Part 3 (F)
Man Circles the Moon, the Eagle Lands, and Manned Lunar Exploration
October through December 1969
1969
October
1969
November
1969
December
October 3
An exchange of correspondence that had begun in April
formalized the suggestion that a series of handbooks on the "lessons learned"
from the Apollo program should be prepared as an aid to future programs.
Ltrs., Samuel C. Phillips, NASA Hq., to George M. Low, MSC, April 30, 1969;
Low to Phillips, May 5, 1969; memos, Low to Director of Flight Operations,
"Apollo experience reports," Sept. 23, 1969; Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., MSC, to
distr., "Documentation of FOD Apollo experience," Oct. 3, 1969.
October 6
Program responsibility for the Saturn launch vehicles was
divided, at the Headquarters level, between the Apollo Program Office and the
Apollo Applications Program. Overall responsibility for the Saturn V remained
with the Apollo Program Office, while overall responsibility for the Saturn IB
vehicle was assigned to Apollo Applications.
Memorandum of Understanding between the Apollo and Apollo Applications
Program Offices on Saturn Vehicle Management Interfaces, signed Rocco A.
Petrone, APO, Oct. 6, 1969, and William C. Schneider, AAP, Oct. 13, 1969.
October 10
Major milestones were reached for extending astronauts'
staytime on the moon and increasing their mobility for the Apollo 16-20
missions. Modifications in the A7L spacesuit incorporating improved waist
mobility were authorized, and letter contract authority for the portable life
support system secondary life support system was approved.
Minutes of Manned Space Flight Management Council Meeting, Oct. 15, 1969.
October 12
A portion of the Apollo 12 mission would be devoted to an
examination of Surveyor III and recovery of its TV camera and
thermal-switch glass mirror fragments, MSC announced. Recovery of the glass
fragments was important to Jet Propulsion Laboratory, to provide data for
designing thermal switches for the Mercury-Venus Mariners to be flown in 1973.
However, recovery of the splinters could easily cause cuts and leaks in the
astronauts' gloves; extreme caution would be required. The following procedures
were recommended: use of a line during the initial solo descent into the
Surveyor III crater, to determine the footing and climbing
situation before both crewmen descended into the crater, and recovery of
thermal-switch glass fragments by a suitable tool such as tweezers, to prevent
glove damage.
Memo, James A. McDivitt, MSC, to distr., "Apollo 12 Surveyor III safety
review and recommendation," Oct. 18, 1969; Apollo 12 Surveyor III Safety Report,
Oct. 10, 1969.
October 21
Apollo 12 film from the onboard cameras would be delivered in
two batches to the Lunar Receiving Laboratory for decontamination within 24 to
36 hours after recovery, MSC reported. Decontamination was expected to take an
additional 47 hours for each batch. Film would then be released for processing
at the Photographic Technology Laboratory. Photography containing earth views
would be prepared at once, but would not be released until authorized by the MSC
Director. The flight crew logs would be photographically copied from outside the
crew reception area of the LRL using procedures previously developed and agreed
on. Original logs would be retained within the crew recovery area during the
quarantine period, after which they would be picked up by the flight crew.
Memo, Donald D. Arabian, MSC, to Chief, Photographic Technology Laboratory,
"Photographic processing and distribution requirements for Apollo 12 (AS-507)
mission and scientific photography," Oct. 21, 1969.
October 22
The Flight Crew Operations Directorate expressed opposition
to a major effort to develop a lunar flyer until after the Apollo 16 mission.
Plans for Apollo flights 12 through 16 required that the LM be maneuvered to
landings at various points of scientific interest on the lunar surface, and
experience from Apollo 11 and partial gravity simulators indicated
the crews would be able to accomplish their surface EVA tasks for these missions
without the aid of a mobility device.
Memo, Donald K. Slayton, MSC, to Director of Engineering and Development,
"Lunar flyer studies," Oct. 22, 1969.
October 27
MSC Flight Operations informed the Apollo 12 commander that
records could be set in a number of areas on the Apollo 12 mission. MSC planned
to file claims with the Fdration Aronautique Internationale for:
Class records for a lunar mission
- Duration of a lunar mission.
