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Friday 24 May 2013

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Apollo 11 engines recovered from ocean floor

An expedition funded by Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos has recovered rusted pieces of two Apollo-era rocket engines from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.
"We've seen an underwater wonderland - an incredible sculpture garden of twisted F-1 engines that tells the story of a fiery and violent end," Mr Bezos wrote in an online posting.
The team raised the main engine parts during three weeks at sea. The remnants of the engines, which helped send astronauts to the moon, will be sent back to Cape Canaveral, Florida, the launch pad for the manned lunar missions.
Last year, the Bezos team used sonar to spot the sunken engines resting nearly 3 miles deep in the Atlantic and 360 miles from Cape Canaveral. At the time, the internet mogul said the artifacts were part of the Apollo 11 mission that gave the world "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."
A turbine from an Apollo F-1 engine
A heat exchanger from an Apollo F-1 engine
A thrust chamber from an Apollo F-1 engine
This May 1969 file photo shows the astronaut crew of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. Left to right: Neil A Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E Aldrin Jr, lunar module pilot. Photo: NASA
16 July 1969: Apollo 11 lifts off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, as seen from the launch tower camera. Photo: NASA
Apollo 11, the first manned mission to land on the moon, soars into space behind a flag at the Kennedy Space Centre Launch Complex in Florida. Photo: NASA
A crescent Earth is seen from Apollo 11 after the historic moon landing. Photo: NASA
'Buzz' Aldrin stands on the lunar module's footpad on the surface of the moon. Photo: NASA
Buzz Aldrin walks near the Lunar Module during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity. Photo: NASA
This view from the Apollo 11 spacecraft shows Earth rising above the moon's horizon. Photo: NASA
An astronaut's bootprint leaves a mark on the lunar surface. Photo: NASA
Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin erect the US flag at Tranquility Base. Photo: NASA
Buzz Aldrin poses for a photograph on the moon beside the United States flag. Photo: NASA
24 July 1969: The astronauts are disinfected after splashing down into the Pacific Ocean. Photo: NASA

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