View allAll Photos Tagged lunarlanding
Lunar Module 12 (LM-12)/Challenger ascent stage cabin 'baseline' documentation photo. Taken at the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building (MSOB), 13 March 1972.
In this view, looking up at the ceiling above LMP Harrison Schmitt’s station, the upper right corner of panel no. 2, to include some of its displays & controls, is at the far left. To its right is the Alignment Optical Telescope (AOT) guard, it's optics & controls wrapped in plastic for protection. Two sets/groupings of main panel/cabin floodlights are ‘above’ & ‘below’ to its immediate right. Farther to the right is the centrally located/consolidated controls for those lights, in addition to two utility light receptacles. At the lower left-hand corner, the angled/canted (from this perspective) top edge of the LMP window can be seen, with a protective panel over it, which apparently has a circular ‘window’. Running along the top edge of the window are two coiled cables, at least one of which connects to the 16mm DAC, when it’s affixed. The triangularly peaked recessed area accommodates the camera, which is mounted to the lighter gray bar bearing the long red-ink serial/part no. Finally, along the bottom of the photograph is the top edge of circuit breaker panel no. 16.
As if all of that wasn’t enough, the glass-reinforced perforated covers were not originally planned for the LM interior. The ceiling originally had exposed cabling, which Astronauts raised concerns about possibly damaging. As a result, one of the eight ‘crew compartment design’ Requests For Change (RFC) that were approved - which required hardware changes - was the addition of the ceiling covers to protect the wiring and prevent the collection of debris in this area.
END TRANSMISSION
“LEM (Lunar Excursion Module) engine to land astronauts on the moon. Built by TRW Systems.”
Being a circa 1964/65 photograph, I’m assuming this to be a test model/version of the Lunar Module Descent Engine (LMDE)/Descent Propulsion System (DPS). The first flight of an (unmanned) lunar module (LM-1), which tested both ascent & descent stage engines, occurred in January 1968.
Excellent information per Flickr user Tim Evanson:
“The Descent Propulsion System (DPS) or LMDE (Lunar Module Descent Engine) is a rocket engine developed by Space Technology Laboratories for use in the Apollo Lunar Module. This is a backup engine, on display at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio.
The design is credited to aerospace engineer Dr. Peter Staudhammer. The engine could throttle between 1,050 pounds-force (4.7 kN) and 10,125 pounds-force (45.04 kN). It weighed 394 pounds, is 90.5 inches long, and 59.0 inches in width.
The descent engine was the biggest challenge and the most outstanding technical development of the Apollo program. A throttleable engine was required, but very little research had been done in variable-thrust rocket engines.
Rocketdyne had proposed an engine in which thrust was controlled by the injection of inert helium gas into the propellant. While plausible, this approach was considered too advanced to be reliable.
TRW's Space Technology Laboratories (STL) proposed a much simpler design using flow control valves and a variable-area pintle injector (which operates in much the same manner as does a shower head). Furthermore, it recommended that the engine be gimbaled, to allow it to change the direction of thrust.
The first full-throttle firing of the STL descent engine was carried out in early 1964. NASA chose the STL design in January 1965.”
The accompanying image posted by Mr. Evanson is linked to below.
Good stuff:
www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/LM09_Main_Propulsion_ppMP1-22.pdf
Always superior:
heroicrelics.org/info/lm/mech-design-lmde.html
Credit: Mike Jetzer/HEROIC RELICS website
Jul 20th 1969, 45 yrs ago #Apollo11 lands on the lunar surface. To this day, mankinds greatest achievement!
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/apollo11_40th.html#.U8v...
The three photographs here were all captured over the past week using our Canon 600D attached to our Maksutov 127mm telescope
NASA artist's concept of the crew capsule, at the onset of re-entry, nearing the completion of a “Lunar Return Mission”, aka “Lunar Landing”. The rendering was part of a presentation/paper entitled “A Rocket for Manned Lunar Exploration”, given by Milton W. Rosen and Francis C. Schwenk at the Tenth International Astronautical (Federation?) Congress in London, 31 August 1959.
The abstract:
"One of the significant human accomplishments of the next decade will be the manned exploration of the moon. Previously, the uncharted regions of the earth, the Arctic and Antarctic, the Amazon and Himalayas challenged the skill and fortitude of explorers. But these regions cannot long retain their status—the new frontier lies beyond the confines of our planet—on the nearest sizeable aggregation of matter in space—the moon.
Significantly, man’s exploration has been paced by his technical progress. The discovery of America was made possible by ships and sails of sufficient size and by advances, however crude, in the art of navigation. Oxygen masks made possible the conquest of Everest, and rockets—the exploration of the upper atmosphere.
The exploration of the moon is within view today. If it may be assumed that Project Mercury in the U.S.A. and similar efforts by the U.S.S.R. will establish that man can exist for limited periods of time in space, then a trip to the moon requires mainly the design, construction and proving of a large rocket vehicle.
