How did "Apollo 11" make the first manned landing on the moon?

Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA.

July 16, 1996. Before dawn, the three astronauts were sleeping soundly. During the period before the flight, they were under strict vigilance, not because they were afraid of plots, but to prevent accidents and infectious diseases. They were not allowed to come into contact with anyone who might infect them with diseases. They have put in a lot of effort to prepare for this flight, and they must have a good night's sleep before leaving the earth.

Under the gray-white sky, on launch pad No. 39A, stands a sharp arrow piercing the sky - the 110-meter-high "Saturn V" and "Apollo 11" spacecraft. Von Braun led a large group of scientists and engineers to conduct the final inspection of takeoff overnight, and everything was very satisfactory.

At 4 o'clock EDT, the three astronauts were woken up, and the doctor performed a physical examination on them for the last time. After breakfast, others helped them put on thick space suits and took a special car to the launch site. Through their helmets, one can see them smiling. The astronauts were lifted to a height of 98 meters through the elevator and entered the command module of "Apollo 11" one after another.

The ground service tower quickly injects liquid propellant into the rocket; the countdown before launch tells people how much time is left until the rocket is launched: ("3 hours...2 hours and 10 minutes...1 hour and 30 Minutes...", the ground command center keeps reporting the count. In the last hour, it is required to report the number of seconds. Everyone knows clearly what should be done in which second and when it ends.

After the astronauts climbed into the command module, they were half lying and half sitting in their seats. At this moment, there were only astronauts and a few ground staff within a few kilometers of the spacecraft. This last moment was very dangerous. , the rocket is filled with 50 million liters of high-efficiency fuel, and any flame may cause unimaginable accidents. In order to prevent this, an escape route has been designed. The astronauts can enter a tunnel under the rocket through a long tube. In the deep cave. However, there is almost no time to reach the deep cave.

The countdown keeps counting, "44 minutes...40 minutes and 10 seconds...40 minutes." The population of "Apollo 11" has been locked, and the astronauts have been isolated from the world.

On the seaside outside the launch site, more than 1 million people have already come out of the tents. There were more than 3,000 reporters from all over the United States who came here to watch the Apollo 11 launch. When the sun rose, they lit countless fires and started making breakfast. Fires, smoke, colorful clouds, crowds, green hills, and greenery. The trees formed a gorgeous landscape.

At the same time, in the Houston control center more than 1,400 kilometers away, hundreds of people were staring at the instrument through the TV screen. Any signs of errors or accidents in the spacecraft are detected in a timely manner. These complex control tasks are carried out by five large computers, which store relevant aerospace data at any time, process them immediately, and issue instructions to correct the faults. The astronauts are very trustworthy with their sharp minds and skilled skills.

In the command module, the three astronauts were busy preparing for takeoff. "Everything." Good, ready to take off!" Following the astronaut's simple report, the ground immediately reported, "Everything goes well, ready to take off!" Commander Armstrong was extremely happy about this. He immediately replied: "Thank you very much, we know this will be A confident flight!"

The sun was bright at the launch site, and the midsummer sunshine shone on the earth. People completely forgot about all this. More than 1 million people held their breath and waited quietly. At the moment of take-off, hundreds of millions of people around the world were waiting in front of the TV with rapt attention.

Ten seconds before take-off, water poured into the deep well surrounding the "Apollo". The water will control the flame in a closed circle. 8 seconds before take-off, the five engines of the first stage of the Saturn V rocket are ignited, and the hot flames are immediately ejected from the rocket. .The flame was so bright that the human eye could not stand it. The flame was so bright that it darkened the world around it. Sharp roars came out along with the steaming smoke. The roars came one after another, deafening and heart-shaking...

The last two seconds.

The sound of the engine becomes louder and louder, reaching thousands of meters away. At this time, more than 4,000 kilograms of fuel are burned per second.

9:32 sharp.

