a17_vr_c_o_TPMBK (AS17-145-22251) - a photo on Flickriver

“An excellent view of the Apollo 17 Command and Service Modules photographed from the Lunar Module “Challenger” during rendezvous and docking maneuvers in lunar orbit. The LM ascent stage, with Astronauts Eugene A. Cernan and Harrison H. Schmitt aboard, had just returned from the Taurus-Littrow landing site on the lunar surface. Astronaut Ronald E. Evans remained with the CSM in lunar orbit. Note the exposed Scientific Instrument Module (SIM) Bay in Sector 1 of the Service Module. Three experiments are carried in the SIM bay: S-209 Lunar Sounder, S-171 Infrared Scanning Spectrometer, and the S-169 Far-Ultraviolet Spectrometer. Also mounted in the SIM bay are the Panoramic Camera, Mapping Camera and Laser Altimeter used in Service Module photographic tasks. A portion of the LM is on the right.”

Based on that LM portion, the photograph was taken by Cernan. This, along with many others taken by him during this mission, some, intentional yet subtle compositions, should have earned him some sort of recognition...by some photography/photographers body.

On the lunar surface, the narrow dark swath, with the isolated light-colored "peak" is the northeast region of Mare Undarum. Condorcet P is below it to the right, with Condorcet F directly behind (also with a dark mare-like floor).

The above description was also used for AS17-145-22254, which conveniently/lazily enough, is the number on the verso of the photograph.

Note the 103.8-inch non-retractable Yagi multiple element antenna, a component of the Coherent Synthetic Aperture Radar (CSAR), a major component of the Lunar Sounder experiment flown during the mission. The antenna was automatically deployed after the Spacecraft/LM Adapter (SLA) panels were jettisoned.

For the two to three folks out there that might be interested…yes, I’m now fairly confident that ever burgeoning viewership now merits my estimations to be doubled, tripled EVEN:

www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_17/experime...
Credit: LPI website

But, back to reality here. For the one, if that:

adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1973LPSC....4.2821P
Credit: SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System website

Tangentially, what I think is a damned good question posed:

space.stackexchange.com/questions/17615/what-is-this-on-t...
Credit: Space Exploration Stack Exchange website

A number of other in-flight photographs of Service Module exteriors also reveal the bubbling, which I off-handedly attributed to RCS thruster plume impingement in most cases. If I recall correctly, the National Geographic issue with Pierre Mion's wonderful depiction of Al Worden's deep-space EVA references such. But the areas seen/referred to in the Stack Exchange discussion are not in the direct path of the RCS thrusters. Possibly as a result of Launch Escape Motor exhaust?

Taken on: March 3, 2020

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Electrical Power System radiators

Environmental Control System radiators

Condorcet F

Condorcet P

Eugene Cernan

Harrison Schmitt

Ronald Evans

Gene Cernan

Jack Schmitt

Ron Evans

Lunar Sounder experiment

handrail

handrails

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Kapton

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SPS nozzle

Service Propulsion System

Service Propulsion System nozzle

RCS thrusters

Reaction Control System thrusters

Command Module America

Service Module

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golden slippers

Coherent Synthetic Aperture Radar

Scientific Instrument Module

Scientific Instrument Module bay

Yagi antenna

Rendezvous and Docking

lunar orbit

Human Space Flight

Manned Space Flight

Manned Spacecraft

lunar exploration

Apollo 17

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SIM Bay

Command/Service Module

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