In one concept of a manned lunar vehicle the entire mission, the trip to the moon and the return, is staged on the earth’s surface. A highly competitive technique, one favored by many engineers, is to stage the lunar mission by refueling in a low earth orbit. This would permit the use of a smaller launching vehicle but would require development of orbital rendezvous techniques. In any case, a vehicle of the larger type will be needed for lunar as well as other exploratory missions.
This paper presents a parametric study of vehicle scale for the direct flight manned lunar mission. The main parameter is the take-off thrust which is influenced by many factors; principally the propellants in the several stages and the flight trajectory. A close choice exists in the second stage where conventional and high energy propellants are compared. The size of the final stage and hence the entire vehicle is governed mainly by the method of approach to the earth’s surface, whether it is elliptic, parabolic or hyperbolic. The various methods are applied to an illustrative vehicle configuration.
Reliability will be a major factor in the success of any manned lunar flight. While no formula is proposed for improving component reliability, certain operational procedures can be used to advantage in enhancing the probability of a successful round trip to the moon."
Furthermore, the referenced M. W. Rosen is none other than Milton “Milt” Rosen, of Viking & Vanguard rocket ‘fame’. The real deal. Confirmation:
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Rosen
Credit: Wikipedia website
Francis C. Schwenk, originally of the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory/Lewis Research Center (Cleveland Rocks btw) appears to have been a prolific researcher & valued asset to NACA/NASA. He even worked on the Satellite Power System concept, as late as 1980! Super smart, motivated, with longevity; traits you want in a rocket scientist. Also the real deal.
Being part of a NASA presentation, I assume this to be in-house NASA artwork, which substantially reduces the likelihood of artist identification, especially for something from 1959. Damnit.
See:
www.alternatewars.com/SpaceRace/SP-4205/Chapter_01.htm
www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/SP-4205/ch1-2.html
Yet again, as all too often, a far superior article - at the following non-NASA site:
www.wired.com/2014/01/rosen-schwenks-moon-rocket-1959/amp
Credit: WIRED website
An unexpected & welcome surprise. Although not an artist’s identification, a small win nonetheless, filling in at least a few pieces of the historical puzzle.
Obviously, with the ‘space flight/exploration’ field wide open, there are quite a few creative & original presentations within:
link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-662-39914-9
Specifically:
link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-662-39914-9_27
Credit: Springer Nature Switzerland AG/Springer Link website
Last, but not least, the following obscure website appears to have the entire presentation available to view, which includes the imagery. Bravo:
dokumen.tips/reader/f/a-rocket-for-manned-lunar
Credit: Indonesia DOKUMEN website
HOWEVER, this presentation should reside & be readily available (i.e., free) at some NASA or otherwise ‘official’ site. Like what the NTRS once was.
Instead, it’s on an Indonesian document sharing site. Although I'm grateful that it is...you’re kidding me, really?
“The soft landing…mid-way point in man’s greatest adventure! Silent, forbidding…the face of the moon, scarred by the fists of the Universe, but lovely in its promise to reveal the secrets of Creation, if only man is bold enough to court and conquer it.”
I’d be willing to put that up against the prose of ANY Harlequin romance novel:
8.5" x 11", fine pebble-grain finish.
Beautiful artist’s concept, courtesy the talented Robert Watts, as part of an Apollo 10 'Souvenir Portfolio' on the Lunar Module's Ryan Aeronautical-manufactured landing radar.
It pretty much looks like the LM model kit of the time!
file770.com/wp-content/uploads/z0205goz0rk9jn.jpg
All of this is delightful:
file770.com/once-when-we-all-were-scientists/
Credit: File 770 website/Mike Glyer
Actually, it looks like the coveted Precise Models’ LM:
www.collectspace.com/review/davidcwagner/preciselm_welded...
Credit: collectSPACE website
Timing & appearance...coincidence? I think not. This shit is rampant.
Apparently - especially on Twitter - common courtesy is optional:
twitter.com/HumanoidHistory/status/1051599252617605121/ph...
In 1964 my late father, Beaudry Glen Pautz, accepted a job as Press Officer for the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria, South Africa. It was the start of the Cold War "space race", the CSIR collaborated with the Americans and Beau received a lot of space programme material and press kits from NASA. I still have most of those historic documents in my collection. Here's a selection of them.
I captured these images in Pretoria using an old HP flatbed scanner.
Also see this great piece on Time Magazine's special issue entitled "To the Moon and Back" published two weeks after the Apollo 11 landing. Back in 1969 I created a great scrapbook of the landing that I still treasure to this day.
#apollo #nasa #presskit #nasapresskit #apollopresskit #space #spaceprogram #spaceprogramme #moon #lunarlandings #1969 #news #press #document #projectplan #missionplan #lunarlanding #pretoria #transvaal #southafrica #csir #moonmission #spacerace #coldwar #factsheets #2016
The Ranger program was a series of unmanned space missions by the United States in the 1960s whose objective was to obtain the first close-up images of the surface of the Moon. The Ranger spacecraft were designed to take images of the lunar surface, transmitting those images to Earth until the spacecraft were destroyed upon impact. A series of mishaps, however, led to the failure of the first six flights.
