Lessons from the Lunar Module Program: the Director’S Conclusions
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History of Rocket Technology
CHAPTER 1 History of Rockets 1. 1. INTRODUCTION Action-Reaction Principle Take any technology and you always find that its practical demonstration had been realized much before the theory was established. However, you may note that the fast and effective refinement of a technology begins only after its theory, explaining the underlying basic principles, has been established. The action-reaction principle that is fundamental to jet propulsion, which includes airbreathing- as well as rocket-propulsion, was theoretically explained only in 1687 by the English scientist Sir Isaac Newton by his famous publication “Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (“Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy”). But, approximately 2100 years before this, Archytas, a Greek philosopher, mathematician, astronomer, statesman, and strategist, had demonstrated the action-reaction principle by his toy pigeon in the city of Tarentum, Fig. 1. 1. Archytas suspended on a wire his wooden pigeon that contained hot steam at an elevated pressure in its belly cavity. The other end of the wire was hooked on to the top of a tall pole. On releasing a plug, a jet of steam escaped through a hole from the rear of the pigeon to produce a thrust that made the toy pigeon fly in circles around the pole. Thus Archytas mystified and amused the citizens of Tarentum by his flying toy- pigeon and demonstrated the fundamental principle of propulsion: “every force has an equal and opposite reaction”. The second recorded-demonstration of the action-reaction principle was in the first century B.C. Hero of Alexandria, a Greek mathematician 1 and scientist, constructed a device known as aeolipile. -
Wing-Folding Mechanism of the Grumman Wildcat
WING-FOLDING MECHANISM OF THE GRUMMAN WILDCAT An American Society of Mechanical Engineers Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark DESIGNATION CEREMONY AT THE KALAMAZOO AVIATION HISTORY MUSEUM KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN May 15, 2006 A Mechanical Engineering Landmark The innovative wing folding mechanism (STO-Wing), developed by Leroy Grumman in early 1941 and first applied to the XF4F-4 Wildcat, manufactured by the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, is designated an ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark. (See Plaque text on page 6) Grumman People Three friends were the principal founders of the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation (Now known as Northrop Grumman Corporation), in January 1930, in a garage in Baldwin, Long Island, New York. (See photo of Leon Swirbul, William Schwendler, and Leroy Grumman on page 7) Leroy Randle (Roy) Grumman (1895-1982) earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University in 1916. He then joined the U. S. Navy and earned his pilot’s license in 1918. He was later the Managing Director of Loening Engineering Corporation, but when Loening merged with Keystone Aircraft Corporation, he and two of his friends left Loening and started their own firm — Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation. William T. Schwendler (1904-1978) earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from New York University in 1924. He was reluctant to leave Long Island, so he chose to join Grumman and Swirbul in forming the new company. Leon A. (Jake) Swirbul (1898-1960) studied two years at Cornell University but then left to join the U.S. Marine Corps. Instrumental in the founding and early growth of Grumman, he soon became its president. -
Apollo Program 1 Apollo Program
Apollo program 1 Apollo program The Apollo program was the third human spaceflight program carried out by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the United States' civilian space agency. First conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower as a three-man spacecraft to follow the one-man Project Mercury which put the first Americans in space, Apollo was later dedicated to President John F. Kennedy's national goal of "landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth" by the end of the 1960s, which he proposed in a May 25, 1961 address to Congress. Project Mercury was followed by the two-man Project Gemini (1962–66). The first manned flight of Apollo was in 1968 and it succeeded in landing the first humans on Earth's Moon from 1969 through 1972. Kennedy's goal was accomplished on the Apollo 11 mission when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed their Lunar Module (LM) on the Moon on July 20, 1969 and walked on its surface while Michael Collins remained in lunar orbit in the command spacecraft, and all three landed safely on Earth on July 24. Five subsequent Apollo missions also landed astronauts on the Moon, the last in December 1972. In these six spaceflights, 12 men walked on the Moon. Apollo ran from 1961 to 1972, and was supported by the two-man Gemini program which ran concurrently with it from 1962 to 1966. Gemini missions developed some of the space travel techniques that were necessary for the success of the Apollo missions. -
PEENEMUENDE, NATIONAL SOCIALISM, and the V-2 MISSILE, 1924-1945 Michael
ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: ENGINEERING CONSENT: PEENEMUENDE, NATIONAL SOCIALISM, AND THE V-2 MISSILE, 1924-1945 Michael Brian Petersen, Doctor of Philosophy, 2005 Dissertation Directed By: Professor Jeffrey Herf Departmen t of History This dissertation is the story of the German scientists and engineers who developed, tested, and produced the V-2 missile, the world’s first liquid -fueled ballistic missile. It examines the social, political, and cultural roots of the prog ram in the Weimar Republic, the professional world of the Peenemünde missile base, and the results of the specialists’ decision to use concentration camp slave labor to produce the missile. Previous studies of this subject have been the domain of either of sensationalistic journalists or the unabashed admirers of the German missile pioneers. Only rarely have historians ventured into this area of inquiry, fruitfully examining the history of the German missile program from the top down while noting its admi nistrative battles and technical development. However, this work has been done at the expense of a detailed examination of the mid and lower -level employees who formed the backbone of the research and production effort. This work addresses that shortcomi ng by investigating the daily lives of these employees and the social, cultural, and political environment in which they existed. It focuses on the key questions of dedication, motivation, and criminality in the Nazi regime by asking “How did Nazi authori ties in charge of the missile program enlist the support of their employees in their effort?” “How did their work translate into political consent for the regime?” “How did these employees come to view slave labor as a viable option for completing their work?” This study is informed by traditions in European intellectual and social history while borrowing from different methods of sociology and anthropology. -
The Following Are Edited Excerpts from Two Interviews Conducted with Dr
Interviews with Dr. Wernher von Braun Editor's note: The following are edited excerpts from two interviews conducted with Dr. Wernher von Braun. Interview #1 was conducted on August 25, 1970, by Robert Sherrod while Dr. von Braun was deputy associate administrator for planning at NASA Headquarters. Interview #2 was conducted on November 17, 1971, by Roger Bilstein and John Beltz. These interviews are among those published in Before This Decade is Out: Personal Reflections on the Apollo Program, (SP-4223, 1999) edited by Glen E. Swanson, whick is vailable on-line at http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4223/sp4223.htm on the Web. Interview #1 In the Apollo Spacecraft Chronology, you are quoted as saying "It is true that for a long time we were not in favor of lunar orbit rendezvous. We favored Earth orbit rendezvous." Well, actually even that is not quite correct, because at the outset we just didn't know which route [for Apollo to travel to the Moon] was the most promising. We made an agreement with Houston that we at Marshall would concentrate on the study of Earth orbit rendezvous, but that did not mean we wanted to sell it as our preferred scheme. We weren't ready to vote for it yet; our study was meant to merely identify the problems involved. The agreement also said that Houston would concentrate on studying the lunar rendezvous mode. Only after both groups had done their homework would we compare notes. This agreement was based on common sense. You don't start selling your scheme until you are convinced that it is superior. -
Apollo 13 Mission Review
APOLLO 13 MISSION REVIEW HEAR& BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES UNITED STATES SENATE NINETY-FIRST CONGRESS SECOR’D SESSION JUR’E 30, 1970 Printed for the use of the Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 47476 0 WASHINGTON : 1970 COMMITTEE ON AEROKAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES CLINTON P. ANDERSON, New Mexico, Chairman RICHARD B. RUSSELL, Georgia MARGARET CHASE SMITH, Maine WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Washington CARL T. CURTIS, Nebraska STUART SYMINGTON, bfissouri MARK 0. HATFIELD, Oregon JOHN STENNIS, Mississippi BARRY GOLDWATER, Arizona STEPHEN M.YOUNG, Ohio WILLIAM B. SAXBE, Ohio THOJfAS J. DODD, Connecticut RALPH T. SMITH, Illinois HOWARD W. CANNON, Nevada SPESSARD L. HOLLAND, Florida J4MES J. GEHRIG,Stad Director EVERARDH. SMITH, Jr., Professional staffMember Dr. GLENP. WILSOS,Professional #tad Member CRAIGVOORHEES, Professional Staff Nember WILLIAMPARKER, Professional Staff Member SAMBOUCHARD, Assistant Chief Clerk DONALDH. BRESNAS,Research Assistant (11) CONTENTS Tuesday, June 30, 1970 : Page Opening statement by the chairman, Senator Clinton P. Anderson-__- 1 Review Board Findings, Determinations and Recommendations-----_ 2 Testimony of- Dr. Thomas 0. Paine, Administrator of NASA, accompanied by Edgar M. Cortright, Director, Langley Research Center and Chairman of the dpollo 13 Review Board ; Dr. Charles D. Har- rington, Chairman, Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel ; Dr. Dale D. Myers, Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, and Dr. Rocco A. Petrone, hpollo Director -___________ 21, 30 Edgar 11. Cortright, Chairman, hpollo 13 Review Board-------- 21,27 Dr. Dale D. Mvers. Associate Administrator for Manned SDace 68 69 105 109 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIOSS 1. Internal coinponents of oxygen tank So. 2 ---_____-_________________ 22 2. -
