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[i]Attached to each of three of the footpads is a 1.73-meter (68 inch) probe designed to sense lunar-surface proximity and to signal the LM pilot so that he can initiate descent-engine shutdown.[/i]
[i]A few months before Apollo 11, test data indicated that heating rates on the landing gear were much higher than anticipated. At approximately the same time, the LM flight crew expressed a desire to have the option of using either the probe mode or the pad mode for landing. The probe mode is the primary procedure for LM touchdown and consists of descent-engine shutdown initiation after probe contact with the lunar surface but before footpad contact. The pad mode is considered a backup landing mode in which engine thrust is terminated after footpad contact. Inclusion of the pad mode resulted in even higher predicted heating rates for the landing gear. Consequently, the Apollo 11 landing gear thermal insulation weight was increased to 31.03 kilograms (68.4 pounds). A refined analysis allowed reduction of the landing gear insulation weight on subsequent vehicles so that it represents approximately 8 percent of the total landing gear weight. This particular problem illustrates a hardware change made as a result of improved test data and a change in operational procedures.[/i]
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