Project Apollo - 50 years
Discussion
The external skin is as much to do with internal temperature regulation as anything. The only properly enclosed space was the pressurised section that housed the two astronauts.
At one point, they did look at an "open platform" type lander, which would have had no external skin at all.
And if you look at the design of the current Chang'e series of robot landers, you can see a strong resemblance between them and the Lunar Module descent stage - although the Chang'e is quite a bit smaller,.
At one point, they did look at an "open platform" type lander, which would have had no external skin at all.
And if you look at the design of the current Chang'e series of robot landers, you can see a strong resemblance between them and the Lunar Module descent stage - although the Chang'e is quite a bit smaller,.
Eric Mc said:
The external skin is as much to do with internal temperature regulation as anything. The only properly enclosed space was the pressurised section that housed the two astronauts.
At one point, they did look at an "open platform" type lander, which would have had no external skin at all.
And if you look at the design of the current Chang'e series of robot landers, you can see a strong resemblance between them and the Lunar Module descent stage - although the Chang'e is quite a bit smaller,.
Fascinating machine, thanks for the info. Can you recommend any further reading that covers the finer details of the entire spacecraft?At one point, they did look at an "open platform" type lander, which would have had no external skin at all.
And if you look at the design of the current Chang'e series of robot landers, you can see a strong resemblance between them and the Lunar Module descent stage - although the Chang'e is quite a bit smaller,.
Most books on the Apollo programme will contain a history of the development of the Lunar Module - and all the associated trials and tribulations.
Outside of books, the Discovery documentary series, "Moon Machines", has an entire episode devoted to the Lunar Module.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaWwxKavhL8
Also, the drama series "From the Earth to the Moon", which is available as a box set, also devotes one episode to the Lunar Module.
One of the problems facing the contractor, Grumman, was that they were only awarded the contract in 1962, well after the other major contractors. This was because the decision to use a lightweight lunar lander was only made in 1962. As a result, Grumman found themselves up against a much more intense set of time pressures than the other Apollo contractors. This was doubly difficult for them because nobody had designed a manned machine for landing on another world before.
Outside of books, the Discovery documentary series, "Moon Machines", has an entire episode devoted to the Lunar Module.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaWwxKavhL8
Also, the drama series "From the Earth to the Moon", which is available as a box set, also devotes one episode to the Lunar Module.
One of the problems facing the contractor, Grumman, was that they were only awarded the contract in 1962, well after the other major contractors. This was because the decision to use a lightweight lunar lander was only made in 1962. As a result, Grumman found themselves up against a much more intense set of time pressures than the other Apollo contractors. This was doubly difficult for them because nobody had designed a manned machine for landing on another world before.
Eric Mc said:
Most books on the Apollo programme will contain a history of the development of the Lunar Module - and all the associated trials and tribulations.
Outside of books, the Discovery documentary series, "Moon Machines", has an entire episode devoted to the Lunar Module.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaWwxKavhL8
Also, the drama series "From the Earth to the Moon", which is available as a box set, also devotes one episode to the Lunar Module.
One of the problems facing the contractor, Grumman, was that they were only awarded the contract in 1962, well after the other major contractors. This was because the decision to use a lightweight lunar lander was only made in 1962. As a result, Grumman found themselves up against a much more intense set of time pressures than the other Apollo contractors. This was doubly difficult for them because nobody had designed a manned machine for landing on another world before.
I have that box set and just finished watching it through again, Spider being the best episode. Outside of books, the Discovery documentary series, "Moon Machines", has an entire episode devoted to the Lunar Module.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaWwxKavhL8
Also, the drama series "From the Earth to the Moon", which is available as a box set, also devotes one episode to the Lunar Module.
One of the problems facing the contractor, Grumman, was that they were only awarded the contract in 1962, well after the other major contractors. This was because the decision to use a lightweight lunar lander was only made in 1962. As a result, Grumman found themselves up against a much more intense set of time pressures than the other Apollo contractors. This was doubly difficult for them because nobody had designed a manned machine for landing on another world before.
kuro said:
Fascinating machine, thanks for the info. Can you recommend any further reading that covers the finer details of the entire spacecraft?
You can actually get a Haynes manual for it, would you believe? Haynes also do one for the Saturn V (which I have and it's very good) , the Lunar Rover, Apollo 13 and several other related books.Here's a trailer for the forthcoming Apollo 11 film that's due out later this year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&...
They had access to thousands of hours of previously unreleased footage apparently.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&...
They had access to thousands of hours of previously unreleased footage apparently.
Beati Dogu said:
kuro said:
Fascinating machine, thanks for the info. Can you recommend any further reading that covers the finer details of the entire spacecraft?
You can actually get a Haynes manual for it, would you believe? Haynes also do one for the Saturn V (which I have and it's very good) , the Lunar Rover, Apollo 13 and several other related books.The new film looks interesting.
I found this available via Amazon Prime last night:
13 Factors That Saved Apollo 13
Dated 2014, so it might have been linked here before. Had some interesting insights into the Apollo 13 story that I hadn't seen before, including the assertion that if there had to be a time for the Service Module oxygen tank to explode, then it happened at probably the best time - much earlier and there wouldn't have been enough consumables for the crew to survive, and later in the mission after the Lunar Module had undocked there would have been no way to redock (and by then the option of a free transfer return would have been lost).
