An empirically derived erosion law and its application to Lunar Module landing.
Module landing effects on lunar surface, deriving erosion law from Surveyor 5 engine firing test and vacuum test data
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Module landing effects on lunar surface, deriving erosion law from Surveyor 5 engine firing test and vacuum test data
Apollo command module land landing capability in case of abort after liftoff, describing Monte Carlo simulation procedure
Full scale dynamic landing impact investigation of prototype lunar module landing gear
Lunar landing module reflectivity model based on Surveyor and Orbiter photographs of lunar craters, hills, and boulders
Lunar landing simulation data, noting pilot performance and manual control modes
Lunar surface bias on landing module altimeter signal
The development of the lunar module landing gear subsystem through the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission is presented. The landing gear design evolved from the design requirement, which had to satisfy the structural, mechanical, and landing performance constraints of the vehicle. Extensive analyses and tests were undertaken to verify the design adequacy. Techniques of the landing performance analysis served as a primary tool in developing the subsystem hardware and in determining the adequacy of the landing gear for toppling stability and energy absorption. The successful Apollo 11 lunar landing mission provided the first opportunity for a complete flight test of the landing gear under both natural and induced environments.
The Apollo lunar module landing-gear flight-performance results and three principal gear development problems are discussed. In evaluating the lunar module touchdown performance, strut stroking and toppling stability are the prime factors and are governed primarily by touchdown velocity and surface slope at the touchdown point. Flight results are shown to be well within design values, and the landing-gear has performed successfully in all landings.
Apollo lunar module structural integrity for lunar landing verified by Monte Carlo dynamic analysis
A developmental history of the Apollo lunar module landing and rendezvous radar subsystems is presented. The Apollo radar subsystems are discussed from initial concept planning to flight configuration testing. The major radar subsystem accomplishments and problems are discussed.
Full-scale-model and actual spacecraft were impact tested to define the emergency land-landing capability of the Apollo command module. Structural accelerations and strains were recorded on analog instrumentation, and a summary to these data is included. The landing kinematics were obtained from high-speed photography. Photographs of the structural damage caused during the tests are included. Even though extensive damage can be expected, the crew will receive nothing more than minor injuries during the majority of the probable landing conditions.
NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has developed a comprehensive test and analysis program to evaluate the ability of LS-DYNA to model the materials and the phenomena involved in soil and water landing impacts of the Orion crew module. Elemental, scale boilerplate, and full-scale prototype testing is being conducted in support of the simulation verification and validation approach. Aspects of the simulations evaluated against test data include soil constitutive properties, water equations of state, and contact algorithms. Subsystems tested include airbags, crushable energy absorbing honeycomb materials, and energy absorbing seat support struts. The procedures, instrumentation, and general observations from each test series are presented. Plans for a series of swing tests of a full-scale boilerplate into a purpose-built water basin are described. Further plans for swing tests of flight-like prototypes into the water basin are noted.
A review of astronaut whole body impact tolerance is discussed for land or water landings of the next generation manned space capsule named Orion. LS-DYNA simulations of Orion capsule landings are performed to produce a low, moderate, and high probability of injury. The paper evaluates finite element (FE) seat and occupant simulations for assessing injury risk for the Orion crew and compares these simulations to whole body injury models commonly referred to as the Brinkley criteria. The FE seat and crash dummy models allow for varying the occupant restraint systems, cushion materials, side constraints, flailing of limbs, and detailed seat/occupant interactions to minimize landing injuries to the crew. The FE crash test dummies used in conjunction with the Brinkley criteria provides a useful set of tools for predicting potential crew injuries during vehicle landings.
Lunar landing module Doppler radar system in guidance navigation and control system, studying mathematical model performance
Lunar landing module Doppler radar system in guidance navigation and control system, studying mathematical model performance
Lunar landing simulation data, noting pilot performance and manual control modes
Impact dynamics and effects on lunar landing module performance and landing gear
Command module diving characteristics studied with scale model released into calm water