“EARTHLINGS TO SHARE ASTRONAUT’S VIEW OF EARTH FROM MOON VIA TV
BALTIMORE, Md., Nov. 9 – A small television camera, shown in this artist’s drawing, being used by an American astronaut on the Moon, will enable earthlings to share the space traveler’s view of the earth as seen from the lunar surface. The camera will be built by the aerospace division of the Westinghouse Defense and Space Center under a multi-million dollar contract awarded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Tex. The contract calls for 13 cameras, seven of which will be flight-qualified models. Scenes taken by the camera during the flight to the Moon, on the lunar surface and on the return trip home, will be transmitted to earth and telecast “live” over commercial television networks.”
A delightful work, despite the oversized ascent stage, by an unknown artist.
Some pointless observations: Note that the camera has both a front sight post & rear sight, much like a weapon, like a long gun. Note also the detail in the helmet visor, with sun glare depicted and what looks like a partial profile of the astronaut through it. Interestingly, the body/housing of the camera is actually an exaggerated & inverted version of that actually used. Also, the hood-like configuration of the helmet covering…along with the mitten-like gloves.
Finally, the LEM; with its extended porch…and rope for descent to/ascent from the lunar surface. It also appears to have a crane-like mechanism at the aft of the ascent stage. If so, then this – if memory serves correctly – would be part of an extended-stay mission, this being a LEM “truck”. I may be mistaken. And that alternating rung/step observation mast extending upward from the top of the ascent stage. Or is that a Yagi antenna? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Even a descent engine plume impingement-induced crater, with ejecta rays, along with the disturbed regolith where the footpads dug in slightly. Looks like the LEM was translating horizontally at touchdown. I wonder if it was Shepard at the controls.
The photo is still wonderfully glossy. Minor surface imperfections resulting from improper handling are only visible when viewed obliquely, and do not detract.
