How would conspiracy theorists design the Apollo Program?

[raven]

I recall someone trying the requirements-to-run-a-sim vs. AGC argument on me a while ago.  I pointed to the popular flight sim (at the time) Red Baron II and asked him how much computing power an actual Fokker Triplane used.  For some reason he neither answered the question nor pursued the argument.

Or simulating dropping a ball, vs . . .  dropping a ball.

[ka9q]

Didn't it use radar and four switches on the landing pads to know when It has landed?

I don't think so. I looked at the contact switch circuits a while ago, and if I remember correctly their only function was to light the blue "CONTACT" lights on the consoles.

I know it seems trivial to let the computer sense a landing, but you have to remember how long ago this was. There was also a lot of concern about having the computer shut down the engines automatically out of fear it might do so prematurely. This was not an unreasonable concern given that at least two Mars landers crashed when they prematurely sensed surface contact and shut down their engines well above the ground: Mars Polar Lander and the more recent Schiaparelli lander.

[Glom]

Didn't it use radar and four switches on the landing pads to know when It has landed?

I don't think so. I looked at the contact switch circuits a while ago, and if I remember correctly their only function was to light the blue "CONTACT" lights on the consoles.

I know it seems trivial to let the computer sense a landing, but you have to remember how long ago this was. There was also a lot of concern about having the computer shut down the engines automatically out of fear it might do so prematurely. This was not an unreasonable concern given that at least two Mars landers crashed when they prematurely sensed surface contact and shut down their engines well above the ground: Mars Polar Lander and the more recent Schiaparelli lander.

Funnily enough, a couple of weeks ago I was involved in a conversation about a similar issue with something else regarding automatic vs semi-automatic mode. With one sub-system to detect and react would be okay, but with another, there was a concern because it would be easier for that sub-system to detect falsely and the consequences of reacting were more serious.

[Obviousman]

The original LM design had lunar contact probes on all four pads, but there was a worry that the probe on the leg with the LM hatch might stick up on landing and be a hazard to the astronauts. They ended up removing all probes except one.

[Allan F]

No. There were 3 probes - one on each pad except the one where the ladder came down.

[Count Zero]

No. There were 3 probes - one on each pad except the one where the ladder came down.

This:  AS11-44-6574

[bknight]

Didn't it use radar and four switches on the landing pads to know when It has landed?

I don't think so. I looked at the contact switch circuits a while ago, and if I remember correctly their only function was to light the blue "CONTACT" lights on the consoles.

I know it seems trivial to let the computer sense a landing, but you have to remember how long ago this was. There was also a lot of concern about having the computer shut down the engines automatically out of fear it might do so prematurely. This was not an unreasonable concern given that at least two Mars landers crashed when they prematurely sensed surface contact and shut down their engines well above the ground: Mars Polar Lander and the more recent Schiaparelli lander.

You were/are correct
From https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/nasa58040.pdf   Page 10 Approach phase

Probes...upon making surface contact activate a light which signals the crew to shutdown the DPS manually, whether using automatic or manual control.

[Not Myself]

My understanding is that most of these people think it is impossible (or at least beyond current or 1960s technology) to build a rocket that would take people to the moon, so asking them how they would do it doesn't exactly seem to be the right question.  But I guess this thread is just for humour.

[Obviousman]

No. There were 3 probes - one on each pad except the one where the ladder came down.

Yep, sorry - I was getting mixed up there.

[Abaddon]

In my mind's eye, I still see CTs coming up with a Buck Rogers style, sleek, aerodynamic, shiny design for reasons I cannot fathom and they cannot explain.

[Flookie]

The LM and CM shielding needs to be made out of meter thick sheets of lead.

I've had someone tell me that you couldn't use any metal.

[Glom]

In my mind's eye, I still see CTs coming up with a Buck Rogers style, sleek, aerodynamic, shiny design for reasons I cannot fathom and they cannot explain.

Well shiny is right.

[MBDK]

Didn't von Braun originally start out with an enormous single stage rocket as a concept?

He did and this was well described in "How Apollo flew to the moon"
The guy responsible for the solution of this disastrous concept was John Houbolt. The Story is also mentioned in Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Houbolt

For those interested in von Braun's original, ambitious plan in 1952:  From - http://astronautix.com/v/vonbraunlunarlander.html

"No fewer than fifty engineers and scientists would fly to the moon aboard three spacecraft assembled in earth orbit. At 3964 metric tons each, one of these spacecraft alone, already in earth orbit, had the same mass as the Saturn V used 16 years later to launch the actual first lunar voyage from the earth's surface. Two of the lunar landers would house 20 crew, and one 10 crew plus 259 metric tons of cargo for lunar exploration. The cargo lander would be left on the lunar surface; the crew would return in two of the landers, 25 men per spacecraft."

[Dalhousie]

Didn't von Braun originally start out with an enormous single stage rocket as a concept?

He did and this was well described in "How Apollo flew to the moon"
The guy responsible for the solution of this disastrous concept was John Houbolt. The Story is also mentioned in Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Houbolt

Nope, he used three stage ferry rockets to assemble a lunar spacecraft in his earliest lunar study in 1952.

[PUshift]

Nope, he used three stage ferry rockets to assemble a lunar spacecraft in his earliest lunar study in 1952.

True, my bad. I remembered this a little wrong.
The book describes three competeting parties during the early times of the basic conception:

• a majority for the direct ascent ("make it easy, no complexity")
• nearly most of all the others for the concept of Von Braun´s EOR (all dockings in Earth's orbit)
• and this one single person, advocating the lunar orbit rendezvous (LOR)

And it's so funny that this last idea had won the whole competition at the end. He gained the attention of the management by writing a very courageous letter. I am sure, this story should be well known by many of the forum members (who know so much more than me, anyway).
One great story to take a lesson how teamwork could be accomplished in favor of the company.