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NATIONALAERONAUTICSANDSPACEADMINISTRATIO_I-°

LANGLEYRESEARCHCENTER

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1149VOLUMEI

N78-7002q,

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MANNEDLUNAR-LA

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EFOREWORDInthecourseofconductingresearchontheproblemofspaceren-dezvousandonvariousaspectsofmannedspacemissions,LangleyResearchCenterhasevolvedwhatisbelievedtobeaparticularlyappealingschemeforperformingthemannedlunarlandingmission.Thekeytothemissionistheuseoflunarrendezvous,whichgreatlyreducesthesizeoftheboosterneededattheearth.Moredefinitelythemissionmaybedescribedessentiallyasfollows:Amannedexplorationvehicleisconsideredonitswaytothemoon.Onapproach,thisvehicleisdeceleratedintoalow-altitudecircularorbitaboutthemoon.Fromthisorbitalunarlanderdescendstothemoonsurface,leavingthereturnvehicleinorbit.Afterexplorationthelunarlanderascendsforrendezvouswiththereturnvehicle.Thereturnvehicleisthenboostedintoareturntrajectorytotheearth,leavingthelanderbehind.Thesignificantadvantagebroughtoutbythisprocedureisthemarkedreductioninescapeweightrequired;thereductionis,ofcourse,adirectreflectionofthereducedenergyrequirementsbroughtaboutbyleavingasizablemassinlunarorbit,inthiscase,thereturncapsuleandreturnpropulsionsystem.ThisreporthasbeenpreparedbymembersoftheLangleyResearchCentertoindicatetheresearchthathasbeenconducted,andwhatacompletemannedlunarlandingmissionusingthissystemwouldentail.Forfurtherreference,maincontactsareJohnD.Bird,ArthurW.Vogeley,orJohnC.Houbolt.J.C.H.October31,1961