Tag: Handheld

Photo credit: ESA–A. Romeo
Astronauts recently put the ESA’s Handheld Universal Lunar Camera (HULC) to the test in the lunar-like landscapes of Lanzarote, Spain, as part of the PANGAEA training program. The latter aims to prepare astronauts to become effective field scientists for future missions to the lunar surface, including NASA’s Artemis III, which will land on the South Pole of the Moon.

During the Apollo 11 mission, astronauts captured images of the Moon with a standalone, mechanical Hasselblad camera sporting a Harrison Schmidt 60 mm lens. A total of four Hasselblad cameras used by the astronauts collected 1407 photos of the Moon. This updated version keeps the same core of the camera, but adds an updated interface and housing. A prototype is set to fly to the International Space Station for additional testing in the near future.

Adding the Moon camera allowed the crew to have a realistic taste of lunar surface exploration. It was a great enhancement of their experience, something we’d be happy to repeat in future editions,” said Loredana Bessone, PANGAEA’s Project Lead.

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