posted 02-02-2006 04:31 AM               

Two questions which I cannot find answers for:

1. What were the angles from normal / vertical / etc of the LM crew forward windows?

2. LM-5 (Apollo 11) had a "two-tone" forward crew hatch - why? None of the other LMs had it. We think it was something to do with the forward hatch binding problem they had on LM-3. If you look at AS11-44-6574, it's quite distinct. I know there was a join in the hatch outer covering at this point.

posted 02-05-2006 05:01 AM            

However , we do know the windows canted inward and - using an online compass and a side view of the ascent stage LM - the angle at the top is approx 15 degrees from vertical.

If anyone does locate the detail - let us all know .It'll save me hours of searching......

I believe the Soviet manned lunar lander had a better simpler 'solution' for downward viewing by the crew man with its large downward facing vewport - rather than the overswung cabin and canted windows of the LM.

I assume the next gen lunar module that NASA will have constructed will probably use downward facing digital video cameras to produce multiviews of the surface as the craft goes in for touchdown?

Phill

Phill
UK

posted 02-05-2006 11:13 AM               

I've also had a look through loads of LM data and can't find much at all about angles and dimensions. The press stuff just doesn't go into that kind of area as I guess the press weren't relly concerned about it. And the tech stuff concentrates more on systems.

The LM windows weren't just tilted downwards they were also tilted outwards as well so I guess you'd really be looking for a couple of angles to get the right position.

The placement of the windows were such that if you got your face right up close you could see straight forward,and very wide angles to the left/right and down (if you wanted to look up you could use the docking window)

Like Phill I will keep looking.

posted 02-06-2006 03:10 AM               

I'm still intersted in the LM hatch, though. It turns out the hatch design was on LM-3 to LM-6, and possibly LM-7 (though I haven't seen any pictures to confirm it). From LM-8 it appeared as one colour.

posted 02-07-2006 01:13 PM            

Before the problems they had hoped that the LM-3 vehicle may have been available to carryout a "near lunar" mission with an all-up CSM/LM combination on a Saturn V - one that would have gone close to the Moon but not have orbited and certainly not a lander mission.

The later LM-5 vehicle also had window problems when they 'blew out' during a high temperature test. This led to Corning producinga more robust window for the LM vehicles.

posted 02-10-2006 08:55 AM            

Not sure if I mentioned it before but the LM crew had about a 65 degree downward view (from straight ahead viewing position) and a 80 degree viewing to the side through the triangular forward windows.

At Grumman , during ground pressurisation testing of upto 5.8 psi of the LM-5 'Eagle' ascent stage ,the windows shattered at 5.1 psi .This was due to a materials defect in the glass. Because of this , NASA ordered that the LM-1 windows be aluminium and not glass for the then upcoming unmanned test flight of Apollo-5 .

Subsequent to the LM-5 test failure Grumman increased LM pressurisation testing upto 25 psi.