Apollo Cold Cathode Gauge Experiment

Abstract

The cold cathode gauge experiment (CCGE) was included in the ALSEP on the Apollo 12, 13, 14 and 15 missions. The Apollo 12 instrument experienced a failure after only a few hours of operation and the Apollo 13 package was not deployed due to spacecraft problems and the cancellation of the landing. The purpose of the CCGE was to evaluate the amount of gas present on the lunar surface. The CCGE indications can be expressed as concentration of particles per unit volume or as pressure, which depends on the ambient temperature in addition to the concentration.