Apollo 11 landing simulation in Google Earth

What if NASA had asked Google to fake the Apollo 11 Moon landing?

This animation using Google Earth's view of the Moon follows the lunar landing module in its powered descent from 50,000 feet, when it was travelling at 5,365 feet per second, through to the landing in the Sea of Tranquillity.

The astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, began the descent head down and feet first so they could monitor their approach by looking out for landmarks along the flight path.

At a suitable point, the lunar module was yawed so the astronauts were facing away from the Moon. Then they pitched up so they could see the landing area.

I used my TourMaker software to prepare this animation. The programme generates KML (Keyhole Markup Language) statements that move and orient the model of the lunar module. Both the model and the following camera move along cubic spline curves that pass through successive points of a KML Linestring element.

My main disappointment with the finished product is the low resolution of the lunar surface in Google Earth's model of the Moon.

[erikbakker]

How about projecting the lander's shadow on the surface of the moon? This would add more depth. And how about having a side-and-slightly-up perspective when they are "pegged on horizontal velocity". This would increase perception of speed during that moment?

Thanks for posting! 🙂👍

[ct-yl]

i remember as a kid playing this over and over on the google maps moon section

[MICHST]

It was kind of inhabitants of the moon to paint the landing area white to make it more visible for the astronauts.

[mikehengstebeck]

Simulation - the action of pretending; deception.
"clever simulation that's good enough to trick you". We never went t the moon. We didn’t go then and we can’t go now. Like it states a simulation 😂🤣

[gamergoosebumps]

does it cost money real money to get the 3D model

[David-lbte]

7:03. The lander did not perform this manouvre. The LM yawed about the X-axis 180 degree, maintaining thrust line in the velocity vector.