From: Robert Owen (rowen@technologist.com)
Date: Wed Nov 24 1999 - 20:34:11 MST
Payload: CSM-107 (Columbia) and LM-5 (Eagle)
Mission Objective: Perform manned lunar landing and return mission
safely. (Achieved).
Launch: July 16, 1969; 09:32:00 am EDT. Launch Complex 39-A
Kennedy Space Center, FL. No launch delays.
The splashdown May 26, 1969, of Apollo 10 cleared the way for
the first formal attempt at a manned lunar landing. Six days before,
the Apollo 11 launch vehicle and spacecraft half crawled from the
VAB and trundled at 0.9 mph to Pad 39-A. A successful countdown
test ending on July 3 showed the readiness of machines, systems,
and people. The next launch window (established by lighting condi-
tions at the landing site on Mare Tranquillitatis) opened at 9:32 AM
EDT on July 16, 1969.
EAGLE: 540 feet, down at 30 [feet per second] . . . down at 15 . . .
400 feet down at 9 . . . forward . . . 350 feet, down at 4 . . . 300
feet, down 3 1/2 . . . 47 forward . . . 1 1/2 down . . . 13 forward
. . . 11 forward? coming down nicely . . .200 feet, 4 1/2 down . . .
5 1/2 down . . . 5 percent . . . 75 feet . . . 6 forward ... lights on
. . . down 2 1/2 . . . 40 feet? down 2 1/2, kicking up some dust . . .
30 feet, 2 1/2 down . . . faint shadow . . . 4 forward . . . 4 forward
. . . drifting to right a little . . . O.K. . . .
HOUSTON: 30 seconds [fuel remaining].
EAGLE: Contact light! O.K., engine stop . . . descent engine command
override off. . .
HOUSTON: We copy you down, Eagle.
EAGLE: Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed!
----------------------
ARMSTRONG: In the final phases of the descent after a number of
program alarms, we looked at the landing area and found a very
large crater. This is the area we decided we would not go into;
we extended the range downrange. The exhaust dust was kicked
up by the engine and this caused some concern in that it degraded
our ability to determine not only our altitude in the final phases but
also our translational velocities over the ground. It's quite important
not to stub your toe during the final phases of touchdown.
----------------------
Question: does anyone suppose we would have implemented this
approach, descent and landing protocol if we knew, or suspected
with a high level of confidence, that the moon was inhabited?
=======================
Robert M. Owen
Director
The Orion Institute
57 W. Morgan Street
Brevard, NC 28712-3659 USA
=======================
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