- Duration of stay in lunar orbit.
- Duration of stay on lunar surface.
- Duration of stay in spacecraft on lunar surface.
- Duration of stay outside spacecraft on lunar surface.
Absolute
world record
- Duration of stay outside spacecraft on lunar surface.
Memo, Sigurd
A. Sjoberg, MSC, to the Apollo 12 Commander, "World Space Flight Records for the
Apollo 12 Mission," Oct. 27, 1969.
October 28
A lunar roving vehicle (LRV) cost-plus-incentive-fee contract
was awarded to the Boeing Co. LRV-1 was scheduled for delivery on April 1, 1971,
leaving only 17 months for vehicle development, production, and tests. The LRV
project was managed at MSFC by Saverio F. Morea as a project within the Saturn
Program Office. The Boeing Company would manage the LRV project in Huntsville,
Ala., under Henry Kudish. General Motors Corp. AC Electronics Defense Research
Laboratories in Santa Barbara, Calif., would furnish the mobility system
(wheels, motors, and suspension). The Boeing Go. in Seattle, Wash., would
furnish the electronics and navigation system. Vehicle testing would take place
at the Boeing facility in Kent, Wash., and the chassis manufacturing and overall
assembly would take place at the Boeing facility in Huntsville, Ala.
Memo, James A. McDivitt, MSC, to distr., "Lunar Roving Vehicle," Nov. 1,
1969; NASA OMSF, "Manned Space Flight Weekly Report - November 3, 1969."
October 30
The Interagency Committee on Back Contamination made the
following decisions regarding Apollo 12. The biological isolation garment would
not be used. A biological mask and flight suit would be used instead. (See entry
of September 17, 1969.) Sterilization of flight film was eliminated. Data tapes
would be sterilized if required before the release of samples. The command
module would not be decontaminated unless access for postflight testing was
required before the sample release date of January 7, 1970.
Memos, Richard C. Johnston, MSC, to distr., "Minutes of ICBC Meeting of
October 30, 1969"; Johnston to Director of Medical Research and Operations and
Director of Science and Applications, "ICBC Meeting," Oct. 7, 1969.
The spacecraft walk-down team, established
by ASPO in July in an effort to stem the increased number of human errors found
in flight hardware, made a walkaround inspection of CSM-110 (Apollo 14
hardware). (See entry of July 8, 1969.) Cooperation of North American Rockwell
and the Resident Apollo Spacecraft Program Office was excellent during the
preparation and implementation of the inspection. No significant discrepancies
were found by the inspection team during the several hours of inspection.
Memo, Scott H. Simpkinson, MSC, to ASPO Command and Service Modules Manager,
"Action items resulting from CSM-110 engineering walkaround inspection," Nov.
10, 1969.
November 3
Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., MSC Director of Flight Operations,
suggested that an in-house review reevaluate the Apollo secondary life support
system, because of its complexity and cost of development, and at the same time
reexamine the possibilities of an expanded oxygen purge system using identical
concepts.
Memo, Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., MSC, to James A McDivitt, MSC, "SLSS," Nov.
3, 1969.
November 4
Provision of a thermometer that could be attached to the
ALSEP for the Apollo 13 mission, to take a reading of the lunar surface soil
temperature, was being considered at MSC.
Memo, James A. McDivitt, MSC, to Robert A. Gardiner, MSC, "Lunar surface
temperatures," Nov. 4, 1969.
November 4-7
Preparations for a November 14 launch of Apollo 12
continued on schedule. Final lunar surface simulations with the crew, network,
and Mission Control Center were completed on November 4. The instrument-unit
command system, with a replacement transponder and decoder, was successfully
retested and in-place repair of four LM-6 circuit breakers was completed, also
on November 4. The recovery quarantine equipment and mobile quarantine facility
completed checkout for shipment to the recovery ship on November 7. The final
consumable analysis showed positive margins for all phases of the mission. Also,
on November 7, the countdown to launch began at KSC (T minus 98 hours). A
31-hour hold was scheduled for November 8 with the count resuming at 9:00 a.m.