America's Greatest Projects and Their Engineers - VII
America's Greatest Projects and Their Engineers - VII Course No: B05-005 Credit: 5 PDH Dominic Perrotta, P.E. Continuing Education and Development, Inc. 22 Stonewall Court Woodcliff Lake, NJ 076 77 P: (877) 322-5800 [email protected] America’s Greatest Projects & Their Engineers-Vol. VII The Apollo Project-Part 1 Preparing for Space Travel to the Moon Table of Contents I. Tragedy and Death Before the First Apollo Flight A. The Three Lives that Were Lost B. Investigation, Findings & Recommendations II. Beginning of the Man on the Moon Concept A. Plans to Land on the Moon B. Design Considerations and Decisions 1. Rockets – Launch Vehicles 2. Command/Service Module 3. Lunar Module III. NASA’s Objectives A. Unmanned Missions B. Manned Missions IV. Early Missions V. Apollo 7 Ready – First Manned Apollo Mission VI. Apollo 8 - Orbiting the Moon 1 I. Tragedy and Death Before the First Apollo Flight Everything seemed to be going well for the Apollo Project, the third in a series of space projects by the United States intended to place an American astronaut on the Moon before the end of the 1960’s decade. Apollo 1, known at that time as AS (Apollo Saturn)-204 would be the first manned spaceflight of the Apollo program, and would launch a few months after the flight of Gemini 12, which had occurred on 11 November 1966. Although Gemini 12 was a short duration flight, Pilot Buzz Aldrin had performed three extensive EVA’s (Extra Vehicular Activities), proving that Astronauts could work for long periods of time outside the spacecraft. -
Hack the Moon Bibliography
STORY TITLE SOURCES General Sources for Many Topics and Stories - the following books served Digital Apollo by David A. Mindell as sources of both specific and general information on the Apollo Project and were utilized in many places across the website. Journey to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Guidance Computer by Eldon C. Hall Apollo 13 by James Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger Sunburst and Luminary: An Apollo Memoir by Don Eyles Apollo 8 by Jeffrey Kluger Left Brains for the Right Stuff by Hugh Blair-Smith Apollo by Zack Scott Ramon Alonso's Moon Mission Grammar Ramon Alonso Interview MIT Science Reporter:The Apollo Guidance Computer -- https://infinitehistory.mit.edu/video/mit-science-reporter%E2% 80%94computer-apollo-1965 Apollo's Iron Man: Doc Draper https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/27/obituaries/charles-s-draper-engineer-guided-astronauts-to-moon.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1987/07/28/charles-draper-dies-at-age-85/4bdedf80-c033-4563-a129- eb425d37180a/?utm_term=.ab5f7aaa7b19 http://www.nmspacemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.php?id=6 http://news.mit.edu/2015/michael-collins-speaks-about-first-moon-landing-0402 https://www.nap.edu/read/4548/chapter/7#126 Digital Fly-By-Wire Left Brains For The Right Stuff by Hugh Blair-Smith www.nasa.gov https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/july/flight-training-magazine/fly-by-wire www.aircraft.airbus.com aviationweek.com/blog/1987 http://spinoff.nasa.gov/Spinoff2011/t_5.html The Amazing DSKY: A Leapfrog in Computer Science E-2567 -- Operations & Functions of the MINKEY -
4. Lunar Architecture
4. Lunar Architecture 4.1 Summary and Recommendations As defined by the Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS), the lunar architecture is a combination of the lunar “mission mode,” the assignment of functionality to flight elements, and the definition of the activities to be performed on the lunar surface. The trade space for the lunar “mission mode,” or approach to performing the crewed lunar missions, was limited to the cislunar space and Earth-orbital staging locations, the lunar surface activities duration and location, and the lunar abort/return strategies. The lunar mission mode analysis is detailed in Section 4.2, Lunar Mission Mode. Surface activities, including those performed on sortie- and outpost-duration missions, are detailed in Section 4.3, Lunar Surface Activities, along with a discussion of the deployment of the outpost itself. The mission mode analysis was built around a matrix of lunar- and Earth-staging nodes. Lunar-staging locations initially considered included the Earth-Moon L1 libration point, Low Lunar Orbit (LLO), and the lunar surface. Earth-orbital staging locations considered included due-east Low Earth Orbits (LEOs), higher-inclination International Space Station (ISS) orbits, and raised apogee High Earth Orbits (HEOs). Cases that lack staging nodes (i.e., “direct” missions) in space and at Earth were also considered. This study addressed lunar surface duration and location variables (including latitude, longi- tude, and surface stay-time) and made an effort to preserve the option for full global landing site access. Abort strategies were also considered from the lunar vicinity. “Anytime return” from the lunar surface is a desirable option that was analyzed along with options for orbital and surface loiter. -
