Buzz
C Stuart Hardwick:
The retroreflectors installed as part of the Apollo Lunar Ranging Experiment remain in full working condition, although their reflective efficiency has gradually decreased over time.
This gradual decline is actually proving to be a valuable source of information. Factors contributing to the deterioration include micrometeorite collisions, dust accumulation on the surface of the reflectors, and chemical degradation of the mirror's underside, among others.
As technology has progressed, the sensitivity of ground stations has been enhanced more rapidly than the deterioration of the reflectors. Consequently, measurements have improved, rather than worsened, and the observation of this degradation has, among other things, supported the hypothesis that static electric charge creates a transient, periodic pseudo-atmosphere on the Moon’s surface, lifting dust electrically.
No other experiments from the Apollo missions on the Moon are still operational. All missions after the first one featured experimental packages powered by radiothermoelectric generators (RTGs), which were deactivated on September 30, 1977. This decision was made to conserve funds, but also because by then, the RTGs were no longer capable of powering the transmitters or instruments, and the control room required reallocation for other tasks.
Due to concerns that a problem might force Apollo 11 to abort the landing and return to orbit shortly after touchdown, a simplified experiment package was deployed, including a solar-powered seismometer, which unfortunately failed after just 21 days.
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