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The 6 Apollo moon landings were split into 2 distinct groups. Apollo 11, 12 & 14 all used the same method. The 2 astronauts who were going to the surface entered the lunar module and spent about 2 orbits checking out it's systems and making sure all the switches were properly set and the computer, navigation and communication systems were functioning properly. When they were ready to depart, the Command Module Pilot (CMP) sealedthe hatches and docking equipment between the 2 vehicles, and threw the switch thatseparaated the Lunar Module(LM) from the Command Module (CSM). They were now 2 distinct vehicles with 2 distinct call signs, so the astronauts knew who the Capsule Communicator (Capcom) at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas,was talking to when he spoke. Generally, once the 2 vehicles separated, the conversation was between the Capcom and the LM. The Commander (CDR) operated the flight controls and engine throttle, while the Lunar Module Pilot (LMP) operated other spacecraft systems and kept the Commander informed on systems status and navigational information. After separation, theLM flew in front of theCSM andmade a 360 degree turn while the CMPcertified that theLM was visually ready to make a landing attempt (mostly that all 4 landing gears were properly deployed and locked in place). Once that was done, the LMmade some maneuvers to give itself plenty of distance away from the Command Module (about a mile away). They flewone moreorbit around the moon in this configuration while they checked out all the systems all over again.

When the LM was ready to begin it's descent, the CDR aimed the LM so thedescent engine was pointed forward into the direction of travel to perform the 30 second Descent Orbit Insertionburn to reduce speed and drop the LM's perilune to within approximately 50,000 feet.That burn putthe LM into an orbit roughly 60 miles x 9 miles about 260 nautical miles uprange of the landing site.

After a few more quick checks of the system, the engine was started again for Powered Descent Initiation (PDI). During this time the crew flew on their backs (looking up into a black sky), depending on the computer to slow the craft's forward and vertical velocity to near zero. Control was exercised with a combination of engine throttling and attitude thrusters, guided by the computer with the aid of landing radar. During the braking phase altitude decreased to approximately 10,000 feet, then the final approach phase went to approximately 700 feet. During final approach, the vehicle pitched over to a near-vertical position, allowing the crew to look forward and down to see the lunar surface for the first time.

Finally the landing phase began, approximately 2,000 feet uprange of the targeted landing site. At this point manual control was enabled for the Commander, and enough fuel reserve was allocated to allow approximately two minutes of hover time to survey where the computer was taking the craft and make any necessary corrections. (If necessary, landing could have been aborted at almost any time,as long asthe LM wasmore than200 feet above the moon, by jettisoning the descent stage and firing the ascent engine to climb back into orbit for an emergency return to the CSM.) Finally, three-foot-long probes extending from three footpads of the lander touched the surface, activating the contact indicator light which signaled the CDR that it was time for descent engine cutoff. He punched a button that shut the engine off and theLM fell the last 6 feet andsettled on the lunar surface.

The last 3 Apollo missions (15, 16 & 17) used the same basic procedure as their predecessors, except they used the Service Module engine that was attached to theCommand Module to make the Descent Orbit burn. They did that because of the added weight of the Lunar Modules, which had more scientific experiments and enough supplies for a 3 day stay on the surface. The last 3 missions also carried a Lunar Rover, whcih also added weight. By using the Command Module's motor, the LM's descent engine was only needed for the PDI burn (the burn that actually landed them on the surface).SinceApollos 15, 16 & 17 all landed in or near mountains, this procedure also gave thelanding crews a chance to excamine the landing site up close at the 50,000 feet level to pick out the landing site before the actual landing.

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