Space News
space history and artifacts articles

Messages
space history discussion forums

Sightings
worldwide astronaut appearances

Resources
selected space history documents

  collectSPACE: Messages
  Mercury - Gemini - Apollo
  Plot board of Apollo 6 flight to orbit

Post New Topic  Post A Reply
profile | register | preferences | faq | search

next newest topic | next oldest topic
Author Topic:   Plot board of Apollo 6 flight to orbit
BBlatcher
Member

Posts: 57
From: Savannah, GA, USA
Registered: Aug 2011

posted 11-20-2012 10:58 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for BBlatcher     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
While re-reading Apollo by, Charles Murray and Catherine Cox, I came across this description of the Apollo 6 flight: "The plot boards showing where the Saturn had wandered looked as if a drunk had been drawing the trajectory."

Is there an photo of that plot board online? I'd love to see what it looks like.

garymilgrom
Member

Posts: 1966
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 11-20-2012 12:41 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for garymilgrom   Click Here to Email garymilgrom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Remember this was the second all up test of the Saturn V. It had problems with engines in the first two stages and some reports have it entering orbit while thrusting toward the Earth.

I believe the S-IVB stage engine also had a problem restarting. This last unmanned test of the moon rocket shows how gutsy NASA was to man the next flight and how brave those men were.

bwhite1976
Member

Posts: 283
From: Belleville, IL
Registered: Jun 2011

posted 11-20-2012 02:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for bwhite1976   Click Here to Email bwhite1976     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I have always wondered about that passage from Murray and Cox's Apollo and glad you mentioned it. I recall reading that at one point the prolonged pitched up attitude(due to the lost engines) made the IMU pitch the nose of the rocket straight downwards to the center of the Earth so that it could correct course? Also, that the rocket went into orbit backwards? Was it actually pointed backwards?

BBlatcher
Member

Posts: 57
From: Savannah, GA, USA
Registered: Aug 2011

posted 11-20-2012 04:12 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for BBlatcher     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Here's the relevant paragraphs from the book (the part in parentheses is my addition to clarify who's speaking):
After the two engines had gone out, the vehicle had maintained a pitched-up attitude known as chi-freeze for far longer than it would have under ordinary circumstances. "Well, the S-IVB lit up," (Flight Dynamics Officer Jay) Greene recalled, "and the first thing it said was, 'Omigod, I've got too much altitude.' And so it pointed its nose straight at the center of the earth." This battle between the guidance system and the gimbal limits on the engine continued for about eighty seconds, with Greene getting closer and closer to an abort call of his own. When the S-IVB finally gave up trying to get to the altitude it wanted, it had a flight-path angle that was unacceptably low. "So then the little devil said, 'Well, this is bad, I've got to pick up the flight-path angle,' so it started pitching up, and as it started pitching up it said, 'Now I'm over speed,' so it actually went into orbit thrusting backward."

The plot boards showing where the Saturn had wandered looked as if a drunk had been drawing the trajectory. It was without question the most exciting powered launch anybody in the MOCR had ever witnessed. "A fascinating flight," Greene said tersely — his very first shift in the MOCR. What was he doing all this time? "Puckering."

All times are CT (US)

next newest topic | next oldest topic

Administrative Options: Close Topic | Archive/Move | Delete Topic
Post New Topic  Post A Reply
Hop to:

Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts

Copyright 2020 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.


Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a





advertisement