Image credit: NASA GRC
Image source: NASA Images
The Bug
Tag: Lunar Lander
Landing Sequence
Scale Model
Lunar Liftoff
- Mariner IV determined that Mars’ atmosphere is only 1 to 2 percent of the Earth’s in density. This may mean that future manned spacecraft to Mars must employ the same landing technique – retro rockets – as the ones which will be used by the Apollo lunar ship.
- Artist’s drawing of interplanetary explorers maintaining contact through the use of small radio equipment. This particular transmitter is also designed to transmit data concerning the condition of the astronaut and the functioning of his suit.
Mars: Planet for Conquest
by Erik Bergaust
G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1967
Image source: Numbers Station
Ascent Stage
Źiemba and Collopy
Lunar Liftoff
LM Derived Vehicles
Assembly of The Moonships
Weightless in orbit 1,075 miles above earth, workers in space assemble three moon ships. Hawaiian Islands lie below. Winged transports unload near wheel-shaped space station top left. Engineers and equipment cluster around cargo ship lower left, passenger ship center and right.
Man on the Moon
Collier’s, October 18,1952
Image credit: Colliers
Image source: AIAA Houston
The Journey
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.
Man on the Moon
Collier’s, October 18,1952
Image credit: Colliers
Image source: AIAA Houston
S-83-28321
S83-28321 (14 March 1983) — In this artist’s concept of future lunar operations, a lunar ferry is about to burn out of lunar orbit for the trip back to facilities in low Earth orbit. The ferry vehicle carries tank modules filled with liquid oxygen, which has been produced from mining operations on the surface of the Moon. One possibility for such operations would be to have manned facilities in low lunar orbit, such as illustrated here. At the upper right side of the photo is a small orbiting manned station. At the lower right side of the photo is a liquid oxygen propellant dump, to which a lunar landing vehicle carrying liquid oxygen is about to dock. The lunar ferry vehicle itself is representative of one type of aerobraking system. The balloon-like torus around the center of the ferry-craft would inflate to several times its illustrated size and, once the vehicle has swooped down close to the Earth’s outer atmosphere on the return journey, would use atmospheric drag to slow the craft and place itself in low Earth orbit. The liquid oxygen would then be used in operations there for fueling various vehicles, including an orbital transfer vehicle for trips to geosynchronous Earth orbit. This concept is part of a study done for the Johnson Space Center by Eagle Engineering of Houston. The artist was Pat Rawlings.
Image credit: Eagle Engineering
Image source: Internet Archive
Orbiting Lunar Station
Image credit: NASA GRC
Image source: National Archives
