Apollo 16 far-ultraviolet camera/spectrograph - Instrument and operations.

A far-ultraviolet camera/spectrograph experiment was designed and constructed for studies of the terrestrial upper atmosphere and geocorona, the interplanetary medium, and celestial objects from the lunar surface. The experiment was successfully operated during the Apollo 16 mission 21-23 April 1972. Discussed are the design and operating principles of the instrument, the actual events and operations during the Apollo 16 mission, and also anomalies encountered and suggested improvements for future experiments of this type. This experiment demonstrated the utility of the electronographic technique in space astronomy, as well as the great potential of the lunar surface as a base for astronomical observations.