"Contact light" does is flash when lunar module land or when the about to land

[Pawelk198604]

as above

 

[Emperor of the Titan Squid]

i think it goes of when they land. Its a warning to cut the throttle

[Nibb31]

The landing contact light came on when the landing probe sensor touched the ground. This was a 5-foot (1.5 meter) wire that dangled below the landing pads. The idea was to cut the engine 5 feet above the ground, so that the plume would not blow up dust and damage the LM.

In the original design, there were 4 landing probes. However, there was concern that the probe would be bent upwards after landing, and could damage or puncture the astronaut's suits, so the probe was omitted on the leg that had the egress ladder and only 3 were installed.

Edited June 25, 2016 by Nibb31

[DDE]

Ultimately it's because of horrible visibility on a tail-lander that's throwing up dust. Otherwise you have no idea where your legs are at.

Von Braun kitted his fictional ships with "touch-down shoes" in Collier's Man Will Conquer Space Soon! back in 1952.

[cubinator]

As above, it's a little dangly thing that hung underneath the landing legs and have a signal when it touched the ground just before landing.

[Ten Key]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utJv-gc4NwI