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The LEM separates at launch from the moon. The descent module remains behind. When the ascent engine fires, it blows the gas on top of the descent module below
by M95D 3y ago
The LEM separates at launch from the moon. The descent module remains behind. When the ascent engine fires, it blows the gas on top of the descent module below it. The descent module, having a mostly flat top, would direct gas sideways, blowing away the tall flag, but not the footprints.
- ninkendo 3y agoThat’s actually an interesting thought… on earth, such a redirection of the exhaust gas wouldn’t mean much, since the resulting turbulence would cause the surrounding air to get caught up in the wake of the exhaust anyway (making everything around it disturbed), but with no atmosphere? The result would look a lot different. I still think the footprints would be affected because the exhaust deflection is not perfect or complete, but it’s interesting to think about the idea of exhaust traveling thousands of miles per hour just a few feet above the lunar surface while the surface itself remains undisturbed.