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The mode that Apollo would use to land on the moon was the most studied, analyzed, and debated decision made for the lunar landing program. There were four main choices Direct-ascent, Earth-Orbit Rendezvous, Lunar-Orbit Rendezvous, and Lunar Surface Rendezvous.
Direct Ascent Landing Modes
Lunar Surface Rendezvous
Three Rendezvous Methods
Comparison of Lander Sizes
Apollo Spacecraft Configuration Changes
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“The designers made the Little Joe booster assembly to approximate the same performance that the Army’s Redstone booster would have with the capsule payload. But in addition to being flexible enough to perform a variety of missions, Little Joe could be made for about one-fifth the basic cost of the Redstone, would have much lower operating costs, and could be developed and delivered with much less time and effort. And, unlike the larger launch vehicles, Little Joe could be shot from the existing facilities at Wallops Island.”
Little Joe 6 Launch
Little Joe on the Mobile Launcher
Sam the Monkey
Mounting the Capsule
Little Joe: Mercury’s First Steps from James Duffy on Vimeo.