Ranger 7 successfully returned images in July 1964, followed by two more successful missions.
Ranger spacecraft had six cameras on board. The cameras were fundamentally the same with differences in exposure times, fields of view, lenses, and scan rates.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranger_program
Prime focus single shot, Canon 600D attached to Maksutov 127mm telescope, conditions were ideal, no breeze, very still and beautifully clear ;0)
"Armstrong is to scoop up sample of moon soil with a tool resembling a butterfly net. Sample is to be stowed in space suit pocket should he have to leave hurriedly."
Note the absence of plume deflectors, presence of a scimitar antenna and rather narrow MESA door. Also, the MESA appears to depict the television camera, with its handle sticking up, a hand tool extension handle(?), and an open ALSRC ready to be filled up. Nice attention to detail is the depiction of the snap-hook of Armstrong’s waist tether. Finally...for the most part contrary to what transpired...Aldrin photographing Armstrong, from inside the LM at that. A couple of Hasselblad shots certainly would’ve been nice…possibly doubling the number of photographs of Armstrong on the moon. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Although not signed, nor have I ever seen it before, I’m certain a Russell Arasmith work, which appears to have been part of a mission press kit, information packet, presentation, etc.
The following (and others) confirm the identification:
www.mutualart.com/Artwork/2-works--Space-Illustrations/00...
Credit: MutualArt website
www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/history/russ-arasmith-apoll...
North American Rockwell artist's rendering of the Lunar Module's descent and landing, likely issued either shortly before or shortly after the Apollo 11 mission.
As was often the case during LEM/LM development, this is a circa 1968/69 derivative of earlier artist’s concepts (possibly commencing in 1963), updated/modified to reflect the latest external design changes. Or, as in this case, changes to the local lunar environs. In this iteration, the mountainous background present in a previous version(s) has/have been removed, possibly reflecting awareness of the flatness of the Mare Tranquillitatis landing site. Therefore likely being modified either shortly prior to the mission or shortly thereafter.
Per an earlier issuance with the same LM & mountains still present:
"Apollo Moon Mission Sequence 5 -- With one
astronaut remaining in the CSM in orbit around the moon, the other two crewmen descend to the lunar surface in the Lunar Module."
Finally, in the following North American Rockwell news/press publication, a near equivalent of this image (with a latter design LM, and minus the mountains & the ‘middle’ LM) is labeled as P-27:
cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/413105/Apollo%20Press%20Kits/North...
The parent site to the above is also most impressive:
www.apollopresskits.com/apollo-presskit-directory
Credit: David Meerman Scott
Possibly by Gary Meyer?
Of superior & unblemished gloss.
"Artist concept of "Moon Mission"."
3-10-66
For whatever it's worth, this scene depicts the Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) burn of the Command/Service Module (CSM) Service Propulsion System (SPS) engine.
What an understated caption for an amazing work of art. And, in my world - iconic. Possibly by Mr. Gary Meyer?
If so, or even if not, fascinating history/background on the artist, who was responsible for a bulk of phenomenal artwork depicting a "moon mission". And...Mr. Meyer's credentials, achievements and honors are immensely impressive:
garymeyerillustration.net/BIOGRAPHY.html
garymeyerillustration.net/ILLUSTRATIONS/Pages/early_work....
Featured in the following H-Missions "Apollo Spacecraft News Reference", labeled as "P-23":
www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/CSM_News_Reference_H_Missions.pdf
Credit: ALSJ website
“Photograph from National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Surveyor I spacecraft. Spherical mosaic of narrow-angle photographs of the Lunar scene at low sun illumination. Craters and fine detail of the surface enhanced by the low oblique lighting. Center of mosaic is southwest of spacecraft. Tilt of horizon is due to non-verticle mounting of the camera. The picture was received at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.”
Yes, “verticle”…I’ll leave it alone.
It’s a cool image & historic, but I don’t like it being cropped at the horizon. Actually, I don’t like any of the cropping they did. Why?
The mosaic (for all intents & purposes), labeled as ‘Surveyor 1-20’ by the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), were taken/assembled in order to provide an identical view to ‘Surveyor 1-19’, but at a different illumination angle. It/they were also then combined with ‘Surveyor 1-21’ in order to provide a complete 360-degree view of the landing site.
All per/at the wonderful LPI website:
www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/mapcatalog/Surveyor/press_rele...
Specifically:
“Surveyor 1-19
Spherical mosaic of narrow-angle photographs of the lunar scene taken by Surveyor I on June 12, 1966, two days before nightfall on the moon. Each photo chip is two inches square and represents a six-degree field of view as seen by Surveyor’s TV camera. The pictures are arranged on the concave surface of a three-foot hemisphere to form the panorama. The sun is shining from the west (right). Tilt of the horizon is due to off-vertical mounting of the camera on the spaceframe. The scene portrayed is the same as that shown 24 hours later with the sun at a lower angle in picture #20.”
