Apollo 17 SM panel

Jan Philips ) writes:
We all know about the service module panel blown off on Apollo 13. I
have a photo of Apollo 17 in lunar orbit where a panel is missing
(History of NASA by Dewaard, page 80). Is it normal for a panel to be
missing, or did A17 lose one somehow (just the skin)?

Apollos 15-17, aka the J Missions, had a Service Module that
contained a Scientific Instrument Module Bay, and upon attaining
lunar orbit, it's covering panel was blown off, so that the
scientific instruments could do their jobs.

Apollo 13's SM had no such section. It's panel was blown
off ny the oxygen tank explosion.

With all your specific questions, you would do well to get a
copy of Andrew Chaikin's " A Man On The Moon " and reading it
in detail. The answers to all your posted questions can be
found within.

Andre


--
" I'm a man... But, I can change... If I have to... I guess. "
The Man Prayer, Red Green.

On 25 Aug 2003 02:56:15 GMT, (Andre Lieven)
wrote:

Apollos 15-17, aka the J Missions, had a Service Module that
contained a Scientific Instrument Module Bay, and upon attaining
lunar orbit, it's covering panel was blown off, so that the
scientific instruments could do their jobs.

Thank you, that explains it.

With all your specific questions, you would do well to get a
copy of Andrew Chaikin's " A Man On The Moon " and reading it

I'll look for it.

In article ,
says...
Jan Philips ) writes:
We all know about the service module panel blown off on Apollo 13. I
have a photo of Apollo 17 in lunar orbit where a panel is missing
(History of NASA by Dewaard, page 80). Is it normal for a panel to be
missing, or did A17 lose one somehow (just the skin)?

Apollos 15-17, aka the J Missions, had a Service Module that
contained a Scientific Instrument Module Bay, and upon attaining
lunar orbit, it's covering panel was blown off, so that the
scientific instruments could do their jobs.

Minor nit -- the SIM bay "door" (the SM panel that covered the SIM bay)
was jettisoned about three hours prior to Lunar Orbit Insertion. The CSM
was pointed in such a way that the SIM bay door would be pushed well out
of the CSM's path as it entered lunar orbit. It was the best way to
ensure there would never be any recontact between the door and the
spacecraft.

--

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for | Doug Van Dorn
thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup |

Doug... ) writes:
In article ,
says...
Jan Philips ) writes:
We all know about the service module panel blown off on Apollo 13. I
have a photo of Apollo 17 in lunar orbit where a panel is missing
(History of NASA by Dewaard, page 80). Is it normal for a panel to be
missing, or did A17 lose one somehow (just the skin)?

Apollos 15-17, aka the J Missions, had a Service Module that
contained a Scientific Instrument Module Bay, and upon attaining
lunar orbit, it's covering panel was blown off, so that the
scientific instruments could do their jobs.

Minor nit -- the SIM bay "door" (the SM panel that covered the SIM bay)
was jettisoned about three hours prior to Lunar Orbit Insertion. The CSM
was pointed in such a way that the SIM bay door would be pushed well out
of the CSM's path as it entered lunar orbit. It was the best way to
ensure there would never be any recontact between the door and the
spacecraft.

Ah. Point and nit taken. g

Andre

--
" I'm a man... But, I can change... If I have to... I guess. "
The Man Prayer, Red Green.

In article , Andre Lieven wrote:

In the not so humble consensus of this happy newsgroup, its
about the best single volume book on the US space program
of the period, along with points on the competing Soviet
one.

However, it's /the/ best three-volume-book-made-from-one-volume-of-text,
no questions g

--
-Andrew Gray

Andrew Gray ) writes:
In article , Andre Lieven wrote:

In the not so humble consensus of this happy newsgroup, its
about the best single volume book on the US space program
of the period, along with points on the competing Soviet
one.

However, it's /the/ best three-volume-book-made-from-one-volume-of-text,
no questions g

g Indeed.

Andre

--
" I'm a man... But, I can change... If I have to... I guess. "
The Man Prayer, Red Green.

"Andre Lieven" wrote in message
...
In the not so humble consensus of this happy newsgroup, its
about the best single volume book on the US space program
of the period, along with points on the competing Soviet
one.

I would say it's one of the best overviews. If you're looking for specific
systems, there are also some excellent books (Stages to Saturn for example,
and Chariots for Apollo come to mind as focusing on specific areas.)



The HBO miniseries " From The Earth To The Moon " was
based on it, for instance, and also was excellent in it's
own right.

Andre
--
" I'm a man... But, I can change... If I have to... I guess. "
The Man Prayer, Red Green.

Minor nit -- the SIM bay "door" (the SM panel that covered the SIM bay)
was jettisoned about three hours prior to Lunar Orbit Insertion. The CSM
was pointed in such a way that the SIM bay door would be pushed well out
of the CSM's path as it entered lunar orbit. It was the best way to
ensure there would never be any recontact between the door and the
spacecraft.

Nit question: did the panel impact the Moon, wind up in lunar orbit,
free-return to Earth, or wind up in a heliocentric orbit?

TVDad Jim ) writes:
Minor nit -- the SIM bay "door" (the SM panel that covered the SIM bay)
was jettisoned about three hours prior to Lunar Orbit Insertion. The CSM
was pointed in such a way that the SIM bay door would be pushed well out
of the CSM's path as it entered lunar orbit. It was the best way to
ensure there would never be any recontact between the door and the
spacecraft.

Nit question: did the panel impact the Moon, wind up in lunar orbit,
free-return to Earth, or wind up in a heliocentric orbit?

My bet would be heliocentric, or some other non Earth or Moon orbit,
as the J missions went off free-return trajectories, IIRC, well
before entering the Moon's gravitational influence.

And, the velocity of the CSM-LM at the point of SM panel jett would
such as to not allow for any Lunar orbits. Its that velocity that
had to dump about 2,000 MPH in order to enter Lunar orbit.

Andre

--
" I'm a man... But, I can change... If I have to... I guess. "
The Man Prayer, Red Green.

In article ,
says...
TVDad Jim ) writes:
Minor nit -- the SIM bay "door" (the SM panel that covered the SIM bay)
was jettisoned about three hours prior to Lunar Orbit Insertion. The CSM
was pointed in such a way that the SIM bay door would be pushed well out
of the CSM's path as it entered lunar orbit. It was the best way to
ensure there would never be any recontact between the door and the
spacecraft.

Nit question: did the panel impact the Moon, wind up in lunar orbit,
free-return to Earth, or wind up in a heliocentric orbit?

My bet would be heliocentric, or some other non Earth or Moon orbit,
as the J missions went off free-return trajectories, IIRC, well
before entering the Moon's gravitational influence.

And, the velocity of the CSM-LM at the point of SM panel jett would
such as to not allow for any Lunar orbits. Its that velocity that
had to dump about 2,000 MPH in order to enter Lunar orbit.

I'd bet on heliocentric or extremely elongated Earth orbit. The door had
about 3 fps imparted to it by the explosive cording that separated it
from the SM -- I'd think they would position the CSM/LM such that the
additional velocity was added to the door's trajectory, so that it would
separate *away* from the spacecraft after the LOI burn started. If you
took that 3 fps and put it into the door's trajectory retrograde, to try
to get it to impact the Moon, a) it probably wouldn't be sufficient, and
b) you'd increase the chance of recontact once the LOI burn started and
the spacecraft decelerated through the slightly depressed trajectory of
the door.

--

Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for | Doug Van Dorn
thou art crunchy and taste good with ketchup |