AdamSmith Posted July 20, 2014 Posted July 20, 2014 Still, to me, the most moving public event during my lifetime. boiworship 1 Quote
AdamSmith Posted July 20, 2014 Author Posted July 20, 2014 Apollo 11 Moon Landing 45th Anniversary: Complete Coverage By Space.com Staff | July 20, 2014 09:00am ET "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." That sentence, uttered by NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong from the surface of the moon 45 years ago, signaled the dawn of a new age. Watch Live Tonight: Moon Webcasts Celebrate Apollo 11 Lunar Landing This month marks the 45th anniversary of the epic Apollo 11 flight that landed the first humans on the moon and safely returned them to Earth. Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins launched from Florida on July 16, 1969. Armstrong and Aldrin ventured out onto the lunar surface on July 20, 1969. The two men spent 21.5 hours on the moon before taking off from the lunar surface to meet up with Collins in the command module and fly back to Earth. [NASA's 17 Apollo Moon Missions in Pictures] NASA astronauts returned to the surface of the moon on multiple missions, however, no human has touched down on the natural satellite's surface since 1972. Space.com's complete coverage of the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing appears below: Exclusive: Buzz Aldrin Remembers Moon's 'Magnificent Desolation' Exclusive: Buzz Aldrin Remembers Moments Before the Moon Apollo 11 Retrospective: 'One We Intend To Win' Apollo 11 45th Anniversary - NASA Administrator Remembers Space Station Salutes Apollo 11 45th Anniversary Infographics and Multimedia: Apollo Quiz: Test Your Moon Landing Memory NASA's Historic Apollo 11 Moon Landing in PicturesHow the Apollo 11 Moon Landing Worked: InfographicBuzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 Moonwalker, in Photos Story Coverage: Sunday, July 20 'One Giant Leap': As Apollo 11 Moon Landing Turns 45, NASA Aims for Mars Forty-five years ago, humanity took a giant leap forward in space exploration as the first people from Earth walked on the surface of the moon. Today, NASA is aiming for a much farther target: Mars, by way of asteroid. Here's how NASA's Next Giant Leap might work. Apollo 11 Flight Log, July 20, 1969: The Moon Landing It's the main event for the Apollo 11 crew. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin visited the lunar surface on the Eagle lander as an anxious Michael Collins awaited their return aboard the command module Columbia. Meanwhile, NASA's Mission Control held its breath. Girl Scouts of America Celebrate Apollo 11 Moon Landing in Cookie Form: Video We agree with the Girl Scounts of America: the moon needs cookies. Saturday, July 19 Apollo 11 Moon Landing Carried Big Risks for Astronauts, NASA NASA's Apollo 11 moon landing mission, and the missions that preceded and followed it, were inherently risky endeavours. Here's how NASA worked to make them as safe as possible. Apollo 11 Flight Log, July 19, 1969: Live TV from Near the Moon With just one day left before landing on the lunar surface, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins made a live TV broadcast from near the moon. According to Armstrong, "It's a view worth the price of the tripIt's a view worth the price of the trip The Apollo Moon Landings: How They Worked: Infographic Get the inside scoop on the technology behind NASA's Apollo moon landings and Saturn V rockets in Space.com's detailed look at how the missions worked. Friday, July 18 Apollo 11 Flight Log, July 18, 1969: Entering the Moon's Gravity On Day 2 of NASA's epic Apollo 11 moon landing mission, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins were entering the moon's gravitational realm. Destination Moon: The 350-Year History of Lunar Exploration: Infographic The moon has long been a goal for human exploration, but that legacy expends farther back than you may know. See our retrospective of humanity's plans to explore the moon for the last four centuries. Future Moon Exploration: How Humans Will Visit Luna: Infographic When will the first true moon base begin? That depends on how gets back to the moon first. See Space.com's rundown of the major efforts to launch manned missions to the moon in the 21st century. Thursday, July 17 Apollo 11 Flight Log, July 17, 1969: Course Correction to Reach the Moon Just one day after launching into space, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins had a busy time making sure their spacecraft was aimed at the moon. Moon Boot-Styled Sneakers Celebrate