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the mission module below. Crew seats that swivelled through 90° were proposed to fulfil the launch and landing requirements, with access via a hatch in the bottom of the saucer. Aerodynamic control surfaces would be folded almost flat and only extended to improve handling during the final glide phase. Nevertheless, this design was consid- ered very stable in terms of pitch and yaw, which made an emergency descent possible without the control surfaces in position. Sev- eral landing options were considered that included a conventional runway touchdown and parachute descent into water. But Con- vair engineers knew from the outset that this lenticular design would require different propulsion and mission modules from the STG’s M-1 baseline specification. Providing an emergency launch escape system would also represent a serious technical challenge. _ Above left: Bell Aviation, semi-saucer-shaped re- By late March 1961 they had completed most teens ehicle designed by Bel Aviation for a of the technical work on the Apollo feasibility until needed. bat pe ion ° e study contract and advised NASA that the basic lenticular design presented too many __ Top right: Side view of the Bell Aviation, semi- problems to proceed with. Convair com- saucer-shaped re-entry vehicle, designed for the pleted this study with the recommendation _4P0l!e Moon programme. Bell Aviation that NASA should concentrate on developing — ower right: Bell semi-saucer-shaped re-entry the basic M-1. vehicle makes a parachute landing in the sea. Another favoured option for a semi-disc- Bell Aviation shaped spacecraft was a design witha straight trailing edge, which was extensively 10in (3.29m). It also met the specified cross researched by General Electric and Bell Aero- range requirement. The spacecraft would sit space. The concept had a lift/drag ratio of 0.70 above the mission module on the launch vehi- and managed to avoid some of the heating cle with access provided by a lengthy con- and weight problems associated with the orig- necting tunnel. Radiative heat shielding was inal Langley proposal. This Apollo design had considered adequate for re-entry, but this a specified gross weight of 6,470 Ib (2,936kg), would be supplemented with an additional a length of 15ft (4.57m), and a width of 10ft ablative coating on the underside and short Above left: Bell Aviation, semi-saucer-shaped re- entry space vehicle designed by Bell Aviation for the Apollo Moon programme. The wings are folded until needed. Bell Aviation Lower right: Bell semi-saucer-shaped re-entry vehicle makes a parachute landing in the sea. Bell Aviation 10in (3.29m). It also met the specified cross range requirement. The spacecraft would sit above the mission module on the launch vehi- cle with access provided by a lengthy con- necting tunnel. Radiative heat shielding was considered adequate for re-entry, but this would be supplemented with an additional ablative coating on the underside and short 122 Secret Projects: Flying Saucer Aircraft