Leaving the Cradle - Twilight Software

Leaving the Cradle

Relive the Apollo Missions to Lunar Orbit!

"Leaving the Cradle" recreates Apollo missions similar to the first two flights in the program which took the lunar spacecraft into earth orbit and then to within a few tens of miles of the surface of the moon. The program is an orbital mechanics laboratory in which the object is to fire the spacecraft's rocket engines to leave earth orbit, reach the moon, and then return to the earth. "Leaving the Cradle" gives the user the option of riding along with the Apollo spacecraft in a visually impressive simulation of an actual lunar mission.

Figure 1. Apollo command and service modules shortly after leaving earth orbit.

Figure 2. The Apollo spacecraft in orbit high over the moon.

Figure 3. The command module reentering the earth's atmosphere at the successful conclusion of the mission.

The program includes highly-detailed models of the earth and moon. The earth consists of a seamless photomosaic of satellite imagery with a maximum resolution of less than 2 kilometers per pixel. This resolution is sufficient to easily recognize terrain features from the spacecraft's initial 103 nautical mile parking orbit, as this view of New Zealand's south island attests. Because a similar artifact-free satellite photomosaic of the moon does not exist, lunar features are represented by digital imagery derived by superimposing color data from the Clementine spacecraft onto an airbrushed high-resolution shaded topography map.

The Apollo spacecraft is an accurate rendition of the actual vehicle. It is fully functional in the sense that all major mission events may be simulated. Following trans-lunar insertion you may separate the spacecraft from its booster rocket and conduct a fly-around of the empty stage using the spacecraft reaction control system thrusters. Midcourse corrections and the burns into and out of lunar orbit are made with the spacecraft's main engine. The service module is jettisoned just prior to reentry.

Consult the following links to learn more about "Leaving the Cradle":

Download the Free Trial Version

After verifying that your computer satisfies the system requirements, download the trial version of "Leaving the Cradle". This version lacks the detailed planet textures found in the commercial version but retains all other functionality.

Order the Complete Program

The complete program contains planetary imagery at a resolution of 2km per pixel. Unfortunately it will be temporarily unavailable until sometime during the first months of 2007.