November 9 (T minus 84 hours). The hold was designed to avoid premium wage cost.
NASA OMSF, "Manned Space Flight Weekly Report - November 10, 1969."
November 6
In an exchange of correspondence between MSFC and MSC concern
was expressed over the weight growth of the lunar roving vehicle (LRV) and its
payload. As a result, a recommendation was made that MSFC manage the weight of
the LRV and MSC the payload weight.
Ltrs., Saverio F. Morea, MSFC, to James A. McDivitt, MSC, "LRV Weight
Growth," Nov. 6, 1969; McDivitt to Roy E. Godfrey, MSFC, Dec. 12, 1969.
November 10
At the request of the Apollo 12 crew, the internal primary
guidance and navigational control system targeting for descent was being changed
so that the automatic guidance would land LM-6 at Surveyor III
rather than at a point offset 305 meters east and 153 meters north as originally
planned.
Memo, James A. McDivitt, MSC, to distr., "Apollo 12 PGNCS descent targeting
is being changed," Nov. 10, 1969; TWX, McDivitt to C. Lee and R. Sheridan, NASA
Hq., Nov. 4, 1969.
November 10
NASA announced the resignation of Associate Administrator
for Manned Space Flight George E. Mueller effective December 10. In December
Charles W. Mathews was named Acting Associate Administrator for Manned Space
Flight until a successor for Mueller was appointed.
Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1969 (NASA SP-4014, 1970), pp.
368, 405; NASA News Release 69-151; NASA Announcement, Dec. 11, 1969.
November 13
President Nixon nominated George M. Low, former Apollo
Spacecraft Program Manager at MSC, as NASA Deputy Administrator. Low had been
with the space program since 1949, when he joined NACA. The Senate confirmed the
nomination on November 26. (See also entries of September 25 and December 3,
1969.)
Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Service,
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Nov. 17, 1969, p.
1597; Congressional Record, Nov. 26, 1969, pp. S15140, D1126.
November 14-24
Apollo 12 (AS-507)-with astronauts Charles
Conrad, Jr., Richard F. Gordon, Jr., and Alan L. Bean as the crewmen-was
launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, KSC, at 11:22 a.m. EST November 14.
Lightning struck the space vehicle twice, at 36.5 seconds and 52 seconds into
the mission. The first strike was visible to spectators at the launch site. No
damage was done. Except for special attention given to verifying all spacecraft
systems because of the lightning strikes, the activities during earth-orbit
checkout, translunar injection, and translunar coast were similar to those of
Apollo 10 and Apollo 11 (see entries of May 18-26 and
July 16-24, 1969).
During the translunar coast astronauts Conrad and Bean transferred to the LM
one-half hour earlier than planned in order to obtain full TV coverage through
the Goldstone tracking station. The 56-minute TV transmission showed excellent
color pictures of the CSM, the intravehicular transfer, the LM interior, the
earth, and the moon.
At 10:47 p.m. EST, November 17, the spacecraft entered a lunar orbit of 312.6
x 115.9 kilometers. A second service propulsion system burn circularized the
orbit with a 122.5-kilometer apolune and a 100.6-kilometer perilune. Conrad and
Bean again transferred to the LM, where they perfomed housekeeping chores, a
voice and telemetry test, and an oxygen purge system check. They then returned
to the CM.
Conrad and Bean reentered the LM, checked out all systems, and at 10:17 p.m.
EST on November 18 fired the reaction control system thrusters to separate the
CSM 108 (the Yankee Clipper) from the LM-6 (the
Intrepid). At 1:55 a.m. EST November 19, the Intrepid
landed on the moon's Ocean of Storms, about 163 meters from the Surveyor
III spacecraft that had landed April 19, 1967. Conrad, shorter than Neil
Armstrong (first man on the moon, July 20), had a little difficulty negotiating
the last step from the LM ladder to the lunar surface. When he touched the
surface at 6:44 a.m. EST November 19, he exclaimed, "Whoopee! Man, that may have
been a small step for Neil, but that's a long one for me."