The last control switch of the spacecraft was turned on, and after a brief pause, the nearly 3,000-ton "Apollo 11" spacecraft slowly ascended into the sky. As it flew over the Atlantic, millions of eyes followed. People cheered and jumped to celebrate the successful launch. Children along the coast wrote the words "Good Luck" in capital letters on the sand to express their best wishes. Maybe the astronauts can see this message when they say "goodbye" to the earth!

As soon as the take-off time comes, the countdown will change from the countdown to the upcount. Two minutes and 30 seconds after takeoff, Apollo 11 climbed upward at a speed of 3.13 kilometers per second.

The spacecraft continued to accelerate and climb. When the spacecraft flew to an altitude of 64 kilometers above the earth, the first stage rocket of the "Saturn" 5 "ran out of ammunition and food", and the spacecraft crashed. A few minutes later, when the second-stage rocket sent the spacecraft to an altitude of 160 kilometers, it itself fell. When the third-stage rocket was ignited, the spacecraft quickly approached the orbiting speed of the satellite and then entered the earth's orbit. At this time, the engine is temporarily shut down and on standby.

"Awesome!" Armstrong said to the ground control center, who were obviously very happy about the good start of this voyage. At this point, the astronauts can take off their helmets and get comfortable. Before leaving the Earth's orbit, there was a lot of work waiting for them. Every part of "Apollo" had to be carefully inspected. During this process, messages and instructions were frequently passed between the ground center and the astronauts.

Three hours later, "Apollo 11" was completely inspected. "Everything is normal!" Both the astronauts and the ground control center expressed satisfaction with this. In this way, the ground control center agreed that "Apollo 11" would change direction, leave the earth's orbit, and start heading for the moon. Of course, they cannot fly directly towards the moon at this time, because the moon is constantly rotating, and it takes three days for the spacecraft to fly to the moon. If you aim at the moon now, you won't know where it will land in three days. Therefore, the direction chosen by the astronauts must be where the moon will be three days later, which is where they will land. Following the instructions from the ground, the third-stage rocket ignited again, and the spacecraft rotated out of the earth's orbit, and then rose to a new height. At this time, the spacecraft is approaching the second cosmic speed, and the earth's gravity is powerless against it. With the hope of mankind, the astronauts flew to the moon along an accurate route.

Five hours later, the astronauts threw the fuel-exhausted third-stage rocket into space together with the lunar module skin. Prior to this, the mother module (the command module and service module combined) separated from the third-stage rocket and turned 180° in preparation for docking with the lunar module. We know that when launching a spacecraft, the command module is located at the top, because this is the safest position. There is also a life-saving rocket on it, which can be used to take away the command module in case of an accident. But when landing on the moon, the lunar module had to be placed in the front so that astronauts could enter the lunar module through the passage between the command module and the lunar module. After completing the U-turn and docking work, the astronauts watched the dark space with great interest. They even had time to name the lunar module and the mother module respectively. The former was called "Eagle" and the latter was called "Columbia". You still remember that in Verne's novel, the name of the cannonball was also "Colombia".

Astronaut life is carried out strictly according to a predetermined schedule. Sometimes in order to adjust the course slightly, they started the Columbia's engine. In order to make all parts of the spacecraft receive the "care" of the sun evenly, sometimes the spacecraft has to be manually controlled to slowly roll forward. All of this can be seen on television screens on Earth, but what people are most interested in is the activities of the astronauts inside the cabin.

The astronaut looked out the porthole window and described the scenery below with great interest. The whole of South America is visible at a glance. The green island of Britain is in full view, the brown African desert is set against the deep blue sea, and the bright strip is obviously the rising sun. The astronauts could also clearly see the formation of rain clouds, so they told Houston that a downpour was coming and to prepare quickly.

