mark hawling
Moon Landings - Fake?
Wed Sep 3 00:07:09 2003
203.206.201.218

I am no expert but these issues can be fairly easily answered.

Firstly NASA couldn't send a mission with an animal as humans were needed to control the command and lunar modules. The technology at the time wasn't up to automating an entire mission from earth. Things were so basic that the computers for these missions were back on earth with data being relayed from the ships to earth and back. Slow and primitive and that is why humans were needed to "fly" these missions.

Don't forget about all the Mercury and Gemini missions that were flown all as test runs for everything that would need to be done on Apollo missions. These included docking tests; sustained flight tests; spacewalks etc. The US did use a chimp before an astronaut for the first "manned" Mercury flights and this really annoyed the astronauts so it wasn't considered much of an option after that. Don't forget that these astronoauts were all test pilots or Navy pilots and were by nature quite prepared to take risks.

Also Apollo missions were done in stages. One to test the life support, handling and docking of the lunar module, done in Earth's orbit; another went and orbited the moon then returned; and another had the lunar module descend to around 5000 feet above the moon surface before returning. These were all the Apollo 7, 8, 9 and 10 mission.

How come no more missions? Too expensive and the proganda value was gone. These missions weren't for science, they were to beat the Soviets to the moon. There were extra missions planned which were cancelled. These are the rockets you now see on display as well as Skylab which was a modified, unused Apollo thrid stage.

Scientists want to go back but they can't get the billions of dollars worth of funding. Also nowdays it is cheaper to send an unmanned probe to do the science required.

The mirror used on the moon uses "corner-cube reflectors" which reflect light back in the same direction as it hits. This technology is used in reflectors that are on the road and on bicycles etc.. where light has to be reflected back from where it comes.

The camera for capturing Neil Armstrong was mounted on an arm that was lowered down so that the required angle could be filmed. So from

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/frame.html

"The TV is inside the MESA (Modular Equipment Stowage Assembly) which is folded up against the side of the LM just to the north of the ladder. In addition to the TV, the MESA contains the rock boxes and various tools. Once he crawls backwards out of the hatch, Neil will reach to his left and, by pulling on a lanyard, will release a latch at the top of the MESA, letting it swing down into position and, in the process, point the TV at the bottom of the ladder."

Cheers,

Mark