Transcript The Moon Race

The Moon Race
Summary
o Start of Race
o Causes
o Different Approaches
o United States Strategy
o Mercury / Gemini / Apollo
o How to get there.
o Soviet Union Strategy
o L3 Plan
o How to get there.
o Strategy Comparison
o Achievements and Disappointments
Start of Race
o United States is considered second to
the USSR for space-flight capabilities.
o USSR first for: satellite, man, woman,
spacewalk…
o President Kennedy’s challenge:
"...I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the
goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and
returning him safely to the Earth. No single space project in this
period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important in the
long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or
expensive to accomplish..."
o Single goal for US: put Man on Moon.
Start of Race
o USSR not accepting immediate
challenge:
o Khrushchev wants new and exciting
space events.
o Does not want to ally with the United
States for a Moon quest – fear of revealing
secret technologies.
o Focuses on permanent human presence
which leads to Salyut missions; Cold War
purpose as well.
United States Strategy
United States Strategy
o Apollo program initially supposed to be
Earth orbital flights; after Kennedy’s speech,
new plans laid out.
o Mercury:
o Study human space-flight capabilities.
o Gemini:
o Study long term space-flight effects.
o Development of space navigation – dockings,
meetings, two-manned crafts.
o Apollo:
o Moon Lander and orbiter tests.
o Tri-manned crafts.
United States Strategy
Mercury
Gemini
Apollo
United States Strategy
o Before man, robots.
o Pioneer: film the Moon
surface while orbiting.
All 3 fail, fourth becomes
a solar satellite instead.
o Rangers:
o Goal is to land. Fourth
probe lands 1962, three
years after the Soviets.
o New goal: to crash land
and “snap before death.”
United States Strategy
o Surveyor:
o Goal to soft land
and determine land
composition
o Lunar Orbiter Project –
Map out Moon using
pictures and mapping
99% of Moon.
o Conclusion:
Astronauts can walk on the Moon.
United States Strategy
o Mercury
o Sub-orbital and orbital flights to test
human capabilities to work in space.
o First two flights sub-orbital, last four orbital,
lasting longer periods (from 3 orbits to 22
½ orbits.)
o Single manned spacecrafts.
o Tested two different rocket types,
o Tested heat-shield technologies.
o Only six men launched into space.
United States Strategy
o Gemini
o Only two days and six hours of manned
spaceflight recorded for the United States
after Mercury Project, although Kennedy
already declared the race to the Moon:
need a step in between to learn more
and prepare.
o Primary purpose to demonstrate space
rendezvous and docking techniques.
o Two manned spacecrafts.
o 16 Astronauts.
United States Strategy
o Apollo
o To collect Moon samples.
o Place scientific experiments on surface of
another celestial body.
o Test whether or not humans can work on
other world.
o 12 astronauts leave foot prints.
o Program that introduced first loss of US
lives for space – Apollo 1.
United States Strategy
o Build the Saturn V
rocket, largest launch
vehicle to ever leave
Earth’s atmosphere, 1968.
o Lunar Module (LEM / LM)
first flight in Jan 1968.
o Command Module built
in 1966 – Apollo 1 fire in
1967 causes redesign.
o Both spacecraft link and form an internal
tunnel inside the spacecraft for astronauts
to move about the cabin.
United States Strategy
United States Strategy
United States Strategy
United States Strategy
o Plan agreed upon is known as the
Lunar Orbit Rendezvous:
o Launch from Cape Canaveral, FL
(Kennedy today.)
o In Earth orbit, dock two spacecrafts.
o Three to four day trip to Moon.
o Burn phase where spacecraft enters Moon
gravity field.
o Separation of spacecrafts.
United States Strategy
o LEM descent to Moon.
o CM Orbits Moon.
o LEM Ascension back to dock with CM.
o Jettison of LEM in lunar orbit.
o CM return to Earth and lands in Ocean.