It can be seen that astronauts like the weightless state very much, and they are especially willing to float in the cabin. In order to let the audience of "Hometown:" also share this fun, they often perform weightless "dances" that they "compose and perform". Collins described the life in the spacecraft this way, "We do have a happy home, and here is a place for us Three people provided many 'rooms' and we could find a favorite corner to sit and lie down in any one of them. If you get tired of floating, you can take a rest in a certain corner, and this seems more like 'home'." In the spacecraft, astronauts are like this "everywhere is home." ”

The astronauts dining scene was shown on TV. At this time, the astronauts were still eating “tube food”. When eating, they used a water gun to pour water into a tube or a small bag, which served as water and food. When it is evenly mixed, you can eat. The loose food must be put into bags to keep the cabin clean. The TV also shows the astronauts sleeping. They seem to be in good sleep, often sleeping seven or eight times. Hours later, the instruments in the ground control center showed that their heart functions were normal. None of the three people were worried. They had a lot of work to do, taking care of the instruments, listening to instructions from the ground, and receiving news from the ground. They were so busy that they simply had no time. Worried.

At 12 noon on the third day after launch, the spacecraft entered the gravitational range of the moon. This opportunity was not to be missed. Before the spacecraft entered the lunar orbit, the astronauts once again enjoyed the view. The scenery of the earth in the distant horizon: the earth is just a bright ball in the blue sky. Its wonderful light makes astronauts surprised that the "earth light" is much brighter than the moonlight we see from the earth. Therefore, astronauts can make all preparations by using "Earth light". However, the moon presented to the astronauts is extremely huge. "Such a wonderful moon scenery is really worth spending money to visit." ", the astronauts said in admiration.

When preparing to enter lunar orbit, astronauts must put on their spacesuits again (they can wear more comfortable spacesuits during the flight). The television cameras started working again, showing the astronauts' work to viewers on Earth. In order to maintain the correct attitude of flying around the moon, the engine on the spacecraft sprays gas forward and can also slow down. When the Apollo spacecraft circled the far side of the moon, radio contact was interrupted. This was an anxious time, because during this period, the ground control center was unable to command the spacecraft and had to rely on the astronauts' own skills and knowledge.

After entering the far side of the moon, the astronauts changed the course of the spacecraft. In the Houston Ground Center, there was a deathly silence. For more than half an hour, no one knew whether the dangerous operation would succeed. For people on the earth, this half hour can really be said to be "a time spent like a year." At this time, they are not counting and waiting in minutes, but in seconds. Thirty-five minutes later, the Houston Ground Center finally heard Armstrong's loud and clear voice on time; "Correct, good!" The "Apollo" spacecraft successfully entered the waiting orbit of the moon. Houston listened carefully to their report and then ordered them to prepare for the moon landing.

Before landing on the moon, Columbia and Eagle must be separated. Commander Armstrong and Aldrin, the pilot of the lunar module "Eagle", climbed into the lunar module "Eagle" through the passage and locked the door. From now on, "Columbia" will be controlled solely by Collins. The three people spent 5 hours checking every piece of equipment and instruments in detail again. When the spacecraft flies to the back of the moon again, another aerospace operation is about to be completed, and the "Eagle" and "Columbia" will be split into two. When the spacecraft came around the moon, Collins operated the separation handle and the two capsules separated successfully. Armstrong's excited voice came from the wireless phone: "The 'Eagle' has spread its wings!"

The "Eagle" is on the slope of landing on the moon, while the "Columbia" continues to fly in the waiting orbit. Waiting for the "Eagle" to land on the moon and return.

There are two choices before the two astronauts, and they must react quickly. Either the moon landing is achieved as planned, or because the route is not as ideal as the original detection and is not suitable for landing, it can still return to "Columbia". However, the two pilots of the "Eagle" did not agree with the halfway approach. Why did they want to retreat before moving forward? They did not hesitate to choose the former. After Armstrong and Aldrin carefully inspected every part of the "Eagle", they decisively pressed the landing button. The descent rocket exhausted its exhaust toward the moon to reduce the landing speed. The two astronauts watched the instruments intently. The Houston direction also watched the TV carefully and reported technical data and issued instructions to them through the computer.