GE's Role in Apollo 11 Lunar Landing You may not me able to buy a spacesuit, but GE has dreamed up some Apollo 11 moon boot inspired sneakers to put some space on your feet. The Space Race, Apollo 11 Star in CNN's 'The Sixties' CNN takes on the Space Race to chronicle the battle for the moon between the United States and former Soviet Union. Where's the Moon? Lunar Sights of the Late-Night Sky The moon is rising into the July night much later than in recent months. Here's how to see it. Wednesday, July 16 Apollo 11 Flight Log, July 16, 1969: Launch Day This was the day it began: NASA's historic Apollo 11 manned moon landing mission blasted off 45 years ago today. See what the crew was doing. Apollo 11 Moon Landing Raised the Bar for Humanity, Astronauts Say: Video NASA astronauts on the International Space Station say the Apollo 11 moon landing was truly a giant leap for humanity. Space Pens Mark 45th Anniversary of First Moon Landing Fisher Pens has released a commemorative space pen to mark the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Tuesday, July 15 NASA Celebrates 45th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Moon Landing See NASA's schedule of events to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. Monday, July 14 Moonwalker Buzz Aldrin Talks Mars and Moon with Space.com: Replay of Live Event Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, tells Space.com what it was like to make history with crewmates Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins during NASA's epic Apollo 11 moon landing mission. Aldrin says Mars is humanity's future, and he has a plan to get there. Friday, July 11 Buzz Aldrin Visits Space.com Monday for Apollo 11 Google Hangout Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin will talk all things Apollo 11 with Space.com on July 14. Tuesday, July 8 Moonwalker Buzz Aldrin Launches Campaign for 45th Apollo 11 Anniversary Apollo 11 lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin wants to know where you were during the Apollo 11 moon landing of July 20, 1969. Here's how to join his #Apollo45 project on YouTube. http://www.space.com/26558-apollo-11-anniversary-complete-coverage.html Quote
Members RA1 Posted July 20, 2014 Members Posted July 20, 2014 More so than 13? I would say the assassination of JFK but you may have only been 3 or 4 then. Personally, 17 was my most memorable because I had taken some folks who had tickets to this launch from Baltimore and left them, then proceeded to visit my sister in Leesburg. My sister and a friend and I decided to fly around Florida to see the launch. It was fascinating to be flying that night. Lots of other traffic airborne so we gradually moved further west to avoid them. We knew we could see the launch well from our perch at 8,000 feet. The launch was delayed and delayed and delayed. Finally my sister who had to work the next day suggested we head back to Leesburg. As we approached Leesburg, I clearly had the airport runway in sight and was on a very short approach for landing when it totally disappeared. The temperature-dew point spread went to zero and the airport instantly fogged over. As I was on very short final, I continued straight ahead for a few seconds but never saw the runway again. I went around and diverted to Orlando Executive and landed without further problem. We borrowed a car from a friend of my sister's and drove back to Leesburg. The launch went off while we were driving back but we missed it partly because we were facing the wrong direction when it departed. I drove back the next day to Executive and went to Memphis. Best regards, RA1 AdamSmith 1 Quote
AdamSmith Posted July 20, 2014 Author Posted July 20, 2014 I recall you recounting that story one time before. (I say that not to accuse you of repetitiveness but to show I was paying attention! ) To be sure, Apollo 13's recovery was immensely moving. And of course no price can be put on human life. But in the grand scheme, 11 brought home how privileged we were to be alive and witness to one of those once- or twice-in-a-millenium -- if that -- leaps in the human civilizational drama. Apollo 8 had paved the way in my imagination, reflecting back. Will never forget Borman and Anders reading Genesis from lunar orbit. “And from the crew of Apollo 8, we close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you — all of you on the good Earth.” Quote
