NASAVIA^ USGSPutting a human on the moon was an epic feat of engineering.
But another group of researchers made the Apollo missions
successful — and they weren’t at NASA.
Geologists at the U.S. Geological Survey used lunar photo-
graphs and telescopes to make the first detailed maps of the
lunar surface. They tested equipment and spacesuits in the rocky
Arizona desert, even collecting rocks and measurements while
fully suited. Without geologists, the Apollo missions might have
been little more than rocket ship stunts.
Much of the credit goes to Gene Shoemaker, who dreamed
of going to the moon well before the space race popularized the
idea in the early 1960s. He coined the term astrogeology while
studying the moon from afar and preparing to someday visit
the lunar surface. By the time that dream was actually possible,
a medical problem disqualified him from astronaut service. Still,
he went on to become one of the most influential scientists in
the space program.
Above, Shoemaker demonstrates an early spacesuit prototype
in 1964. He poses, of course, as if he were sampling rocks.^ DTRAINING
THE FIRST
LUNAR
SCIENTISTS
Geologists played a key role in
the Apollo program. BY ANNA GROVES
44 DISCOVERMAGAZINE.COM
T O T H E MOON AND BACK
Gene Shoemaker