Preserved spacecraft

[ambrous]

I was reminded that the Apollo 10 LM is in solar orbit and therefore preserved. Are the any other such spacecraft out there for future generations to find and retrieve?

 

[JonClarke]

Manned or unmanned?<br /><br />Manned you have the LM descent stages on the Moon. Unmanned you have hundreds of spacecraft in high earth orbit and scattered through the solar system - or beyond.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[drwayne]

We have a number of stages in solar orbit as well.<br /><br />Here is an interesting site:<br /><br />http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/apolloloc.html<br /><br />For one reason or another, there are a couple of ascent modules whose impact location was not controlled, so they could be something for a future Robert Ballard to find.<br /><br /><img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything."  Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>

 

[vogon13]

A couple of Star 48 (IIRC) solid boosters were flung towards Jupiter in 1977.<br /><br />I have no idea where they went after that . . . . <br /><br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[henryhallam]

I bet that LM ascent stage is pretty ripe by now considering all the waste they left in it.

 

[quasar2]

great compost, there. i`ve mentioned this idea several times on here. in fact this should become a standard in Space. if yer gonna leave it, leave it in a place where it can be salvaged where possible. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

How? It's in a vacuum. Even though bacteria might survive, they are probably dormant and not growing or reproducing. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

Probably all the escape stages of the missions that left earth orbit are still out there, aparat from thoe that were crashed into the Moon. Plus sundry shrouds, weights etc. Some of the stages have probably disintergrated by now.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

Luna 1, the first spacecraft to leave earth orbit, would be another prize.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

Even though I think that one failed? I know that one early Soviet mission, probably the first impacter they sent, failed to reach the moon. So they claimed that it was intended all along to be what it ended up being: the 1st spacecraft to enter a solar orbit. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[nyarlathotep]

Well, we know that the Ascent Module from Apollo 11 is still up there, since it was returned to the surface by the Historical Sticklers Society sometime before the year 3000.