Image at:
www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/mapcatalog/Surveyor/press_rele...
“Surveyor 1-20
Mosaic of narrow-angle pictures of moon taken by Surveyor I’s television camera forms a panoramic view of lunar terrain stretching approximately 130 degrees across horizon. Each photo chip is two inches square and represents a six-degree field of view as seen by the camera. The pictures are mounted in overlapping fashion against the concave surface of a three-foot hemisphere. When completed, the hemispheres in pictures #20 and #21 will form a complete 360-degree view from Surveyor. The narrow-angle survey was made June 13, about 24 hours before sundown on the site pictures.”
Image at:
www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/mapcatalog/Surveyor/press_rele...
“Surveyor 1-21
Mosaic of narrow-angle pictures of moon taken by Surveyor I’s television camera forms a panoramic view of lunar terrain stretching approximately 115 degrees across the horizon. Dramatic elongated shadow of the spacecraft was created by the low sun sinking on the horizon behind Surveyor. Each photo chip is two inches square and represents a six-degree field of view as seen by the camera. The pictures are mounted on the concave surface of a three-foot hemisphere. When completed, the hemispheres in pictures #21 and #20 will form a complete 360-degree view from Surveyor. Parts of the spacecraft identifiable at left are (from top) one of the antenna booms, helium tank, nitrogen tank (cantilevered on braces) the auxiliary battery. The survey was made June 13, about 24 hours before sundown on the site pictured.”
Image at:
www.lpi.usra.edu/resources/mapcatalog/Surveyor/press_rele...
Also:
www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/surveyor-1-amer...
Credit: Smithsonian Magazine online website
Last, but NOT least:
“EUGENE M. SHOEMAKER, Chief, Astrogeology Branch, U.S. Geological Survey, commented on the scene:
"It shows the intricately cratered surface of the Oceanus Procellarum. It is a gently undulating surface pockmarked with craters, ranging from a few centimeters to several hundred meters in diameter, and littered with blocks and fragments, ranging from less than a millimeter to more than a meter across. The craters and the fragmental debris were probably formed by bombardment of the lunar surface by meteoroids and by pieces of the Moon itself, hurled through space from larger craters.
"The pitted appearance of the lunar surface [which one observer has likened to that of a World War I battlefield] is enhanced by the presence of long shadows, extending away from the spacecraft's foot and the more prominent blocks, due to the low angle of incidence of the rays of the evening Sun."
Above at/from:
T
ARMSTRONG, ALDRIN and COLLINS (Apollo 11 Crew) 1969
14 x 11.25in. 1.25 in. boarder top, 0.75 in. boarder left, 0.50 in. boarder right, 5 3/16in. boarder bottom. Stamped “No. 9 KARSH, OTTAWA” at back. “APOLLO 11 CREW (Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins )” and “By Yousuf KARSH” handwritten in pencil at back, bottom.
“SOFT LANDING ON THE MOON, Apollo 11 Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin will use the Lunar Module’s landing radar system to measure how high they are and how fast they are descending. Built by Ryan Aeronautical Company, the radar is on the underside of the descent stage, near the descent engine. Illustrated, from left, is engine turn-on at 50,000 feet; rotation to “windows up” at 45,000 feet so the landing radar will acquire return signals from the moon; near vertical descent from 500 feet, with the astronauts in control and the radar supplying indications of altitude and descent rate; and the actual landing surface exploration in the Sea of Tranquility.
(Illustration by Robert Watts)”
First Robert Watts work I’ve come across of an Apollo 11 ‘scene’.
6.625” x 10”.
“THE MOON: From the surface of the moon, Astronaut David Scott cancels a first issue of a stamp issued 8/2, marking the lunar expedition.
CBS NEWS PHOTO VIA UPI TELEPHOTO”
The envelope (cover), to which the stamp is affixed, is the white angled/canted rectangular object partially obscuring the “S” of the “UNITED STATES”/U. S. flag decal(?) affixed to/on the descent stage of Lunar Module Falcon. Scott, whose partially extended left arm can be discerned, is holding the envelope at the lower left-hand corner. The two white smaller divided/slightly separated trapezoids to the left of the envelope are the opened/opposing pages of Scott’s cuff checklist.
The frame was taken as he was preparing to cancel the stamp, somewhere on the rather jumbled surface of the Modular(ized) Equipment Stowage Assembly (MESA).
Excellent reading, watching & listening regarding the event:
postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/one-giant-leap-for-mankind...
Credit: Smithsonian National Postal Museum website
And of course:
history.nasa.gov/alsj/a15/a15PostalKit.html
Credit: ALSJ website
“This is an Apollo 10 two-frame sequence dominated by the crater Schmidt, which is located at the western edge of the Sea of Tranquility. Schmidt, which has a diameter of 7 statute miles, is also located just south of the crater Ritter and immediately west of the crater Sabine. The coordinates of Schmidt are 18.8 degrees east longitude and 1.2 degrees north latitude. The shadowed area is on the east side of the crater.”