Bean joined Conrad on the surface at 7:14 a.m. They collected a 1.9-kilogram
contingency sample of lunar material and later a 14.8-kilogram selected sample.
They also deployed an S-band antenna, solar wind composition experiment, and the
American flag. An Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package with a SNAP-27 atomic
generator was deployed about 182 meters from the LM. After 3 hours 56 minutes on
the lunar surface, the two astronauts entered the Intrepid to rest
and check plans for the next EVA.
The astronauts again left the LM at 10:55 p.m. EST November 19. During the
second EVA, Conrad and Bean retrieved the lunar module TV camera for return to
earth for a failure analysis, obtained photographic panoramas, core and trench
samples, a lunar environment sample, and assorted rock, dirt, bedrock, and
molten samples. The crew then examined and retrieved parts of Surveyor
III, including the TV camera and soil scoop. After 3 hours 49 minutes on
the lunar surface during the second EVA, the two crewmen entered the LM at 2:44
a.m. EST November 20. Meanwhile astronaut Gordon, orbiting the moon in the
Yankee Clipper, had completed a lunar multispectral photography
experiment and photographed proposed future landing sites.
At 9:26 a.m. EST November 20, after 31 hours 31 minutes on the moon,
Intrepid successfully lifted off with 34.4 kilograms of lunar
samples. Rendezvous maneuvers went as planned. The LM docked with the CSM at
12:58 p.m. November 20. The last 24 minutes of the rendezvous sequence was
televised. After the crew transferred with the samples, equipment, and film to
the Yankee Clipper, the Intrepid was jettisoned and
intentionally crashed onto the lunar surface at 5:17 p.m. November 20, 72.2
kilometers southeast of Surveyor III. The crash produced
reverberations that lasted about 30 minutes and were detected by the seismometer
left on the moon.
At 3:49 p.m. EST November 21, the crew fired the service propulsion system
engine, injecting the CSM into a transearth trajectory after 89 hours 2 minutes
in lunar orbit. During the transearth coast, views of the receding moon and the
interior of the spacecraft were televised, and a question and answer session
with scientists and the press was conducted.
Parachute deployment and other reentry events occurred as planned. The CM
splashed down in mid-Pacific at 3:58 p.m. EST November 24, 7.25 kilometers from
the recovery ship, U.S.S. Hornet. The astronauts, wearing flight
suits and biological face masks, were airlifted by helicopter from the CM to the
recovery ship, where they entered the mobile quarantine facility. They would
remain in this facility until arrival at the Lunar Receiving Laboratory, MSC.
The Apollo 12 mission objectives were achieved and the experiments
successfully accomplished. [All Apollo experiments are listed in Appendix 5.]
MSC "Apollo 12 (AS-507) Flight Summary," undated; MSC, "Apollo 12 Mission
Report" (MSC-01855), March 1970; MSC Apollo Program Summary Report," preliminary
draft, p. 2-38, undated; TWX, F. A. Speer, MSFC, to C. M. Lee, NASA Hq., "Apollo
12 (AS-507) HOSC Report," Nov. 14, 1974; ltr., E. R. Mathews, KSC, to distr.,
"Apollo 12 (AS-507) Quick Look Assessment Report," Nov. 26, 1969; Apollo
12 Preliminary Science Report (NASA SP-235. 1970).
November 15
A review of North American Rockwell Space Division's in
subcontract management indicated that its subcontractor schedule and cost
performance had been excellent. The quality had been achieved, for the most
part, by effective North American Rockwell subcontract management planning and
execution of these plans.
Ltr., Kenneth S. Kleinknecht, MSC, to George W. Jeffs, North American
Rockwell Corp., Nov. 15, 1969.
November 17
NASA selected an Apollo Orbital Science Photographic Team to
provide scientific guidance in design, operation, and data use of photographic
systems for the Apollo lunar orbital science program. Chairman was Frederick
Doyle of the U.S. Geological Survey. The 14-man team comprised experts from
industry, universities, and government.
NASA OMSF, "Manned Space Flight Weekly Report - November 17, 1969."
