Apollo Lunar Module Descent Stage
Modularized Equipment Stowage Assembly

See also:
Apollo - Misc. Diagrams
LM Quad III

The Apollo Lunar Module descent stage Modularized Equipment Stowage Assembly (MESA) filled Quad I of the LM descent stage.  In the G-Series mission (Apollo 11) and H-Series missions (Apollos 12, 13, & 14) it was packed with equipment needed to explore and study the lunar surface (camera and geology equipment, mainly).  Later on the J-Series missions (Apollos 15-17) it also carried some parts of the Lunar Roving Vehicle, as well as supplies for extended lunar stay time by the LM crew (LiOH cans, PLSS batteries, etc.).

Click here to view a full list of the MESA contents for LM-5 (Apollo 11 "Eagle").

The Mysteries of the MESA Revealed at last!!!
G & H-series MESA
J-Series MESA
MESA Deploy #1
MESA Deploy #2
MESA Deployment Mechanism
Above: Series of diagrams of the G- and J-Series MESA, and MESA Deployment
Armstrong practicing 
at MESA
Full thermal blanket 
view of G & H 
series MESA 
3/4 view G & H 
series MESA
Front view G & 
H series MESA
L & R side views 
G & H series MESA
view of G & 
H series MESA 
w/o equipment
Above - right 4 photos are grainy B&W photos of the G- and H-Series MESA.  Until recently these were the best images I could find of it.

Below are links to MUCH better quality color G- and H-Series MESA photos avaiable on the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal, and Kipp Teague's Project Apollo Archive.
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J-Series MESA
Unfortunately, good quality photos of the J-Series MESA are hard to come by.  Above left and center, in-flight photos showing the thermal blanket arrangement of the deployed MESA.
Above right, Jim Irwin in flight training with the MESA.  One of the EVA pallets containing 2 PLSS LiOH cans (cylindrical objects on either side of pallet) and 2 PLSS batteries (typical) can be seen mounted on the front of the MESA.  These PLSS consumable items were carried back inside the LM ascent stage and used to resupply the PLSSs for the next EVA.





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