Description:
A very uncommon map of the Sea of Tranquility area that would be the site of the first moon landing in 1969. According to a description of a related larger-scale map in a 2020 Bonham's auction, "[NASA] mission planners created this internal Manned Spacecraft Center chart a few months before the flight in 1969."The map encompasses the area from 14 degrees South to 14 degrees North Latitude and from 0 degrees to 42 degrees East Longitude. The coordinates of the Eagle's landing site were 0.675 degrees Latitude North and 23.47 degrees Longitude East – very near the center of the mapped area.
The map is numbered "MSC – 6238 – 69" in the lower right margin. As it was meant for internal use only, the map appears to be significantly less common than the LAC Lunar Chart series and the USGS geologic chart series. We were unable to locate an online reference to the map on the Lunar and Planetary Institute website.
Condition: Rolled, never folded. Some crinkling in the lower margin. Tear at… Read More