November 17
NASA discontinued the use of names such "LEO," "ALEM," and
"Apollo Lunar Exploration Program" that had been used since Apollo
11 to identify the lunar exploration phase of the Apollo program.
Henceforth, the single word title "Apollo" would be used when referring to the
program. However, additional descriptive language, such as "lunar exploration
phase of Apollo" and "Apollo lunar exploration" would continue to be authorized
for defining the Apollo program activity. The action was taken to establish
uniformity and eliminate misunderstanding.
Ltr., George E. Mueller, NASA Hq., to Robert R. Gilruth, MSC, Nov. 17, 1969;
memo, James A. McDivitt, MSC, to distr., "Identification of the current lunar
exploration phase of the Apollo Program," Nov. 26, 1969.
November 26
Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., was appointed Deputy Director of
MSC. Kraft, Director of Flight Operations at MSC since November 1963, succeeded
George S. Trimble, Jr., who had resigned September 30.
NASA Announcement, Jan. 18, 1972; NASA News Release 72-11; MSC News Release
69-70.
The MSC Flight Crew Operations Directorate
submitted its requirement for a simple lightweight Rover (lunar roving vehicle)
guidance and navigation system that would provide the following displayed
information to the crew: vehicle heading and heading to the LM, speed in
kilometers per hour, total distance traveled in kilometers, and distance to the
LM. Requirements were based on the assumptions that the landing area was as well
known as for Apollo 12, all traverses were preplanned, accurate
photo maps were available, and there was MSFN support through voice
communications. The Directorate emphasized that it had no requirements for a
display of pitch and roll, X and Y coordinates, or time.
Memo, Donald K. Slayton, MSC, to ASPO Manager, "Rover guidance and navigation
system," Dec. 1, 1969.
December 2
The Apollo 12 crew program/project debriefing
was held. Some areas of concern included the lunar dust which obscured
visibility during the landing, a dust problem in the suit connectors after
completion of the first extravehicular activity, and wear on the suits after
completion of the second EVA.
NASA OMSF, "Manned Space Flight Weekly Report - December 8, 1969."
December 3
MSFC Director Wernher von Braun forwarded to MSC Director
Robert R. Gilruth an analysis of increasing space scientists' dissatisfaction
with the space program. "Ultimate origin" of dissatisfaction was in "the very
complex and difficult interfaces between science, engineering, and management"
in NASA and governmental systems and "the need for a quick and flexible
challenge-and-response capability."
Young scientists from an academic environment found changing from a research
scientist to a science administrator difficult; they often preferred active
research to desk-and-meetings career.
Many scientists were reluctant to accept the long times between conceptual
design and data gathering in space experiments - often 6 to 10 years. The
question was not only of patience, graduate student support, and funding
continuity, but also of scientific obsolescence.
Scientists felt that science was not as well represented in upper NASA
management as were engineering and project management and that high-level
decisions were often made without consideration of scientific viewpoints. While
recognizing that the space program also had other prime objectives - such as
advancement of technology, national achievement, applications, earth resources,
and "bringing the world closer together" - they felt that "science is still a
stepchild in this family of program objectives."
The analysis said that a good portion of the problems could be relieved by
actions taken by Centers and NASA Hq. over the next few months and years. NASA
space projects should be structured to give more scientists an opportunity to
launch experiments. With the few present scientific flights, only a few
scientists could hope to have their experiments flown in their lifetimes. The
situation would improve when the Space Shuttle and Space Station were available,
but that would not be before 1978 or 1979. With low emphasis on OAO, HEAO,
Pioneer, ATM, and planetary flights suggested by the President's Space Task
Group, "we will have almost no good flight experiments prepared, and almost no
scientists left in the program, by the time the gates of the shuttle and the
station open for science."
NASA should also find ways to reduce the time span between conception and
flight of an experiment. "For Bill Kraushaar, who proposed a measurement of
gamma rays with a simple (now almost obsolete) sensor on a Saturn launch
vehicle, this time is now 8 years, with no end in sight." For the Apollo
telescope mount principal investigators, "this time will be 8 years, provided
that ATM-A is launched early in 1972."
