The specific locations of the first two Apollo landing sites were selected mainly for reasons related to safety and orbital timing and partly for political reasons. In later missions, scientific objectives became an increasingly important factor. To enable direct communications and maximize safety, all six piloted Apollo landing missions were on the continuously Earth-facing side of the Moon because the farside terrain was not well known and because there were no relay satellites to enable continuous contact for a far-side landing. The Apollo landing sites were located relatively near the equator within what was known as the "Apollo Zone." This area had been studied extensively with telescopic images, and a near-equatorial landing would be most favorable for return-to-Earth trajectories. Landings had to be made during the lunar day on the near side in a way that would be favorable for the particular...