Contingency Sample Collector

In 2012 I was examining images from Apollo 11 when an anomaly caught my attention. This irregularity appeared in a press photograph that had been published in a newspaper article on July 30, 1969. The Apollo 11 astronauts, who were believed to have returned with these images from the moon, had just landed back on Earth on July 24, 1969. The heading of the news article reads: "Man's Mark Is Left on Moon."

Official Press photo digitalised by AwE130, credit to NASA for the photograph AS11-37-5505.

The press photo is labelled NASA, AS11-37-5505. When compared to the image AS11-37-5505 on the NASA website and spotting the object in three other Apollo 11 images AS11-5798, AS11-39-5800 and AS11-40-5871 it became clear that it was a real artefact, that had not been noticed for over 43 years. Immediately several questions went through my mind but first I had to find out what it was and how it got there.

At that time, I was a Journal Contributor for the historical Apollo archive, referred to as AwE130. After the editors had a look at the images they suggested that the object in question was the ring of the Contingency Sample Collector (CSC) used by Neil Armstrong on the moon to collect soil samples. Shortly thereafter, AwE130 found 16mm film footage capturing the moment when Neil Armstrong discarded the CSC ring. The subsequent details can be found on the NASA website.

14 September 2012, Journal Contributor AwE130 has identified the ring from the Contingency Sample Collector in AS11-37-5505, a photo Neil took out his window after the EVA. AwE130 also notes that, because this photo shows us where the ring ended up and frames from the 16mm film show us where Neil was when he tossed the ring under the LM, we can calculate how far he tossed it. The answer is a bit under 5.5 meters, a prodigious distance for a mere flick of a wrist! See a discussion after 109:36:07.(*1)

Below you see Neil Armstrong throwing the CSC ring at 3:39. Meanwhile, Buzz Aldrin was still inside the Lunar Module, watching Neil Armstrong collect the first soil samples. Both astronauts can be heard almost simultaneously remarking on the distance objects can be thrown on the moon. Credit given to NASA for the 16mm film footage.

At the caption on the NASA website of Image AS11-37-5505 you can read how the historical Apollo archive calculated the distance that was thrown by Neil Armstrong. They also show a comparison between AS11-37-5505 and the 16mm footage at the moment Neil throws the CSC ring.

[In 2012, Journal Contributor AwE130 located the ring in AS11-37-5505, which is a post-EVA photo Neil took out his window. AwE130 also noted that, whereas Neil was on the north side of the spacecraft then he tossed the ring, it ended up on the south side. Knowing the final position of the ring, we can estimate how far Neil threw it As shown in a comparison between 5505, the 16-mm frame that immediately follows Neil toss, and a top view of the LM from Scott Sullivan's superb book Virtual LM, we see from the shadows that Neil's hand as about the same distance from the E-W centerline of the LM as the inner ends of the secondary struts. Similarly, the ring ended up a bit closer to the centerline than the ends of the secondary struts. Knowing that the outer edges of opposite footpads are 9.45 meters (31 feet) apart, we can estimate that the inner ends of the secondary struts on opposite sides of the spacecraft are 5.52 meters apart and that the ring flew roughly 5.5 meters or, perhaps, a bit less.] (*2)

To determine Neil Armstrong's position at the moment he threw the CSC ring and the final location of the ring, we will conduct some straightforward calculations to see if the conclusion of the historical Apollo archive is correct. The height of the Landing Module, which includes the dish antenna, is 7.04 meters, and the sun's angle ranged from 14.0 degrees to 15.4 degrees(*3). Utilizing this data, we can calculate the length of the shadow. When the sun was positioned at an angle of 14 degrees, the shadow cast on the surface measured 28.23 meters, while at an angle of 15.4 degrees, the shadow length was 25.55 meters. For the calculations I will us the average of these two measurements what is 27 meters. The diagonal measurement of the Lunar Module is 9.45 meters, which includes the legs and landing pads. This results in an approximate ratio of 1 to 3, indicating that the shadow cast on the surface is three times longer than the object itself.