"Height 14,000 meters..., 10,000 meters... 3,000 meters... 1,000 meters,..." Information is frequently exchanged between the moon and the earth. Houston ordered: "Start the moon landing!". The "Eagle" followed the instructions and made all preparations before landing on the moon. Suddenly, Armstrong saw huge rocks everywhere on the moon, which was not a good landing place for the "eagle" with its delicate "skin". So Armstrong made some adjustments to avoid the rocks. However, when he descended to 150 meters above the ground, he realized that he was in danger. It turned out that they flew into a circular mountain pass surrounded by huge rocks. At this time, the instruments could no longer help them find a suitable landing site. Only with the pilot's good skills could the "Eagle" fly to a flat place.

The astronauts saw a flat place not far away, so they reduced the speed to 2 meters per second...0.7 meters...0.0 meters...the height was from 22 meters...5 meters ...9 meters... However, at this point, the astronauts were still not sure whether they could descend safely. If the descent angle is wrong and one leg of the lunar module breaks off, then they will not be able to take off from the moon, and the consequences will be disastrous.

After a few anxious seconds, "The green light is on!" A loud report broke the silence at the Houston Ground Center, when the four long legs of the "Eagle" firmly touched the lunar ground. At that time, Armstrong sent such a report to the earth. Then he continued to report: "The Eagle has landed." On Earth hundreds of thousands of kilometers away, the audience let out a sigh of relief.

At 16:17 on July 21, 1969, the dream of landing on the moon finally became a reality. This is the result of generations of hard work, and this is mankind's victory in conquering the universe. The pioneers of space technology know their secrets and will sincerely thank this generation.

In the Houston control center, and around the world, countless smiling faces stared at the television screens. When the Eagle received Houston's congratulatory message, Armstrong thanked him in a unique way: "There are two people on the moon!" At this moment, the two people represent the entire human race! However, Collins, who was flying around the moon, added: " Don't forget, there is another person in the command module!"

The two astronauts sitting in the "Eagle" turned their helmets and looked out the porthole. There was no moon goddess, no green mountains and beautiful waters. What appeared in front of them was a rough and gray world, full of huge pits and large rocks. There are too many things to see, but we can't waste time on this. The work program does not allow this.

The astronauts began to eat. This was the first meal for humans to arrive on the moon. The meal was very simple. According to the original plan, the astronauts should take a nap after the meal to relieve the fatigue of the long journey. But the two astronauts were eager to see another world with their own eyes and asked to move ahead. Houston cautiously agreed to their request. The two astronauts put on extravehicular space suits. Although the clothes were heavy, their weight was nothing on the moon.

After careful preparations, six hours after landing on the moon, the door of the "Eagle" opened. Armstrong arrived at the cabin door and stood on the highest level of the gangway, and the automatic camera started working. A picture like this quickly appeared on the TV screen: a man with bloated "clothes" clumsily climbed down the stairs sideways, looking like a gray shadow on the dark ground. When he climbed to the bottom of the ladder, a clear voice came, "Eagle's feet were inserted into the lunar ash about two to three inches (1 inch = 2.54 cm). The lunar ash is like fine grains of sand." Then he Then he said: "I stepped out of the lunar module!" This is Armstrong. As he spoke, Armstrong raised his left foot and touched the moon for the first time.

Has there ever been a person in history whose step has attracted such attention from hundreds of millions of people? Armstrong said in the language of a philosopher; "For a person, It’s a small step, but it’s a leap for all of humanity.”

Armstrong opened his legs and moved forward cautiously. With this step, some scientists' worries can be relieved. It was originally believed that the moon was covered with a thick layer of volcanic ash, but he was not trapped in the lunar dust and it was not difficult to move around. Although it was darker in the shadow of the Eagle, he could still clearly see everything around him. The doctors in the Houston control center carefully observed his actions and could not see any pathological reaction in the astronaut.

After looking around, Armstrong began to take pictures with a camera. He planned to take more pictures back to Earth. However, the controllers in Houston were a little anxious and had to urge him repeatedly to collect lunar rock specimens. Scientists from various countries hope to obtain some lunar rock specimens for study, and this depends on the actions of the astronauts. Therefore, they were worried that if Armstrong had an accident and was forced to leave the moon, he might forget about collecting moon rocks in a hurry. But Armstrong had plenty of time to do it. He collected a rock and carefully placed it in a specially made pocket.