United States Strategy
United States Strategy
o Lunar orbit procedure:
oTwo of the three astronauts travel down
the tunnel into the Lunar Module.
oBoth ships separate, LEM starts descent.
oCM pilot orbits Moon while other
teammates walk on Moon.
oLEM launches from Moon surface and
docks with CM.
oBoth tunnel hatches re-opened, crew
travels back to CM.
oExit of Moon orbit, back for Earth.
United States Strategy
United States Strategy
United States Strategy
o To expand exploration radius on
Moon, NASA developed Moon Rover:
United States Strategy
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Apollo 7: CM test flight around Earth.
Apollo 8: First human orbit around Moon.
Apollo 9: LEM test flight around Earth.
Apollo 10: LEM test flight around Moon.
Apollo 11: First human footprint on Moon.
Apollo 12: Moon landing.
Apollo 13: Explosion inside Service Module –
Mission Cancelled.
o Apollo 14: Moon Landing.
o Apollo 15, 16, 17: Moon landing and Rover.
Soviet Union Strategy
Soviet Union Strategy
o Soviets aim for the Moon soon after
Sputnik success, 1959.
o Soviets begin designing
their rocket, the N1, before
Kennedy’s challenge.
o Military wants ICBMs instead
o Korolev, Chief Designer,
convinces Khrushchev to fund Moon
program in 1964.
o Lunar Project called L3 Project: land
cosmonauts on Moon.
Soviet Union Strategy
o Project LK-1 to send cosmonauts
around Moon.
o Tight infighting within the space
program.
o Different booster quarrels brings delays
and gambles.
o Kuznetsov, booster builder, does not
test first stages of rocket.
o Khrushchev gone in 1964: LK-1
cancelled.
Soviet Union Strategy
o Before man, robots.
o Luna Program: 1959 to 1976
o Luna 2: 1st Moon impact
o Luna 3: Flyby, first far-side view.
o Luna 7, 8: Impact
o Luna 9: Moon landing, Feb 1966
o Luna 10, 11, 12, 14: Lunar orbiter
o Luna 16: Sample return to
Earth, Sept 1970
o Luna 17: Moon rover, Nov 1970
Soviet Union Strategy
o N-1 is launch vehicle.
o LOK = Command Module.
o LK = Lunar Module.
o LOK is a slightly modified Soyuz
spacecraft, still in use today by
Russia.
Soviet Union Strategy
o Soviet Plan to Reach Moon:
o The N1 rocket delivers the spacecraft system
into the low-Earth orbit.
o Both spaceships connect.
o 3 to 4 -day flight between the Earth and the
Moon.
o One cosmonaut transfers from the LOK
spacecraft to the LK lander, during an EVA.
o LK spacecraft separates from the LOK spacecraft
and heads for Moon.
o Engine firings onboard the LK lander provides for
a soft-landing on the Moon surface.
Soviet Union Strategy
o Engine firing provides for the liftoff of the
LK ascent stage from the lunar surface
and reaching lunar orbit.
o The spacecrafts dock.
o The cosmonaut transfers from the LK
lander to the LOK spacecraft during a
spacewalk.
o LOK capsule separates from living
module, reenters Earth atmosphere and
lands somewhere in Soviet Union.
Soviet Union Strategy
Soviet Union Strategy
Soviet Union Strategy
Summary Comparison
Summary Comparison
USA
o Official declaration
from US leaders.
o Three astronauts.
o Internal connection
between ships.
o Need to test new
space travel
techniques.
USSR
o No official
acceptance of
program.
o No concrete
program.
o Two astronauts.
o No internal
connection between
ships.
Summary Comparison
USA
o New designs for
spacecrafts.
USSR
o Already pioneered
space travel tech.
o Use of old available
technologies.
Summary Comparison
Both
o 8 loop to Moon.
o Capsules.
o Docking ships.
o Tall, several staged rockets.
o Lander designs similar.
