Preliminary geologic investigation of the Apollo 17 landing site

W.R. Muehlberger; R. M. Batson; E.A. Cernan; V. L. Freeman; M. H. Hait; H. E. Holt; K. A. Howard; E.D. Jackson; K.B. Larson; V. S. Reed; J. J. Rennilson; H.H. Schmitt; D. H. Scott; R. L. Sutton; D. Stuart-Alexander; G.A. Swann; N.J. Trask; G. E. Ulrich; H. G. Wilshire; E.W. Wolfe

USGS · 70042539

Preliminary geologic investigation of the Apollo 17 landing site

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Abstract

The Apollo 17 lunar module (LM) landed on the flat floor of a deep valley that embays the mountainous highlands at the eastern rim of the Serenitatis basin. Serenitatis, the site of a pronounced mascon, is one of the major multi-ringed basins on the near side of the Moon. The Taurus-Littrow valley, which is radial to the Serenitatis basis, is interpreted as a deep graben formed by structural adjustment of lunar crustal material to the Serenitatis impact.

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W.R. Muehlberger, R. M. Batson, E.A. Cernan, V. L. Freeman, M. H. Hait, H. E. Holt, K. A. Howard, E.D. Jackson, K.B. Larson, V. S. Reed, J. J. Rennilson, H.H. Schmitt, D. H. Scott, R. L. Sutton, D. Stuart-Alexander, G.A. Swann, N.J. Trask, G. E. Ulrich, H. G. Wilshire, E.W. Wolfe. 1973. Preliminary geologic investigation of the Apollo 17 landing site. https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70042539

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