9:10 I was waiting for this to happen and somehow missed it because i was too busy with the stand and the monitor. Why waiting. By now they (must) have enough telemetry and know the trajectory is ok.
Why is this so important. Well of course the name says it all. Last burn, which accelerates the ship to break Earth orbit and puts it on an irreversible course towards Moon (in other words, is a one way, irreversible trip away from Earth, until it meets Moon).
After that burn there is not or too little fuel left for the ship to return to Earth on its own power if anything goes wrong. It goes by inertia alone and the return depends only on how well the trajectory was calculated and implemented during that last burn.
Do you realize the enormity of this? An error of only a tiny fraction of degree during the last burn done by the end of the first day of flight could mean one of the following.
They miss the rendez-vous with the Moon by a too greater margin which means they cannot benefit of its gravitational pull for a return and fly forever in deep space.
Why is this so important. Well of course the name says it all. Last burn, which accelerates the ship to break Earth orbit and puts it on an irreversible course towards Moon (in other words, is a one way, irreversible trip away from Earth, until it meets Moon).
After that burn there is not or too little fuel left for the ship to return to Earth on its own power if anything goes wrong. It goes by inertia alone and the return depends only on how well the trajectory was calculated and implemented during that last burn.
Do you realize the enormity of this? An error of only a tiny fraction of degree during the last burn done by the end of the first day of flight could mean one of the following.
They miss the rendez-vous with the Moon by a too greater margin which means they cannot benefit of its gravitational pull for a return and fly forever in deep space.
Second. They fall on the Moon.
Third. They get captured by Moon as a satellite and stay there forever.
Fourth. The initial calculation and implementation of the orbit has to go as far as to include the precise return and placing on an Earth orbit at the desired height necessary for the re-entry burn.
But what the heck. They did it 50+ years ago when computers where a little more (or less) than an early console game...
Are these risks acceptable and necessary for 4 humans for the benefit of "testing equipment and humans for the flight"? (they could have done this on Earth orbit...).
Third. They get captured by Moon as a satellite and stay there forever.
Fourth. The initial calculation and implementation of the orbit has to go as far as to include the precise return and placing on an Earth orbit at the desired height necessary for the re-entry burn.
But what the heck. They did it 50+ years ago when computers where a little more (or less) than an early console game...
Are these risks acceptable and necessary for 4 humans for the benefit of "testing equipment and humans for the flight"? (they could have done this on Earth orbit...).
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