Rene-NASA-Mooned-America

Space Navigation / Chap. 7 p. 64
He then correctly added, "Our own ability to navigate home independent of Houston is
very poor when we are close to the moon, so for the time being we are dependent on earth
tracking for our position." 8
In the next section we will examine the actual ability of radar to have fixed their position.
In his new book LIFTOFF he admits, "By comparing the position of the stars with the
stable table [IMU], and noting the gimbal angles, it was possible to calculate the direction in
which the space craft was pointed. This procedure did not explain where in space the craft
was located, only the direction it was pointed. 9
Then he goes on to tell us that the where was given by three accelerometers that sense
motion and update the position by computer calculation. However, he writes, "In actual
practice the state vector was loaded into the Command Module computer on the launch pad
and updated periodically in flight by information telemetered from the ground." I0
As I read about NASA's MIT way of lunar navigation I began to wonder how I would
navigate to the Moon. It took about three days to dissect their methods, and another three
days of insanity of trying to create my own. I became more confused with each passing hour
until I just gave up one night and went to bed early. I had a dream in which I was lost in
space. In desperation I looked out the window and saw the clearly visible planets and Earth. I
wished I was in a boat because there you can steer for anything you can see. Then it dawned
on me that celestial navigation had to be invented on Earth because once out of sight of land
every wave looks like every other wave. All I had to do was aim for the Earth and tell the
computer to give me a little Kentucky windage for lead.
I realized that there are no mists, storms, or fogs in space to hide my destination. Despite
what the astronauts claim, one can see the sun, stars and planets all the time by just changing
windows. Provided one has a little fuel to waste, all you have to do is lead your target and
point the nose that way.
For more concise navigation the equatorial plane would have to be defined by at least
three stars which are coincident with it and by simply measuring the azimuths and elevations
to any three planets. Then by consulting an appropriate almanac we could accurately locate
our position.
NASA MOONED AMERICA! / Rene