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The Apollo Command Module had a set of twelve hypergolic thrusters for attitude control, and directional reentry control similar to Gemini. The Apollo Service Module and Lunar Module each had a set of sixteen R-4D hypergolic thrusters, grouped into external clusters of four, to provide both translation and attitude control. The clusters were ...
Post-Apollo, modernized versions of the R-4D have been used in a variety of spacecraft, including the U.S. Navy's Leasat, Insat 1, Intelsat 6, Italsat, and BulgariaSat-1. [3] It has also been used on Japan 's H-II Transfer Vehicle and the European Automated Transfer Vehicle , both of which delivered cargo to the International Space Station . [ 4 ]
RCS quad containing four R-4D thrusters, as used on the Apollo Service Module. Four clusters of four reaction control system (RCS) thrusters (known as "quads") were installed around the upper section of the SM every 90°. The sixteen-thruster arrangement provided rotation and translation control in all three
Some LESS designs used a single engine under the center, but many used multiple engines around the edge, typically based on the Apollo reaction control system (RCS) thrusters used for attitude control on the command and service module (CSM) and lunar module (LM). These had a thrust of around 100 pounds-force (440 N) each, so putting eight ...
R-4D (MMH/NTO) – 100 lbf (exact thrust depends on variant) hypergolic thruster, originally developed by Marquardt as RCS thrusters for the Apollo SM and LM. Currently used as secondary engines on the Orion European Service Module, and as apogee motors on various satellite buses. MR103G — 0.2 lb hydrazine monopropellant thruster
It also had several cargo compartments used to carry, among other things: the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Packages ALSEP, the modularized equipment transporter (MET) (a hand-pulled equipment cart used on Apollo 14), the Lunar Rover (Apollo 15, 16 and 17), a surface television camera, surface tools, and lunar sample collection boxes.
Propulsion system thrusters are fired only occasionally to make desired changes in spin rate, or in the spin-stabilized attitude. If desired, the spinning may be stopped through the use of thrusters or by yo-yo de-spin. The Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 probes in the outer Solar System are examples of spin-stabilized spacecraft. [2]
The Orion spacecraft, which was developed to follow the Space Shuttle program, uses a Mercury and Apollo-style escape rocket system, while an alternative system, called the Max Launch Abort System (MLAS), [4] was investigated and would have used existing solid-rocket motors integrated into the bullet-shaped protective launch shroud.