Achievements
Achievements
United States
Neil Armstrong - Buzz Aldrin
Michael Collins
Apollo 11
July 20, 1969
Achievements
United States
Achievements
United States
o First manned orbit of the Moon, Apollo
8.
o First landing on the Moon and man on
Moon, Apollo 11.
o First vehicle with wheels on Moon, and
first vehicle to be driven by man on
Moon.
o Achieved within time limit imposed by
Kennedy, even after his assassination.
Achievements
Soviet Union
o First to:
Robotic
Probes
o Flyby the Moon.
o Impact on the Moon.
o Snap pictures of the far side of the Moon.
o Land on the Moon.
o Land automatic Rover.
Drawbacks
Drawbacks
United States
o Apollo 1 astronauts Gus Grissom,
Roger Chaffee and Ed White die during
test.
o Apollo 13: “Successful failure.”
o $136 billion for Apollo project.
Drawbacks
Soviet Union
o Robotic determination not present for
manned spaceflights.
o Kuznetsov does not test first stages of
N-1 rocket – results in all three tests to
fail.
o Rockets explode on launch pad or while
in the air.
o It takes time to convince the Soviet
government to fund Moon project,
loosing precious time in the race.
Drawbacks
Soviet Union
o Soviet government changes in 1964,
and Moon race, behind Americans,
looks less and less promising.
o Military still not interested in Moon –
they’re happy about Salyut.
o First Soyuz fails: capsule to bring
Soviets to the Moon does not work,
more delays.
Drawbacks
Soviet Union
o Failure of all N-1 launches.
o Lack of support from government.
o Soyuz spacecraft inability to function.
o Americans already on the Moon.
o No purpose for military
o All of these lead to cancellation of
project.
Drawbacks
Soviet Union
o Cancellation of project meant they
would have to accept failure. Did the
Soviets want that?
o No : they destroy remaining N-1 spare
parts, launch pads and lock up designs to
go for the Moon into classified folders,
some of which still haven’t re-emerged.
Fun Facts
Fun Facts
o The Apollo 8 spacecraft and booster
contained some 15 million parts. If
those parts had been 99.9 percent
reliable, there still would have been
15,000 failures. But it had only five
failures, all in noncritical parts.
o NASA had been worried that moondust
might explode on contact with
oxygen, and considered having its
astronauts wear suits for the rest of their
trips.
Fun Facts
o Apollo 13 launched at 13:13 and the
explosion occurred on April 13.
o When the Apollo 12 astronauts landed
on the moon, the impact caused the
Moon's surface to vibrate for 55
minutes.
o The Soviets wanted to beat the
Americans in bringing back the first
lunar soil with Luna 15, which crashed
on the Moon while the Apollo 11
astronauts were still on the Moon.
Fun Facts
o Moon Hoax
o No stars on pictures? That’s normal, look
at the stars in Time Square.
o The pictures are perfect: how? Practice,
plus the fact that NASA has thousands of
pictures from the Moon.
o C Rock
o Why do Americans only call the Moon
Hoax? The Soviet Union should be all over
NASA if it were untrue.
Just to Conclude
o USA wins race to the Moon, although
the Soviets at the time denied being
part of an effort to get to the Moon.
o Soviets don’t admit heading for the Moon
until the mid 1980s.
o First time we walk on the Moon is July
20, 1969 – Apollo 11 crew is Neil
Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael
Collins.
o Both nations had similar vision to get to
the Moon – but different politicians.
Game Time
Game
1. Which President was the first to
suggest landing on the Moon?
a. President Eisenhower
b. President Kennedy
c. President Nixon
d. President Bush (jr.)
Game
2. Which mission first orbited the Moon?
a. Apollo 8
b. Apollo 9
c. Apollo 11
d. Apollo 13
Game
3. What did the Soviet military want
instead of a Moon race?
a. New tanks.
b. New SAMs.
c. New submarines.
d. New ICBMs.
Game
4. When did we first walk on the Moon?
a. June 20, 1968
b. June 20, 1969
c. July 20, 1968
d. July 20, 1969