Grumman LM Development

[GregGleason]

 

[georgegassaway]

I recommend the book "Chariots for Apollo : The Untold Story Behind the Race to the Moon First " by Charles Pelligrino and Joshua Stoff. I have this book but it's in storage. With my recent work on a flying Lunar Module Quadcopter, I wish I could read it again. And in looking for used paperbacks, I found this, most are $4.00 with shipping, so I ordered one.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380802619/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Another option of course would be a library, see if they could get it on lend/loan from elsewhere if they do not have it.

There is also this NASA publication online for free..... with a similar title:

"Chariots for Apollo: A History of Manned Lunar Spacecraft"
By Courtney G Brooks, James M. Grimwood, Loyd S. Swenson
Published as NASA Special Publication-4205 in the NASA History Series, 1979.

Here is the link: https://history.nasa.gov/SP-4205/contents.html

HOWEVER, that one encompasses the whole Apollo Spacecraft program from before there was even the idea for Lunar Orbit Rendezvous. So while it does cover the LM too, it is not the primary focus of the book.

Here's an interesting drawing, from this web page: https://www.armaghplanet.com/blog/nasas-lunar-module-everything-you-need-to-know.html

It shows one of the earliest generic concepts for a LOR type lander when compared to the original idea of Earth Orbit Rendezvous (EOR using two Saturn-V launches) or "Direct" (needing a Nova) to land a CM/SM on the moon. It's a great comparison as to why LOR was such a much better way to do it.... if rendezvous could be done safely enough, and with extreme vehicle reliability to launch from the moon to the proper orbit (which was one of the biggest scary reasons, with many uncertainties, not to do so at that time).

The actual LM was bigger than that, perhaps that was sized for one astronaut (The Russian Lunar Lander was more akin to that size, with one Cosmonaut).

Here is a very early film from after LOR was chosen, which at 2:00 shows a hilariously silly way to get the LM, carried behind the CSM in the 3rd stage, up to the front of the CSM to "dock". Of course it was years before there was any real Rendezvous and docking (Gemini). Interestingly, this early Lunar Module shows the Ascent stage using the same engine as for landing, which was what the Russian lander design used.


[video=youtube;XsV1sMEzm-I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsV1sMEzm-I[/video]

 

[GregGleason]

I enjoyed this book ...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1588342735/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20



Greg

 

[georgegassaway]

I read Moon Lander too, also a great book. Wish I could find a used one really cheap like Chariots for Apollo. Tom Kelly was called the "Father of the Lunar Module".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_J._Kelly_(aerospace_engineer)

Here's a great video about the LM, from the "Moon Machines" documentary series:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Machines

[video=youtube;VhUGNaLgDJ8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhUGNaLgDJ8[/video]

Also this by Grumman in 1989, which is new to me:

[video=youtube;vjDdu7WzjQw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjDdu7WzjQw[/video]


Also for the heck of it, some LM construction pics.

 

[georgegassaway]

I've been checking out info on the LLRV (Lunar Lander Research Vehicle) and LLTV (trainer version). It used a jet engine on a gimbal to keep the engine vertical regardless of the pitch/roll angle of the vehicle. The engine produced thrust for 5/6 of the weight of the vehicle, so that with rocket engines providing the remaining 1/6 of vertical thrust (plus the thrust vectors in pitch and roll) it behaved like a vehicle flying in 1/6 gravity (like the moon's).

It was built by Bell. Grumman was not too keen on it at first, but it turned out to provide a lot of useful information about handling, control, computer flight control modes, and many other issues that Grumman was VERY pleased to get info on. After Grumman warmed up to it, it was also used for working out Astronaut / LM interface issues such as using the same physical controls and much of the same control panel flight information as the real LM would have. And the astronauts who landed on the moon said it was critical for learning how to land the real thing safely on the moon.

Though it was risky. Three of the vehicles crashed, all pilots ejected safely, including Neil Armstrong. Ironically it never crashed during the research phase, all three crashes were during astronaut training flights (vehicle problems, not pilot error)

Came across this video with footage I'd never seen before. Also a great explanation of how it worked.

[video=youtube;n9BvRSj2y5A]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9BvRSj2y5A[/video]

Also been reading a great monograph bout its history and development:

https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/LLRV_Monograph.pdf


And back to Grumman, here's a Familiarization Manual for LM-10 to LM-14, with all kinds of info.

https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a14/a14-43939523-LM10-LM14-Fam-Manual.pdf

 

[Kartman]

Ron Howard produced a great HBO series called "From the Earth to the Moon". All of the episodes are good but Episode 5 titled "Spider" is my favorite. It shows the struggles Tom Kelly and Grumman went through during the LEM development. The series is on DVD and has been remastered for digital TVs. I think I'll fire up my VHS player tonight

Tom

 

[GregGleason]

Ron Howard produced a great HBO series called "From the Earth to the Moon". All of the episodes are good but Episode 5 titled "Spider" is my favorite. It shows the struggles Tom Kelly and Grumman went through during the LEM development. The series is on DVD and has been remastered for digital TVs. I think I'll fire up my VHS player tonight

Tom

I think that's my favorite episode is well.

Greg

 

[Winston]

I read Moon Lander too, also a great book. Wish I could find a used one really cheap like Chariots for Apollo. Tom Kelly was called the "Father of the Lunar Module".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_J._Kelly_(aerospace_engineer)

Here's a great video about the LM, from the "Moon Machines" documentary series:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_Machines

[video=youtube;VhUGNaLgDJ8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhUGNaLgDJ8[/video]

I saw that when it was originally broadcast and recently bought a used DVD of it. A very good series, IMHO:

Moon Machines

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0026IQTR2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Saturn V: October 4th 1957, and the Russians take a huge leap forward in rocketry when they successfully launch Sputnik 1 - the world's first artificial satellite. Over the coming years the Soviets would continue to astound the world with their space achievements. America needs to respond - and quick! Command Module: We recount the story of the engineers who built the Apollo Command Module, a fully pressurised living space that would need to provide three men with food, water, air, power, communication, navigation and above all protection, to the moon and back.

Navigation: We tell the story of how a group of computer scientists grappled with the challenge of navigation of a round trip to the Moon back in the days when computer code and software hadn't been invented and computing power was a fraction of what it is today.

Lunar Module: The story of the engineers challenged with building what became affectionately called the Lunar Bug. A constant battle to meet the seemingly impossible demands of weight restrictions, the Lunar Module was one of the greatest engineering feats in history.

Suits: To survive outside of a spacecraft, an new space vehicle would be required - the spacesuit. Flexible enough to allow man to function, yet provide protection from the hostility of space. Two unlikely companies from the east coast took the challenge. Lunar Rover: In the final film in the series we reveal the untold story of how a very small group of engineers wont take no for an answer and convinces NASA to build what ultimately became the Lunar Rover. As with all the engineering during the Apollo program, the Lunar Rover - a spacecraft on wheels.