R-700 MIT’s ROLE IN PROJECT APOLLO FINAL REPORT ON CONTRACTS NAS 9-153 AND NAS 9-4065 VOLUME I PROJECT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT ABSTRACTS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY edited by James A. Hand OCTOBER 1971 CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, 02139 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This report was prepared under DSR Project 55-23890, sponsored by the Manned Spacecraft Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The description of project management was prepared by James A. Hand and is based, in large part, upon discussions with Dr. C. Stark Draper, Ralph R. Ragan, David G. Hoag and Lewis E. Larson. Robert C. Millard and William A. Stameris also contributed to this volume. The publication of this document does not constitute approval by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the findings or conclusions contained herein. It is published for the exchange and stimulation of ideas. @ Copyright by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Published by the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Printed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U. S. A., 1972 ii The title of these volumes, “;LJI’I”s Role in Project Apollo”, provides but a mcdest hint of the enormous range of accomplishments by the staff of this Laboratory on behalf of the Apollo program. Rlanss rush into spaceflight during the 1060s demanded fertile imagination, bold pragmatism, and creative extensions of existing tecnnologies in a myriad of fields, The achievements in guidance and control for space navigation, however, are second to none for their critical importance in the success of this nation’s manned lunar-landing program, for while powerful space vehiclesand rockets provide the environment and thrust necessary for space flight, they are intrinsicaily incapable of controlling or guiding themselves on a mission as complicated and sophisticated as Apollo. The great achievement of this Laboratory was to supply the design for the primary hardware and software necessary to solve the Apollo guidance, navigation and control problem. It is to the credit of the entire team that this hardware and software have performed so dependably throughout the Apollo program. The quantum leap in technology nurtured by the Apollo program has been and should continue to be of immensely significant benefit to this country--socially, economically and in terms of its naticnal esteem. It is the responsibility of al! those who contributed to the proud achievements of Apollo to convince their countrymenof the directions thisnation ought to follow in implementing these newly gained -and hard fought for-advances. C. Stark Draper, President Charles Stark Draper Laborator! R- 700 MIT’S ROLE IN PROJECT APOLLO Final Report on Contracts NAS 9-153 and KM 9-4065 VOLUME I PROJECT MANAGEMEKT SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT ABSTRACTS AND BIBLIOGR.APIIY ABSTRACT Seventy-six days after the I’resident of the United States committed the nation to a manned lunar-landing program, the Charles Stark Draper (formerly Instrumentation) Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology received the first major contract of the APOL,LO program. The Laboratory was to design and implement the requisite hardware and software for the Guidance, Navigation and Control system of the APO1,L.O spacecraft, Chapter I of this volume of the Final Report discusses the 1,aboratory’s management of the APOLLO project. Chapter II presents salient features in the development of the guidance, navigation and control system hardware. lippendix A contains abstracts of some research and engineering reports and theses prepared under Contracts r\;&\S 9-153 and NAS g-4065, and Appendix B is a bibliography of all such reports and theses prepared through June 1969. V CONTENTS Page Acknowledgements ....................................... ii Foreword ............................................. 111 Abstract ............................................. v List of Illustrations ...................................... xv f’reface..........................................~~~ . 1 CHXPTER I: PROJECT MANAGERilES ........................ 3 1.0 OVERVIEW ....................................... 3 2.0 LABORATORY OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES ................. 5 2.1 Objectives .................................... 5 2.2 Policies ...................................... 5 3.0 LilBORATORY STAFF ................................ 7 3.1 Staffing Levels ................................. 7 3.2 Education at the Laboratory ........................ 7 4.0 FISCALBACKGROUND ............................... 11 4.1 General Fiscal Policy ............................ 11 4.2 Fiscal Background of the Apollo Project ................ 