Common Elements
Each ALSEP station had some common elements.
| Name | Diagram | Picture | Description |
| Central Station | The picture shows the Central Station from Apollo 16's ALSEP. The Central Station was essentially the command center for the entire ALSEP station. It received commands from Earth, transmitted data, and distributed power to each experiment. Communications with Earth were achieved through a 58 cm long, 3.8 cm diameter modified axial-helical antenna mounted on top of the Central Station and pointed towards Earth by the astronauts. Transmitters, receivers, data processors and multiplexers were housed within the Central Station. The Central Station was a 25 kg box with a stowed volume of 34,800 cubic cm. In addition, on Apollos 12 to 15, a Dust Detector was mounted on the Central Station which measured the accumulation of Lunar dust. |
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| Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) | The picture shows the RTG from Apollo 14 with the Central Station in the background. The RTG was the power source for the ALSEP. It utilized the heat from the radioactive decay of plutonium-238 and thermocouples to generate approximately 70 watts of power. The base of the RTG was the base of the second ALSEP subpackage. |
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| RTG Cask | The RTG cask stored the plutonium-238 fuel element. It was located to left of the SEQ bay. The cask was designed to withstand a launch vehicle explosion in the event of an abort or a re-entry into Earth's atmosphere (which is what occurred on Apollo 13). The picture shows Edgar Mitchell practicing the removal of the fuel element. |
Read more about this topic: Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package
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