3.5 Entering the Age of Space Flight
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surface, to dock with the CSM, and then return to the Earth. The second scheme was
the rendezvous and docking in the Earth orbit, which each cabin of the spacecraft
was sent respectively into the Earth orbit by using small rockets for docking and
assembling and then the assembled spacecraft would fly to the Moon. The third
scheme was the assembling on the surface of the Moon. Firstly, a spaceship carrying
the propulsion system was launched to the Moon; secondly, a manned spacecraft was
sent to the Moon, and assembled with the propulsion system on the lunar surface;
finally, the assembled spacecraft was launched from the Moon to return to the Earth.
The fourth scheme was the direct landing on the Moon. The spacecraft was directly
launched to the Moon by using a new type of giant launch vehicle; after landing on
the Moon and completing the exploration tasks, the spacecraft took off by firing the
rocket again, and finally return to the Earth.
By further arguing the technical and economical feasibility, the NASA finally
approved the first scheme, the lunar orbit rendezvous and docking, proposed by
an aerospace engineer John C. Houbolt (1919−2014) and his team at the Langley
Research Center. A specific operation process of the scheme is as follows:
(1) Using the Saturn V launch vehicle, the Apollo spacecraft is sent to the Earth
orbit, and then the S-IVB rocket engine shut off.
(2) When the S-IVB engine is fired again, the Apollo spacecraft is sent to the
Earth-Moon transfer orbit.
(3) The LM is separated from the CSM by an ejection using the adaptation
controller, and the CSM is guided to rotate 180 degrees.
(4) The S-IVB rocket’s shell is jettisoned to expose the LM, and then the LM is
docked with the CSM to form a combination body for together flight to the
Moon.
(5) As the CSM’s engine is fired to brake, the Apollo spacecraft enters into the
orbit around the Moon, with an orbital altitude of 110 km.
(6) The CSM is separated from the LM, and continued to fly in the orbit around
the Moon. Meanwhile, the landing gear of the LM began to deploy, and the
descent engine is ignited to enter into the decent orbit. The LM will fall with
a powered-mode toward the lunar surface.
(7) When the LM descends to a position of 15 km away from the Moon’s surface,
the descent engine is fired again. In this way, the astronauts can manually
operate the LM to avoid obstacles and vertically land at the safe site on the
lunar surface.
(8) The astronauts walk out of the LM to carry out the investigation of the lunar
surface and the collection of the lunar samples.
(9) At the end of the lunar investigation, the astronauts return to the ascent stage
of the LM. At this time, the descent stage is used as the launch pad, on which
the ascent stage engine is ignited for the takeoff. As a result, the descent stage
is abandoned on the surface of the Moon.
(10) The ascent stage is rendezvoused and docked with the CSM in the lunar orbit.
165
surface, to dock with the CSM, and then return to the Earth. The second scheme was
the rendezvous and docking in the Earth orbit, which each cabin of the spacecraft
was sent respectively into the Earth orbit by using small rockets for docking and
assembling and then the assembled spacecraft would fly to the Moon. The third
scheme was the assembling on the surface of the Moon. Firstly, a spaceship carrying
the propulsion system was launched to the Moon; secondly, a manned spacecraft was
sent to the Moon, and assembled with the propulsion system on the lunar surface;
finally, the assembled spacecraft was launched from the Moon to return to the Earth.
The fourth scheme was the direct landing on the Moon. The spacecraft was directly
launched to the Moon by using a new type of giant launch vehicle; after landing on
the Moon and completing the exploration tasks, the spacecraft took off by firing the
rocket again, and finally return to the Earth.
By further arguing the technical and economical feasibility, the NASA finally
approved the first scheme, the lunar orbit rendezvous and docking, proposed by
an aerospace engineer John C. Houbolt (1919−2014) and his team at the Langley
Research Center. A specific operation process of the scheme is as follows:
(1) Using the Saturn V launch vehicle, the Apollo spacecraft is sent to the Earth
orbit, and then the S-IVB rocket engine shut off.
(2) When the S-IVB engine is fired again, the Apollo spacecraft is sent to the
Earth-Moon transfer orbit.
(3) The LM is separated from the CSM by an ejection using the adaptation
controller, and the CSM is guided to rotate 180 degrees.
(4) The S-IVB rocket’s shell is jettisoned to expose the LM, and then the LM is
docked with the CSM to form a combination body for together flight to the
Moon.
(5) As the CSM’s engine is fired to brake, the Apollo spacecraft enters into the
orbit around the Moon, with an orbital altitude of 110 km.
(6) The CSM is separated from the LM, and continued to fly in the orbit around
the Moon. Meanwhile, the landing gear of the LM began to deploy, and the
descent engine is ignited to enter into the decent orbit. The LM will fall with
a powered-mode toward the lunar surface.
(7) When the LM descends to a position of 15 km away from the Moon’s surface,
the descent engine is fired again. In this way, the astronauts can manually
operate the LM to avoid obstacles and vertically land at the safe site on the
lunar surface.
(8) The astronauts walk out of the LM to carry out the investigation of the lunar
surface and the collection of the lunar samples.
(9) At the end of the lunar investigation, the astronauts return to the ascent stage
of the LM. At this time, the descent stage is used as the launch pad, on which
the ascent stage engine is ignited for the takeoff. As a result, the descent stage
is abandoned on the surface of the Moon.
(10) The ascent stage is rendezvoused and docked with the CSM in the lunar orbit.