the solar system and objects beyond it, inaccessible to ground-based telescopes.
The space agency said in a statement:
“This is a completely new discovery that contributes to NASA's efforts to explore the moon and deep space. As part of the NASA Artemis program, the agency plans to send a woman and a man to the lunar surface as early as 2024. This will be preparation for our next giant step – human exploration of Mars in the 2030s. '
'NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter took a picture that offers a lot to learn about the moon. When the machine scanned the ancient volcanic plain known as the Sea of Islands, it found an unusual crater with a diameter of only 140 meters'
Apollo researcher and participant Peter Peter Schultz elaborated on why scientists were confused when they first examined the image.
“I've studied a lot of craters on the moon, that's different. It doesn't look like a normal [crater]. It looks like there is something inside. It looks like something hit the moon. It's really weird. '
Meteorite expert Julia Ann Cartwright noted that the possibility that this is caused by a meteorite can be ruled out, since we do not observe the “typical circular shape of the rim, which is usually inherent in impact craters on the moon.”
NASA has speculations that the object could have appeared as a result of the failed Apollo mission. In any case, experts are confident that the object is definitely not a meteorite.
The secret was revealed thanks to the maximum magnification of the filmed object. The result literally shocked astronomers:
So far, we believe that what we are seeing is the aftermath of a strange experiment conducted by NASA more than four decades ago. On April 19, 1972, the Apollo 16 crew deliberately smashed the S-IVB launch vehicle against the moon. The plan was to measure the shock waves from the impact and learn more about the inner structure of the moon. '
Apollo 15 astronaut Al Worden explained why NASA wanted to conduct such an experiment:
“We had seismographs on the lunar surface that could capture the impact of the S-IVB. This was very valuable to those who tried to get a picture of the inner composition of the Moon and what it looked like from the seismograph signals. '
Mr. Dellams detailed how the space agency concluded that the object was most likely the result of this mission, but continued to examine high-resolution images to confirm his suspicions:
The '15-ton booster rocket raced towards the lunar surface at over 800 km / h. However, shortly before the impact, NASA lost contact. Notably, the length of the object in the image corresponds to the size of the Apollo launch vehicle – scientists believe that the huge cylinder is one of the few objects strong enough to withstand such a strong impact. It's amazing, but it looks like, after half a century of searching, the mystery of the disappearance of the Apollo launch vehicle is now finally revealed. '
