WATCH THE BULLSHEETERY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oaJmgm8hs4
The Apollo 11 mission was a masterclass in modular engineering, utilizing a multi-stage Saturn V rocket and a three-part spacecraft to reach the Moon and return safely.
1. Launch Vehicle: The Saturn V Stages
The Saturn V rocket, standing 363 feet tall, used three distinct stages to push the crew out of Earth's atmosphere:
• S-IC (First Stage): Ignited at liftoff, burning for about 2.5 minutes to reach an altitude of 42 miles (67 km). It then fell into the Atlantic Ocean.
• S-II (Second Stage): Took over for roughly 6 minutes, accelerating the craft through the upper atmosphere before being jettisoned.
• S-IVB (Third Stage): This stage performed two critical burns. The first placed the spacecraft into Earth orbit; the second, known as Translunar Injection (TLI), propelled the crew toward the Moon.
2. The Spacecraft Modules
Once on its way to the Moon, the Apollo 11 spacecraft consisted of three primary modules:
• Command Module (Columbia): The pressurized living quarters for the three astronauts and the only part to return to Earth.
• Service Module: Attached to the Command Module, it provided power, oxygen, and the main engine for lunar orbit maneuvers.
• Lunar Module (Eagle): The two-part craft designed for the Moon's surface:
◦ Descent Stage: Used its engine to land Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the Moon. It remains at the Tranquility Base today.
◦ Ascent Stage: The "cabin" that launched off the Moon's surface to rejoin Michael Collins in orbit. It was jettisoned after the crew transferred back to Columbia.
◦ National Air and Space Museum
+4
3. Mission Timeline Stages
• Translunar Coast: A three-day journey where the crew performed the "transposition, docking, and extraction" maneuver to pull the Lunar Module out of the Saturn V's third stage.
• Lunar Descent: A 12-minute powered descent ending in the historic landing on July 20, 1969, at 4:17 PM EDT.
• Surface Operations: Armstrong and Aldrin spent about 21 hours on the surface, including a 2.5-hour extravehicular activity (EVA) to collect samples.
• Transearth Injection & Return: The Service Module engine fired to send the Command Module back to Earth, culminating in a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969.
atmospheric re-entry. The journey to the Moon took about three days.
Apollo 11 traveled to the Moon at speeds up to approximately 25,000 mph
to break free of Earth's orbit, slowing down to around 2,000–3,000 mph as it reached lunar gravity. During the return, the spacecraft accelerated to roughly 25,000 mph again for atmospheric re-entry. The journey to the Moon took about three days.
***HOW DID THEY ACHIEVE A SPEED OF 25,000mph? That's 14x faster than a bullet!
HOW DID THEY SLOW DOWN IN THE VACUUM OF SPACE??
The Apollo 11 mission took approximately 4 days, 6 hours, and 45 minutes to reach the Moon, with the total round trip lasting 8 days, 3 hours, and 18 minutes from launch to splashdown. The crew departed Earth on July 16, 1969, and splashed down on July 24, 1969.
- Outbound Journey: Approximately 76 hours (about 3 days).
- Return Journey: Approximately 60 hours (about 2.5 days).
- Total Mission Time: 195 hours, 18 minutes, 35 seconds.
- Time on Lunar Surface: 21.6 hours.
The crew spent a total of 2.5 days in lunar orbit before beginning their return journey to Earth.
- Launch (July 16, 1969): The Saturn V rocket lifted off from Kennedy Space Center, placing the crew into Earth orbit before executing a "trans-lunar injection" to head toward the Moon.
- Translunar Coast: For three days, the crew traveled to the Moon, during which the command/service module Columbia docked with the lunar module Eagle.
- The Apollo 11 Command/Service Module (CSM) Columbia orbited the Moon at a speed of approximately 1.6 km/s (roughly 3,600 mph or 4.7x the speed of sound). It maintained this speed in a low lunar orbit (approx. 60 miles or 100 km altitude) while waiting for the Lunar Module to ascend from the surface. Columbia and Eagle docked at 3,600 mph or 4.7x the speed of sound.
- Lunar Orbit & Separation: Upon reaching the Moon, the combined spacecraft entered orbit. Armstrong and Aldrin entered the Eagle and separated from Collins, who remained in Columbia.
- Descent & Landing (July 20, 1969): The Eagle landed at the "Tranquility Base," with Armstrong taking manual control to avoid a boulder-strewn crater.
- Moonwalk (EVA): Armstrong and Aldrin spent over 2 hours exploring, collecting 47.5 pounds (21.5 kg) of lunar material, taking photos, and setting up experiments.
- Lunar Liftoff (July 21, 1969): Using the Eagle's descent stage as a launchpad, the crew lifted off from the Moon to rejoin Collins in orbit.
- Return Voyage: After docking, the astronauts transferred to Columbia, jettisoned the Eagle, and began the "trans-Earth injection" burn for the return trip.
- Re-entry & Splashdown (July 24, 1969): Columbia re-entered Earth's atmosphere at 25,000 mph, shielded by its heat shield, before parachuting into the Pacific Ocean.
- Quarantine: The crew was retrieved by the USS Hornet and immediately placed in a mobile quarantine facility to prevent potential lunar contamination.
