Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in ... - The Black Vault

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Project Apollo: Americans to the Moon
PART II
TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE MISSION ......................................................... 41
GUIDANCE INTO A LUNAR ORBIT ................................................................... 41
DESCENT TO LUNAR SURFACE ......................................................................... 51
Lunar letdown .................................................................................................. 51
Lunar landing technique ................................................................................. 55
LUNAR LAUNCH AND RENDEZVOUS............................................................... 59
General considerations .................................................................................... 59
Launch and injection phase of rendezvous .................................................... 59
Coast phase of rendezvous ............................................................................... 60
Simulation studies ............................................................................................ 61
ABORT IN ALL PHASES........................................................................................ 70
INSTRUMENTATION, COMMUNICATIONS, LIFE SUPPORT, AND
AUXILIARY POWER ........................................................................................ 73
Navigation and Guidance ................................................................................ 73
Communications .............................................................................................. 75
Life Support System ......................................................................................... 76
Auxiliary Power ................................................................................................. 79
THE RADIATION HAZARD .................................................................................. 92
WEIGHTLESSNESS ................................................................................................ 94
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 95
PART III
APPENDIX - ADDITIONAL FACILITIES AND STUDIES
(UNDERWAY AND PLANNED) IN SUPPORT OF A MANNED
LUNAR LANDING ........................................................... Appears in Volume II
[1]
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Studies made at Langley Research Center of various schemes for performing
the manned lunar landing mission indicate that the lunar rendezvous
method is the simplest, most reliable, and quickest means for accomplishing
the task. This technique permits a lunar exploration to be made with a single
C-3 booster. A first landing is indicated in March 1966, with a possibility of an
attempt as early as November 1965. These dates do not require changes in
previously established Apollo, C-l, and C-3 development schedules. Further, the