Newsgroups: sci.space
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Apollo 8, 9, and 10
Message-ID: <1989Jul19.230626.27969@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <377@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> <1989Jul19.005449.3163@utzoo.uucp> <17231@bellcore.bellcore.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 89 23:06:26 GMT

In article <17231@bellcore.bellcore.com> ddavey@grits.UUCP (Doug Davey) writes:
>... On the other, firing the
>ascent engine and getting the ascent stage cleanly separated from the
>descent stage would be tricky since the descent stage was deigned to
>be firmly on the lunar surface during this operation.

No, there were various abort possibilities (including running out of
descent-stage fuel while trying to find a smooth spot to land) that
required in-flight separation.  I *think* Apollo 10 tested it.
-- 
$10 million equals 18 PM       |     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
(Pentagon-Minutes). -Tom Neff  | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu