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BOAC
18th Jul 2009, 08:00
Begging JT's permission..... some amazing pics here (http://www.pprune.org/jet-blast/381699-yes-we-did.html#post5068159)

Max Angle
18th Jul 2009, 10:20
Great pictures, of course the doubters will still no believe it. An appropriate time to consider what an amazing piece of work the LEM was, by the far the most technically challenging piece of hardware the US had to to develop for the Apollo program and a real masterpiece of engineering.

john_tullamarine
18th Jul 2009, 10:56
Begging JT's permission

They transited the atmosphere on the way to the moon .. close enough to aviation and piloting for Tech Log ...

of course the doubters will still no believe it

All done out behind Lone Ranger rock as I recall ?

An appropriate time to consider what an amazing piece of work the LEM was

and the product of computers not any better than a good pocket calculator ...

Cacophonix
18th Jul 2009, 12:07
and the product of computers not any better than a good pocket calculator ...


The computer systems involved in the Apollo 11 mission, main guidance computer on the Command Module and the one on the LEM, combined had far less processing power than a basic modern mobile phone. They both worked well and many ways can be regarded as the predecessors of the modern fly by wire systems in use today.

From NASA history

With a lunar orbit rendezvous mission, more than one computer would be required, since both the CM and the lunar excursion module (LEM) needed on-board computers for the guidance and navigation function. The CM's computer would handle the translunar and transearth navigation and the LEM's would provide for autonomous landing, ascent, and rendezvous guidance.
Ch2-3 (http://history.nasa.gov/computers/Ch2-3.html)

M.I.T. Apollo Guidance Computer (http://ed-thelen.org/comp-hist/vs-mit-apollo-guidance.html)