Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

1.4 Case Study: Moon Landing

Dr. Tarek A. Tutunji

Philadelphia University, Jordan

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

Preview In the previous sequence, essential skills for successful

engineers have been presented.

In this sequence, the moon landing mission will be studied to inspire future engineers of what is possible.

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

Moon Landing Because of its extreme difficulty and worldwide exposure, the

successful moon landing of Apollo 11 is considered one of humanity's greatest achievements.

Moon landing was made possible by the combination of:

Science

Engineering

Imagination.

Engineers were the architects of the technology that allowed the moon landing to happen.

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

Imagination:Moon Landing in Fiction Man was fascinated by the

moon since the ancient times.

Many books were written about humans on the moon:

True History by Lucian in 79

First man on the moon by H.G. Wells in 1901

2001: Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke in 1968

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

Science Action and Reaction: the thrust that

lifts the launcher comes from burning fuel in the combustion chamber.

Gases escape through a nozzle.

The gases exert an upward force (reaction) that is equal and opposite to the force (action) of the escaping exhaust. Newton’s third law of motion.

This reaction force overcomes gravity.Gas Action

Thrust

(Reaction)

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

Political Background After WWII, the competition between the

superpowers (USA and USSR) was intense.

The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1 to orbit the Earth and so initiated the Space Age in 1957.

The Soviets also landed the first unmanned ship on the moon in 1959.

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

Vision U.S. President John F. Kennedy looked for an

American project that would capture the public imagination.

"I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth”

JFK 1961

20 July 1969, USA landed first manned ship (Apollo 11).

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

Engineering Challenges1. Spacecraft must first leave the Earth’s gravity.

A launcher needs sufficient thrust to lift its own mass to overcome gravity.

At an attitude of 200 km, a launch vehicle must travel over 11 Km/s to escape gravity. This is referred to as escape velocity.

2. Fly to the moon. Travel at survivable speed.

Follow the correct trajectory.

3. Land safely on the moon. High velocity (6000 mile/hr) is the effects of gravity using a landing

rocket.

4. Return to earth. The escape velocities of the moon and earth must again be overcome.

Moon departure rocket must be carried to the moon's surface.

Need additional fuel for the return trip

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

Moon Landing Stages1. Unmanned Hard Landing

USA: 18 missions (3 successes), 1958-1965

USSR: 22 missions (4 successes), 1958-1966

2. Unmanned Soft Landing

USA: 7 missions (5 successes), 1966-1968

USSR: 14 missions (5 successes), 1969-1976

3. Lunar Orbit

USA: 5 missions (5 successes), 1966-1967

USSR: 9 missions (7 successes), 1966-1974

4. Manned Landing

USA: Apollo 11 landed on the moon, 1969

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

www.makingthemodernworld.org.uk

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

The Launch A Saturn V rocket launched

Apollo 11 into the orbit

After one and a half orbits, the engines pushed the spacecraft onto its trajectory toward the Moon.

The command module separated from Saturn V and docked with the lunar module.

The combined spacecraft headed for the Moon.

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

Fly me to the Moon

Apollo 11 passed behind the Moon and fired its service propulsion engine to enter lunar orbit.

lunar module (LM) Eagleseparated from the command module Columbia.

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

Command/Service Module The Command Service Module

Columbia consisted of two parts.

The Command Module held the three man crew. It was the control center during the mission. It also was the re-entry vehicle for returning back to Earth.

The Service Module provided the propulsion and maneuvering capability for the space craft

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

The Lunar Module The Lunar Module Eagle

consisted of two parts: the descent stage and the ascent stage.

The descent stage provided the engine used to land on the moon. It had four legs and a storage area for experimental gear.

The descent module also served as the launch platform for the ascent module when it came time to leave

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

Walking on the MoonOne small step for man, one

giant leap for mankind

To walk on the moon's surface, the astronauts needed to wear a space suit with a back mounted, portable life support system.

This controlled the oxygen, temperature and pressure inside the suit.

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

Return to Earth After re-entering the Earth's

atmosphere, parachutes opened to safely lower the Columbia into the Pacific Ocean

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

Apollo 11: The Crew

Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Buzz Aldrin

Dr. Tarek A. TutunjiEngineering Skills, Philadelphia University

Conclusions The moon landing mission shows how engineers play

an essential role in providing solutions to almost impossible tasks.

The mission also shows the importance of leadership, planning, and teamwork