Members RA1 Posted July 20, 2014 Members Posted July 20, 2014 At least you have the wherewithal to pay attention. All of the Apollos were memorable in one way or another even though the viewing public at some point began to take them as commonplace. I know I never did and I doubt that you did either. We have spent so much money and national treasure (lives) on foolish foreign adventures. It is too bad those efforts were not spent on space exploration. It seems that many don't know or refuse to know the enormous benefits to mankind developed during such. Best regards, RA1 AdamSmith 1 Quote
Guest CharliePS Posted July 20, 2014 Posted July 20, 2014 I didn't go to Woodstock, although I could have. I didn't go go to Washington to hear Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, although I could have. Just as I was unaware of John Glenn's flight until I wandered into a bar on Times Square that rainy afternoon and saw all the hoopla on the tv there, I also missed the moon landing: we were staying at a rental house on Fire Island that week, and it had no tv. I even slept through the Stonewall riot that summer, although I lived within walking distance of the bar, and didn't find out about it until I read the paper the next morning. So many missed opportunities to experience history in real time. Quote
Members RA1 Posted July 21, 2014 Members Posted July 21, 2014 Charlie PSP- Am I reading you correctly when I think you could have gone to all of these events because you either were nearby or otherwise had the wherewithal to attend but did not because you were unaware of them or their significance? I think a lot, if not most, events of historical import are not judged to be so until after or even well after the fact. Paul Revere rode alone. Best regards, RA1 Quote
Guest CharliePS Posted July 22, 2014 Posted July 22, 2014 Exactly. Woodstock wasn't really my kind of thing, but I was in the area and could have gone, if I had known it would become legendary. I could easily have travelled to DC for the March on Washington, but I didn't (I did have dinner with MLK later that year, at least). I was more focused on sex than on space in the 60s. And I didn't normally go to the Stonewall, but I did go to the Village bars most Saturday nights, yet for some reason I didn't that night. The John Glenn flight and the moon landing could certainly have been predicted to be historic events well before they happened, but the others became so only in hindsight, especially Stonewall, which rated only a small article in the newspapers the next day. Quote
AdamSmith Posted July 22, 2014 Author Posted July 22, 2014 Nice slo-mo launch video. Especially interesting at 1:06-1:40 the release of the huge hold-down clamps visible in the freeze-frame below, which both supported the rocket (the base of the rocket structure frame sat on them) and held it down on the pad until all 5 engines had built up full thrust and the master ground computer gave the 'Commit to launch' signal. Quote
AdamSmith Posted July 22, 2014 Author Posted July 22, 2014 From NASA's Apollo 11 Flight Journal... PAO: T minus 60 seconds and counting. We have passed T minus 60. 55 seconds and counting. Neil Armstrong just reported back: "It's been a real smooth countdown". We've passed the 50-second mark. Power transfer is complete - we're on internal power with the launch vehicle at this time. 40 seconds away from the Apollo 11 lift-off. All the second stage tanks now pressurized. 35 seconds and counting. We are still Go with Apollo 11. 30 seconds and counting. Astronauts report, "It feels good". T minus 25 seconds. PAO: Twenty seconds and counting. T minus 15 seconds, guidance is internal. Twelve, 11, 10, 9, ignition sequence starts... PAO: ...6, 5, 4... [The F-1 engine has a complex ignition sequence which will be described here. First, a description of the engine.] [ A large combustion chamber and bell have an injector plate at the top, through which RP-1 fuel and LOX are injected at high pressure. Above the injector is the LOX dome which also transmits the force of the thrust from the engine to the rocket's structure. A single-shaft turbopump is mounted beside the combustion chamber. The turbine is at the bottom and is driven by the exhaust gas from burning RP-1 and LOX in a fuel-rich mixture in a gas generator. After powering the turbine, the exhaust gases pass through a heat exchanger, then to a wrap-around exhaust manifold which feeds it into the periphery of the engine bell. The final task for these hot gases is to cool and protect the nozzle extension from the far hotter exhaust of the main engine itself. Above the turbine, on the same shaft, is the fuel pump with two inlets from the fuel tank and two outlets going, via shut-off valves, to