13 Minutes to the Moon
The inspiration behind the opening scene of "Orphans of Apollo"
As part of the serialisation of “Orphans of Apollo”, I will be posting additional behind-the-scenes content. In these posts, I'll delve into the inspirations behind various scenes, as well as explore the scientific and engineering concepts that shape the story.
For the first of these posts, let's look at the opening scene where Lana is in the Apollo Lunar Module simulator. This scene was inspired by the BBC podcast series "13 Minutes to the Moon," which provides a gripping account of the final moments before Apollo 11's lunar module, Eagle, landed on the Moon.
Hosted by Dr. Kevin Fong, the series offers an in-depth look at the crucial thirteen minutes leading up to the Apollo 11 moon landing. The podcast features interviews with key figures involved in the Apollo missions, such as flight director Gene Kranz and astronauts Charlie Duke and Buzz Aldrin.
I had heard many excerpts from the audio of that landing over the years, but hearing the explanation of the entire sequence is fascinating and well worth checking out. The series meticulously details the tension and complexity of those final moments, including the numerous alarms, fuel constraints, and the critical decisions that had to be made swiftly.
I find it amazing that the during the whole of the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, no lives were lost in space, although it came close. Season two of the podcast looks at the Apollo 13 near tragedy. Both are well worth a look.
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