Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!snorkelwacker!apple!agate!eos!brody
From: brody@eos.UUCP (Adam R. Brody)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: center engine out
Summary: center engine out on launch
Keywords: Apollo
Message-ID: <7285@eos.UUCP>
Date: 19 Sep 90 16:00:39 GMT
Distribution: sci.
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, California
Lines: 7

I was reading For All Mankind last night and it claimed that at 2:15 MET, the
middle engine of the S-1C first stage goes out while the surrounding four
burn until completion.  The same thing occurs with the SII second stage at
3:30.  Why is this?
The book also mentioned that Apollo took 1.5 orbits around the Earth before
TLI to gain momentum much like a discus thrower.  Can somebody explain this?
Can it be like a gravity assist to another planet?