the injector plate. A line from one of these 'feeds' supplies the gas generator with fuel. Fuel is also used within the engine as a lubricant and as a hydraulic working fluid, though before launch, RJ-1 ramjet fuel is supplied from the ground for this purpose. At the top of the turbopump shaft is the LOX pump with a single, large inlet in-line with the turboshaft axis. This pump also has two outlet lines, with valves, to feed the injector plate. One line also supplies LOX to the gas generator. The interior lining of the combustion chamber and engine bell consists of a myriad of pipework through which a large portion of the fuel supply is fed. This cools the chamber and bell structure while also pre-warming the fuel. Lastly, an igniter, containing a cartridge of hypergolic fluid with burst diaphragms at either end, is in the high pressure fuel circuit and has its own inject point in the combustion chamber. This fluid is triethylboron with 10-15% triethylaluminium.] [At T minus 8.9 seconds, a signal from the automatic sequencer fires four pyrotechnic devices. Two of them cause the fuel-rich turbine exhaust gas to ignite when it enters the engine bell. Another begins combustion within the gas generator while the fourth ignites the exhaust from the turbine. Links are burned away by these igniters to generate an electrical signal to move the start solenoid. The start solenoid directs hydraulic pressure from the ground supply to open the main LOX valves. LOX begins to flow through the LOX pump, starting it to rotate, then into the combustion chamber. The opening of both LOX valves also causes a valve to allow fuel and LOX into the gas generator, where they ignite and accelerate the turbine. Fuel and LOX pressures rise as the turbine gains speed. The fuel-rich exhaust from the gas generator ignites in the engine bell to prevent backfiring and burping of the engine. The increasing pressure in the fuel lines opens a valve, the igniter fuel valve, letting fuel pressure reach the hypergol cartridge which promptly ruptures. Hypergolic fluid, followed by fuel, enters the chamber through its port where it spontaneously ignites on contact with the LOX already in the chamber.] PAO: ...3... [Rising combustion-induced pressure on the injector plate actuates the ignition monitor valve, directing hydraulic fluid to open the main fuel valves. These are the valves in the fuel lines between the turbopump and the injector plate. The fuel flushes out ethylene glycol which had been preloaded into the cooling pipework around the combustion chamber and nozzle. The heavy load of ethylene glycol mixed with the first injection of fuel slows the build-up of thrust, giving a gentler start. Fluid pressure through calibrated orifices completes the opening of the fuel valves and fuel enters the combustion chamber where it burns in the already flaming gases. The exact time that the main fuel valves open is sequenced across the five engines to spread the rise in applied force that the structure of the rocket must withstand.] [This diagram shows how the thrust rose during the start-up of each engine. It takes two seconds for full performance to be attained on all engines once the first has begun increasing. The engines are started in a staggered 1-2-2 sequence so that the rocket's structure would be spared a single large load increase, with the centre engine being the first to start. The outboard engines exhibit a hiccup in their build-up due to the ingestion of helium from the pogo suppression system installed in each one. The centre engine does not have this installed.] PAO: ...2, 1, zero, all engine running, LIFT-OFF! [As the flow of fuel and LOX rises to maximum, the chamber pressure, and therefore thrust, is monitored to confirm that the required force has been achieved. With the turbopump at full speed, fuel pressure exceeds hydraulic pressure supplied from ground equipment. Check valves switch the engine's hydraulic supply to be fed from the rocket's fuel instead of from the ground.] [Public Affairs Officer Jack King, whose coolness is legendary, finally succumbs to the tension and is clearly heard to say "all engine running" instead of "all engines running".] PAO: We have a lift-off, 32 minutes past the hour. Lift-off on Apollo 11. http://history.nasa.gov/ap11fj/01launch.htm Quote
