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Pickett800T t1_j1j0t7i wrote

No kidding, I still remember that first lunar orbit and the real fear that a simple engine failure or miscalculation could potentially launch the craft on a wide earth orbit that the crew could not survive with their few provisions.

They survived, thanks to orbital mechanics derived from the work of Isaac Newton and many others. Tomorrow is Newton's 280th birthday (he was a Christmas child). Happy birthday, Isaac.

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