Lunar Lander

A replica of the lunar lander is on display at the National Air and Space Museum.

The lunar landers - officially called lunar modules - were designed to fly only in the vacuum of space. They did not have to be streamlined like an aircraft or carry a heat shield for protection during reentry.

Once a lunar lander was launched into space, it could not return to Earth.

Lunar lander had two stages:

• Silver-and-black ascent stage with the crew's pressurized compartment and cluster of rockets that controlled spacecraft.
  
• Gold-and-black descent stage, like the ascent stage, contained a rocket engine and tanks of fuel and oxidizer.

Lunar lander specifications:

• Weight: Empty: 8,650 pounds
• Crew & Propellant: 32,500 pounds
• Height: 22 feet, 11 inches
• Width: 31 feet