Tracking Bodies Motions on the Lunar Surface: Apollo XVI Footage

This manuscript introduces a robust analytical method to trace and analyze the movement of bodies shot during the Apollo XVI mission on the lunar surface. By employing both 2D and 3D analysis techniques, we aim to provide a detailed comparison of the observed kinematic events against theoretical models. The paper extends a previous work focused on the kinematics of lunar dust utilizing footage from the “Grand Prix” sequence of the Apollo XVI mission "Ballistic motion of dust particles in the Lunar Roving Vehicle dust trails" published in 2012 on the American Journal of Physics by Mihaly Horanyi and Hsiang-Wen Hsu: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258468670 [Ann. 1 – Ann. 2]. The objective is to validate lunar environmental models and enhance the understanding of motion dynamics on the lunar surface. This comprehensive analysis reconstructs the image production chain and the photographic and television transmission technology used during the Apollo 16 mission and indicates the good practices to follow for the correct digital transposition of the various types of film produced. Not only does it reassess existing data but also introduces new methodologies in order to interpret the lunar surface motions of bodies captured during Apollo missions.