During our December 21 Ascent Phase Data Priority meeting we concluded that a continuous launch window for lift off from the lunar surface is not a requirement. That is, all mission planning, procedures and program development associated with the nominal lunar landing mission should be based on the assumption that one or more discrete lift…
Category: Lunar surface abort
First 2 hours on the moon is a countdown to launch – simulated or real thing.
Those who participated in the STAC presentation already know this, but perhaps some of you, like me, had not heard. It is currently proposed that on the lunar landing mission the first two hours on the lunar surface will be devoted to spacecraft systems checks and launch preparations which, for all practical purposes, simulates the…
Ascent Phase Mission Techniques meeting – February 27, 1968
In the absence of Charley Parker, our beloved leader, I inherited the job of chairing this meeting which probably accounts for why we didn’t really get an awful lot done. However, there are a couple of things that are probably worth reporting….
Mission techniques for the LM lunar stay go/no go
As a result of several meetings on the subject, I think we have finally pinned down how to handle the go/no go decision to be made immediately after LM landing on the lunar surface. This memorandum is to report the techniques and to solicit your comments….
“Any time” LM lift off is an unnecessary constraint
No big deal, but I’d just like to point out that I don’t agree with something in the memorandum to TA/Director of Science and Applications, dated March 19, 1968, subject: Operational constraints for the fourth lunar landing mission, which you signed. It stated in part, “It is the opinion of the Flight Operations Directorate that…
Spacecraft computer program – things dealing with lunar descent and aborts from it
I spent an interesting morning at MIT on May 16 with George Cherry, Dan Lickly, Norm Sears, and Craig Schulenberg talking about Luminary how it works and some things that really haven’t been defined yet. It primarily dealt with lunar descent and aborts from lunar descent….
Some alternate ways of figuring out where the LM is on the moon will be available
For some months we have been concerned with the problem of determining the LM’s location after its landing on the lunar surface. This information is essential in order to do a decent job of Ascent targeting and, in fact, a significant error can even influence crew safety. Primary modes already implemented in the Control Center/RTCC…
LM Ascent lift-off time can be determined by the crew
Some months ago we submitted a PCR to remove the pre-Ascent targeting program (P10) from Luminary and this was done. This action was based on an assumption that a simple crew procedure could be developed for doing the same job, in the event of loss of communications, making the rather complicated computer program unnecessary. The…
The LM can handle big Descent plane changes but requires protection against APS abort fuel depletion
We have recently verified that the LM has a substantial capability to translate out of its initial orbital plane during powered Descent at very little cost. That is, whereas previously a limit of 0.3° had been quoted, it now appears that 1° or more is probably possible without effecting the performance of the guidance equations,…
Procedure for LM aborts immediately after landing are terrible!
Clarke Hackler of Guidance and Control Division uncovered a rather alarming situation which we’ve discussed a little at our Descent Abort Mission Techniques meetings. He briefly states the problem quite nicely in the attached memo, which I thought should be brought to your attention….