Neil Armstrong, 1st man on the moon, dies at 82

[Deltacamelately]

Rest in Peace.

Entire humankind owes something special to Neil Armstrong.
I indeed named my only son Neil.

[tankie]

Rods?

I think he meant this :fish: whilst waiting for recovery .;)

[mako88sb]

Last week, I was looking for some information about the lunar modules when I found this great site of somebody who built a very detailed 1/24 scale Eagle. Lots of photos and drawings in case anybody may be inspired to tackle a similar project. The guy sure went all out even making sure he got the landing probes after touchdown exactly right.


LM-5

[Chogy]

I noticed that right away in the Gemini capsule picture... the utter "coolness" of those guys. "OK buddy, the cameras are about to roll here. Got your Ray Bans? And be sure your arm rests on the rail like it's a fighter jet or a sports car."

Anyone who has read "The Right Stuff" may ponder the fact that when the manned space program started, astronauts were NOT cool. Only those with a stick in their hands and 100% control of their craft, the test pilots, were cool. The first astronauts for Mercury and Gemini were considered biological payloads by their cooler bretheren.

Only after the first few U.S. astronauts flew did that attitude (apparently) change, due to the rock star reception they got. "Ticker tape parades? I'll be damned... maybe I need to sign up for the astronaut program."

[Chogy]

Last week, I was looking for some information about the lunar modules when I found this great site of somebody who built a very detailed 1/24 scale Eagle. Lots of photos and drawings in case anybody may be inspired to tackle a similar project. The guy sure went all out even making sure he got the landing probes after touchdown exactly right.


LM-5

I don't know why exactly, but I love the Lunar Modules for their clunkiness. They are pure function over form. An obvious exoatmospheric vehicle that looks nothing like what you'd expect for a lunar lander.

I'm still amazed that the tiny upper stage of the LM can reach lunar escape velocity. I know the gravity is much lighter, but intellectually, you'd expect it'd require more fuel.

[mako88sb]

I don't know why exactly, but I love the Lunar Modules for their clunkiness. They are pure function over form. An obvious exoatmospheric vehicle that looks nothing like what you'd expect for a lunar lander.

I'm still amazed that the tiny upper stage of the LM can reach lunar escape velocity. I know the gravity is much lighter, but intellectually, you'd expect it'd require more fuel.

Probably my favorite episode of "From the Earth to the Moon" is the "Spider" episode. Fascinating to see the evolution of design process with the elimination of the seats and huge reduction in weight by being able to go with much smaller windows. Any idea how much those seats would of weighed? I'm thinking those along with the reduced glass area might of cut the weight by about 800-1000lbs. Pretty significant as Kelly's book mentions that every lb of weight reduction meant 3 less lbs of combined ascent/descent rocket fuel required.

If you haven't read Tom Kelly's book, I highly recommend it. The chapter titled "Problems, Problems" is just a great read. The ascent engine instability issues where especially worrisome. Here's a quote from the book: "Frequently the LM ascent engine made the notorious "show stoppers" list as a problem that could stop the enormous nationwide Apollo program dead in it's tracks." They did tests to make sure any oscillations caused by combustion instability would eventually dampen out. That test involves detonating a bomb(more like a blasting cap) inside the nozzle during a test firing to make sure spontaneous instability wouldn't lead to an engine explosion. The troublesome ascent stage only received approval after passing 53 consecutive bomb tests. Btw, this bomb testing method , was developed after 3 of the expensive F-1 engines for the Saturn S-1C where destroyed during testing.

[Chogy]

Neil Armstrong on the cancellation of the Shuttle and the Ares launch system, leaving the USA without the capability to send a man into orbit:

In 2010, he made a rare public criticism of the decision to cancel the Ares 1 launch vehicle and the Constellation moon landing program.[143] In an open public letter also signed by Apollo veterans Jim Lovell and Gene Cernan, he noted, "For The United States, the leading space faring nation for nearly half a century, to be without carriage to low Earth orbit and with no human exploration capability to go beyond Earth orbit for an indeterminate time into the future, destines our nation to become one of second or even third rate stature".

Normally a very retiring man, the fact that he spoke out on this says a lot. I happen to agree with him. Probes are very cool, but it's just not the same.

[Parihaka]

I think he meant this :fish: whilst waiting for recovery .;)

Ahhh.

[Parihaka]

Probably my favorite episode of "From the Earth to the Moon" is the "Spider" episode. Fascinating to see the evolution of design process with the elimination of the seats and huge reduction in weight by being able to go with much smaller windows. Any idea how much those seats would of weighed? I'm thinking those along with the reduced glass area might of cut the weight by about 800-1000lbs. Pretty significant as Kelly's book mentions that every lb of weight reduction meant 3 less lbs of combined ascent/descent rocket fuel required.

If you haven't read Tom Kelly's book, I highly recommend it. The chapter titled "Problems, Problems" is just a great read. The ascent engine instability issues where especially worrisome. Here's a quote from the book: "Frequently the LM ascent engine made the notorious "show stoppers" list as a problem that could stop the enormous nationwide Apollo program dead in it's tracks." They did tests to make sure any oscillations caused by combustion instability would eventually dampen out. That test involves detonating a bomb(more like a blasting cap) inside the nozzle during a test firing to make sure spontaneous instability wouldn't lead to an engine explosion. The troublesome ascent stage only received approval after passing 53 consecutive bomb tests. Btw, this bomb testing method , was developed after 3 of the expensive F-1 engines for the Saturn S-1C where destroyed during testing.

I haven't read it but I can see I'm going to have to. BTW, have you read Andrew Chaikin's book From the Earth to the Moon? The basis for the HBO series? Well worth it.

[Parihaka]

Neil Armstrong on the cancellation of the Shuttle and the Ares launch system, leaving the USA without the capability to send a man into orbit:



Normally a very retiring man, the fact that he spoke out on this says a lot. I happen to agree with him. Probes are very cool, but it's just not the same.

I agree. We're big on offering assistance to our less fortunate, but seldom offer the same assistance to our brightest and best.
They need a true purpose though, not grandstanding like a Mars mission. permanent HEO station, permanent Moon orbit station, Earth/Moon orbiter, permanent moon base with prospecting and mining (especially volatiles) as platform for launches of all varieties into the solar system. In a hundred years all we should be lifting off Earth is the people.

[mako88sb]

I haven't read it but I can see I'm going to have to. BTW, have you read Andrew Chaikin's book From the Earth to the Moon? The basis for the HBO series? Well worth it.

I got it not long after finding out the series was based on it. Must admit I didn't know a whole lot about Apollo aside from AP-11 & AP-13 and practically nothing about Gemini so the series and the book where quite the eye openers.

[Parihaka]

I got it not long after finding out the series was based on it. Must admit I didn't know a whole lot about Apollo aside from AP-11 & AP-13 and practically nothing about Gemini so the series and the book where quite the eye openers.

Weren't they just. I'd followed it all as a kid, including the chance to eyeball one of the Mercury capsules up close but the detail Chaikin was able to add to the story was enlightening to say the least.

[Dreadnought]

An American hero...RIP,

[USSWisconsin]

He was a fine man. RIP. It means a lot to me that he cared so much about our future in space.

[S2]

All those guys embodied the meaning of "professional". Courage, commitment, candor, competence and confidence oozed from them all. A remarkable group of men and Armstrong may have stood right at the fore.