During our discussion at MIT last week, the question came up as to whether it is necessary to have trajectory integration techniques in the LCG for the trans-earth phase of the mission as well as the lunar phase. The argument is that if we are serious about using the LM descent propulsion system to back…
Category: Contingency plans
D Rendezvous Open Items, Action Items or whatever you call them
I’ve reviewed my notes of the D Rendezvous meetings over the last couple of months and have found the following open/action items. I guess most, if not all, are being worked on. But time grows short and so I’m sending this list around to make sure of it. If you know of others, please give…
Some assumptions about Spacecraft 101 retrofire and reenty procedures
We have recently held several small Trajectory Control Data Priority Working Group meetings dealing with Spacecraft 101 retrofire and reentry. The results are being documented to show how the various guidance and navigation data sources will be compared to one another and used during the mission. During these discussions a couple of basic assumptions have…
Lunar rendezvous abort summary
A great deal of work has gone on over the years on the subject of lunar abort rendezvous, spearheaded by Morris Jenkins, Ed Lineberry, Buzz Aldrin and others. The results of some of this work have already been documented and more detailed reports are in the works. The primary reason I’m writing this note is…
Relative orientation of the LM and CSM navigation bases
Unless some unexpected problem arises, it is currently planned to align the LM platform on the “D” mission for the docked DPS burns without AOT star observations. The primary reason for this is to save LM RCS fuel, although it is anticipated that overall crew procedures may also be simplified. The proposed technique involves taking…
Transearth midcourse maneuvers are getting easier and cheaper all the time
On June 6 we had a Transearth Midcourse Maneuver Mission Techniques meeting at which we discussed implementation of the philosophy as described in my June 3 memo. The technique proposed, you recall, involves making a number of small RCS burns using the SCS, solely for the purpose of corridor control. I have discussed this with…
Immediate restart of the SPS engine under PGNCS control
This memo is in response to your question as to whether there was anything in the spacecraft computer that would prevent attempting to restart the SPS engine immediately if it shut down prematurely for some reason. I passed this question on to the Guidance and Performance Branch (MPAD). The following paragraphs are quoted almost verbatim…
Apollo 13 Mission Techniques are in good shape
On December 5 we had what I expect to be our last full-blown Mission Techniques meeting for Apollo 13. This memo is to tell you about it….
C’ Mission Techniques
Attached are a list of ground rules and working agreements I compiled from my notes taken at the September 13 and 14 Mission Techniques meetings and the September 20 Lunar Abort meeting, all on the C’ mission. This list is far from complete. Basically, these items are only the changes and additions to the material…
Propulsion system to be used on the “D” Mission Rendezvous CSI Maneuver
One of the planned rendezvous maneuvers (CSI₁) on the “D” mission is nominally zero. Since it is intended to make this maneuver based on the real time situation, some logic must be established to govern when and how the maneuver would be made. This memo is to describe the proposed logic….