AdamSmith Posted July 22, 2014 Author Posted July 22, 2014 The minutes leading up to the preceding...PAO: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We've passed the 6 minute mark in our countdown for Apollo 11. Now 5 minutes, 52 seconds and counting. We're on time at the present time for our planned lift-off of 32 minutes past the hour. Spacecraft Test Conductor, Skip Chauvin, now has completed the status check of his personnel in the control room. All report they are Go for the mission, and this has been reported to the Test Supervisor, Bill Schick. The test supervisor now going through some status checks. Launch Operations Manager Paul Donnelly reports Go for launch. Launch Director Rocco Petrone now gives a Go. We're 5 minutes, 20 seconds and counting. Coming up shortly, that swing arm up at the spacecraft level will come back to its fully retracted position. This should occur at the 5-minute mark in the count. In the meantime the Lunar Module telemetry has been powered down. We took a good look at Eagle, and it looks good. The Spacecraft Test Conductor for the Lunar Module reported that Eagle was Go. The swing arm now coming back to its fully retracted position as our countdown continues. T minus 4 minutes, 50 seconds and counting. Skip Chauvin informing the astronauts that the swing arm now coming back. The astronauts will have a few more reports coming up in the countdown. The last business report will be from Neil Armstrong at the 45-second mark in the count when he gives the status on the final alignment of the Stabilization and Control System. We're now passing the 4 minute, 30 second mark in the countdown - still Go at this time. [MP3 audio file. 2,539 kB.] PAO: Four minutes, 15 seconds - the Test Supervisor now has informed Launch Vehicle Test Conductor Norm Carlson, you are Go for launch. From this time down, Carlson handles the countdown as the launch vehicle begins to build up. We're now hitting the 4-minute mark. Four minutes and counting. We are Go for Apollo 11. We'll go on an automatic sequence as standing at 3 minutes and 7 seconds.PAO: Three minutes, 45 seconds and counting. In the final abort checks between several key members of the crew here in the control center and the astronauts, Launch Operations Manager Paul Donnelly wished the crew, on the launch teams' behalf, "Good luck and Godspeed."PAO: Three minutes, 25 seconds and counting; we're still Go at this time. We'll be coming up on the automatic sequence about 10 or 15 seconds from this time. All still Go at this time. Neil Armstrong reported back when he received the good wishes: "Thank you very much. We know it will be a good flight." Firing command coming in now. We are on the automatic sequence. We're approaching the 3 minute mark in the count. T minus 3 minutes and counting. T minus 3 - we are Go with all elements of the mission at this time. We're on an automatic sequence as the master computer supervises hundreds of events occurring over these last few minutes.PAO: T minus 2 minutes, 45 seconds and counting. The members of the launch team here in the control center monitoring a number of what we call red-line values. These are tolerances we don't want to go above and below in temperatures and pressures. They're standing by to call out any deviations from our plans. Two minutes, 30 seconds and counting; we're still Go on Apollo 11 at this time. The vehicle starting to pressurize as far as the propellant tanks are concerned, and all is still Go as we monitor our status board. Two minutes, 10 seconds and counting. The target for the Apollo 11 astronauts, the Moon, at lift-off, will be at a distance of 218,096 miles away. We just passed the 2-minute mark in the countdown. T minus 1 minute, 54 seconds and counting. Our status board indicates that the oxidizer tanks in the second and third stages now have pressurized. We continue to build up pressure in all three stages here at the last minute to prepare it for lift-off. [MP3 audio file. 1,861 kB.] PAO: T minus 1 minute, 35 seconds on the Apollo mission, the flight to land the first men on the Moon. All indications coming in to the control center at this time indicate we are Go. One minute, 25 seconds and counting. Our status board indicates the third stage completely pressurized. Eighty-second mark has now been passed. We'll go on full internal power at the 50-second mark in the countdown. Guidance system goes on internal at 17 seconds leading up to the ignition sequence at 8.9 seconds. We're approaching the 60-second mark on the Apollo 11 mission. Quote
Members RA1 Posted July 22, 2014 Members Posted July 22, 2014 I would say don't say freeze frame but that smacks of a sick remark in view of the Morton-Thiokol / Challenger problem. Best regards, RA1 Quote
