This is another of my gripping reports on the status of the Apollo spacecraft computer programs and associated matters based on my weekly visit to MIT on June 28 and 29….
Month: July 1966
No special program available for targeting the CSM plane change in lunar orbit
As I understand it, it is currently planned to make a plane change with the CSM in lunar orbit within the last several revolutions prior to LEM ascent. The purpose of this maneuver is to optimize the sharing of maneuver (propulsion) requirements between the CSM and the LEM….
Determination of relative CSM orbit
Jim, this is just a reminder of conversations with you and Emil about a job I’d like your people to do. In thinking more about this orbit determination task wherein the LEM determines the CSM orbit while sitting on the lunar surface, I wonder if perhaps MIT has lost sight of our primary objectives, thus…
Apollo rendezvous guidance computer program options
The purpose of this memorandum is to inform you of two special features of the Apollo spacecraft rendezvous guidance computer programs you may not be aware of since we just added them to the system….
Capability to do orbit navigation in earth orbit will not be implemented for AS-207 or AS-504.
MIT currently has plans for supplying a number of different modes for using their basic orbit determination program. (MIT calls this process “navigation,” so I will, too.) These modes differ in that there is a variety of types of observational data used during different mission phases….
LEM radar angle bias correction
As you know, the rendezvous orbit navigation process involves updating the spacecraft state vector based on the spacecraft radar data. However, the radar apparently has unacceptably large angular bias errors for some reason. Instead of fixing the damn radar, someone decided to include in the LEM spacecraft computer program the capability of computing these radar…
Rendezvous terminal phase guidance program in the Apollo spacecraft computer
On July 7, 1966, a team of MSC and MIT “experts in rendezvous” (including Paul Kramer, Ed Lineberry, John Dablen, and Norm Sears) met at MIT to discuss and review the preliminary Guidance System Operation Plan (GSOP)which MIT has unofficially distributed, covering the terminal phase and External ΔV programs for the AS-207/208 mission. This meeting…
AS-204 computer program status
During the week of July 4, 1966, the prime and backup crews for the AS204 mission attended briefings at MIT, which, among other things, led to their request that four changes be made in the spacecraft computer program for that mission. This request triggered off a considerable amount of activity which I would like to…