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Digging Apollo

From the offset it should be made clear that advice from the MCC during the maneuvers is out of the question due to the communication delay when the spacecraft is operating at the moon. And of course, the DOI burn is performed in back of the moon.

Category: Mission phases

AGS Performance with no PGNCS Alignment During the Homann Transfer (Task 46)

July 12, 1968 - R. Kidd Posted on by flight

There is some concern about the capability of the AGS to safely perform an abort from hover without a PGNCS alignment during the Hohmann transfer. This concern stems from the results of Monte Carlo analyses which indicate that the mean minus three sigma for perilune altitude of an AGS controlled abort from hover is less than 30,000 feet (the safe orbit limit), and from single error analyses which indicate that an initial misalignment slightly larger than three sigma results in an unsafe orbit……

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PGNCS Alignment During Hohmann Transfer

July 10, 1968 - R. J. Boudreau, et al. Posted on by flight

The attached IOC presents an analysis which estimates the increase in the probability of an unsafe AGS abort if the PGNCS alignment during Hohmann transfer is not performed. The analysis shows that given that PGNCS fails, the probability of an unsafe AGS abort from hover is increased by less than 0.001……

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“D” Rendezvous Mission Techniques meeting of July 22

July 26, 1968 - Howard W. Tindall, Jr. Posted on by flight

We cleaned up a lot of stuff at the subject meeting. Attached are updated “Ground Rules, Working Agreements, and other things,” and another list of open items to be discussed at our next meeting currently scheduled for September 6, 1968, or whenever the crew is available after that….

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Requirement for pre-PDI IMU alignment has been deleted

September 27, 1968 - Howard W. Tindall, Jr. Posted on by flight

After extensive Mission Techniques Panel review, it has been established that a PGNCS IMU alignment immediately prior to Powered Descent is not required for any reason. It is, in fact, undesirable at this critical time in the mission when lighting conditions couldn’t be worse (local high noon!)…

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Procedures needed for the AS-503 TLI maneuver

January 9, 1967 - Howard W. Tindall, Jr. Posted on by flight

This note is to back up our telephone conversation (2/5/67) in which I requested you to prepare our recommendation as to how the AGC should be used during the simulated translunar injection maneuver on AS-503. It’s certain the crew will want to monitor the progress of this large SIVB maneuver, even though it’s controlled by…

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