Re: ALSEP transmitters still working?

From: Harald Kucharek (hk_valid_2004_at_gmx.net)
Date: 06/13/04 

Date: Sun, 13 Jun 2004 23:11:46 +0200

Henry Spencer wrote:
> In article <MBEjTqFqoGzAFwDz@merseia.fsnet.co.uk>,
> Jonathan Silverlight <jsilverlight@spam.merseia.fsnet.co.uk.invalid> wrote:
>
>>Reading Ray Villard's article "Did NASA fake the Moon landing?" in the
>>July "Astronomy" I was interested to read that although the experiments
>>were turned off in the 1970s for budgetary reasons (I understand they
>>were also simply not returning useful data), the transmitters are still
>>working and still being used...
>
>
> I think somebody has goofed. The ALSEP laser retroreflectors are still
> in use -- they are non-electronic -- but as far as I know, nobody has
> heard from the transmitters since they were turned off along with the
> experiments on 30 Sept 1977.

I've heard from the Tidbinbilla guys that they used ALSEP transmitters
for tracking training purposes after that date, until the late 80's, IIRC.

Harald