The sign which accompanied the mockup when I first visited in 2002. It reads
NASA Lunar Module (LM)
This vehicle was designed to land two astronauts on the moon. It consisted of
two main sections. The lower portion is the descent stage, with landing gear, propellant
tanks, and descent engine which could be throttled to ensure a soft landing.
The upper portion, the ascent stage, was
the crew compartment with thrusters, a computer, and controls for maneuvering
the vehicle. When it was time to return to Earth, both astronauts would climb
the ladder and ingress back into the LM. Then, the descent stage served as a
launch pad for the ascent stage, which carried the astronauts and lunar samples
to a rendezvous with the waiting Command Module. Since there is no air on the
moon, the LM was not aerodynamically streamlined. The Lunar Module, with legs
folded, was stored inside the cone-shaped Lunar Module Adapter of the Saturn V
Launch Vehicle.
Height: |
22.9 ft (6.98m) with legs extended |
Weight: |
36,100 lbs (160,600N) |
Thrust: |
descent engine 1,050-9,870 lbs (4,670-43,900N)
ascent engine 3,500 lbs (15,500N)
|
Propellant: |
nitrogen tetroxide and Aerozine 50 |
Contractors:
Grumman Aircraft Corporation
Bell Aerospace Corporation (ascent stage propulsion)
Space Technology Laboratories, Inc. (descent stage propulsion)
|