Creating Moon on the Earth

Before the astronauts headed to the historic journey to the Moon, they had to practice on Earth, on the ground that is most similar to the surface of the Earth's satellite. Therefore, the space agency NASA caused a huge explosion in the desert of Arizona, to create hundreds of craters during the 60's, trying to create the Moon on the Earth. Using 142 pounds of dynamite and great amounts of fertilizers mixed with fuel, a part of the Cinder Lake desert in Arizona, measuring 152 square meters, was amended in order to resemble the Moon surface. There were 47 craters created, and the largest was 12 feet wide. The model for the craters was the lunar region of Mare Tranquilitatis were the astronauts landed in the 1969. Thanks to this replica of the lunar surface, they were able to practice movement through the rough terrain and prepare for the challenges that awaited them. Photographers Nicola Twilley and Jeff Manou visited the Cinder Lake desert recently and they were amazed when they saw that, thanks to soil erosion, the craters were filled in with sand and almost disappeared.