The Museum on the Moon - Irene Latham

Footprints forever etched in time. A commemorative patch from a tragic flight. Two golf balls, still lodged in frozen dust 238,900 miles away. From the amusing to the poignant, The Museum on the Moon introduces readers to the mysterious objects left on the lunar surface since humans arrived in 1969. Part history, part poetry, heartwarming and haunting, and illustrated with breathtaking graphite drawings, The Museum on the Moon is a moving exhibit of humankind''s most famous quest for knowledge and our place in the universe. From the book: The primary goals of the United States'' NASA Apollo program (1961-1972) were to establish space technology, carry out scientific exploration of the moon, and to develop ways for humans to work in the lunar environment. Six missions-Apollos 11, 12, 14, 15, and 17-landed American astronauts on the moon. The astronauts carried with them a variety of items that are now artifacts-some personal mementos, some tools and equipment for the purpose of moon transport and experimentation, and other things, like human waste products, unavoidable. Because the moon has virtually no atmosphere, these things remain on the moon, just as they were, and will presumably continue to be there for years to come. The moon truly is a museum!