LLRV: The Apollo Project's Lunar Landing Training System

Before Project Apollo was able to place the first Earthlings on lunar soil, it was necessary to train NASA pilots to know exactly what kind of environment they would be entering. This includes a number of factors ranging from embossing difficulties to existing gravity at the site. At the time, there were no large simulator rooms like today, so it was necessary to use even more creativity.

In the early 1960s, NASA developed a system that is often referred to as "Strange in appearance, but equipped with the most sophisticated sensors and the most advanced computer hardware available at the time." There were flight correction systems and even structures capable of nullifying the influence of elements outside the system.

“But what do you mean, the influence of external elements?” As we said earlier, there were no simulator rooms, and all training sessions took place outdoors. The moon has no wind like the earth, so it was necessary that there was a system capable of nullifying this interference. This and many others and that's what we'll see next.

Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV)

In Portuguese, the name of the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) means "Lunar Landing Research Vehicle". At 6.7 meters long and 3.9 meters wide, the machine was able to simulate lunar environments for any pilot participating in the Apollo project. According to Donald Slayton - an astronaut who was part of the project in the 1960s - "there was no other way to simulate moon landings without the LLRV."

To simulate the lunar gravity environment, the LLRV was equipped with a 1, 900 kgf turbofan engine. It was capable of causing about 83% of the LLRV's weight to be overridden, so that pilots could fully understand what their ship's engines would react to when landing on the Natural Satellite.

There were still two small hydrogen peroxide rockets that were used for vertical motions and 16 smaller engines for orientation and leveling. All control of the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle was accomplished by a three-axis joystick, very similar to that used in today's lunar landing models.

Safety systems were also very important to avoid any risk to pilots. Coincidentally, the first failure of the LLRV came in 1971, precisely with the first man to set foot on the moon, Neil Armstrong. Fortunately, he managed to get out of the situation without injury and did not put a sad spot on the history of one of the most important systems in NASA history.

Via Tecmundo