Eighteen minutes after Armstrong stepped down the gangway, Aldrin, the pilot of the "Eagle", also set foot on the moon. His first words were "Great, great!" Perhaps this simple sentence can best express the mood of this person here and now. When the two astronauts began to walk, they found it difficult to maintain their balance, like drunken people, top-heavy. Later, they gradually got used to it and learned to float on the moon like slow motion in a movie. Their next move was to erect a metal plaque on the moon. Standing in front of this sign, the two of them silently recited the line above:

"In July 1969 AD, humans from the planet Earth landed on the moon for the first time. We came for peace for all mankind. ".

Every minute and every second of visiting the moon is tense. They then carefully inspected the "Eagle" to see if it had been damaged during the landing, and the result was that the "Eagle" was not damaged at all.

In order to conduct scientific experiments, they moved some instruments from the "Eagle", mainly "seismographs" and "laser reflectors". It is through these instruments that scientists can obtain important information on the moon after Apollo 11 returns to Earth.

The two astronauts spent two and a half hours on the moon. During this period, the commander was responsible for collecting rocks, and Aldrin used a camera to capture the lunar scenery. They worked nervously in the last few minutes, stuffing everything they collected on the moon into bags on their backs, and then Aldrin climbed back into the Eagle, dragging the bags. In order to reduce the weight of take-off, they abandoned some valuable instruments that had been used on the moon. After doing all this, the two astronauts looked exhausted. After climbing back to the "Eagle", they followed the prescribed procedures, had their second meal and then went to sleep. Alas, the space was too small, so the two astronauts had no choice but to resign themselves. The commander sat on the engine cover, while the pilot Aldrin lay on the floor.

Two earth messengers entered a dreamland in a foreign land. At the same time, Collins, the loneliest man in the world, was still flying "Columbia" in the lunar orbit.

Taking off on the moon was one of the most anxious moments of the voyage. The "Eagle" takes off with only a small-power engine. Once the engine fails, even if a locking plate is loose or a pin is defective, it may lead to takeoff failure. If that happens, the two astronauts will cry every day and complain that the earth and the earth are not working properly.

How to take off? The lower half of the "Eagle" is actually a small launch pad. The rocket engine in the upper half ignites and takes off, pushing the "Eagle" into the sky. With the takeoff instructions from Houston, the astronauts bid farewell to the moon that had been active for 22 hours.

Mstrongstrang started counting down again, "5...3...1...0" "Take off!" The engine ignited and the "Eagle" began to rise into the sky.

The rocket's lifespan in the ascent stage is only 7 minutes. It must send the "Eagle" to the lunar orbit before the fuel is exhausted. The hard work of the scientists has paid off, and the "Eagle" is rising smoothly, rising higher and higher. In less than 7 minutes, Houston received Armstrong's report: "'Eagle' has safely entered orbit." The ground immediately responded: "The whole world is proud of you!"

After the "Eagle" flew 19,000 kilometers , gradually caught up with the mother cabin "Columbia". Soon, "Columbia" and "Eagle" disappeared behind the moon together, and gradually moved closer together. When they reappeared, people saw that "Columbia" and "Eagle" were advancing side by side. Collins concentrated on maneuvering the "Columbia" and slowly approached the "Eagle". When he got closer, the "Columbia" and the "Eagle" docked together steadily. Before the three astronauts could let go of their hanging hearts, the spacecraft suddenly began to rotate irregularly, faster and faster. Although the astronauts struggled to control it, the spacecraft was still rotating at a gradually increasing speed. To regain control of the spacecraft, the astronauts fired several brake rockets in the service module. In this way, the spacecraft stabilized and began to rotate in a controlled manner. The reins of this "wild horse" are finally in the hands of the drivers again.

