As the world observes the 50th anniversary of the first manned moon landing 50 years ago today, it’s a special time for one Buford-based company.
Half-a-century after astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong left the lunar surface, only one piece of scientific equipment that was left behind is still functioning.
“In the mid-1960s our company, Heraeus (a quartz glass manufacturer), worked with Bendix Corporation to produce the Lunar Laser Retro Reflector experiment package that was placed on the lunar surface by Buzz Aldrin,” says Jeff Oddo, Senior Manager, Communications, Heraeus Incorporated.
The company designed and produced the reflector’s 100 triple prisms of quartz glass mirrors.
“Once Aldrin activated the experiment,” Odo said, “a high-intensity laser beam was directed (toward) the earth and the time of travel was measured in what is known as 'laser ranging,' a precursor to GPS technology.”
By capturing the speed of the laser beam as it traveled to the moon and back, scientists could exactly measure the distance between the earth and the moon, and, Oddo added, “it can now be precisely measured to one millimeter.”
And, the reflector is still working to this day.
(Click here to read more about the LLRR, its development, and how it works.)
