Engineering Apollo: The Moon Project as a Complex System

Lecture Notes

LEC #	TOPICS	STUDENT NOTES
1	Introduction and overview	(PDF)
2	Apollo as a complex system	(PDF)
3	Historical/technical analysis of engineering systems	(PDF)
4	Systems engineering and atlas	(PDF)
5	Organizing research from NACA to NASA	(PDF)
6	Sputnik, Mercury, and the Cold War	(PDF)
7	Kennedy’s decision: From politics to engineering specs	(PDF)
8	The LOR decision	(PDF)
9	The Soviet moon program	(PDF)
10	Gemini and early Apollo engineering	(PDF)
11	Apollo guidance and control	(PDF)
12	Astronautical guidance	(PDF)
13	Engineering the LEM	(PDF)
14	Designing a landing	(PDF)
15	NASA’s current moon plans	(PDF)
16	Apollo software Presentation by Doug Cooke of NASA (PDF - 1.8 MB) (Courtesy of NASA.)	(PDF)
17	Apollo 11	(PDF)
18	Apollo 14: An astronaut’s view	(PDF)
19	Apollo 12 and group project freetime	(PDF)
20	Covering Apollo: The role of the press	(PDF)
21	Life support and human factors I (PDF - 1.4 MB)	(PDF)
22	Bob Parker: Scientist-astronauts and lunar science	(PDF)
23	Student presentations
24	Student presentations wrap-up	(PDF)
25	MIT museum trip
26	Final class	(PDF)