Apollo 11 Quiz

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Discussion

Eric Mc

Original Poster:

122,789 posts

271 months

Friday 26th February 2016
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Nice little easy Friday afternoon quiz -

http://www.space.com/26500-apollo-moon-landing-qui...


JeremyH5

1,673 posts

141 months

Friday 26th February 2016
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Damn! Only got 7.

Einion Yrth

19,575 posts

250 months

Friday 26th February 2016
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9 - can't really see why I should have known that Aldrin's mother was named "Moon".

Simpo Two

86,911 posts

271 months

Friday 26th February 2016
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I always thought it was 'Contact right' as in right landing pad... but 'contact light' was close enough to get it.

Just got the moon rock one wrong so 9/10 (with help from EY above!)

Eric Mc

Original Poster:

122,789 posts

271 months

Friday 26th February 2016
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I got 10/10 - but frankly would have been annoyed if I hadn't.

I remember reading about Aldrin's mother's name being "Moon" back at the time of the original mission. It was commented on quite a lot at the time as it seemed a rather fun coincidence.

Aldrin called out "Contact Light" as soon as the first of the contact sensors touched the lunar surface. There was quite a large light on the Lunar Module instrument panel that lit up as soon as one of these probes touched the surface. It was the signal for Armstrong to shut down the descent engine and allow the Lunar Module drop the last few feet to the surface.

You can see the probes sticking out from the bottom of the footpads in this picture -



The actual first words spoken up to Armstrong's famous quote are -

Aldrin: Contact Light.
Armstrong (on-board): Shutdown.
Aldrin: Okay. Engine Stop.
Aldrin: ACA out of Detent.
Armstrong: Out of Detent. Auto.
Aldrin: Mode Control, both Auto. Descent Engine Command Override, Off. Engine Arm, Off. 413 is in.
Armstrong: Engine arm is off.
Mission Control (Charlie Duke) - We Copy you down Eagle?
Armstrong: (Pause) Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.
Aldrin: Thank you.

Einion Yrth

19,575 posts

250 months

Friday 26th February 2016
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Eric Mc said:
I remember reading about Aldrin's mother's name being "Moon" back at the time of the original mission. It was commented on quite a lot at the time as it seemed a rather fun coincidence.
I was 8, my recollection is a little fuzzy. You can only have been about ten, mind.

Simpo Two

86,911 posts

271 months

Friday 26th February 2016
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Wonder why they didn't connect the probe to the 'engine off' button, so saving some time and possibility of human error. And of the light bulb to have blown...

The sequence of things that all had to work perfectly and in the right order for this to work is quite mind boggling. I don't think we could do that today.

Eric Mc

Original Poster:

122,789 posts

271 months

Friday 26th February 2016
quotequote all
Michael Collins has always referred to it as a fragile "daisy chain". About as good a description as you will get.

I guess at the time the Lunar Module was being designed (1962-66), nobody wanted to rely on an automatic cut-off system.

jmorgan

36,010 posts

290 months

Saturday 27th February 2016
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Simpo Two said:
Wonder why they didn't connect the probe to the 'engine off' button, so saving some time and possibility of human error. And of the light bulb to have blown...

The sequence of things that all had to work perfectly and in the right order for this to work is quite mind boggling. I don't think we could do that today.
Probably the same reason they allowed the astronauts the ability to take control. They are better placed to deal with the situation as it unfolded. What if the probe hit a boulder? As it quite possibly could have had Mr A not taken control.

Got 9 on the test, did not know Buzz's mum was a Moon. Always loved that question of the first words spoken own the Moon as well. Throws a lot of people.

Simpo Two

86,911 posts

271 months

Saturday 27th February 2016
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jmorgan said:
Probably the same reason they allowed the astronauts the ability to take control. They are better placed to deal with the situation as it unfolded. What if the probe hit a boulder? As it quite possibly could have had Mr A not taken control.
Was it not on 'auto' anyway, and Armstrong had to take over when it seemed to be heading for a rock? Always have manual override, but let auto do the work until/if you need it.

Eric Mc

Original Poster:

122,789 posts

271 months

Saturday 27th February 2016
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The guys WANTED to fly these things. They were test pilots.

marksx

5,102 posts

196 months

Saturday 27th February 2016
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Only 7. Aldrin's Ma, Contact light and a ship let me down.

rufusruffcutt

1,543 posts

211 months

Monday 29th February 2016
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8 out of 10, got the first task wrong and the misson patch. Good fun.

Eric Mc

Original Poster:

122,789 posts

271 months

Monday 29th February 2016
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The first sample grab was referred to as "the contingency sample". It was considered vital that at least SOME sample of moon material be brought back to earth - even if the stay on the moon was cut short. As it was, a telephone call from President Nixon wasted around 10 minutes of their precious time on the surface.

Toaster

2,940 posts

199 months

Monday 29th February 2016
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10/10