Langemak

Lat: 10.3°S, Long: 118.7°E, Diam: 97 km, Depth: km, Rükl: (farside)

Apollo 17 image AS17-151-23240 Langemak is partially visible in this westward looking view, with the 18-km crater Sherrington on its southwest rim.

Images

The dark lacus-like region on the floor of Langemak was frequently photographed during the mission of Apollo 8. One of these photographs is AS8-17-2744, which was made during typical "shadowless-circumstances" (very high sun).
- Research: Danny Caes
- HiRes scan of Apollo 8 photograph: David Woods and Frank O'Brien (Apollo 8 Flight Journal).

Named for Georgy Erikhovich Langemak (June 26, 1898 – January 11, 1938), a Soviet rocket designer of Swedish background. He is chiefly remembered for being the co-designer (with Sergei Korolev) and directing the development of the Katyusha rocket launcher that was used with such success during World War II.
Langemak was among the long list of farside names approved by the IAU in 1970 and published in Menzel, 1971.
In the planning for Apollo 8, the first manned circumlunar mission (1968), this crater (which did not then have an official name) was referred to informally as "Armstrong", a name presently in use for a completely different nearside crater (see: Phil Stooke's LPOD). Langemak N, immediately south of Langemak, was informally known as "Aldrin", again a name that is presently used to designate a completely different nearside crater.

see also: Langemak Crater: Window Into the Ancient Lunar Crust -- Apollo Image Archive Lunar Image of the Week