Word: lm
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...batteries of Antares' ascent stage, which would take the astronauts off the moon. The reading was only three-tenths of a volt lower than normal; yet mission controllers felt that it might be a sign of more serious trouble-a leakage in the LM's critical electrical circuitry, for example. That too could have barred a moon landing. Happily, a subsequent check by Mitchell, who holds a doctorate in astronautics from M.I.T., showed that the battery had suffered no further deterioration. Vastly relieved, Apollo Program Director Rocco Petrone said in Houston: "We haven't seen anything...
Exasperated, Mission Control radioed one more suggestion. Roosa was told to close in slowly on the LM, then fire his small control rockets, or thrusters, to give the command ship a sudden forward jolt. Simultaneously, he was to retract the recalcitrant probe. That way, he could eliminate the nonworking piece of equipment from the operation; the astronauts would rely instead on the two mated collars on each ship to make a so-called "hard" dock. Not only did the two collars lock, but the balky latches also sprang loose and caught...
...like petals of a flower, righted itself and exposed its TV camera and transmitter. Luna 16 was a far more sophisticated instrument. Although the Soviets revealed few details, Western space experts believe that the spacecraft that descended to the lunar surface weighed about a ton (compared with the Apollo LM's 8 tons); it was braked first by its main engine and then in the last few yards of descent by smaller thrusters. The landing operation on the Sea of Fertility, an unexplored portion of the moon about 200 miles east of Apollo 11 's landing site...
...next maneuver was particularly critical. When the earth and moon were in proper alignment, Luna 16's upper-stage rocket was ignited, hurtling the 900-to-1,000-lb. package into an arcing trajectory back toward earth. The lower stage, a four-legged vehicle vaguely resembling the LM's descent stage, remained behind and continued to take temperature and radiation readings. What made the blast-off procedure so important was that Russian designers-probably because of severe weight restrictions made necessary by the limited thrust of their booster rocket-had apparently not built into the spacecraft any capability...
About 30,000 miles from earth, the astronauts began preparing for their final separation maneuver. Climbing into Odyssey, they switched on its oxygen tanks and batteries and sealed the hatch shut. Then the crew exploded the small bolts connecting the command module with the LM. Propelled by the release of air in the connecting tunnel, the Aquarius drifted rapidly away, its lifeboat function reliably and amply fulfilled. "LM jettison," reported Apollo 13. "O.K.," replied Mission Control. "Farewell, Aquarius, and we thank...