Even the ALSJ gets it wrong some time. In this case in a big way; not only left-to-right reversed, but inverted as well! Damn skippy, go big or go home:
www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a410/AS10-34-5162...
Credit: ALSJ website
Beautifully depicted powered descent by a ca. 1964 LEM configuration. Being a Ryan Aeronautical illustration, surely promoting their landing radar. Possibly/likely by the immensely talented artist, Robert Watts, although I'm not sure if this was during his time with Ryan Aeronautical.
Possibly rendered in pencil/charcoal?
Note the round forward egress/ingress hatch, large porch and apparent lack of a ladder...at least not attached to the landing strut.
Upon further inspection, the LEM depicted appears to be a hybrid between the Test Model-1 (TM-1) configuration - with the “truss”? mounted RCS thruster quads, and the M-5 LEM configuration - with the faceted left & right ascent stage protrusions...both shown below. I know, TMI.
AWESOME:
Have a nice day ~ Wherever you may be!
Wishing all my contacts and flickr-friends a nice day and a wonderful week.
Thanks to everyone for your comments and encouragement!!
Possibly a unicorn. possibly some sort of proposed LLRV design; however, with THREE landing gear (with casters) & TWO crewmen. I've never seen any depiction/read any literature regarding such. The presence of the castering wheels confirms it to be a predecessor to the four-landing gear version. So, circa 1961/62?
Note also that this is on an unidentified celestial body, ostensibly, the moon. However, while that is indeed the earth looming large, the prominent white areas are Greenland and the North Pole. For such a perspective, if it is the moon, something terrible happened with regard to its orbit.
On a separate & trivial note, the depiction of the vehicle, and the mountain range, either as one or as separate pieces, literally seem to be physically superimposed upon the earth/starry sky background.
I fully expected the following to contain either reference or depiction(s) pertaining to such a vehicle. Not the case, unless I missed it, which is possible:
www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/LLRV_Monograph.pdf
A weighty statement by Neil Armstrong from the Forward of the monograph:
"Someday men will return to the moon. When they do, they are quite likely to need the knowledge, the techniques, and the machine described in this volume."
Note the strong similarity of the background, other than the earth - moon switch, to that of Carl Zoschke's vivid & imaginative versions of the subsequent (I believe) four-legged/single pilot LLRV. Therefore, is this also by Mr. Zoschke…aka? Paul Brown?:
www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1960s-nasa-lunar-landing-r...
Credit: Worthpoint website
www.afmc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1898049/hist...
Credit: Air Force Materiel Command website
Related?:
Credit: “The Unwanted Blog” website
See also:
thehighfrontier.blog/2016/11/13/less-than-gravity-the-lun...
Credit: The High Frontier blog website
Off-Airport - Cincinnati
Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati, OH
North American Rockwell Apollo Command Module c/n unk, CSM-107, NASA
"Columbia" displayed during the exhibition "Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission," during the capsule's tour of the US.
“Radar fingers reach out to touch the crusty face of the moon as the Apollo astronauts brake their descent with rocket power, regulating their descent rate with radar and computer information. Ryan’s LM Landing Radar flew the equivalent of nearly 200 landing missions in flight test programs with aircraft – now comes the moment of truth!”
Wonderful artist’s concept, courtesy the irrepressible Robert Watts, as part of an Apollo 10 'Souvenir Portfolio' on the Lunar Module's Ryan Aeronautical-manufactured landing radar. Note however; there’s a porch, but no ladder.
8.5" x 11", fine pebble-grain finish.
On display at Kennedy Space Center
#apollo11 #space #lunarlanding #nasa #kennedyspacecenter #astronaut #saturnV #rocket #thefinalfrontier #commandmodule
Image from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Image from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Botched but interesting photo depicting the Apollo Program emblem and those of Apollo missions 7 - 16, with an Apollo 11 photo of the moon serving as placeholder for Apollo 17. So I assume this was slapped together prior to it being determined.
A rank amateur ‘effort’, highlighted by the Apollo 14 emblem being on its side. Must’ve been “Bring your 2nd - 4th grader to work…and let them do your job” day. Otherwise, there’s no excuse. Seriously, this is not the ‘rocket science’ part…it’s placing decals on a sheet of whatever, paper I suppose, and then photographing it. Incompetence & stupidity on exhibit, albeit low-level.
“MOON INSTRUMENTS—An Apollo-suited Manned Spacecraft Center technician [is seen] as he deploys an Apollo Lunar Experiments Package on the moonscape at the Houston space center. The scientific experiments will be carried to the surface of the moon in a LEM similar to the mockup in the background. The scientific package weighs about 170 pounds, but on the moon its weight is only about 30 pounds.”
The technician is possibly Jack “Jackie” D. Mays, who was basically the non-Astronaut 'face' of the Apollo program's vacuum chamber & outdoor terrestrial/Terran Extravehicular Activity, testing, assessing/evaluating, etc. lunar space suit designs/configurations & associated lunar surface tasks, during their development.
