During the second EVA of the Apollo 14 mission on the moon, astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell had a goal of hiking to the rim of nearby Cone Crater in the Fra Maura highlands. But the steep terrain made the going difficult, elevating the astronauts' heart rates. Additionally, without landmarks it was difficult to judge distances and the rolling terrain was filled with similar-looking ridges, so Shepard and Mitchell couldn't really tell if they were close to the rim or not. Realizing time and available oxygen were getting short, Mission Control told the astronauts to head back to the Lunar Module, and although disappointed, the astronauts agreed. But how close did they actually come to the crater? No one knew for sure, until now.
Full article by Nancy Atkinson on Universe Today
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