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  Photo of the week 764 (June 15, 2019)

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Author Topic:   Photo of the week 764 (June 15, 2019)
heng44
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Posts: 3387
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001

posted 06-15-2019 03:25 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for heng44   Click Here to Email heng44     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote

Half a century ago this week, with about a month left before the Apollo 11 launch, Neil Armstrong made his first flight in the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle since his crash more than a year before. Over a period of three days he completed eight flights in the vehicle, for a total flight time of 40 min. 14 sec. During these eight flights he made 14 takeoffs and landings, six of which were in the lunar simulation mode.

David Carey
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Posts: 782
From:
Registered: Mar 2009

posted 06-15-2019 01:29 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for David Carey   Click Here to Email David Carey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Talk about getting back on that horse!

Great photo, Ed, and wasn't aware of the number of post-crash LLTV flight hops performed by Armstrong.

This photo made me look further into the LLRV and LLTV timeline and history. Also wasn't aware that the LLRV was derived from work at Edwards and independent work at Bell that predated the mid-1962 decision on Lunar Orbit Rendezvous (vs Direct Descent or Earth Orbit Rendezvous). While the LLRV was delivered by Bell after LOR selection, wheels were put in motion prior to a known requirement for a lunar landing vehicle.

From Neil Armstrong's NASA Oral History:

(Our work at Edwards) became the basis for what went out as a requirement for bid to build the LLRV, lunar landing research vehicle. It was not known at this time that there would be a lunar module. It was direct descent, and Earth orbiting rendezvous and other strategies were still being considered. Matter of fact, the lunar module came after the lunar landing research vehicle.

David C
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Posts: 1015
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012

posted 06-17-2019 02:17 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for David C     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by heng44:
Half a century ago this week, with about a month left before the Apollo 11 launch, Neil Armstrong made his first flight in the Lunar Landing Training Vehicle since his crash more than a year before.

That's an excellent reminder that it wasn't called The Moon Race for nothing, and some of it came together very late indeed.

I think it's also a point to bear in mind for those playing "Fantasy Crew Selection". Armstrong was probably the astronaut best prepared to fly the LM manually prior to this LLTV training course. He'd worked on the problem for many years and was one of the very few first landing attempt Commander "candidates" who'd already flown the LLRV. The LM sim and helicopters just weren't the same at all.

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