Million Dollar Literature: The Book Of The Moon, Rick Stroud, c. 2009

The Book Of The Moon, Rick Stroud, c. 2009. 523.9STR.

Absolutely fascinating.

The Apollo missions, starting on page 212.

The Apollo programme: 1961 - 1972.

Apollo 11: in depth; log of communications of landing.

CAPCOM
COLUMBIA
EAGLE

mission launch: 13:32, July 16, 1969
entered lunar obit: July 19, 1969
30 orbits, passing over the planned landing site, in the Sea of Tranquility
site had been recced by Ranger 8 and the Surveyor 5 lander
Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin (LM pilot) enter the Eagle Lunar Module: July 20, 1969
Mike Collins piloting Columbia
descent controlled by the onboard Guidance and Navigation System
tiny computer

descent began 25 miles over the moon's surface; travelling backwards at 3600 mph
at 7000 feet, the LM would flip over so Armstrong and Aldrin could see the moon's surface
at 2000 feet, Armstrong would be able to fly the LM by hand
communications from the LM back to earth not good, so Collins relayed the LM's comm
huge error -- described in book; I may transcribe it later
the GO for continued descent cam from the 26-year-old Guidance Officer (GUIDO), Steve Bales
it took him 10 - 15 seconds to decide; anything over three seconds in descent is too long
Steve Bales earned the US Medal of Freedom for his actions
at 9000 feet, the LM rolled again; Armstrong and Aldrin could see the Sea of Tranquility but did not know where they were relative to the landing site
alarms again went over
Steve Bales again overrode the alarm and called GO. They were at 2000 feet.
landed safely. Engine cutoff.

Apollo 13:

April 11, 1970
46 hours into the mission: the explosion
CM: Odyssey
LM: Aquarius
crew picked up by USS Iwo Jima
in the slingshot around the moon, the mission altitude on the far side off the moon was 100 km higher than any other Apollo mission;
the mission is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having the absolute altitude record for a manned spacecraft
for the superstitious, a number of odd coincidences

the number 13 itself is considered unlucky
the mission launched at 11.4.70 UTC -- digits add up to 13 -- at 13.13 Central Standard Time,
mission launched from Complex 39 (13 x 3)
the explosion occurred at 19:13 CST on April 13;
post-flight estimate of the cost of the damage was $13 million

Million Dollar Literature