The Apollo Lunar Orbit Rendezvous Architecture Decision Revisited
Student Session II Paper No. GT-SSEC.E.2 The Apollo Lunar Orbit Rendezvous Architecture Decision Revisited David M. Reeves1 Georgia Institute of Technology National Institute of Aerospace, Hampton, VA, 23666 Michael D. Scher2 University of Maryland National Institute of Aerospace, Hampton, VA, 23666 Dr. Alan W. Wilhite3 Georgia Institute of Technology National Institute of Aerospace, Hampton, VA, 23666 Dr. Douglas O. Stanley4 Georgia Institute of Technology National Institute of Aerospace, Hampton, VA, ABSTRACT The 1962 Apollo architecture mode decision process was revisited with modern analysis and systems engineer tools to determine driving selection criteria and technology/operational mode design decisions that may be used for NASA’s current Space Exploration program. Results of the study agreed with the Apollo selection of the Lunar Orbit Rendezvous mode based on the technology maturity and politics in 1962. Using today’s greater emphasis on human safety and improvements in technology and design maturity, a slight edge may be given to the direct lunar mode over lunar orbit rendezvous. Also, the NOVA direct mode and Earth orbit rendezvous mode are not competitive based any selection criteria. Finally, reliability and development, operations, and production costs are major drivers in today’s decision process. 1Graduate Research Assistant, Georgia Institute of Technology, 100 Exploration Way, AIAA Student Member. 2 Graduate Research Assistant, University of Maryland, 100 Exploration Way, AIAA Student Member. 3 Langley Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology, 100 Exploration Way, AIAA Associate Fellow. 4 Langley Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology, 100 Exploration Way, AIAA Member. Page 1 of 12 Pages Student Session II Paper No. -
Marshall Space Flight Center
............__........ Marshall Space Flight Center Introduction This booklet, prepared by the Marshall Space Flight Center, is illustrative of the Center's support for the von Braun Celebration of the Arts and Sciences (VBCAS). Marshall is honored to be a participant in the celebration of this 50-year cultural and technological legacy of Dr. Wernher von Braun and the members of his famed German rocket team. The VBCAS features a year-long series of events, performances, exhibits and historical, cultural and educational programs. Special performances by internationally known artists and speakers, and commemorative events featuring an aerospace, German, or nostalgic theme will be held during this year-long celebration. More than 30 arts, technology, educational and community organizations have been working for almost three years to plan this series of events. In 1950, Dr. von Braun and approximately 100 of his team members came to Huntsville, Alabama, to begin work on what would later become America's historic space program. Dr. von Braun eventually served as the first director of the Marshall Center and led the development of the Saturn V launch vehicle that lofted three American astronauts on their journey to the moon in July 1969. music. In the 1920s, von Braun was accepted for led the piano lessons by the great composer Paul design for the most powerful rocket the world has Hindemith and had even composed some pieces of ever known and used it to launch the first humans his own by the age of 15. Von Braun also took cello to the surface of the moon in 1969. -
WWII Aviation Crossword Puzzle Answer Key Across: 1
educator guide 2.0 Cradle of Aviation Museum Charles Lindbergh Blvd., Garden City, NY Dear Educator, We hope this guide will enhance your field trip and extend the visit beyond the museum into the classroom. Within each gallery section there are activities and material for you to use before, during and after your visit. You will discover exciting ways to fulfill core curriculum standards through aviation and space exploration. The Cradle of Aviation Museum’s mission is “to inspire future generations through the exploration of air and space technologies.” To fulfill this goal, we are dedicated to simultaneously educating and entertaining through the accurate interpretation of the collection and the exhibitions. Programs developed for school groups and the public focus on everyone’s universal appreciation for flight. Whether an individual has a passion for flying or is attracted to the crafts that make human flight possible, he/she will find a lasting connection here at the Cradle of Aviation Museum. We express our appreciation to all educators who use this guide to make the most of our services and to the New York State Council on the Arts for making this teacher guide possible. Sincerely, The Cradle of Aviation Museum staff Special thanks to the Teacher Guide content contributors: J. Thomas Gwynne; Juliann Gaydos Muller; Rod Leonhard; Joshua Stoff; Shari Abelson; William J. Quinn; Robert H. Muller; Carol Froehlig; Richard Santer; Jennifer Baxmeyer; Robert Tramantano; Fred Truebig and Al Grillo. About the Cradle The 150,000-square-foot Cradle of Aviation Museum is a nonprofit educational corporation in partnership with the County of Nassau.