From Earth to Moon/Teacher Notes

Teacher's Notes

Session 2 - From the Earth to the Moon

The title of this session comes from the HBO series fronted by Tom Hanks made in the years following the Apollo 13 movie. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_the_Earth_to_the_Moon_(TV_miniseries). The main aim here is to tell the story of how, why and when people last walked on the Moon.

• The Moon has always been an important mysterious light in the nights sky
  
• Many myths and historical events are linked to the sky, Moon and stars
  

- Stonehenge: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge

- Egyptian pyramids laid out in the pattern of constellations (Orion): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Correlation_Theory

- Aristarchus – First heliocentric model – Eclipse calendars etc.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristarchus_of_Samos

- The Middle Ages... not much else happened – in fact a lot was forgotten... pictures are some examples of the best lunar drawings of the era.

• Eugene Shoemaker and the first theories of crater dynamics, first planetary geologist, involved in the proof that there were many asteroid craters on the Moon – potential to be an astronaut until diagnosis with rare condition. Trained all Apollo astronauts in geology. http://en.wikipedia.org
  /wiki/Eugene_Merle_Shoemaker#Astrogeology_and_Apollo
• Video: The speech by John F. Kennedy at Rice University in Texas, http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/jfk-space.htm
  
• John F. Kennedy would die before his dream could be realised. America’s decision to go to the Moon was as much political as it was scientific. Introduce cold war dynamics.
  
• Ranger 7 – First USA probe to take close up images of the Moon. Impact mission – not really a “landing” – July 1964. Rangers 1-6 either broke down before reaching the Moon or missed it entirely... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranger_program
  
• Luna 9 – first soft landing on the Moon – Russian Probe. Later Luna missions would land – collect and return soil samples. The Russians would focus on this technology whilst the Americans focused on manned missions. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_programme
  
• Gemini program. USA series of missions to test all technologies needed for a moon shot. Video - Following on from the mercury program with Alan Shepherd becoming the first American in space – Gemini was a great success paving the way for Apollo.
  

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Gemini

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Mercury

• Apollo 1 – Tragic loss of life during a “plugs out” test on the launch pad. Required a major redesign. I often demonstrate something burning in a pure oxygen environment to show the risks of this approach. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_1
  
• Apollo 4, 5 and 6 were unmanned tests.
  
• Apollo 7 – Manned Earth orbit Test. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_7
  
• Apollo 8 – Lunar Manned Free Return Test, Earthrise Picture taken http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_8
  
• Apollo 9 – Test on lunar Lander in Earth Orbit. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_9
  
• Apollo 10 – Test on full system in Lunar Orbit
  

- Got to within 16km of the surface of the moon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_10

• Apollo 11 – Landed and Video – Apollo 11 landing on the Moon
  

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_11

• Apollo 12 – Landed next to Surveyor 3 (previous unmanned probe) to allow collection of parts of the lander for analysis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_12
  
• Apollo 13 – A successful Failure – Used Apollo 8’s pre-tested free return trajectory. Video – Apollo 13 movie trailer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_13
  
• Apollo 14
  

- Played golf on the moon using a makeshift club

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_14

- US public starting to lose interest

• Apollo 15
  

- Longer stay on the moon than before – Lunar rover used

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_15

• Apollo 16 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_16
  
• Apollo 17
  

- First scientist on the moon (Schmitt)

- First night launch

- Last mission (USA had beaten the Russians and so little political will remained for huge costs.)

- Schmitt last man on the moon.

- 3D picture – works with red and Green Gels http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_17

• Video is of Apollo 17 leaving the surface. Had to be controlled remotely and with a 4 second time lag from Huston. Video – Apollo 17 leaving the Moon
  
• Moon Map – Green Triangles are Apollo landings
  

- Reds and Yellows are unmanned probes.

- Apollo near equator to aid take-off due to angular momentum.

• The Future – Potential for mars? Eden project... Mars 500 program. Technical challenges etc. Video – Barak Obama Cancels a return to the Moon
  

Useful cloudy weather applications

• ESA Astronaut tests - http://www.esa.int/esaMI/Astronaut_Selection/SEMJOSRHKHF_0.html
• Build a Model Moon Base