Is anything coming from the moon?

[flying_silverad]

Is there anything left on the moon that's sending info back or communicating at all?

 

[JStarStar]

Well, the Laser Ranging Reflectometers (LRR) left at each landing sites are still there, and as I understand it, NASA fires lasers at them every so often to get extremely accurate reads on the motion and location of the moon (within a couple of feet).

As I also recall, the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Packages were powered by nuclear-generated power units which were expected to remain operational for a long, long time. So I wouldn't be surprised if some of those things are still operating.

 

[hokkyokusei]

I think there are reflectometers on the Soviet Lunokhods too, though one of them isn't usable, due to "bad parking".

 

[Aron Sanford]

NASA in their warped logic turned off the equ down here! I guess they need to be able to buy more syrofoam for the shuttle!
I think the AIR FORCE should run the space program.
At least it would be with some pros. Too many bureaucrats in NASA! They were also still getting info from the old Pioneer 10 & closed it al down on earth!
Gota get them little gocarts on mars going!
Aron

 

[Justin Horne]

Originally posted by Aron Sanford
NASA! They were also still getting info from the old Pioneer 10 & closed it al down on earth!
Gota get them little gocarts on mars going!
Aron

Uh.. The "little gocarts" are going... They have been running over 90 sols.. So long, in fact, one is wearing down... If you want to read been gathered, look in the latest Science magazine... It's a special ed. just for said go-carts...

Here's a link about them...
https://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=B6B0B350-28EC-43DB-A21A31C32B1F72F4

 

[DynaSoar]

Originally posted by flying_silverad
Is there anything left on the moon that's sending info back or communicating at all?

The lunar seismographs quit around 1977. Both Clementine and Lunar Prospector failed after partially completing their missions, in 1995 and 1999 respectively. So, I can't think of anything up there that could be sending a signal.

Why, are you picking something up?

 

[hokkyokusei]

Originally posted by Aron Sanford

At least it would be with some pros. Too many bureaucrats in NASA! They were also still getting info from the old Pioneer 10 & closed it al down on earth!

A bit unfair to NASA that, they actually lost contact with it in the end:

PIONEER 10 SPACECRAFT SENDS LAST SIGNAL After more than 30 years, it appears the venerable Pioneer 10 spacecraft has sent its last signal to Earth. Pioneer's last, very weak signal was received on 23 January 2003. NASA engineers report that Pioneer 10's radioisotope power source has decayed, and it may not have enough power to send additional transmissions to Earth. NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) did not detect a signal during the last contact attempt on 7 February 2003. The previous three contacts, including the 23 January signal, were very faint, with no telemetry received. The last time a Pioneer 10 contact returned telemetry data was 27 April 2002. NASA has no additional contact attempts planned for Pioneer 10.