Interesting collection of Apollo Lunar Surface Drill (ALSD) drill bits and core stem sections, evidently developed as test articles by Martin Marietta, plus related manuals, photographs, and ephemera. This lot contains one of the ALSD's tungsten carbide bits, an example of a toothless bit with spring-loaded attachment mechanism, a core stem segment constructed from a high-strength boron/glass composite, and two core stem segments comprised of titanium and boron/glass composite; the as-flown version of the ALSD consisted of long titanium alloy core stem tubes fitted with a steel bit featuring tungsten carbide cutting blades.
Includes a comprehensive grouping of Martin Marietta materials related to the Apollo Lunar Surface Drill, highlighted by an original "Familiarization and Support Manual for Apollo Lunar Surface Drill," housed in its original binder. Containing ten tabbed chapters, the manual covers the mission requirements, system descriptions, lunar surface operating instructions, operational readiness verification, prelaunch verification tests and procedures, service instructions, and transportation and storage requirements. Additionally includes a "Final Report of Apollo 16 Lunar Surface Drill Mission Performance," seven glossy 8 x 10 press photos demonstrating the ALSD in use (most with Martin Marietta captions on the reverse), fourteen glossy 5 x 4 photos of the ALSD in use on the moon, and five Martin Marietta press release fact sheets regarding the drill. In overall fine condition.
The Apollo Lunar Surface Drill was deployed on Apollo 15, 16, and 17, consisting of a battery-powered motor with specialized drill bits and modular core stems fitted together. The system was designed to extract columns of lunar regolith to return to Earth, and to create holes for the placement of two heat flow probes. The rigid but hollow core stem tubes allowed astronauts to drill up to ten feet into the lunar surface and extract soil samples; once removed, the tubes could be capped for their return to Earth for study.
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