I wonder if it could also possibly be John B. “Jack” Slight?
Two of many unsung Apollo Program contributors.
www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum38/HTML/002223.html
Credit: collectSPACE website
My SWAG: Mr. Mays appears to be carrying the Magnetometer. From left-to-right: possibly two components of the Solar Wind experiment; definitely the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator; possibly two components of the Supra Thermal Ion Detector experiment, and obviously, the ALSEP central station.
Note all of the Guest Book entries at Legacy.com, substantially more than I’ve normally come across. Obviously, Mr. Mays was more than just a dependable space suit tester.
Thank you Mr. Mays, continue to Rest In Peace Sir:
www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/jack-mays-obituary?pid=183...
Credit: Legacy.com website
www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/webster-tx/jack-mays-7...
Credit: Dignity Memorial website
Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation (GAEC) print/artwork, ca. 1967, depicting Lunar Module ascent stage liftoff.
Odd that the descent propulsion system nozzle seems to be shown as having made contact with the lunar surface. In fact, it looks like it's dug in a little. The vehicle does have the squat ‘low-rider’ appearance, with the primary landing struts collapsed, i.e., pushed all of the way in. Must have been a pretty hard landing. ;-)
It's GAEC artwork. Although no signature is present, by Craig Kavafes? Doesn't quite look like it to me.
“TOP:
Armstrong first collects a small sample of lunar soil in case they have to leave the moon suddenly.
Picture Credit: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corp.
From World Book Science Service
[Actually, I believe ‘Neil’ has just removed the S- Band antenna from Quadrant I of the descent stage in the image. Its stowage compartment and discarded cover are visible to the right of the ladder.]
I’d expect the artwork to be by Craig Kavafes, but that signature is atypical.
BOTTOM:
If communications between the spacecraft and Earth are not good, Armstrong will erect a special antenna while Aldrin remains in the spacecraft to turn it on and check signal strength.
Picture Credit: Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corp.
From World Book Science Service”
Artist unknown. Note the squat appearance of the Lunar Module, possibly after a hard landing, as evidenced by collapsed struts. In fact the LMDE bell/skirt seems to be in contact with the the surface and even a little crumpled at the point of contact.
"TRW Inc. artist's concept depicting the Apollo 11 Lunar Module (LM) descending to the surface of the moon. Inside the LM will be astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, commander, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. Astronaut Michael Collins, command module pilot, will remain with the Command and Service Modules (CSM) in lunar orbit. TRW's Lunar Module descent engine will brake Apollo 11's descent to the lunar surface. The throttleable rocket engine will be fired continuously the last 10 miles of the journey to the moon, slowing the LM to a speed of two miles per hour at touchdown. TRW Inc. designed and built the unique engine at Redondo Beach, California under subcontract to the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, Bethpage, New York, the LM prime contractor."
spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/apollo/apollo11/html/...
The beautiful work, featured as the front & back cover, in a wrap-around fashion, of the Summer/Fall 1969 issue of the “TRW SPACE LOG”, confirms it to be that of John Desatoff, resident TRW graphic design artist/illustrator.
Not surprisingly, Mr. Desatoff's works were featured in a 1968 Smithsonian Institute traveling museum/exhibition entitled “Exploring Space: Paintings by John Desatoff,” which now reside in the Institution's archives.
Although by no means detracting from the undeniable aesthetic appeal, note the lack of plume deflectors, to be mounted beneath the RCS thrusters, attached to the descent stage. And the inclusion of a Lunar Surface Sensing Probe on the bottom of the footpad with the ladder. Still beautiful!
A young, aspiring Mr. Desatoff. Outstanding:
archives.artcenter.edu/spec-9-2004-34-24
Credit: ArtCenter Archives website
Rest In Peace Mr. Desatoff, and THANK YOU:
www.legacy.com/obituaries/latimes/obituary.aspx?n=john-j-...
Credit: Legacy website
“EN ROUTE TO THE MOON – WITHIN 25 YEARS: Here are the three moon ships in which a 50-man expedition of scientists will reach the moon in 1977, according to Dr. Wernher von Braun, world’s leading rocket expert, writing in Collier’s. The huge rocket ships—each higher than the Statue of Liberty—are en route to the moon from a space station erected years before in an orbit 1,075 miles above the earth. Trip will take five days. Only the two passenger rocket ships (upper left and on right) will carry sufficient fuel for the return trip from the moon to the space station’s orbit. The third vehicle (lower left) is the cargo ship carrying only enough fuel for the 240,00-mile moon trip and for landing. Aboard it will be supplies and equipment for a six-week stay on the lunar surface, and a lunar prefabricated base.”
Gorgeous color version:
www.graphicine.com/chelsea-bonestell-into-the-fire/
Specifically:
www.graphicine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/chelsea_bon...
Credit: Graphicine website - LOTS of beautiful space graphics can be seen at this really cool site.
