Cone Crater

After landing on the moon in February, 1971, Apollo 14 astronauts Alan Shepard and Ed Mitchell prepared to hike up to Cone Crater. Their goal was to collect samples, then make it to the lip and peer inside. The astronauts hiked uphill over 1,400 meters, dragging a tool cart full of scientific equipment (shown above). The steep incline made the going difficult, elevating the astronauts’ heart rates. Additionally, without landmarks it was difficult to judge distances. Mission Control told the astronauts to gather whatever samples they could and return. The mystery of how close they had come remained unanswered until recently. The evidence came from pictures taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which was launched in 2009. The pictures showed the trail the astronauts made, and the images made clear that they were about 30 meters shy of peering into Cone Crater. 

Interesting Fact: The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is currently orbiting above the moon at 50 kilometers (31 miles). The LRO mission is preparing for future manned missions to the moon by NASA. It will provide a detailed mapping program, identify safe landing sites and locate potential resources on the moon. In addition, the LRO has provided some of the first images of equipment left over by the Apollo missions on the moon. I guess you could say this also solves a mystery for the conspiracy theorists, of whether or not man really landed on the moon.