What happened to LM when astronaut returned to CSM after lunar landing

[Pawelk198604]

I just finishing my Apollo lunar Landing in career mode, a waited until i can unlock the small lander and 3 kerbal apollo like capsule, Jeb was just returned from Munar surface and EVAs reports i hope i get lots of tech from it

But i wondering what to do with Munar Module, that i don't need anymore, crash it on Mun or bring it to Kebin, i want to do it with Apollo style.

[TerLoki]

Reading up on Apollo 12 it seems that the LM was crashed into the lunar surface after it returned the crew to the CSM. Certainly makes sense, why take that extra weight back with you when the command module is already hauling a hundred or so pounds of moon rock that it didn't take off with?

[R0cketC0der]

The LMs were dumped in lunar orbit and their orbits decayed over time. In KSP orbital decay isn't implemented yet, so you can either leave it as debris in lunar orbit forever or just let them crash into the surface(the second option might only be possible if you have a probe core on the LM).

[Dust]

There's a nice breakdown of the Apollo mission profile at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_program#Lunar_mission_profile

[SuperFastJellyfish]

The LMs were dumped in lunar orbit and their orbits decayed over time. In KSP orbital decay isn't implemented yet, so you can either leave it as debris in lunar orbit forever or just let them crash into the surface(the second option might only be possible if you have a probe core on the LM).

I haven't done an Apollo style Mun landing since docking was first implemented, but I'm pretty sure I just burned the munar module into an impact trajectory with the Mun and then EVA'd back to the command module.

[SargeRho]

The Ascent Module was pretty much empty by the time they reached the CSM. They didn't deorbit it, but left it in its orbit. Since an orbit that low isn't stable, the ascent modules crashed into the Moon.

[Kryten]

All ascent modules were left in lunar orbit. The one from Apollo 10 was left in a higher orbit than the others and ended up in solar orbit, while the rest all crashed.

[TerLoki]

All ascent modules were left in lunar orbit. The one from Apollo 10 was left in a higher orbit than the others and ended up in solar orbit, while the rest all crashed.

Here's the plan: Once the asteroid retrieval mission is done we use a similar spacecraft to got out into solar orbit, intercept the Apollo 10 LM ascent module, and bring it back. Who else wants to see Snoopy come home?

[Moar Boosters]

The Apollo 11 crew left seismometers on the surface to monitor the impacts made by the ascent modules so even in their destruction we were able to gain valuable data about the composition of the inner layers of the moon.

[brooklyn666]

All ascent modules were left in lunar orbit. The one from Apollo 10 was left in a higher orbit than the others and ended up in solar orbit, while the rest all crashed.

Apollo 11's LM was left in lunar orbit, which eventually decayed and impacted the moon. The rest (exluding Apollo 13's LM-7, "Aquarius"), were intentionally deorbited after CSM separation.

[lajoswinkler]

All but one (Snoopy, IIRC, which went to solar orbit and now people are trying to find it) were left in lunar orbit. Low lunar orbits are unstable because of the lumpy gravitational field of the Moon, so eventually the orbit decays.

LMs would impact the surface at huge speeds, almost tangentially, sending lots of crap into new suborbital trajectories and producing strewn fields of debris. You could imagine it was an awesome sight, with shimmering pieces flying everywhere, especially if the impact would occur by skidding on a flat surface.

[Transits]

The CSM's orbits decayed because of the Moon's mascons (mass concentrations). Just delete the flights as this is what would really happen.

[ArmchairGravy]

Snoopy Come Home! A very special NASA mission next on CBS.

[vger]

You might be able to use sepratron boosters to ram a lander back into the Mun. I've used it to propel unneeded elements away from the ship as it detached. Only problem is I don't know if you could get them to fire in conjunction with undocking, the same way you could with a stage decoupler.

With action groups I think it's possible, but you'd have to remember to click the part to undock the lander until later on when you're ready to try your "smash burn."

Edited April 11, 2014 by vger

[softweir]

The Ascent modules of Apollo missions 12, 14, 15 and 17 were deliberately crashed into the moon to provide data for seismic experiments.

The LM from Apollo 9 never left Earth orbit and was de-orbited to burn up.

The LM descent stage from APollo 10 impacted the moon, while the ascent stage made it into solar orbit and is the only surviving flown LM ascent stage!

13 returned to Earth and burnt up on re-entry.

The others that flew were left in lunar orbit and eventually crashed to the surface.

There were two that were built or partially built but never flown and are in museums.