The photograph (in color) was featured in the October 18, 1952 issue of Collier’s Magazine, page 58, with the caption:
"Landing on the moon. Ten minutes before touchdown, rocket motors are switched on to slow down ships’ high-speed fall caused by the moon’s gravity. Vehicles are maneuvering 550 miles above landing area known as Sinus Roris (Dewy Bay), dark plain above cargo ship in lower left."
50 years since man landed on the moon. The Apollo 15 landing site is just peaking out from the shadows on this image.
“The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Surveyor I photograph of the moon’s surface was transmitted to earth and received at NASA’s contracted Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Narrow-angle photograph of lunar horizon southwest of the Surveyor spacecraft. Line of large rounded blocks in foreground mark the rim of a large, ancient crater several hundreds of meters in diameter. The far rim of the crater can be seen on the horizon.”
Amazing imagery by Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter of the landing site. If the image is presented north/top, south/bottom, which I’d expect, the large crater referenced above is obvious and would appear to be to the southeast, not southwest of the spacecraft. In the interactive full-resolution image, it’s located nearly dead-center, 1/3 the width of the image in from the right:
Credit: LROC/Arizona State University School of Earth and Space Exploration website
Also:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/multimedia/lroimages/lroc_...
“Apollo 12 lunar module “Intrepid” appears at top of frame in photograph taken by Richard F. Gordon, command module pilot, as landing craft moves away from command module for landing on the Moon’s Ocean of Storms. Launched from KSC on November 14, 1969. Apollo 12 scored the United States’ second manned landing on the surface of the Moon.”
In this predominantly westward view, Herschel Crater is directly to the right of the LM. The two conspicuous craters to the lower right are Halley and Hind.
"Lunar Base"
Mid- to late 80's proposal/concept/contribution, possibly by Rockwell International, of a lunar oxygen production facility configuration. As part of a collaborative examination, assessment...or whatever, of a national strategy for prolonged, far reaching, sustainable exploration & exploitation of SPAAAAACE ? ? ?
I went with Rockwell because of the artist, Manuel E. Alvarez.
It has yet to happen. However, Sino-Soviet efforts will be interesting, alarming...and hopefully light a fire under the appropriate asses of U.S. 'decision' makers. If there are any left, that is.
You have before you Apollo 17, with the last moon rocket (Saturn-5). It is 1h00 a.m. EST. The rocket has just been released from the great tower of technical service(The roll-back of the Mobile Service Structure). This tower was transported by the crawler-platform transporter vehicule has the size of a football field. Right now, we hear a loud noise of this Crawler vehicule. Many working on the launch pad. This is a moment of science fiction. That is a reality and it's very impressive. Dan Beaumont report. SCAN AND REMASTERED by Dan Beaumont, (Pierre-Paul Beaumont photo). www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yIvOYFOm6c
One of aerospace artist Bob McCall's last works was a portrait of Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong. Called "The Real Right Stuff," the painting depicts Armstrong during his early NASA career when he was an X-15 research pilot at NASA's Flight Research Center, now the Dryden Flight Research Center. The painting was unveiled at NASA Dryden in November 2009. (NASA / Tony Landis) ED09-0320-03- McCall & finished Neil Armstrong Portrait "The Real Right Stuff" in McCall's Studio - September 7, 2009McCall Studios 4816 Moonlight Way Paradise Valley AZ 85253. www.youtube.com/user/MrDanBeaumont?feature=watch
“Full scale mockup of the NASA/Grumman Apollo Lunar Module (LM)”
An excellent photo (ca. 1967 - 69…maybe?) taken at the simulated lunar surface of Grumman’s Calverton, New York, plant.
Based on the font used in the white border description, I think this is an original Grumman published/distributed photograph.
The ‘astronauts’ look to be wearing International Latex Corporation's revised AX3H-024 --> A-4H suit. However, if so, and my guess at photo date (based on the LM configuration) is correct, why are they wearing ca. 1964/65 training suits? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Multiple handling ‘defects’ do not detract. The photo has retained a very high gloss. Based on the verso’s appearance, I believe it may have been either framed or mounted at some point.
This North American Rockwell artist's concept depicts the Apollo 13 Lunar Module (LM) descending to the Fra Mauro landing site as the Command and Service Module (CSM) remains in lunar orbit. Astronaut Thomas K. Mattingly II, the command module pilot, was to photograph the LM's descent from the CSM. For what was to be NASA's third lunar landing mission, astronauts James A. Lovell Jr., commander, and Fred W. Haise Jr., lunar module pilot, were to descend in the LM to explore the Moon.
Mattingly was bumped from the crew three days before launch after being exposed to German measles, with backup command module pilot John "Jack" Swigert taking his place.
Apollo 13 launched on April 11, 1970, with little fanfare. But two days into the mission, an oxygen tank onboard exploded, transforming Apollo 13 into a tense rescue mission that hinged on the ingenuity and grit of the crew, mission control, and NASA engineers.