11 5.0 lIPOLL0 ORGANIZATION .............................. I. 3 5.1 Background ................................... 13 5.2 Apollo Program Organization ....................... 13 5.3 Evolutionary Changes in Project Efforts ................ 1. 7 5.3.1 Engineering Resource Allocation ................. 17 5.3.2 Hardware Development Tasks ................... 23 5.3.3 The Software Developmental Tasks ................ 25 vii CONTENTS (cont.) 5.4 Communications . , , . s s . s . , . L D r . *. 26 5.4.1 Technical Memoranda 0 . e . e 26 5.4.2 Administrative Letters and Memoranda . e . f . a . 28 5.5 Design Review Board . , e s . s . , . - . , . e 29 5.6 Change Control Board . a . , 0 . , . s , , . e . s . 30 5.7 The Role of the Industrial Residents . 0 . a , e * . 33 6.0 PROJECT AND MISSION DEVELOPMENT REORGANIZATION . , , . 37 6.1 Recognition of Need for Changes ..................... 37 6.2 Reorganization Approach .......................... 37 6.2.1 Group Definition and Tasks ..................... 38 6.2.2 Project Manager Approach Adopted ............... 38 6.3 Software Management and Organization ................. 39 7.0 CONCLUSIONS . ..=..........~......~ 41 CHAPTER II: GN&C DEVELAOPMENT (HARDWARE) . 43 1.0 APOLLO CONFIGURATION. c b s e . e e . s. 45 2.0 THE APOLL, MISSION . = . e . o . s . 0 . e . 47 3.0 FLIGHT EXPERIENCE SUMMARY . , . s s . 0.. *. s . e 51 3.1 Introduction r a . 0 . s . e . e . s D q . L e e a e e 51 3.2 Command Module System . e ( . e . s , , , . s . s . , m . s e e 51 3.3 Lunar Module System . e . e . s * . 53 3. ‘1 Inertial Measurement Unit * . e . e . s e . a e I s 55 3.4.1 Gyro or Accelerometer Failure Prediction , L . s . e . , . 55 3.4.2 Accelerometer Performance . - . e I a 57 3.4.3 Gyro Performance . , . e . e . e . , 57 3,5 Optical Subsystem . , . e . I . e 0 . 57 3.5.1 Star Visibility in Scanning Telescope . , . L1 . 60 3.5.2 Star Recognition In Sextant and IMU Alignment to Stars e 0 51 3.5.3 Particles and Deposits . a . s . L . c . 61 3.5.4 Lunar Module Alignment Optical Telescope . s . e e s 62 3.5.5 Other Features of the Optics . e . = . - . e 62 . I'll1 CONTENTS (cont.1 3.6 Computer Subsystem . ~ . ~ . s . s , . , . s . a ‘ 63 3.7 Control Systems - Digital Autopilots . m I . , . , . r . , 0 64 3.7.1 Rate Derivation for Control . s . I = . 65 3.7.2 Autopilot Gain Scheduling . a . , . , . = . 66 3.7.3 Lunar Module Descent Powered Flight Control . ( . r e 66 3.8 Rendezvous Navigation . s . e , . ‘ . 0 . * . , 67 3.8.1 Rendezvous Measurements and Calculations s . e . s . 67 3.8.2 Lunar Module Active Rendezvous in APOLLO 9 . a . 68 3.9 Midcourse Navigation . e . s . e . a 0 68 3.10 Conclusion . I~.I..~ ‘... ~..~..,...,...... 69 4.0 DESIGN OBJECTIVES AKD LIMITING FACTORS .............. 73 4.1 Background Information ........................... 73 4.1.1 Scope of the Original Project Objectives ............ 73 4.2 Technical Approach .............................. 74 4.2.1 Midcourse Guidance, Tu‘avigation and Control ......... 74 4.2.2 Lunar Landing ............................. 76 4.2.3 Lunar Launch, Transearth Injection, Atmospheric Entry Guidance .................... 77 4.3 Limiting Design Factors ........................... 77 4.3.1 GNBrC System .............................. 77 4.3.2 System Fabrication .......................... 79 4.3.2.1 Power Supply Protection . , , . ‘ . e , . B * r . e . 79 4.3.2.2 Signal Conditioning ..................... 79 4.3.3 Testing .................................. 79 4.3.3.1 Coupling Data Unit ..................... 79 4.3.3.2 Inertial Components .................... 79 4.3.3.3 Axis Offset .......................... 79 4.3.3.4 Diagnostics .......................... 80 4.3.3.5 Prototypes .......................... 80 3.3.4 Crew Displays and Controls .................... 80 4.3.4.1 interfaces ........................... 80 4.3.4.2 Repetitive Functions .................... 80 4.3.4.3 Inputs .............................. 80 4.3.4.4 Identifiers ........................... 80 ~4.3.4.5 DSKY Pushbuttons ..................... 81 4.3.4.6 Lights ............................. 81 4.3.4.7 Data Package .......................... 81 ix CONTENTS (cont.) 4.3.5 Crew Training ............................. a1 4.3.6 Reliability ................................ 81 4.3.7 Computer Subsystem ......................... 81 4.3.7.1 Memory ............................ 81 4.3.7.2 Logic .............................. 82 4.3.7.3 InpUt-OUt-WT ......................... 83 4.3.7.4 Software ............................ 83 4.3.7.5 Power Supply ......................... 83 4.3.7.6 Logic Electrical Design .................. 83 4.3.7.7 Memory Electrical Design ................ 84 4.3.7.8 DSKY Electrical Design .................. 84 4.3.8 Optics Subsystem ........................... 84 4.3.8.1 Automatic Sensors ..................... a4 4.3.8.1 Optics Control System Design .............. 84 4.3.8.3 Optical Design .......................