Lunar Surface Strength: Implications of Luna 9 Landing

Abstract

The ability of the lunar surface to support statically the Luna 9 capsule indicates that the surface can bear at least 5 x 10^3 dyne per square centimeter (10^(-1) lb/in.^2). Analysis of the landing dynamics, using available data, gives a lower bound of about 1 to 2 x 10^5 dyne/cm^2, but this estimate may not be conservative because of uncertainties regarding the shock-absorbing system used and the direction of the velocity vector at impact.

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