0
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.
What else can I help you with?
What is the lunar lander?
The lunar lander is the spacecraft designed to land on the moon's surface. It is used to transport astronauts from the lunar orbit to the moon's surface and back to the orbiting spacecraft. The lunar lander played a crucial role in the Apollo missions that landed humans on the moon.
What was the first lunar lander called?
The first Lunar module was called the Eagle.
Is Apollo 16 a lander?
Apollo 16 was a manned mission to the moon in 1972, but it was not a lander. The mission included a lunar module that landed on the moon, which was used to explore the lunar surface by the astronauts.
Why can't the Apollo lander land on the Earth?
The Apollo Lunar Lander can not land on the Earth, as it is designed to land on the Moon where the gravity is only 1/6 as powerful. Also, the Lunar Lander would burn up upon entering the Earth's atmosphere. Unlike the Command Module, it had no thermal protection.
Why could the Apollo lander only land on the moon?
Nowhere else it could get to only has lunar gravity. If it were taken to Mars (good luck!) its engine and fuel supply would not be sufficient. it would simply crash. The LM was designed very carefully for its task... go to the Moon, land, then return.
What is the lunar lander?
The lunar lander is the spacecraft designed to land on the moon's surface. It is used to transport astronauts from the lunar orbit to the moon's surface and back to the orbiting spacecraft. The lunar lander played a crucial role in the Apollo missions that landed humans on the moon.
What was the first lunar lander called?
The first Lunar module was called the Eagle.
Is Apollo 16 a lander?
Apollo 16 was a manned mission to the moon in 1972, but it was not a lander. The mission included a lunar module that landed on the moon, which was used to explore the lunar surface by the astronauts.
What space rockets made it to the moon?
the Saturn V rocket carried the Apollo space craft and lunar lander into space the spacecraft itself was like a command center the lunar lander was the actual craft to land on the moon.
What did surveyor 1 land on in 1966?
Surveyor 1 landed on the moon and was the first US lunar lander.
Why can't the Apollo lander land on the Earth?
The Apollo Lunar Lander can not land on the Earth, as it is designed to land on the Moon where the gravity is only 1/6 as powerful. Also, the Lunar Lander would burn up upon entering the Earth's atmosphere. Unlike the Command Module, it had no thermal protection.
What was the first successful lunar lander launched by the US and when did it land on the moon?
The first successful lunar lander launched by the United States was the Apollo 11 Lunar Module, named "Eagle." It landed on the moon on July 20, 1969. This historic mission marked the first time humans set foot on the lunar surface, with astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin becoming the first and second humans to walk on the moon.
How can you land on the moon?
Get a rocket that takes you from Earth's surface to Moon's orbit, and use a Lunar Lander to travel from Moon's orbit to surface. That's the way Apollo missions did.You will have to use a rocket to get there.
Why could the Apollo lander only land on the moon?
Nowhere else it could get to only has lunar gravity. If it were taken to Mars (good luck!) its engine and fuel supply would not be sufficient. it would simply crash. The LM was designed very carefully for its task... go to the Moon, land, then return.
What does lunar module mean?
The Apollo spacecraft had two parts, the Command Module and the Lunar Module. The Lunar Module was designed to land on the moon, and to take off to lunar orbit, to a rendez-vous with the Command Module. So it was composed by two parts: the lander, and the ascender. The lander served as a base to the lauching of the ascender.
What was the speed of the luner lander at the desent to the moonr?
The speed of the Lunar lander at the descent to Moon 260 nautical miles per second.
Why can't you see the Moon lander on the Moon?
The Moon lander is not visible on the Moon because of the vastness of the lunar surface. The lander is relatively small compared to the size of the Moon, making it hard to spot with the naked eye from a distance. Additionally, the lander's reflective surfaces may not stand out against the natural terrain of the Moon.
