Photo Anomalies

[bknight]

Many of the surface images of the LM, show it tilted one way or another.  Landing on NOT A LEVEL surface and the inherent ability to remain upright without toppling over as JayUtah has descirbied as with A15

Would the original large lander needed for direct ascent or EOR been able to land at that angle without tipping over?

Since the final configuration, not the artist conceptions, isn't known, a conclusion might be very difficult to derive.  As Jay has indicated the center of gravity of the body probably would have been higher and thus the vehicle would have been more prone to tipping over.

[HeadLikeARock]

For me, it's the point that Murray and Cox described in "Apollo - the Race to the Moon": how exactly were they going to configure the Command Module to land on the Moon?

And how were they going to get safely and simply down to the surface (and back again), once they'd landed? Wouldn't fancy laddering down this behemoth...

[raven]

I think a rappelling line with footholds would be safer.

[Peter B]

I think a rappelling line with footholds would be safer.

Which sounds to me like someone would need to stay in the capsule to do some belaying.

Now THAT would be tough - landing on the Moon and not being allowed out of the spacecraft while your mates get to cavort around...

[raven]

I think a rappelling line with footholds would be safer.

Which sounds to me like someone would need to stay in the capsule to do some belaying.

Now THAT would be tough - landing on the Moon and not being allowed out of the spacecraft while your mates get to cavort around...

Well, you could do it in shifts, perhaps. After all, all but Apollo 11 were planned to have more than one EVA.

[Tedward]

For me, it's the point that Murray and Cox described in "Apollo - the Race to the Moon": how exactly were they going to configure the Command Module to land on the Moon?

And how were they going to get safely and simply down to the surface (and back again), once they'd landed? Wouldn't fancy laddering down this behemoth...

Hester skelter slide. Simples.

Getting back up might be an issue...

[Dr_Orpheus]

And how were they going to get safely and simply down to the surface (and back again), once they'd landed? Wouldn't fancy laddering down this behemoth...

The final configuration of the direct lander used a disposable braking stage, also known as the lunar crasher, to reduce the size of the vehicle that would have to be landed on the surface.  The necessary ladder wasn't as cumbersome.

[Trebor]

There was a plan to configure a Gemini capsule to land on the moon as well.
Doesn't look like it would have been that comfortable...

hosting image

[Dr_Orpheus]

There was a plan to configure a Gemini capsule to land on the moon as well.
Doesn't look like it would have been that comfortable...

There were  a couple of configurations for 2 man direct landers, one using a Gemini capsule, and the other a smaller version of the 3 man Apollo capsule.   They would have, at least in theory, been within the payload capacity of a single S-V launch.

http://www.astronautix.com/craft/apot2man.htm

[Peter B]

For me, it's the point that Murray and Cox described in "Apollo - the Race to the Moon": how exactly were they going to configure the Command Module to land on the Moon?

And how were they going to get safely and simply down to the surface (and back again), once they'd landed? Wouldn't fancy laddering down this behemoth...

Hester skelter slide. Simples.

Getting back up might be an issue...

LOL. I'm pretty sure that would encourage my kids to want to be astronauts...

In fact we have a couple of photos of the kids inside a space suit - at the Canberra Deep Space Communications Centre: the Visitors' Centre has a Shuttle-era space suit with the back cut out and a stand so you can stick your head inside the helmet, and mug for photos. (Plus they have a rock collected on Apollo 11 and a heap of other interesting space paraphernalia.)

[ka9q]

The final configuration of the direct lander used a disposable braking stage, also known as the lunar crasher, to reduce the size of the vehicle that would have to be landed on the surface.

Surveyor did just this; its "crasher" was a large solid rocket motor that was fired to remove most of the velocity on approaching the moon and then jettisoned.

[bknight]

The final configuration of the direct lander used a disposable braking stage, also known as the lunar crasher, to reduce the size of the vehicle that would have to be landed on the surface.

Surveyor did just this; its "crasher" was a large solid rocket motor that was fired to remove most of the velocity on approaching the moon and then jettisoned.

Yes, bouncing one or more times before finally coming to rest.

[Abaddon]

The final configuration of the direct lander used a disposable braking stage, also known as the lunar crasher, to reduce the size of the vehicle that would have to be landed on the surface.

Surveyor did just this; its "crasher" was a large solid rocket motor that was fired to remove most of the velocity on approaching the moon and then jettisoned.

Yes, bouncing one or more times before finally coming to rest.

Yes. I think it was Surveyor 3 that did the bumpety landing proving that a soft landing was possible. I'll have to look it up.

ETA: Or likely some bod here will beat me to it.

[bknight]

The final configuration of the direct lander used a disposable braking stage, also known as the lunar crasher, to reduce the size of the vehicle that would have to be landed on the surface.

Surveyor did just this; its "crasher" was a large solid rocket motor that was fired to remove most of the velocity on approaching the moon and then jettisoned.

Yes, bouncing one or more times before finally coming to rest.

Yes. I think it was Surveyor 3 that did the bumpety landing proving that a soft landing was possible. I'll have to look it up.

ETA: Or likely some bod here will beat me to it.

Right, Surveyor 3 made an unplanned bounce and Surveyor 6 made a planned takeoff and landing.

[Abaddon]

See? Randi 1M dollar challenge accepted, LOL.