The Landing Module consists of two primary components: the descent stage, which serves as the launch platform for the ascent stage that returns the astronauts back into lunar orbit. The descent stage measures 3.25 meters in height, while the ascent module measures 2.83 meters, excluding the antenna on top of the ascent module. When combined, both stages achieve a total height of 6.08 meters.

Neil Armstrong stood at a height of 1.80 meters, but when wearing his space suit, he reached nearly 2 meters. This information allows for a precise calculation of his position when he threw the CSC ring. The shadow (ratio 1-3) cast by Armstrong on the lunar surface measures 2 x 3 = 6 meters. Notably, the shadow of his head aligns with the junction of the ascent and descent stages, while his feet correspond to the lower section of the descent stage's shadow. Consequently, this results in an actual distance of 8.2 meters from the center of the Lunar Module.

The CSC ring is located on the opposite side of the Lunar Module in the shadow of the lower section of the descent stage, which stands at a height of 1.2 meters, resulting in a distance of 1.2 meters multiplied by 3, the CSC ring is approximately 3.6 meters from the center of the Lunar Module. This observation indicates that Neil Armstrong was throwing the CSC ring towards the Lunar Module, as illustrated in the accompanying animation below. The distance between Neil Armstrong and the position of the CSC ring is nearly 10 meters and not 5.5 meters as calculated by the historical Apollo archive.

It is particularly concerning that Neil Armstrong threw the CSC ring towards the Lunar Module, narrowly missing it. Had the ring struck the Lunar Module there was a significant risk of damage, potentially jeopardizing its ability to return to lunar orbit. The Lunar Module was constructed with a pressure hull comprised of an exceptionally thin metal layer, only 0.3 millimeters (0.012 inches) thick, comparable to household kitchen foil. The impact of the CSC ring could have caused severe damage. This raises questions about whether Armstrong intended to suggest that they were not on the moon, but rather in a high desert in the United States, especially considering what he said just before throwing the ring towards the lunar Module. (At 1:28 in the video above, the segment where Neil refers to the "high desert" is muted, though it is available in the written transcript.)

109:34:54 Aldrin: That looks beautiful from here, Neil.

109:34:56 Armstrong: It has a stark beauty all its own. It's like much of the high desert of the United States. It's different, but it's very pretty out here.(*2) Credit to ALSJ for transcript

Just one minute later Neil throws the CSC ring towards the Lunar Module. The remark made by Buzz Aldrin regarding the ability to throw objects considerable distances on the moon appears somewhat inappropriate. It is important to note that he was situated inside the Lunar Module, observing through the left side window, which limited his perspective on the distance the CSC ring was thrown. His line of sight was comparable to what is depicted in the video. This raises the question of whether Neil Armstrong's prompt interjection was an attempt to mitigate Aldrin's error. The transcript of their conversation provides further context.

109:36:07 Aldrin: Didn't know you could throw so far.

109:36:08 Armstrong: (Chuckling) You can really throw things a long way up here! (Long Pause) (*2) Credit to ALSJ for transcript

Neil Armstrong's remark about the lunar landscape resembling the high desert of the United States, followed by his act of tossing the CSC ring towards the Lunar Module, may have been an attempt to show that his actions posed no danger, as they were not actually on the moon. Neil Armstrong repeatedly attempted to convey a message, his statements suggest that there were inconsistencies or discrepancies associated with the Apollo project. For example during the 20th anniversary of Apollo 11 in 1989, when he humorously remarked that in his view the Apollo 11 had a very limited chance of achieving a successful landing. It might be a good idea to start paying attention to what he has to say.

*1 https://www.nasa.gov/history/alsj/journal.corrections.html | *2 https://www.nasa.gov/history/alsj/a11/a11.step.html#1093607 | *3 ;https://www.nasa.gov/history/alsj/alsj-sunangles.html | *4 https://www.calculator.net/