AdamSmith Posted July 22, 2014 Author Posted July 22, 2014 Eek. Reference to O-rings etc. reminds how many of von Braun's design rules the Shuttle violated utterly. He would never had countenanced solid-fuel rockets of course. And he mandated: No part of the spaceship shall be higher than the astronauts. Except obviously for their escape tower. Quote
Members RA1 Posted July 22, 2014 Members Posted July 22, 2014 A classic case of tankering fuel which causes more fuel to be carried, etc., in order to have enough to get where you are going. I wonder just how much fuel was burned just to go the first 5 feet. A lot. This is something the airlines and military do when required and when able to do so. Among the reasons for doing so are the price of fuel at various stops, the availability of fuel at various stops and the convenience of not needing very much fuel (and therefore the turnaround time is quick) before proceeding. Thanks for these links and comments regardless of my sass. Best regards, RA1 Quote
AdamSmith Posted July 22, 2014 Author Posted July 22, 2014 And von Braun had to move heaven and earth to win acceptance for his notion that: You know what. Instead of just lighting the engines and hoping -- and having the thing blow up on the pad, or rise off the pad and then settle back down and blow up, or just topple over and blow up, all seemingly the Air Force's preferred ways of proceeding when it ran our missile program -- why not instrument the rocket every way from Sunday and satisfy ourselves that the engines are in fact working before we send it up. Trying to remember the title of a von Braun bio I read long ago that had great stories about him gingerly trying to bring the brass around, while vigorously fitting into Huntsville local life etc. so as not to be seen as the ex-Nazi bully. lookin 1 Quote
AdamSmith Posted July 22, 2014 Author Posted July 22, 2014 Infographic comparing Saturn, Shuttle, forthcoming Orion system. Note the decrease in lift capacity from Saturn to Orion. Aughh. Quote
AdamSmith Posted July 22, 2014 Author Posted July 22, 2014 A classic case of tankering fuel which causes more fuel to be carried, etc., in order to have enough to get where you are going. I wonder just how much fuel was burned just to go the first 5 feet. A lot. Your sass is a tonic. Wikipedia's article on the Saturn's Rocketdyne F-1 engine says: Each second, a single F-1 burned 5,683 pounds (2,578 kg) of oxidizer and fuel: 3,945 lb (1,789 kg) of liquid oxygen and 1,738 lb (788 kg) of RP-1, generating 1,500,000 lbf (6.7 MN) of thrust. This equated to a flow rate of 671.4 US gal (2,542 l) per second; 413.5 US gal (1,565 l) of LOX and 257.9 US gal (976 l) of RP-1. During their two and a half minutes of operation, the five F-1s propelled the Saturn V vehicle to a height of 42 miles (222,000 ft; 68 km) and a speed of 6,164 mph (9,920 km/h). The combined flow rate of the five F-1s in the Saturn V was 3,357 US gal (12,710 l) per second,[4] or 28,415 lb (12,890 kg). Each F-1 engine had more thrust than three Space Shuttle Main Engines combined.[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocketdyne_F-1 Quote
Members RA1 Posted July 22, 2014 Members Posted July 22, 2014 Thanks for that research and post. After previous out of sync comments, we are now coming together. A desirable result. If not Boeing, then Saturn is the way to go. Best regards, RA1 Quote
AdamSmith Posted July 22, 2014 Author Posted July 22, 2014 "Guidance is converging." Interesting piece on the Apollo Guidance Computer: http://www.drdobbs.com/architecture-and-design/one-giant-leap-the-apollo-guidance-compu/184404139 Quote
AdamSmith Posted July 22, 2014 Author Posted July 22, 2014 P.S. I think those von Braun stories, and many other great ones too, were in Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton's excellent book Moon Shot. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/alan-shepard/moon-shot/ Quote
Members lookin Posted July 22, 2014 Members Posted July 22, 2014 And he mandated: No part of the spaceship shall be higher than the astronauts. This shit'll get you to the moon! AdamSmith 1 Quote
Members lookin Posted July 22, 2014 Members Posted July 22, 2014 ROFL! Not one of mine, alas. It was nestled among a number of similarly irreverent comments, including: I don't mean to be blunt but this had to be a joint mission. AdamSmith 1 Quote
Members RA1 Posted July 22, 2014 Members Posted July 22, 2014 lookin- You are incorrigible. Best regards, RA1 Quote
AdamSmith Posted July 22, 2014 Author Posted July 22, 2014 incorrigible. I used to think that meant uncorrectable. Still prefer that definition! Quote
