fred@inuxc.UUCP (Fred Mendenhall) (10/07/83)
Questions for you space history buffs. What was the mass of the Apollo space craft at TLI? (Trans Lunar Injection) What orbit was it in at the time of the TLI burn? Fred
karn@eagle.UUCP (Phil Karn) (10/08/83)
The numbers vary somewhat from mission to mission, but here are some approximations. The total mass in earth parking orbit (including the SIV-B and its remaining fuel) was typically 130,000-140,000 kg. The launch weight of the LM was 14,670 kg for the early flights and 16,370 kg for the J-series flights (Apollos 15-17). Typical loaded weights for the Service Module and Command Module were 24,000 kg and 5600 kg, respectively. This gives a total CSM/LM mass so far of 44,270 kg or 45,970 kg. This ignores the launch escape tower (4000 kg) and the launcher adapter (1800 kg) which have been jettisoned by this point. The parking orbit from which TLI was done was typically at 170 to 180 km altitude, extremely low but acceptable since the time spent there was so short. Once TLI was done, Apollo was still in earth orbit, but one with apogee near the moon's orbit. Once in lunar orbit, the mass of the combination CSM/LM was reduced to a typical value of 33,000 kg due to the fuel expended in lunar orbit insertion. All of this data is from "The History of Manned Space Flight" by David Baker. This is a massively detailed, excellently written book; a bargain at $35. I got mine from the Air & Space Museum bookstore and promptly read all 544 9"x13" pages during the Christmas holidays last year. (The pictures are good too.) Phil
rjnoe@ihlts.UUCP (Roger Noe @ N41:48:31, W88:07:13) (01/20/84)
I think it was Apollo 15 which first had a TV camera on the lunar surface watch the ascent stage of the LM take off. That would have been a camera on the lunar rover. Almost all of the later moon landings had a camera within the ascent stage watching lunar lift-off from that angle. I do know that the Apollo 11 U.S. flag was indeed knocked down, but I think they had the foresight on later missions to move it farther away. Roger Noe ihnp4!ihlts!rjnoe