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An Analysis and a Historical Review of the Apollo Program Lunar Module Touchdown Dynamics

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NASA/SP-2013-605 An Analysis and a Historical Review of the Apollo Program Lunar Module Touchdown Dynamics George A. Zupp, PhD Engineering Directorate, Retired Structural Engineering Division NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058 January 2013 NASA STI Program ... in Profile Since its founding, NASA has been dedicated CONFERENCE PUBLICATION. to the advancement of aeronautics and space Collected papers from scientific and science. The NASA scientific and technical technical conferences, symposia, information (STI) program plays a key part in seminars, or other meetings sponsored helping NASA maintain this important role. or co-sponsored by NASA. The NASA STI program operates under the SPECIAL PUBLICATION. Scientific, auspices of the Agency Chief Information technical, or historical information from Officer. It collects, organizes, provides for NASA programs, projects, and missions, archiving, and disseminates NASA’s STI. The often concerned with subjects having NASA STI program provides access to the substantial public interest. NASA Aeronautics and Space Database and its public interface, the NASA Technical Report TECHNICAL TRANSLATION. Server, thus providing one of the largest English-language translations of foreign collections of aeronautical and space science scientific and technical material pertinent to STI in the world. Results are published in both NASA’s mission. non-NASA channels and by NASA in the NASA STI Report Series, which includes the Specialized services also include organizing following report types: and publishing research results, distributing specialized research announcements and feeds, TECHNICAL PUBLICATION. Reports of providing help desk and personal search completed research or a major significant support, and enabling data exchange services. phase of research that present the results of NASA Programs and include extensive data For more information about the NASA STI or theoretical analysis. Includes compila- program, see the following: tions of significant scientific and technical data and information deemed to be of Access the NASA STI program home page continuing reference value. NASA counter- at http://www.sti.nasa.gov part of peer-reviewed formal professional papers but has less stringent limitations on E-mail your question via the Internet to manuscript length and extent of graphic [email protected] presentations. Fax your question to the NASA STI Help TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM. Desk at 443-757-5803 Scientific and technical findings that are preliminary or of specialized interest, Phone the NASA STI Help Desk at e.g., quick release reports, working 443-757-5802 papers, and bibliographies that contain minimal annotation. Does not contain Write to: extensive analysis. NASA STI Help Desk NASA Center for AeroSpace Information CONTRACTOR REPORT. Scientific and 7115 Standard Drive technical findings by NASA-sponsored Hanover, MD 21076-1320 contractors and grantees. NASA/SP-2013-605 An Analysis and a Historical Review of the Apollo Program Lunar Module Touchdown Dynamics George A. Zupp, PhD Engineering Directorate, Retired Structural Engineering Division NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058 January 2013 Available from: NASA Center for AeroSpace Information National Technical Information Service 7115 Standard Drive 5285 Port Royal Road Hanover, MD 21076-1320 Springfield, VA 22161 301-621-0390 703-605-6000 This report is also available in electronic form at http://ston.jsc.nasa.gov/collections/TRS Table of Contents List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. ii List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. v Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... vi Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 1 1.0 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 Landing Dynamic Analysis.................................................................................................. 3 3.0 Drop Testing of Subscale and Full-scale Lunar Module Models ........................................ 5 4.0 The Lunar Module ............................................................................................................... 6 5.0 Critical Design Cases ......................................................................................................... 10 6.0 Analysis of the Apollo 11 Lunar Module Landing Dynamics and Lunar Surface Mechanical Properties ........................................................................................................ 11 7.0 The Apollo Lunar Module Landings ................................................................................. 13 7.1 Apollo 11 Lunar Landing ............................................................................................... 13 7.1.1 Summary: Apollo 11 Lunar Module Landing ......................................................... 22 7.2 Apollo 12 Lunar Landing ............................................................................................... 23 7.2.1 Summary: Apollo 12 Lunar Module Landing ......................................................... 31 7.3 Apollo 13 Lunar Landing (Aborted) .............................................................................. 31 7.4 Apollo 14 Lunar Landing ............................................................................................... 31 7.4.1 Summary: Apollo 14 Lunar Module Landing ......................................................... 43 7.5 Apollo 15 Lunar Landing ............................................................................................... 43 7.5.1 Summary: Apollo 15 Lunar Module Landing ......................................................... 52 7.6 Apollo 16 Lunar Landing ............................................................................................... 52 7.6.1 Summary: Apollo 16 Lunar Module Landing ......................................................... 58 7.7 Apollo 17 Lunar Landing ............................................................................................... 58 7.7.1 Summary: Apollo 17 Lunar Module Landing ......................................................... 63 8.0 Author's Annotation – Apollo 16 and 17 Landings ........................................................... 63 9.0 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................ 64 10.0 References .......................................................................................................................... 66 Appendix A: Apollo 11 Lunar Module Touchdown Dynamics ................................................... 67 Appendix B: Lunar Soil Mechanical Properties Model ................................................................ 75 Appendix C: Apollo 11 Lunar Module Mass Properties at Touchdown ...................................... 81 Appendix D: Apollo 11 Lunar Module Landing Gear Load Stroke Characteristics .................... 82 Appendix E: Apollo 11 Lunar Module Descent Engine Thrust Tail-off Characteristics ............. 84 i List of Figures Figure 1. Inverted Tripod design ................................................................................................................ 3 Figure 2. Cantilever design ........................................................................................................................ 4 Figure 3. Body coordinate system of Lunar Module with noted key dimensions for the Cantilever landing gear configuration. ......................................................................................................... 7 Figure 4. Final Lunar Module configuration that landed on the moon, and the attachment location of the four Cantilever-type landing gears to the descent stage. ................................................. 8 Figure 5. Lunar Module landing touchdown velocity envelope and landing gear energy absorption performance. ............................................................................................................................. 10 Figure 6. Apollo 11 Lunar Module pitch rate as a function of time. ....................................................... 14 Figure 7. Apollo 11 Lunar Module roll rate as a function of time. ......................................................... 14 Figure 8. Apollo 11 Lunar Module yaw rate as a function of time. ........................................................ 15 Figure 9. Composite of Apollo 11 Lunar Module rotational rates during the touchdown maneuver....... 16 Figure 10. (NASA Photograph AS11-40-5915) Overall view of Apollo 11 Lunar Module resting on lunar surface. ............................................................................................................................ 17 Figure 11. (NASA Photograph AS11-40-5864) Closeup view of Apollo 11 Lunar Module descent engine nozzle bell and the +Z landing gear. ............................................................................ 18 Figure 12. (NASA Photograph AS11-40-5858) Apollo 11 Lunar Module +Y landing gear and footpad, looking from the area of the +Z footpad location
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