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Science 22 July 1966:
Vol. 153. no. 3734, pp. 407 - 408
DOI: 10.1126/science.153.3734.407
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Articles

Lunar Surface Strength: Implications of Luna 9 Landing

L. D. Jaffe 1 and R. F. Scott 1

1 Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena

The ability of the lunar surface to support statically the Luna 9 copsule indicates that the surface can bear at least 5 x 103 dyne per square centimeter (10-1 lb/in.2). Analysis of the landing dynamics, using available data, gives a lower bound of about 1 to 2 x 105 dyne/cm2, but this estimate may not be conservative because of uncertainties regarding the shock-absorbing system used and the direction of the velocity vector at impact.

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)