Moon Machines - cool - anyone watching ?

Over the July 4th weekend I was surfing t.v. channels ( I've got Dish
Network ) and came across this show " Moon Machines " on the Science
Channel.

Surprised I didn't see a discussion about the show here. This is a
new series ... right ?

The first episode was about the Saturn V. Second was about the
Command Module. ( I had to laugh about the tank testing when the
capsule split open and sank )

I am watching the third episode about Navigation to the moon and the
development of INS, software ... etc.

Fascinating stuff

This Dr. Otto Gessler dude between commercials is cracking me up :

http://science.discovery.com/tv/spac...o/dr-otto.html

Here's a list of show times :

http://science.discovery.com/tv-sche...122228.34203.1

Chris

CCBlack wrote:
I am watching the third episode about Navigation to the moon and the
development of INS, software ... etc.

They're running the one about the LM now, and they had some great
footage of the early designs for it and a model of the five-legged
conical version repeatedly tipping over in a "moondust" filled test area
when it did anything other than a pure vertical descent.*
If this whole series is as good as this episode this is something worth
getting on DVD.

* It was this problem with landing on a soft surface that led the
Soviets to have the upward-facing "nesting rockets" on their LK lander
to drive it firmly into the surface on touchdown.

Pat

Pat Flannery wrote:

They're running the one about the LM now, and they had some great
footage of the early designs for it.

Hadn't heard about a LM window blowing out during a vacuum chamber test.
Apparently they never figured out what caused that to happen either.
They do repeat the old story about the Apollo 11 being very low on fuel
at landing, though that was later shown to be due to a fault in the fuel
supply guaging system design.
Of course, it wouldn't have made a difference to Apollo 11... when their
indicated fuel supply reached zero they would have aborted the landing,
whether the gauges were right or not.

Pat

"CCBlack" wrote in message
...
Over the July 4th weekend I was surfing t.v. channels ( I've got Dish
Network ) and came across this show " Moon Machines " on the Science
Channel.

Surprised I didn't see a discussion about the show here. This is a
new series ... right ?

Don't know about new but it's definitely VERY good.

I've seen 2-3 hours of it (Forgot to record it tonight dang it) and I think
it's far better than "When We Left Earth".

Some good details and as far as I can tell very good research.



The first episode was about the Saturn V. Second was about the
Command Module. ( I had to laugh about the tank testing when the
capsule split open and sank )

I am watching the third episode about Navigation to the moon and the
development of INS, software ... etc.

Fascinating stuff

This Dr. Otto Gessler dude between commercials is cracking me up :

http://science.discovery.com/tv/spac...o/dr-otto.html

Here's a list of show times :

http://science.discovery.com/tv-sche...122228.34203.1

Chris





--
Greg Moore
SQL Server DBA Consulting Remote and Onsite available!
Email: sql (at) greenms.com http://www.greenms.com/sqlserver.html

Greg D. Moore (Strider) wrote:

Don't know about new but it's definitely VERY good.

I've seen 2-3 hours of it (Forgot to record it tonight dang it) and I think
it's far better than "When We Left Earth".

Some good details and as far as I can tell very good research.


If they really had built that dome-topped LM with all the windows on it,
the poor astronauts would have fried in the lunar sunlight.
The episode will be rerun at midnight EST, again at 4 AM, and then again
at 10 AM.
Tomorrow night's episode is about the Apollo space/lunar EVA suits.
Thursday is the Lunar rover. That night the episode is followed by a
history of satellites.
On Friday, "In The Shadow Of The Moon" will be run at 9 PM EST and again
at midnight.

Pat

"Pat Flannery" wrote in message
dakotatelephone...
Of course, it wouldn't have made a difference to Apollo 11... when their
indicated fuel supply reached zero they would have aborted the landing,
whether the gauges were right or not.

Possibly. I'd say it would depend on just how close they were to landing.
Test pilots are known to go with their gut at times.

Remember the aborted Titan/Gemini launch where the astronauts *should* have
ejected if they followed the letter of the flight rules? They made the
right call not to pull the handle, but it always seemed to me like it could
have easily been a very bad day for them if the Titan hadn't been sitting
solidly on the launch stand.

Jeff
--
A clever person solves a problem.
A wise person avoids it. -- Einstein

I agree, I got all of these, some of the hidden and unseen footage
was excellent, this series really adds to the public knowledge of
Apollo and helps fight the moronic conspiracy theorists and influence
the young by showing them, "No, son we didn't make it up."

This is the type of program that PBS used to do years ago, detailed
and doesn't talk down to the user. The one thing about Apollo 11
on the Lunar Module episode that wasn't mentioned was the circuit
breaker popping out and Buzz having to hold that back in to fire the
ascent engine. I think it would have been much better to include
that story. But for whatever reason it was excised. I hope if that
a forthcoming video release will include more minutes per episode.

I do wish they'd shown it on Discovery as well though, because a lot
of cable systems don't have the Science channel, I was watching on
Directv. This is the type of program that ABC could run on a Monday
night and it would get decent ratings in the 8pm slot? if not they
owe it to the space program for not showing A13's broadcast live
anyway )


On Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:20:02 -0500, Pat Flannery
wrote:



Greg D. Moore (Strider) wrote:

Don't know about new but it's definitely VERY good.

I've seen 2-3 hours of it (Forgot to record it tonight dang it) and I think
it's far better than "When We Left Earth".

Some good details and as far as I can tell very good research.


If they really had built that dome-topped LM with all the windows on it,
the poor astronauts would have fried in the lunar sunlight.
The episode will be rerun at midnight EST, again at 4 AM, and then again
at 10 AM.
Tomorrow night's episode is about the Apollo space/lunar EVA suits.
Thursday is the Lunar rover. That night the episode is followed by a
history of satellites.
On Friday, "In The Shadow Of The Moon" will be run at 9 PM EST and again
at midnight.

Pat