Apollo 50 Years later

Buster’s spot Holly Springs, North Carolina - Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Morning 81 Degrees, Wind NE at 1 to 2 Mph, Humidity 90%, sunny.
partly sunny afternoon in possible thunderstorm

A little late on the date’s. fifty years ago I was part of the “Launch Team” for the Grummam Lunar Module (LM) that landed on the moon. I was one of many workers on the ground support that loaded propellants, drinking water and gases on the space craft. We maintained the equipment for this work. We had loaded the hypergolic fuel and oxidizer into the LM tanks. These fuels were used in three engines. The decent engine (10,000 pounds of thrust), the RCS or reaction control engines and the ascent engine (3,500 pounds of thrust). There were actually sixteen RCS engines (small on the corners) four up, four down, four left and four right to control pitch, roll and yaw attitudes
one hundred pounds of thrust each.

This fueling is a restricted access operation and the workers on site are in suits with  self contained breathing air. The “air packs” are serviced with liquid air (-198 C) that is brought to room temperature using a heat exchanger. These supply the user with breathing air for up to two hours with one filling. The suit is slightly pressurized as this keeps the propellant from touching your skin or breathing the vapors.

 The “stack” serviced fuel, cleared and then set up for and serviced oxidizer. Another operation we loaded liquid helium (-452.2 °F) but not an operation that required restricted access during the loading process. Gases loaded were breathing oxygen, Helium and Nitrogen and drinking water . The service module and the LM loaded propellants at the same time.

First stage of Saturn V, laid down

 “The stack” Saturn five, consisted the of following; first stage (Boeing Aircraft) RP 1 and LOX liquid oxygen fueled. Second stage (North American Rockwell) Hydrogen and LOX fueled. Third stage (McDonald Douglas) Hydrogen and LOX fueled. Guidance ring, three feet high, International Business Machines (IBM). Saturn LM adapter (SLA), tapered cone housing the LM during the liftoff to orbit. Command Service Modules (Liftoff and landing on earth) (North American Rockwell). Escape rocket on top for the Command Module only. In the stack with the LM’s legs folded in the stow position the cups (pads) at the end of the legs were within inches of the fuel tank of the third stage.

LM ready to be put in the SLA

 RP1, Hydrogen (-423.17 °F) and LOX (liquid oxygen -361.82 °F) were loaded during the final hours of launch preparation. And these cold liquids were topped off during the final minute of preparation. The third stage engine was used twice on the mission, first to was used to finish to orbit and again to brake orbit and head to the moon.

"The Sack" Being Transported to the Pad