The Maurer 16mm Data Acquisition Camera

The 16mm Maurer Data Acquisition Camera (usually called "the DAC", pronounced simply "dak") is best known for the movies it was used to take through the Lunar Module Pilot's (LMP's) window during the approach and landing of the LM. Also, all of the movie footage taken on the lunar surface (not to be confused with the video downlink) was done with the DAC. On Apollo 11, it was also used to take stop motion photography out the LMP's window of almost the entire EVA at the setting of 1 frame per second (fps). On 12, it was mounted on the Lunar Hand Tool Carrier, on 14 it was mounted on the MET, and on the J-Series missions it was mounted on the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV). On 2 of the J-Series missions, 15 & 16, it was primarily used to document the geology along the LRV route, set at 1 fps.

A slightly different version of this system was used on board the CSM to take movies of such things as docking operations, etc.



Simple diagram showing main elements of the system.



Beauty shot of the DAC from a training photo.