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First lunar sample photographed in detail

This is the first lunar sample that was photographed in detail in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL) at the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), now NASA's Johnson Space Center. The photograph shows a granular, fine-grained, mafic (iron magnesium rich) rock. At this early stage of the examination, this rock appears similar to several igneous rock types found on Earth. The scale is printed backwards due to the photographic configuration in the Vacuum Chamber. The sample number is 10003. This rock was among the samples collected by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin during their lunar surface extravehicular activity (EVA) on July 20, 1969.

 

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Credit: NASA

Image Number: S69-45009

Date: July 27, 1969

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Uploaded on July 27, 2025
Taken on July 27, 1969