The Shuttle promised great improvements, but "initiation or continuation of
unmanned, relatively unsophisticated spacecraft projects for science payloads"
was "highly desirable."
Procedures for proposal, screening, selection, acceptance, and final approval
of experiments were "exceedingly cumbersome and time consuming." Streamlining
requirements after approval - early definition, documentation, reporting,
reviews, and administrative actions - as well as the maze of committees, boards,
panels, and offices, was urgently recommended.
"Many scientists inside and outside NASA have suggested that NASA should
establish, at a high level in the Administrator's Office, a 'Chief Scientist'
position with no other functions than to act as a spokesman for . . . scientists
who wish to participate in the space program."
Ltr., von Braun, MSFC, to Gilruth, MSC, Dec. 3, 1969, with encl., memo, Ernst
Stuhlinger, MSFC, to von Braun, "Notes on 'Science in NASA,'" Nov. 7, 1969.
December 3
George M. Low was sworn in as NASA Deputy Administrator by
Thomas O. Paine, NASA Administrator. (See November 13.)
NASA News Release 69-159, Dec. 3, 1969.
December 15
NASA was considering incorporation of a mobile equipment
transporter on LM-8, LM-9, and LM-10, to help with problems such as the
Apollo 12 astronauts had in carrying hand tools, sample boxes and
bags, a stereo camera, and other equipment on the lunar surface. The MET also
could extend lunar surface activities to a greater distance from the lunar
module. A prototype MET and training hardware were being fabricated and were
expected to be available in late December.
Memo, James A. McDivitt, MSC, to Rocco A. Petrone, NASA Hq., "Mobile
Equipment Transporter (MET)," Dec. 15, 1969.
December 16-18
A lunar roving vehicle preliminary requirements review
was held at MSFC. MSC was asked to review the requirement for a roll bar which
it had requested in the interest of astronaut safety. Navigation system
requirements as defined by MSC would require changes in the design presented by
Boeing (see entry of December 1, 1969). Full-length fenders and effects of dust
on radiators, sealed joints, and vision needed to be considered and appropriate
measures taken in the vehicle design, the review found.
Ltr., William E. Stoney, NASA Hq., to Roy E. Godfrey, MSFC, and James A.
McDivitt, MSC, "Lunar Roving Vehicle Preliminary Requirements Review, December
16-18, 1969," Dec. 24, 1969; memo, Donald K. Slayton, MSC, to David B. Pendley,
MSC, "Lunar Rover Vehicle (LRV) crew safety provisions," Dec. 12, 1969.
December 18
A configuration control panel for Apollo GFE scientific
equipment was established at MSC, with Robert A. Gardiner as chairman. The panel
would control proposed changes in Apollo spacecraft GFE science equipment.
Memo, James A. McDivitt, MSC, to distr., "Configuration control panel for GFE
scientific equipment," Dec. 18, 1969.
December 22
Correlation of the Apollo 12 descent film with
the crew's comments during landing indicated that lunar dust first became
apparent at about 30 meters from the surface and that from about 12 meters above
to the actual touchdown the ground was almost completely obscured by the dust.
Because of both Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 landing
experiences, studies were begun and discussions held about various aspects of
lunar dust. An MSC management review in the latter part of January 1970 would
include discussions of the basic mechanism of erosion during landing, the
possibility of alleviating the effects of erosion on visibility, and an estimate
of what could be expected at future lunar landing sites.
Memo, James A. McDivitt, MSC, to distr., "Investigation of the effects of
lunar dust during LM landing," Dec. 22, 1969; NASA OMSF, "Manned Space Flight
Weekly Report - December 22, 1969"; ltr., Robert R. Gilruth, MSC, to Rocco A.
Petrone, NASA Hq., "Landing site for Apollo 13," Dec. 18, 1969.
December 28
MSC announced the appointment of Sigurd A. Sjoberg as
Director of Flight Operations, replacing Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., who had been
appointed MSC Deputy Director Nov. 26. Sjoberg had been Deputy Director of
Flight Operations since 1963.
MSC News Release 70-1, Jan. 1, 1969.
