Tom Kelly: Father of the Lunar Module
Scattered on the surface of the
Moon are the remains of 6 spidery
spacecraft that took 12 men there
and back, and remain the only
manned spacecraft to have landed
on another world. Notably among
critical manufacturing techniques,
constructed, integrated materials,
parts, systems and tested the LM.
Transforming
designs
into
functioning hardware, his growing
team quickly and frequently ran
into unforeseen problems and
and completion of the LM, Kelly
fostered a culture of transparent
inclusivity,
bringing
the
Apollo
astronauts and technicians in to
help provide input and advice on
the test performances of the new
each hand made LM, on target
Module (LM) to roll off the production
line called “Eagle”. And it was to the design of this two-stage for each mission. LM-3 dubbed
an unknown, young, Long Island fully throttle-able spacecraft. Kelly “Spider” was successfully manned
engineer who “brought up his faced incredible pressure from both
children” in 7 years that took us there. NASA and the administration who the Apollo 9 crew, Jim McDivitt and
Kelly, a Brooklyn native, earned were disappointed with the lack of Rusty Schweickart, later docking with
a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical progress against Kennedy’s end of David Scott piloting the Command
Module “Gumdrop”. Apollo 10
Engineering from Cornell University the decade deadline.
before gaining a Master’s from
Steering an ever evolving company expanded the LM’s operational
Columbia University in 1956. Following to simultaneously create the LM, envelope as Tom Stafford and Gene
his time at Cornell he worked as a construction methods, acceptance Cernan painted a white line for later
missions, piloting LM-4
propulsion
engineer
“Snoopy” down to 8.4
at Grumman Aircraft
nautical miles above
Corporation.
After
the Moon, before
a brief stint as a
separating
from
Lockheed
space
the descent stage
propulsion
engineer
and returning to the
he
returned
to
Command
Module
Grumman
to
“Charlie Brown”.
independently study
As LM-5 “Eagle”
and form methods
settled into the lunar
to get people to the
dust on July 20th 1969,
Moon with a study
Tom Kelly’s dedicated
group of like-minded
hard work and that of
engineers
before
the thousands working
Kennedy issued the
challenge with his
off. His pride in saving
famous “We Choose
the lives of the Apollo
to Go to The Moon”
13 crew using the LM
speech. Amongst the
as a lifeboat is also
methods researched
well deserved.
was
Lunar
Orbit Tom Kelly (front) works in one of the ‘back rooms’ of Mission Control during the Apollo 11 mission.
Rendezvous (LOR).
Without his leaderCredit: NASA via Retro Space Images
ship
this
unique
Gaining
valuable
tests and procedures, Kelly and his spacecraft would not have been
experience sub-contracting under
General Electric for Apollo, Kelly team were already behind from day
also assisted in the rationalisation one. However, his mantra of never successfully before Kennedy’s pledge
of the LOR concept. When NASA giving up on a problem and seeking to land a man on the Moon and
selected LOR as the road to the engineering excellence echoed well return him safely to the Earth expired
Moon, Kelly and his team were with the NASA mind-set of the time in 1970.
Tom Kelly himself recognised that
miles ahead of the competition. In and eventually won the day. Kelly
1962 Grumman were contracted recognised that “we were all part the crucible of Apollo focused goal
orientated teamwork, raised abilities,
by NASA to build the LM. Kelly led
we were making history happen”. ambitions and aspirations of a nation
the engineering team to design
and develop a machine in 7 years Given how deeply involved Kelly to exceed its wildest dreams. In doing
to land on the Moon in conditions was with each LM’s development so, the rich technological returns have
unlike anything experienced on and maturation, he very much saw
Earth. Under his leadership the 3000 the LMs as his “children” and was human achievement. The legacy of
this man’s accomplishments cannot
engineers and 4000 technicians at personally invested in their delivery.
To gain pace in the testing phase be understated.
Grumman conceived, designed the
30
30
www.RocketSTEM .org