| The Sky's not the limit! |
| Mankind's plight toward the stars, and the machines he uses to get him there |
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| The Famed Saturn V Rocket. The first, and so far only, vehicle to take man to the moon. Here it is in computer simulated glory in Orbiter Space Simulator, a free space vehicle simulator found here. To the Left, towering above the viewer at 365 feet tall, This Saturn V, is set for it's journey to the moon as the sun rises, awaiting the right moment when the orbital allignment converges and it may take to the skies. To the right, we see just that. The huge first stage blasting it's way... "To the Moon!" The huge exhaust of the first stage pushing the 3000 tonne vehicle into space! |
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| The Mighty Saturn V Sheds a stage, its joint, and the launch atmospheric escape tower as it ascends into orbit The escape tower was protecting the windows and docking port from the earth atmosphere, and could be used to eject the Habitable are in case of emergency at low altitude, and isn't any longer needed or usefull. The Saturn V is also now accelerating in the horizontal plane also to get enough forward velocity to 'fall' back to earth the same speed as the earth curves away from it... Still 8 minutes till orbit is achieved though. |
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| Nearly two orbits, and three hours later, the Trans Lunar Injection burn is completed as the 3rd stage is spent. With the earth behind it, the Apollo and it's crew of 3, coast toward the moon. Here though they must sperate the spent rocket stage, and make the Transposition and docking manuver to dock with the small craft, The lunar module, which will take two of the three to the surface of the moon! All of this takes place at a velocity of over 25,000km per hour, in the void of space. |
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| Apollo Command Service Module and Lunar Module in orbit around the Moon, preparing for Lunar Module descent to the surface. The lunar module would descend to the surface with two of the three astronauts, leaving a single crewmember with the Command module. |
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| On the surface, the Apollo missions were sent to land at moon local dawn, so that shadows would be long for easier navigation by sight. Here an astronaut deploys the American flag, close to the Lunar Module behind him. |
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| The Ascent stage of the Lunar Module, succesfully docked with the Command Service Module of the Apollo ship. The lunar mission mostly behind it, now remains the most important task of all... The return to the safety of Earth. |
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| With 400 Million Miles behind it, the final piece of the once 365 foot tall Apollo Saturn V after splashdown in the pacific Ocean. The three astronauts, two of which have now walked on the moon becoming one of the exclusive group of 12 men who have done so, await recovery by helicopter in their inflatable raft, 6 days after taking off. |
| Click the images for a larger version or a different angle. |