Did man really go to the moon? (page 13)

Watched the flight of Apollo 17 from the ropes in front of the Vertical Assembly Building. The thunder of the main engines rattled off the building a mile away behind our backs. Early in December listened to a talk with one of the three astronauts as he recounted his geological explorations. In geology classes examined the rocks.

Have run into astronauts at conferences from time to time and have worked with them as well. Same with cosmonauts. Later talked and worked with Russian engineers on the space station project. They worked as well on going to the moon and never doubted that we arrived. We acknowledged each others' accomplishments.

But I suppose you could say that even though they didn't reach the moon, except with robots, they must have been on the conspiracy too.

In participating in the Shuttle program, participated in the guidance, navigation and control design and formulation of the vehicle. That work meant going back to the Apollo work rather than start from scratch. In preparation for a return to the moon a dozen years or so back, again engaged in many calculations of the flight as well as some proposed layout of new craft. As far as the path between Earth and moon, what would once have been done on a main frame computer over night, I would sometimes be doing in a few minutes on a lap top, using some code adapted from other projects. When you do the calculations that way and aiming for an orbital capture or an entry return, you can appreciate the value of mid course corrections.

When the lunar flights were over some of the Apollo astronauts hung around to design, test and fly the Space Shuttle. I remember one of them who one day almost to my apartment house parking space, I accidentally almost ran over his dog.

On that particular night 45 years ago of Apollo 17s launch, you could see the first, second and third stage burns heading off to the east. The first stage burned orange, the second two burned white with the clouds of steam formed by hydrogen hydrogen fuel instead of kerosene when burned with LOX.

Watched the broadcast back to earth for hours and hours in real time.

There are images as well from US and other nation's lunar orbiters of where the spacecraft landed. Harrison Schmitt pointed them out in a photo in his talk.

Of course, you don't have to believe any of this. And I'm not going to tell you whether any of the lunar astronauts went to the moon or not.

Did man really go to the moon?

Fisherman

kepler

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