Camera, Lunar Mapping, Apollo
name: label: Manufacturer
content: Fairchild Space & Defense Systems
notes: label: Summary
content: This is the flight backup for the mapping cameras used on the last three Apollo missions. Mapping the lunar surface was a high priority during Apollo 15, 16, and 17. Mounted in the service module, the mapping camera captured high-resolution images of the Moon as the spacecraft orbited. While returning to Earth, command module pilots performed spacewalks to retrieve the film canisters, mounted on the right side of the camera.
label: Summary
content: This flight backup, available for those missions if the installed cameras were damaged or malfunctioned before launch, is the best surviving example of the Fairchild-built camera. The flown versions remained in the service modules, which burned up when they reentered the Earth's atmosphere.
label: Summary
content: This camera was transferred from NASA to the Museum in 1978.
place: label: Country of Origin
content: United States of America
title: label: Title
content: Camera, Lunar Mapping, Apollo
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Air and Space Museum Collection
label: Location
content: National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC
label: Exhibition
content: Destination Moon
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Transferred from NASA
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Air and Space Museum
identifier: label: Inventory Number
content: A19790013000
objectType: label: Type
content: EQUIPMENT-Photographic
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: CC0
physicalDescription: label: Materials
content: Aluminum
label: Materials
content: Plastic
label: Materials
content: Glass
label: Materials
content: Synthetic polymer
label: Materials
content: Celuloid film
label: Dimensions
content: Overall: 1 ft. 9 1/2 in. × 3 ft. 11 in., 225lb., 2 ft. 6 in. (54.6 × 119.4cm, 102.1kg, 76.2cm)