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List of retroreflectors on the Moon
Mirrors for measuring Earth–Moon distance From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Retroreflectors are devices which reflect light back to its source. Six retroreflectors were left at six sites on the Moon by three crews of the Apollo program, two by remote landers of the Lunokhod program, one by the Commercial Lunar Payload Services program and one by the Chandrayaan program.[1] Lunar reflectors have enabled precise measurement of the Earth–Moon distance since 1969 using lunar laser ranging.[2]
There have been several additional attempts to land retroreflectors on the lunar surface which were unsuccessful, and several future attempts are planned.
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Successfully placed reflectors
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Attempted and planned reflectors
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Gallery
- Apollo 11 Lunar Laser Ranging Retroreflector
- Apollo 14 retroreflector
- Close-up of Apollo 15 retroreflector
- Model of Lunokhod 2. The retroreflector is the hexagonal box with open lid in the front.
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References
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