2. Film in the cameras would have been fogged by this radiation.
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- The film was kept in metal containers that stopped radiation from fogging the film's emulsion.[75] Furthermore, film carried by unmanned lunar probes such as the Lunar Orbiter and Luna 3 (which used on-board film development processes) was not fogged.
3. The Moon's surface during the daytime is so hot that camera film would have melted.
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- There is no atmosphere to efficiently bind lunar surface heat to devices (such as cameras) that are not in direct contact with it. In a vacuum, only radiation remains as a heat transfer mechanism. The physics of radiative heat transfer are thoroughly understood, and the proper use of passive optical coatings and paints was enough to control the temperature of the film within the cameras; Moon lander temperatures were controlled with similar coatings that gave them a gold color. Also, while the Moon's surface does get very hot at lunar noon, every Apollo landing was made shortly after lunar sunrise at the landing site. During the longer stays, the astronauts did notice increased cooling loads on their spacesuits as the sun continued to rise and the surface temperature increased, but the effect was easily countered by the passive and active cooling systems.[76] The film was not in direct sunlight, so it wasn't overheated.[77] Note: The Moon's day is about 29½ Earth days long, meaning that one Moon day (dawn to dusk) lasts nearly fifteen days.
[75] ^ Plait 2002, pp. 162–63
[76] ^ Plait 2002, pp. 165–67
[77] ^ "Clavius: Environment - heat". Clavius.org. http://www.clavius.org/envheat.html. Retrieved November 25, 2008.
