Nexus - 0302 - New Times Magazine-pages

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orthodox scientists. Therefore, their claim for the neutral-point distance should be in close agreement with Wernher von Braun. In reference to Apollo 11, the Britannica stated the fol- lowing in the 1973 printing within the topic, "Space Exploration": : "Consideration of the actual dynamics of the Apollo trajectory will review the statements made above. The Apollo 11 spacecraft had been in Earth orbit at 118.5 mi. altitude, travelling at 17,427 mph, By firing the rocket motor at the exact moment when the spacecraft was precisely aligned along the proper trajec- tory, the velocity was increased to 24,200 mph. Because the Earth's gravitational pull continued to act upon the spacecraft during its two-and-three-quarters-day (64-hr) journey toward the Moon, the spacecraft velocity, with respect to the Earth, dwindled to 2,040 mph at a dis- tance of 39,000 mi. from the Moon. At this point, lunar gravitational attraction became greater than the Earth's and the " spacecraft commenced accelerating as it swung toward and around the far side of the Moon, reaching a speed of 5,225 mph. By firing the spacecraft rocket propulsion system, the velocity was reduced to 3,680 mph and the spacecraft entered an elliptical orbit about the Moon."" Photo 1: Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean standing next to Surveyor 3, with the lunar module . in the background. (NASA photo) Here the distance is 39,000 miles which is still close to the values given by now focus on the position of the neutral point, as given to the pub- = Time magazine and von Braun. In Chapter 2, reference was made lic by various writers and organisations subsequent to lunar to the 1960 printing of the Encyclopaedia Britannica which listed probes. Ultimately, the source of the information is probably the neutral-point distance as 19 Moon radii or 20,520 miles from NASA. In reference to Apollo 11, Time magazine gave the fol- _ the Moon. In this case, the distance discrepancy is between differ- lowing neutral point information in the July 25, 1969 issue: ent printings of the same source. "At a point 43,495 miles from the moon, lunar gravity exerted a In We Reach the Moon, Wilford indicated that the spacecraft force equal to the gravity of the earth, then some 200,000 miles _ entered the lunar sphere of gravitational influence about 38,900 distant."* miles from the Moon.* The reader might be surprised concerning this statement since In Footprints on the Moon, written in 1969 by the writers and the neutral-point distances presented in Chapter 2 were all 20,000 —_ editors of the Associated Press, the neutral point is described as to 25,000 miles from the Moon. It might seem that Time has made _ follows: an error; therefore, other sources will be pursued to verify this fig- "Friday, Day Three of the mission, found Apollo 11 at the apex ure. of that long gravitational hill between earth and the moon. At In the 1969 edition of History of Rocketry & Space Travel by 1:12 pm EDT, the nose-to-nose spaceships passed the milestone Wernher von Braun and Frederick I. Ordway III, the following where the moon's gravity becomes the more important influence. statement is made concerning Apollo 11: The astronauts were 214,000 miles from earth, only 38,000 miles "The approach to the Moon was so precise that the mid-course _ from their rendezvous with the moon, leading their target like a correction scheduled for 8:26 am (EDT) on the 19th was can- hunter leads a duck.” celed. At a distance of 43,495 miles from the Moon, Apollo 11 The reader may already recognise the inconsistencies between passed the so-called ‘neutral’ point, beyond which the lunar gravi- the quoted figures which vary between 38,000 and 43,495 miles. tational field dominated that of Earth. Consequently, the space- Many different values are given with varying degrees of precision, craft, which had been gradually losing speed on its long coast yet they still lie within a range which is radically different from away from Earth, now began to accelerate."* pre-Apollo calculations. There is no way to get around the dis- Note that the precision of the flight was so great that the mid- crepancy between the conventional, pre-Apollo distances of course correction was not needed. In addition, the neutral-point 20,000 to 25,000 miles, and the post-Apollo range of 38,000 to distance is given to the nearest mile and agrees exactly with the 43,495 miles. Even though the Earth-to-Moon distance varies value given previously by Time magazine. between 221,463 and 252,710 miles, and spacecraft do not travel Another reputable source is the Encyclopaedia Britannica. This on a straight line between the Earth and Moon, this still does not organisation generally publishes information which is accepted by _ explain the neutral-point-distance discrepancy. The logical con- ure. In the 1969 edition of History of Rocketry & Space Travel by Wernher von Braun and Frederick I. Ordway III, the following statement is made conceming Apollo 11: "The approach to the Moon was so precise that the mid-course correction scheduled for 8:26 am (EDT) on the 19th was can- celed. At a distance of 43,495 miles from the Moon, Apollo 11 passed the so-called ‘neutral' point, beyond which the lunar gravi- tational field dominated that of Earth. Consequently, the space- craft, which had been gradually losing speed on its long coast away from Earth, now began to accelerate."® Note that the precision of the flight was so great that the mid- course correction was not needed. In addition, the neutral-point distance is given to the nearest mile and agrees exactly with the value given previously by Time magazine. Another reputable source is the Encyclopaedia Britannica. This organisation generally publishes information which is accepted by NEXUS # 37 FEBRUARY-MARCH 1996