Lunar Module (LM) Reaction Control Subsystem (RCS) Thrust Chamber Assembly Clusters (4)
You might also include the left TTCA (Thrust / Translation Controller Assembly) and the right ACA (Attitude Controller Assembly) hand controllers to that subsystem.
LM Attitude Controller Assembly ACA
LM Thrust / Translation Controller Assembly TTCA
Most RCS components were doubled
More detailed schematic of the RCS control section
The thrusters were more or less directly controllable by the joysticks but they were also fully computer controllable by both onboard computers (the MIT LGC and the TRW AGS). There were many automatic and semiautomatic computer flight modes which needed more or less pilot interference.
Engine cluster assembly
Single thruster
RCS thruster cutt-away
Maybe later thruster cutt-away
Thruster heater (see above cutt-away)
All RCS thrusters were ON/OFF type. The amount of impulse was controlled by the duration of the impulse since the amount of thrust could not be controlled. As soon as the fuels were pressurized by helium the full amount of flow was used to create thrust. Fuels were so designed that they ignited as soon as they were mixed.
"The RCS thrusters are radiation-cooled pressure-fed, bipropellant rocket engines that operate in a pulse mode to generate short thrust impulses for fine attitude corrections or in a steady-state mode to produce continuous thrust for major attitude or translation changes. In the pulse mode, the thrusters are fired intermittently in bursts of less than 1-second duration - the minimum pulse may be as short as 14 milliseconds - however, the thrust level does not build up to the full 100 pounds that each thruster can produce. In the steady-state mode, the thrusters are fired continuously (longer than 1 second) to produce a stabilized 100 pounds of thrust until the shutoff command is received." /1/
Various Thruster Test Videos
Some additional photos.
RESOURCES
/1/ Grumman - LMA790-2 - Lunar Module Vehicle Familiarization Manual - LM 10-14
* * *
No comments:
Post a Comment