Credit: NASA
Image Number: S70-31898
Date: March 20, 1970
Image from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Image from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Based on other similar depictions and the paltry documentation available, as part of a nuclear/‘S-N’ Apollo-like configuration, a lunar landing craft is depicted firing its engines to slow the vehicle, in order to place it into lunar orbit prior to landing. The engine is part of the “propulsion module”, which will be jettisoned after orbit has been achieved. The separation plane with it is visible immediately aft of the lander’s landing strut attachment points & reaction control system thrusters. Note also the naval vessel-like hatch & handle of the lander, with the step-rung/handrail combination down its side.
I believe this vehicle to be unmanned...there appear to be no windows. I think Astronauts using a Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) will land near it & then utilize it as a base for extended lunar surface operations. The presence of the solar panels atop the lander would seem to support this. I suppose it could also be a logistics/supply vehicle. But then the solar panels would seem to be unnecessary. That is, unless it would/could subsequently serve as a power augmentation/generation facility? Who knows, who cares…right?
8.5" x 11".
Another stunning Ludwik Źiemba influenced work by what I believe are protégés A. Saporito & J. Kramer, on behalf of the Lockheed Missiles & Space Company. Can you imagine if the other masterpieces in this series (and/or any others) somehow miraculously survived…somewhere.
What a gallery that would be.
One can dream.
“Lunar Lander and Mothership Dock Over Moon As Seen By Artist”
It’s of course undocking, in preparation for landing.
Another gorgeous depiction by Russell Arasmith. His distinctive style is so aesthetically appealing to me.
.... When the world marks the 50th anniversary of man's first landing on the moon, it will be paying tribute to American ingenuity and what arguably is one of that country's finest moments. But it was one of Canada's proudest moments too, in part to 30 Canadian technicians and engineers working at NASA, including James Chamberlin & Owen Maynard.
Many Canadians are unaware that their countrymen working at NASA were instrumental in delivering the Apollo 11 astronauts to the lunar surface on July 20, 1969 - and getting them safely back home to Earth. .... Ontario born, Owen Maynard (1924-2000) was one of Canada's top aircraft engineers before being hired by NASA in 1959. Maynard went on to head the Systems Engineering Division for the Apollo spacecraft program – effectively making him the chief engineer. He sketched early designs of the main Apollo command module and is credited as the person at NASA most responsible for the design of the lunar lander. He also served as Chief of the Mission Operations Division and was responsible for planning the sequence of missions that led to Apollo 11. .... British Columbia born, Jim Chamberlin (1915-1981) was a leading figure in aircraft design in Canada before moving to the U.S. in 1959 to work for NASA. He became head of engineering for Project Mercury, the first human spaceflight program for the United States, and project manager and chief designer for the Gemini spacecraft that preceded Apollo. He helped determine the type of spacecraft that would transport the Apollo 11 astronauts and was one of the first at NASA to recognize that flying directly to the moon wasn't the best option. Instead, Chamberlin favoured having a smaller landing module travel to lunar orbit attached to the main spacecraft, then descend to the moon's surface and later reconnect with the main spacecraft. This approach, known as lunar orbit rendezvous, became fundamental to the Apollo program ....
What looks to be the construction of a buried lunar base, as envisioned ca. 1958-61(?). Note the already emplaced node to the right, along with connective tunnel. It looks like it’s/they’re in the process of being covered with lunar regolith, to provide shielding from cosmic & solar radiation, and I assume, micrometeoroids. The crew compartments of the landers appear to serve as the nodes of the base.
I am really diggin’ the 360° clear canopy operator cabins of the tracked construction vehicles.
Although there’s no signature, my first thought was John Gorsuch. However, it also looks like it could conceivably be by Northrop Corporation’s enigmatic “Todd”. Whomever, it’s gorgeous. Zoom in and check out the meticulous detail.
At the bottom of the ladder, Neil Armstrong said "I'm going to step off the LEM now" (referring to the Apollo Lunar Module). He then turned and set his left boot on the surface and spoke the words "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind." The stamp captures that moment.
“MOON BOUND -- Apollo 10 spacecraft and lunar module move away from expended S-IVB stage and head for the distant moon. S-IVB, built by McDonnell Douglas Corporation for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), will fire for about five minutes to propel Apollo 10 out of parking orbit about the earth and into lunar trajectory at a velocity of approximately 24,200 m.p.h. (39,000 km.h.) The three Apollo 10 astronauts then will separate the command and service modules from the S-IVB and turn the spacecraft around to dock with the lunar module, attached to the forward end of the stage. Following separation of the three modules from the S-IVB, the depleted stage is scheduled to proceed past the moon and enter an orbit about the sun. As third stage of the giant Saturn V launch vehicle, the S-IVB fires first for about 2½-minutes, providing the final thrust to insert itself, the lunar module and spacecraft into parking orbit. Restart of the S-IVB follows orbital checkout of the stages and Apollo 10. McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company produces the S-IVB at its facility in Huntington Beach, California, and static fires the stage at its Sacramento, Test Center, Sacramento, California.”
Although the caption of this is 'personalized' to apply to Apollo 10, I believe it was used, and is applicable, to all of the lunar landing missions.