Taurus–Littrow (lunar valley)

Taurus - Littrow is a valley on the near side of the moon approximately at the coordinates 20.0 ° E and 31.0 ° N. It is located in southeastern part of Mare Serenitatis. The Mare was even before 3.8 to 3.9 billion years after the impact of a large object. In December 1972, the valley was the aim of the Apollo 17 mission.

Naming

Since the valley with the landing of Apollo 17 is in the Taurus - Littrow chain and south of the crater, the name became common during a mission history. He was confirmed in 1973 by the International Astronomical Union.

The data collected by Apollo 17 that the large mountains that surround the valley are formed primarily by feldspathic breccia. The valley floor, however, is in the underground of basalt, also is a loose outer layer consisting of a mixture of regolith and materials that have arisen in various geological events.

Geology

Several million years after the formation of the Mare Serenatis began ooze lava from the lunar interior. Of these lava flows were the astronauts of Apollo 17, Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt, take rock and soil samples, providing an insight into the geology and the history of the moon. 100 million and 200 million years after the basin of the Mare Serenatis and the Taurus - Littrow valley had formed from the swollen moon inside lava began to flood the low-lying areas. These lava flows were often accompanied by eruptions that covered the area with small glass beads. These glass beads are sometimes dyed orange, what the orange colored surface explains what vorfanden the Apollo 17 astronauts. However, most of these glass beads are dyed dark, by the dark appearance of the Mare Serenatis explained from afar.

Landing site selection

Since Apollo 17, the last lunar mission of the Apollo program was, it was important to maximize the scientific return. Landing sites that were in the previous missions on the shortlist were subjected revalued and recomposed. The Taurus - Littrow valley was one of several landing sites that were shortlisted, and the crater Tycho, Copernicus, and, on the back of the moon, Tsiolkovskiy. All except Taurus - Littrow retired from scientific or technical reasons. A landing in Tycho was considered too dangerous because of the rough terrain. For a landing at Tschiolkovskiy Crater additional communication satellite would have been necessary to make the connection between ground crew and the landing party safely, characterized the mission would have been much more expensive. A landing on the Copernicus crater was considered not as important as other missions had already landed in the vicinity of Mare Imbrium.