Per CraigD's suggestion I have created this thread for our conversation on a simulator for launch to soft landing portions of the mission profile.
Here is a link to NASA's Moon Fact Sheet, which should have all the data you need for representing the earth and the moon in the simulator.
Moon Fact Sheet
What it does not have is a lunar calendar. It notes that the distance of the moon ranges quite a bit.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by NASA
Mean values at opposition from Earth
Distance from Earth (equator, km) 378,000
Apparent diameter (seconds of arc) 1896
Apparent visual magnitude -12.74
* These represent mean apogee and perigee for the lunar orbit.
The orbit changes over the course of the year so the distance
from the Moon to Earth roughly ranges from 357,000 km to 407,000 km.
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50,000 kilometers between close and far. We need to plot that distance on the calendar to match our math with our launch window. I would aim for the dead center of the visible face of the moon, with the landing taking place at the beginning of the lunar day for that point. That gives us about two weeks of solar power to complete the primary mission. However, I gladly defer to more knowledgeable folks on this important part of the mission.
Of interest...
<base target="_self"> <title>Eagle Lander 3D
Lunar Lander Simulator - Palm OS
Lunar Explorer: A Space Flight Simulator - MobyGames
Bill
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aka
TheBigDog - Hypography Full Freaking Moderator
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