Author Topic: Apollo 16 unexpected sounds?  (Read 25985 times)

Offline Allan F

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Re: Apollo 16 unexpected sounds?
« Reply #30 on: August 13, 2015, 05:50:33 PM »
Does anybody have hard info on the sound leves in the cabin at lunar liftoff? I would not expect the engine to make much noise.
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Offline Zakalwe

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Re: Apollo 16 unexpected sounds?
« Reply #31 on: August 13, 2015, 06:00:32 PM »


It was louder than I expected. I read somewhere that the ascent motor pumped a lot of heat into the cabin too.
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Offline Allan F

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Re: Apollo 16 unexpected sounds?
« Reply #32 on: August 13, 2015, 06:39:07 PM »
Can't hear any of the engine in that, I'm afraid.
Well, it is like this: The truth doesn't need insults. Insults are the refuge of a darkened mind, a mind that refuses to open and see. Foul language can't outcompete knowledge. And knowledge is the result of education. Education is the result of the wish to know more, not less.

Offline JayUtah

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Re: Apollo 16 unexpected sounds?
« Reply #33 on: August 13, 2015, 07:19:45 PM »
Does anybody have hard info on the sound leves in the cabin at lunar liftoff? I would not expect the engine to make much noise.

Most of the noise a rocket motor makes is the exhaust hitting the air, which obviously is only pertinent to a launch from Earth.  You would hear a certain amount of flow noise from the motor within the cabin, but probably not enough to make you raise your voice while talking.  The crews didn't report particularly loud flow noises.
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Offline Allan F

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Re: Apollo 16 unexpected sounds?
« Reply #34 on: August 13, 2015, 07:20:41 PM »
Asked in another forum. Alan Bean said the ascent engine was inaudible in the cabin. Other has described it as a faint whisle or wind-type noise. The separation from the descent stage was audible, though.
Well, it is like this: The truth doesn't need insults. Insults are the refuge of a darkened mind, a mind that refuses to open and see. Foul language can't outcompete knowledge. And knowledge is the result of education. Education is the result of the wish to know more, not less.

Offline Zakalwe

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Re: Apollo 16 unexpected sounds?
« Reply #35 on: August 14, 2015, 02:45:59 AM »
Can't hear any of the engine in that, I'm afraid.

I may be mistaken, but isn't it the high pitched snoise that sounds almost like wind or a jet whine? You can hear it over the background comms link static at 0:55 onwards
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Offline ka9q

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Re: Apollo 16 unexpected sounds?
« Reply #36 on: August 14, 2015, 06:14:04 PM »
The separation from the descent stage was audible, though.
Yes, there's a loud "clack" sound in the audio at ascent ignition on all the missions I've heard. I assume this is the separation pyros firing. There are quite a few of them; first the separation bolts and electrical deadfacing pyros are fired, and then after a short delay (15 ms) the guillotines are fired to cut interstage cables and supply pipes. I would expect all this to produce a single sound.

Offline Allan F

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Re: Apollo 16 unexpected sounds?
« Reply #37 on: August 14, 2015, 07:19:41 PM »


It was louder than I expected. I read somewhere that the ascent motor pumped a lot of heat into the cabin too.

Heard the sound you wrote about. I don't think it's the engine - it keeps going up in pitch. I would expect the engine noise to be a constant. It could only fire at full throttle. Could it be an artefact of the transmission?
Well, it is like this: The truth doesn't need insults. Insults are the refuge of a darkened mind, a mind that refuses to open and see. Foul language can't outcompete knowledge. And knowledge is the result of education. Education is the result of the wish to know more, not less.

Offline BazBear

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Re: Apollo 16 unexpected sounds?
« Reply #38 on: August 15, 2015, 04:00:48 AM »
Sound conduction through the suit. Or the alien puppet masters' farts.

I know which one I' pick.
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