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Apollo 14-17 - Why didn't they keep the Lunar Module docked as a lifeboat for the way back to Earth?
Without the descent stage, you have a far less capable lifeboat. Looking at Wikipedia, the ascent stage had two batteries with a total capacity of 592 Amp-Hours (some of which would have been used in the ascent), while the descent stage had four batteries with a total of 1660 Amp-Hours (raised to 2075 Amp-Hours for Apollo 15-17). So most of the power that ...
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Apollo 14-17 - Why didn't they keep the Lunar Module docked as a lifeboat for the way back to Earth?
The primary purpose of every Apollo Moon landing mission was to land on the Moon. Once the vehicle had passed safety checks and had made the lunar orbit insertion burn, the next step was to separate the Lunar Module from the Command and Service Module. If these steps did not happen the mission would have been a deemed loss of mission failure.
Aside: There's ...
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Apollo 14-17 - Why didn't they keep the Lunar Module docked as a lifeboat for the way back to Earth?
Another factor here: The reason the lunar module existed in the first place. The Saturn V was nowhere near powerful enough to send a rocket to the moon and bring it back. It would have taken at least two Saturn V launches to lift something that heavy. This was being a big problem for NASA in mission planning--which was finally solved by the approach NASA ...
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Could the ascent stage of Apollo 11's Eagle still orbit the Moon?
Yes, it seems possible.
Starting around minute 6 of the video frozen orbits are discussed, and some example GMAT simulations are run to explain how lunar orbits can be simulated including up to order 160 in the Moon's gravitational spherical harmonics, which have been very accurately mapped ...
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The accepted answer covers the key question, but just to answer the two subsidiary ones as well:
Was the LM able to communicate without humans in it?
Yes. See this series of comments in the Apollo 11 flight journal, starting about 45 minutes after LM separation:
130:57:08 Duke: Hello, Apollo 11. Houston. Coming up to about 4:30 LOS. You're looking great ...
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Let's look at A11 for simplicity. Some key points from Apollo by the Numbers, p 307, rounded a bit:
"Empty" LM at undocking - 5460 lbs (including everything left on board)
CSM at start of TEI - 36970 lbs (including everything on board)
CSM at cut-off - 26790 lbs (10180 lbs used)
The mission report, p 99, gives the overall propellant values, again ...
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The detailed flight log at apollosaturn.com reports that "exterior markings remained identical for all vehicles" from Apollo 9 onwards.
However, there were still some slight variations, even if the paint markings were the same. For example, they note that the Saturn II insulation type changed.
The instrument unit had some more visible differences. ...
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The video is too low in quality to make much of but assuming the clips are not just footage from different times or launches and the move of the mobile service structure between beginning and end actually indicates a launch within 24 hours then it is possible this is Apollo 17 because the moon is still only coming into day, and the landings were timed to be ...
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The delay was not only the hold for investigation. More time was needed to design and build a new hatch, to develop a fire proof cloth for the space suits outer layer, to modify the suits and to remove all flammable material from the Command Module and replace it with fire proof material.
Apollo 4 was delayed for about a year:
"Originally planned for ...
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On that particular date, a cargo spacecraft called the S.S. Gene Cernan was in orbit after completing a supply mission to the International Space Station. The Cygnus-class spacecraft was built by Orbital ATK; launched from Wallops Island on November 12, 2017; docked with the ISS carrying 3338 kg of cargo; and left the ISS on December 6 with 2900 kg of trash....
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