Edited: Another interesting note was that NASA contemplated having the Apollo 13 crew extract the plutonium-powered Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG), designed to power lunar surface experiments, from the Lunar Module and somehow jury-rig it into the Command Module's power system (shades of "The Martian"), but decided that was a bit too mad. Apparently the plutonium is now somewhere at the bottom of the Pacific.
13 Factors That Saved Apollo 13
Dated 2014, so it might have been linked here before. Had some interesting insights into the Apollo 13 story that I hadn't seen before, including the assertion that if there had to be a time for the Service Module oxygen tank to explode, then it happened at probably the best time - much earlier and there wouldn't have been enough consumables for the crew to survive, and later in the mission after the Lunar Module had undocked there would have been no way to redock (and by then the option of a free transfer return would have been lost).
Edited: Another interesting note was that NASA contemplated having the Apollo 13 crew extract the plutonium-powered Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG), designed to power lunar surface experiments, from the Lunar Module and somehow jury-rig it into the Command Module's power system (shades of "The Martian"), but decided that was a bit too mad. Apparently the plutonium is now somewhere at the bottom of the Pacific.
Edited by eharding on Thursday 31st January 12:46
Another film worth a watch if you have Netflix. All about mission control.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&...
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&...
I just came across this. "Live" tweeting the comms traffic from Apollo 12 50 years ago.
https://twitter.com/apollo_50th?lang=en
https://twitter.com/apollo_50th?lang=en
RizzoTheRat said:
I just came across this. "Live" tweeting the comms traffic from Apollo 12 50 years ago.
https://twitter.com/apollo_50th?lang=en
Been following it for a while, all through 10 I think, but wanted to watch the hit and it was interesting. "lost a whole bunch of stuff......" loved that technical term.https://twitter.com/apollo_50th?lang=en
And this one in particular
https://twitter.com/apollo_50th/status/11950144857...
Apollo 14 splashed down a couple of weeks ago.
This is useful: The Apollo Spacecraft - A Chronology
https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4009...
This is useful: The Apollo Spacecraft - A Chronology
https://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4009...
My memories of apollo where that there was zero mention of the fact a nazi ss officer making use of expendable slave labour during the war to make his v2 rockets was the mastermind of it all and head of nasa.
Crime does pay I guess as he lived to see it all realized thought only for another 7 years or so.
We've not been to the moon since. They must have run out of nazis.
Crime does pay I guess as he lived to see it all realized thought only for another 7 years or so.
We've not been to the moon since. They must have run out of nazis.
Fundoreen said:
My memories of apollo where that there was zero mention of the fact a nazi ss officer making use of expendable slave labour during the war to make his v2 rockets was the mastermind of it all and head of nasa.
Crime does pay I guess as he lived to see it all realized thought only for another 7 years or so.
We've not been to the moon since. They must have run out of nazis.
Oh, I don't know, it didn't go entirely unremarked.Crime does pay I guess as he lived to see it all realized thought only for another 7 years or so.
We've not been to the moon since. They must have run out of nazis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEJ9HrZq7Ro
Fundoreen said:
My memories of apollo where that there was zero mention of the fact a nazi ss officer making use of expendable slave labour during the war to make his v2 rockets was the mastermind of it all and head of nasa.
Crime does pay I guess as he lived to see it all realized thought only for another 7 years or so.
We've not been to the moon since. They must have run out of nazis.
Which head of NASA was that: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_administrato... ?Crime does pay I guess as he lived to see it all realized thought only for another 7 years or so.
We've not been to the moon since. They must have run out of nazis.
xeny said:
Fundoreen said:
My memories of apollo where that there was zero mention of the fact a nazi ss officer making use of expendable slave labour during the war to make his v2 rockets was the mastermind of it all and head of nasa.
Crime does pay I guess as he lived to see it all realized thought only for another 7 years or so.
We've not been to the moon since. They must have run out of nazis.
Which head of NASA was that: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_administrato... ?Crime does pay I guess as he lived to see it all realized thought only for another 7 years or so.
We've not been to the moon since. They must have run out of nazis.
ALL of the victorious allies made use of German scientists and engineers postwar - the UK was no exception. It just so happened that America, for obvious reasons, was a more attractive proposition for Germans seeking to leave the war (and their Nazi pasts, if relevant) behind them.
I am pretty sure that Von Braun, had he lived beyond 1977, might have found himself the subject of even more scrutiny and, at the very least, could well have faced deportation. Some of the old Army Ballistic Missile Agency team WERE deported in later life.
Rather than engage in a big debate on the moral dubiousness of Von Braun (which is no doubt a genuine discussion topic), I would highly recommend a listen to this - which is contemporary (1969) and shows that even in-period, many Americans were uneasy about his involvement -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjDEsGZLbio
I'd also recommend this book -
I am pretty sure that Von Braun, had he lived beyond 1977, might have found himself the subject of even more scrutiny and, at the very least, could well have faced deportation. Some of the old Army Ballistic Missile Agency team WERE deported in later life.
Rather than engage in a big debate on the moral dubiousness of Von Braun (which is no doubt a genuine discussion topic), I would highly recommend a listen to this - which is contemporary (1969) and shows that even in-period, many Americans were uneasy about his involvement -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjDEsGZLbio
I'd also recommend this book -
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