For the benefit of the random spectators, here's some commentary about specific claims on
Heiwa's page. I'll leave the physics "calculations" to the more qualified and focus on the various lapses of basic knowledge in the text. The whole thing is an example of why conspiracy theorists should be familiar with the "mainstream version" before "criticizing" it.
http://www.members.tripod.com/heiwaco/moontravel.htmIt's a bit hard to decide where to start, but:
How much fuel is required to get to the Moon and back after having left Earth?
The below presentation is compiled using info from the following sources about the Apollo 11 Moon/Earth 1969 trip: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1969-059A , http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraftDisplay.do?id=1969-059C and http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo11.html .
The first two are entries for the Apollo 11 CSM and LM in the spacecraft catalog of the National Space Science Data Center. Due to its nature, these are short, encyclopedia-style descriptions of the spacecraft, not full blown treatises on the Apollo system. The last link is a short layman-level description of the Apollo 11 mission on NASA's main website. It's unclear if Björkman thinks that this is everything NASA has to offer about the Apollo program, or if he just can't be bothered to find more.
The NASA info is evidently incomplete or wrong, e.g. masses of modules differ and the velocity to orbit the Moon, 3 000 m/s according NASA, cannot be correct and a good reason to doubt that a manned Moon/Earth space trip took place 1969.
It's unclear why he thinks that the masses of modules differ, or where did he get that orbital velocity. I couldn't find it in the linked pages.
He also appears to be unaware of the CSM's maneuvering thrusters, which makes docking with the LM a problem in his world, requiring repeated emphasis on their relative positions during launch and flight:
[illustration caption]
Apollo 11 on way to the Moon; the lunar module (LM) was then connected to the top of of the command module (CM). At departure from Earth the lunar module (LM) was connected to the bottom of the service module (SM).
No, it wasn't. It was just above it. The CSM was attached to the last stage of the Saturn via the
Spacecraft Lunar Module Adapter.
On way to the Moon the lunar module was, one way or other, shifted to above the command module (CM) so that two asstronuts could move into it through a hatch in the top.
Note that the CSM only carried 17.500 liters of fuel of unknown density to get into and out of orbit of the Moon. The SM engine is obstructed by the lunar module (LM) fitted below it at departure, so the LM must be shifted underway.
Just a sidenote: is is that hard to find out that the main engine used a combination of Aerozine 50 and N
2O
4? I believe that their densities can be also easily found...
At some time on the flight to the Moon the lunar module, LM, was shifted from below the SM to the top of the CM. How it was done is unclear.
Using the thrusters of the reaction control system, the CSM turns around, docks with the LM and extracts it. There is an illustration of it in the SLA article linked above, and a separate article -
Transposition, docking and extraction that has video of the process. The process was even portrayed in
Apollo 13. How is possible for someone to pretend to comment on Apollo without knowing this?
0n July 17, a scheduled midcourse correction programmed for the flight took place. The launch had been so successful, we are told, that the other three scheduled corrections were not needed. Event # 4. If the LM decent engine or the SM rocket engine was used for the midcourse correction is unclear.
It's the main engine of the CSM. It's mentioned in the page about the CSM linked by Björkman himself. ("...mid-course correction burn of the main engine was performed...") Failure in reading comprehension or he just didn't bother to read it?
Eagle undocking and decent on the Moon
(...)
How the undocking was done is not clear as LM and CSM had same speed and engines at opposite ends.
Yep, he doesn't know that both the CSM and the LM had maneuvering thrusters, a.k.a. the Reaction Control System (16 thrusters on the LM, 12+16 on the CSM).
On the Moon
Almost four hours later asstronot Neil Armstrong emerged from the Eagle and deployed the TV camera for the transmission of the event to Earth. At about 109 hours, 42 minutes after launch, Armstrong stepped onto the undisturbed Moon soil where temperature was 150°C. Armstrong's shoes didn't melt. About 20 minutes later, asstronut Aldrin followed him. The space suits worked well and provided 20°C fresh air inside with the sun blazing on from outside. The glass screens in the helmets didn't crack!
[citation needed] for the temperature of the spot under Armstrong's feet.
I'm also curious why
Heiwa thinks that Armstrong's "shoes" should have melted. Materials able to withstand 150°C are not inconceivable even for Earth conditions (what shoes do firefighters and metalworkers wear?)
The spacesuits were well-insulated against thermal radiation. Internally generated heat was collected by the Liquid Cooling Garment and discarded by a sublimator in the backpack.
Another major research failure is the assertion that the helmets or the visors (I assume this was meant by "screens") were made of glass (it was plastic).
Anyway, the heat claim is pretty much a standard canard of Moon conspiracy theorists. It has been addressed on Clavius:
http://www.clavius.org/envheat.htmlFour hours later, the LM was jettisoned and remained in lunar orbit, where it should still be today as there is no friction stopping it. How the jettisson was done is unclear with engines at both ends.
Another research failure: low lunar orbits are unstable due to the uneven gravity field of the Moon. And yes,
Heiwa is definitely ignorant of the fact that spacecraft have
reaction control systems.
It is also possible as you use the third stage of the start rocket but not really recommended with people aboard!
Why?
How to separate the Apollo 11 modules from the third stage is not clear - they have the same velocity and it is assumed that the third stage also flew towards to Moon. NASA has no clue what happened to the third stage.
The CSM used its RCS to detach from the S-IVB stage. The stage was steered aside and sent into a heliocentric orbit. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturn_V#S-IVB_sequence for a start. After Apollo 13, the S-IVB stages were sent to impact the Moon to provide seismological data.
In order to enter the Moon orbit and not to miss or fly by the Moon into eternity... (...) It is the only way to quickly brake or change direction in space. If you forget to brake you will end up at the end of the Universe!
Actually, no, if they missed the brake burn, they would be on a
free return trajectory to Earth. Even if they were not, they would still be in heliocentric orbit subject to perturbations by the Moon and the planets.
And this is the point where I got bored.