Looking out the window while landing on the moon

October 22, 2013 6:42 AM

Simultaneous video and selectively played audio of every Apollo lunar landing on one screen. (via Collect Space)

The video was captured by the Data Acquisition Camera (DAC), which was pointed out of the Lunar Module Pilot's window. It was one of several cameras used to capture images of the Apollo program

posted by Brandon Blatcher (8 comments total)

It didn't occur to me that the missions would all land with the same angle/attitude toward the sun, with the sun at about the same place in the lunar sky. (The lander's own shadow just before touchdown in the videos is nearly the same.) I guess it makes sense they'd want the pilot to be able to see the lander's shadow looking out his window. Interesting.
posted by aught at 6:51 AM on October 22, 2013

It didn't occur to me that the missions would all land with the same angle/attitude toward the sun, with the sun at about the same place in the lunar sky.

That is surprising since all of the missions landed in different places.
posted by three blind mice at 6:59 AM on October 22, 2013

Also probably because there's better surface relief with the sun at that angle, improving depth perception which would be critical for landing.
posted by CosmicRayCharles at 7:58 AM on October 22, 2013

Also saves money on renting a new studio / lights [joke!]
posted by iotic at 8:28 AM on October 22, 2013 [2 favorites]

All the Apollo missions were planned for approximately the same local time of lunar day (bearing in mind a lunar day is a month) for reasons of visual contrast and temperature control.
posted by localroger at 9:11 AM on October 22, 2013

That's pretty cool; thanks for the link. Although all of the people involved (in space or not) are my heroes, I love seeing anything about John Young. I like a lot of astronauts and I've had the good fortune to meet 6 of them in person. But John Young piloted the first Gemini mission, went to the moon twice (as Command and Lunar Pilot), flew the first Space Shuttle out of the atmosphere (without any testing which takes some giddyup) and he drove a car around on the damn moon.

I still remember watching that first shuttle launch with my dad and thinking I wanted to be that guy who had the stuff to test out this new "plane" with a stupid amount of explosives behind him that had never been fully tested and listening to him on the radio just doing his job calmly made him my hero of the day.

I don't fly to space or anything like it but I do still love anytime I see something like this that I've seen before, but not like this, and suddenly I'm 6 years old and watching that rocket go on the couch with my dad and then tears and now I'm done....
posted by Clinging to the Wreckage at 11:16 AM on October 22, 2013 [1 favorite]

I can't even imagine how much effort went into making that! The moon landings were/are amazing. It's terrible that the public is so "meh" about them.

And I want to 2nd that shout out to John Young. He's definitely a courageous person who deserves admiration (as do all the astronauts, IMO). But, by gosh, did JY have one hell of a career!
posted by InsertNiftyNameHere at 9:49 PM on October 22, 2013

A very tasty blend with Groove Salad.
posted by Goofyy at 10:46 AM on October 23, 2013