Where were you when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon?

[DavidDvorkin]

10. LM Rendezvous radar rendezvous error analysis

Both the Command Module (CSM) and the Lunar Module (LM) had radar that they used to lock onto each other during the LM's ascent from the moon and rendezvous with the CSM. My job was to run simulations to see if the LM radar was sufficiently accurate to do the job. An associate in the same group at NASA did the same thing for the CSM rendezvous radar.

We did our work before the mission lifted off. The error in both radar systems had to be within specs for the mission to proceed. So if everything went according to plan, our participation wouldn't be needed during the actual mission. However, we were available 24/7 while the LM was on the moon in case some problem necessitated a liftoff, and therefore liftoff trajectory, different from the one in the mission plan. In that case, we would have had to perform the simulations to ensure that the emergency liftoff would also result in a successful rendezvous. If not ... I honestly don't know. The emergency plan would have been tweaked, I suppose, and we would have run the simulations again.

So I guess I exaggerated when I said that I was working on the mission. I worked on it before it lifted off, and then I was available during the actual mission.

This was all at NASA/Houston, which was still called the Manned Spacecraft Center at the time.

You might also find this interesting: http://eyeblister.blogspot.com/2009/07/where-were-you-when-we-landed-on-moon.html