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….
Category: Lunar ascent
Lunar lift off shall be planned at discrete times only.
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…
Data Priority meetings schedule
In order to get a little bit more orderly in our conduct of the Trajectory Control Data Priority business, it’s evident that we must schedule meetings on a pre-established, periodic basis. Accordingly, the Ascent and Descent meetings will take place on alternate Tuesday afternoons; Rendezvous meetings will be held of Wednesdays, one mission in the…
Manual Steering for LM Ascent
Over the years various groups have attacked the problem of if and how the crew can manually steer the LM back into orbit from the lunar surface. These studies were started before GAEC was even selected to build the LM and some analysis is still going on to define the optimum pitch attitude profile, which…
“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…
AGS licks PGNCS for RCS Insertion
Pete Conrad has discovered and, if necessary, intends to do something that Dan Payne and others around here got squared away a year or more ago. Unfortunately, due to the press of more urgent business, we failed to advertise it enough. This note is to make sure you know that the AGS does a better…
Notice of a catch-all Apollo 12 Mission Techniques meeting
We have scheduled a Mission Techniques meeting on Monday, September 15, 1969, to go over the Apollo 12 flight for the “last” time. Although most of the discussion will probably deal with the landing and rendezvous phases, we would like to clean up all open items regardless of mission phase….
Ascent with busted guidance and control systems
On June 11 we had a Mission Techniques meeting to discuss manual ascent from the lunar surface. The term manual ascent, though, is somewhat misleading since most of our discussion had to do with how the guidance systems should be operated if certain of its components failed prior to ascent. In summary, I think everyone…
Some things about Ascent from the moon
On April 3 we had an Ascent Mission Techniques meeting – the first in a long time. This memo is mostly to express some rather general observations….
Descent Aborts and subsequent Rendezvous Mission Techniques
On April 28, 1969 we reviewed the Descent Aborts and subsequent Rendezvous Mission Techniques with the crew and the rest of the world. I think most of this is quite complete and agreeable to everyone concerned, with one major exception. I was shocked and ashamed to find that I had badly misunderstood the situation regarding…