Changes

Any number of man-made structures can be seen from space, provided we mean "structure" to mean "anything built." Many of these are things that look like long, straight lines when seen from far off, such as [[highway]]s, [[railroad]]s, [[canal]]s, and of course walls. If the orbit is low enough you can see even more, I have here a photo of [[Cape Canaveral]] taken during the Gemini V flight in which the big Launch Complex 39, used for the Apollo missions, is clearly visible. Another photo of the Nile delta, taken from a height of 100 miles, shows an extensive road network. Gemini V astronauts Gordon Cooper and Charles Conrad were able to spot, among other things, a special checkerboard pattern that had been laid out in [[Texas]], a rocket-sled test in [[New Mexico]], and the [[aircraft carrier]] that would later pick them up in the Atlantic, along with a destroyer trailing in its wake.<ref>[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_092.html Is the Great Wall of China the only man-made object you can see from space?] Cecil Adams, ''The Straight Dope''</ref>

Any number of man-made structures can be seen from space, provided we mean "structure" to mean "anything built." Many of these are things that look like long, straight lines when seen from far off, such as [[highway]]s, [[railroad]]s, [[canal]]s, and of course walls. If the orbit is low enough you can see even more, I have here a photo of [[Cape Canaveral]] taken during the Gemini V flight in which the big Launch Complex 39, used for the Apollo missions, is clearly visible. Another photo of the Nile delta, taken from a height of 100 miles, shows an extensive road network. Gemini V astronauts Gordon Cooper and Charles Conrad were able to spot, among other things, a special checkerboard pattern that had been laid out in [[Texas]], a rocket-sled test in [[New Mexico]], and the [[aircraft carrier]] that would later pick them up in the Atlantic, along with a destroyer trailing in its wake.<ref>[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_092.html Is the Great Wall of China the only man-made object you can see from space?] Cecil Adams, ''The Straight Dope''</ref>

</blockquote>

</blockquote>

 

As to whether the Wall can be seen from space, Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean says, "The only thing you can see from the Moon is a beautiful sphere, mostly white, some blue and patches of yellow, and every once in a while some green vegetation.  No man-made object is visible at this scale." <ref>[http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/workinginspace/great_wall.html NASA, ''China's Wall Less Great in View from Space'', 05.09.05 ]</ref>

As to whether the Wall can be seen from space, Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean says, "The only thing you can see from the Moon is a beautiful sphere, mostly white, some blue and patches of yellow, and every once in a while some green vegetation.  No man-made object is visible at this scale." <ref>[http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/workinginspace/great_wall.html NASA, ''China's Wall Less Great in View from Space'', 05.09.05 ]</ref>

According to [[NASA]] director [[Adnan Lulla]], "A lot has been said and written about how visible the wall is. In fact, it is very, very difficult to distinguish the Great Wall of China in astronaut photography, because the materials that were used in the wall are similar in color and texture to the materials of the land surrounding the wall -- the dirt." <ref>http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/workinginspace/great_wall.html</ref>

According to [[NASA]] director [[Adnan Lulla]], "A lot has been said and written about how visible the wall is. In fact, it is very, very difficult to distinguish the Great Wall of China in astronaut photography, because the materials that were used in the wall are similar in color and texture to the materials of the land surrounding the wall -- the dirt." <ref>http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/workinginspace/great_wall.html</ref>