After "Apollo 11" stabilized, the channel between "Columbia" and "Eagle" was opened. Before returning to the mother module, astronauts must shake off any bits of lunar dust from their bodies. Organize the environment and personal hygiene, clean the equipment and themselves. Who knows if there are dangerous diseases on the moon, and whether lunar dust will bring diseases? After all this, the two astronauts couldn't wait to climb back to their motherland. cabin. Collins greeted the two as "Earthlings," "Earth Envoys." After seeing this familiar "home", Armstrong said with emotion. "It's so comfortable to find a place to sit!" Mian Collins said sincerely after the reunion with his old friend: "It's so happy to have a partner!" So far, the three close partners are together again.

Now, the "Eagle" is no longer needed, it has successfully completed its mission. Astronaut makes. The "Eagle" separated from the mother module and threw it alone into orbit around the moon. At this time, it really became a free-flying "Eagle".

As soon as "Apollo" stepped on On the way back to Earth, the lightly loaded spacecraft was ignited again. The astronauts could relax, have some food, and chat to get rid of the fatigue of the journey. On the way back, the astronauts slept for ten times as planned. Hours. When they woke up, they started their regular life again: working, eating, reporting to the ground, and resting; of course, they would not forget to thank the people who built the spacecraft. They were extremely grateful for this successful flight. Satisfied. Indeed, any glitch could destroy them. A defective, insignificant component would lead to the failure of the entire "Apollo" moon landing program.

After 60 hours of flight, "Apollo 11" "As they approached the Earth, they ditched the service module and returned to the Earth in the command module. When Apollo 11 was launched, it weighed nearly 3,000 tons including the rocket, but when it returned, there was only a command module of more than 5 tons. The astronauts adjusted the spacecraft The reentry speed and angle were carefully designed and accurately calculated during the entire launch plan, so that the conical bottom of the command module faced the atmosphere and decelerated down to the Pacific Ocean along a precise route. A crucial period of time. After entering the atmosphere, the radio contact between "Apollo 11" and the control center in Houston was interrupted, and "Apollo 11" also disappeared from the TV screen, making it impossible to conduct any effective command of the spacecraft. , they could only secretly wish everything went well in their hearts.

While the spacecraft was returning, careful rescue preparations were being made on the earth for their splashdown; 9,000 people were divided into 9 ships and 1. More than 50 aircraft are preparing to salvage and rescue people from the sea. A very large USS Hornet aircraft carrier is cruising in the Pacific Ocean, waiting for the spacecraft to splash down.

When the sun rises over the Pacific Ocean. At that time, a bright fireball appeared on the sea, and "Apollo 11" returned with a fire. This was caused by the friction between the spacecraft and the air. After a while, the front end of the command module opened and three huge parachutes popped up. , the air suddenly filled the parachute, grabbing the rapidly descending spacecraft. At 12:50:30 noon on July 34, "Apollo 11" traveled nearly 1 million kilometers, ten seconds later than scheduled. Slowly fell to the sea.

The "Hornet" immediately rushed to the splashdown site, and two helicopters took off from the ship and dropped the divers into the sea. The divers tied ropes under the command module. After pulling down the parachute and cleaning up, a diver opened the hatch and handed each of the three astronauts a set of anti-bacterial suits. This was the first measure to prevent diseases from being brought back to the earth from the moon. , and the first person who came into contact with the astronauts must also take a shower. After everything was completed, the three astronauts took a helicopter to the aircraft carrier, and they were taken to a anti-bacterial isolation vehicle by doctors for precautions. Anyone who comes into contact with them is the second anti-bacterial measure. It was so strict that even President Nixon was no exception and could only deliver a welcome speech through the glass window. The third measure is to continue to isolate them in the next half month until it is confirmed that they have not brought unknown bacteria back to the earth, then they are allowed to go home and reunite with their relatives.

Mankind’s first trip to the moon took 195 hours of space flight and cost 350 million US dollars. For the first time, not only instruments were used, but also human hands, feet, eyes and other organs. , conducted a field trip to the moon. This action has gone down in history as a glorious page in human development of the universe.