Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!snorkelwacker!apple!agate!eos!brody
From: brody@eos.UUCP (Adam R. Brody)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: center engine out
Keywords: Apollo
Message-ID: <7294@eos.UUCP>
Date: 20 Sep 90 17:38:14 GMT
References: <7285@eos.UUCP> <5556@mace.cc.purdue.edu>
Distribution: sci.
Organization: NASA Ames Research Center, California
Lines: 9

>> 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?

>The parking orbit was just to check out the vehicle before proceeding to
>the moon.  There was no momentum gain.

That is what I thought also but the book very clearly and explicitly
mentioned the gain and the analogy to a discus thrower.