SSTV images transmitted on Dec. 11, 2022 for the 50th Ann. of Apollo 17 Lunar Landing in 1972 are posted on the linked page, each with notes and comment from related online NASA sources. The images used are either from NASA originals or cropped but retain the 1x1 of the 6x6 cm. dimension of 120 format film used by Hasselblad cameras on the Apollo 17 mission. Click on (left) sample image or lik below to view the 12 images selected for the SSTV event. http://www.richmondarc.ca/sstv-apollo17-50th-tximg.html

On December 11, 1972, at exactly 19:54:58 UTC, Lunar Module Challenger carrying astronauts Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt touched down on the lunar surface at Taurus-Littrow. The lunar landing of Apollo 17 was the last time (to date) humans have set foot on the moon and was the final mission of NASA's Apollo program.

Literally 50 years afterwards on Sunday, December 11, 2022, Richmond Amateur Radio Club (RARC: VE7RAR) in collaboration with Burnaby Amateur Radio Club (BARC: VE7BAR) will commemorate the historic event by transmitting SSTV images of the NASA mission from respective loccations in Steveston (at VE7GOG), Riichmond and New Westminster.

Participants who either successfully receive the images or determine the 12-character message will qualify for a special e-certificate (personalzed with call sign) as souvenir of the SSTV event.

Objectives of the SSTV event are to:
- Commemorate the 50th anniversary of the NASA Apollo Program's final moon landing,
- Demonstrate how Amateur radio SSTV practices are similar to the technology used 50 years ago to transmit NASA images from the moon back to Earth,
- Educate and inform participants about interesting aspects of the Apollo 17 mission, and
- Promote awareness of another fun and interesting part of the Amateur radio hobby.

Periof of Transmission: Sun., Dec. 11, 2022 - from 11:00 to 15:00 PST or 19:00 to 23:00 UTC.

Transmission Frequency: 145.600 MHz Simplex VHF

Transmission Schedule: Images will be sent by VE7RAR (RARC) and VE7BAR (BARC), with each sttion alternating every 10 minutes, going through a rotation of 12 images twice over 4 hours.

SSTV Format: PD120 encoding

Each of the 12 images will have a letter on the photo, with the letters from ech photo sequentially forming a message. One does not need to completely receive all 12 images if one can figure out the missing letters of the message.

Participants who either successfully receive all 12 transmitted images and/or are able to 'decipher' the 12-character message will qualify to receive a personalized e-certificate with personal call sign as souvenir of the event. To obtain your certificate, email your received images or 12-character message with your call sign to either one of the club contacts for the SSTV event: Urey Chan, VE7URE (RARC): ve7ure@cwthree.com Brad Wilson, VA7BWX (BARC): va7bwx@gmail.com

Transmitted SSTV Images are from NASA photo archives, selected from the Apollo 17 mission taken on the lunar surface. Transmissions are configured to an overall size of 640 x 427 pixels with actual image displayed 1:1 (square) to retain composition of original format captured on 120 film. Right margin is for text information about event. Colour and black & white images are taken with Hasselblad cameras specially modified by NASA using special 61 x 61 mm negatives. Photo images used in the SSTV transmissions are from the following NASA photo archive references: Film magazine: B AS17-134 (colour) Film magazine: E AS17-140 (colour) Film magazine: L AS17-141 (b & w) Film magazine: N AS17-143 (b & w) Film magazine: D AS17-145 (colour) Film magazine: F AS17-146 (colour) Film magazine: A AS17-147 (colour) Film magazine: NN AS17-148 (colour)

Development of special slow-scan television cameras for the Apollo project:
https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/ApolloTV-Acrobat5.pdf

Canada's involvement in the design and mnufacturing of the lunar module:
http://www.spaceq.ca/the-canadian-story-of-the-apollo-lunar-module-landing-legs/

NASA report on Apollo 11 telemetry data recordings::
https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/Apollo_11_TV_Tapes_Report.pdf

Camera equipment and photography of the Apollo 12 mission:
https://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/apollo/apollo_12/photography/

Still photography during the Apollo missions:
https://history.nasa.gov/apollo_photo.html

Journal on use of Hasselblad cameras and film magazines on Apollo 11 Lunar Module:
https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11LM-Cams-Mags.html

HD videos of Apollo 11 mission from NASA site:
https://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/hd/apollo11_hdpage.html

Comprehensive collection of Apollo mission photographs:
https://www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/apollo/

Project Apollo Archive Image Gallery - extensive collection of images from the Apollo program:
http://www.apolloarchive.com/apollo_gallery.html/

Thanks to the collaboration of Richmond Amateur Radio Club (RARC) and Burnaby Amateur Radio Club (BARC) for planning and production of this SSTV event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 lunar landing.

Special thanks to the following individual hams:

Urey Chan, VE7URE - planning, research, testing
Brad Wilson, VA7BWX - planning, coordination, testing
Ken McIntosh, VA7KBM - testing

Photo credits and info sources:
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Apollo Image Atlas Archives
- National Geographic
- Hasselblad
- Wikipedia

RARC participation in the SSTV event for the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 17 Lunar Landing is a project by Richmond Amateur Radio Club under the club's Learning Program.

For more info about RARC, e-mail: info@richmondarc.ca
Please direct all media relations enquiries to: ureyc@cwthree.com