What is the location of Tranquility Base on the Moon?
Tranquility Base is located at 0.674 degrees north latitude and 23.473 degrees east longitude in the Sea of Tranquility near the lunar equator.
Questions about Tranquility Base
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When did Apollo 11 crewmembers land at Tranquility Base?
Apollo 11 crewmembers Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their Lunar Module Eagle at Tranquility Base on the 20th of July 1969 at approximately 20:17:40 UTC.
Why was the actual landing spot of Tranquility Base different from the planned target?
Navigation errors caused by residual pressure thrust and an imperfect understanding of the Moon's uneven gravitational field pushed the powered descent initiation point about 2 kilometers downrange and the computer-targeted landing spot about 4 kilometers west of the planned target.
Which objects remain at Tranquility Base after the mission?
About 100 artificial objects including the descent stage of the Lunar Module, a laser reflector, a solar-powered seismometer that stopped functioning after 21 days, and various gear left behind to lighten the craft for return to lunar orbit remain at Tranquility Base.
How is Tranquility Base protected under current laws?
The One Small Step to Protect Human Heritage in Space Act enacted in 2020 protects Tranquility Base and other Apollo landing sites from damage from US-licensed space activity while NASA requests all missions keep a distance of at least 300 meters from the site.