Grumman LEM

Mission Profile

Grumman LEM (Lunar Excursion Module) was Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation's 1962 design concept for the Apollo lunar lander, submitted in response to NASA's initial request for proposals for a vehicle to carry astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface. Grumman's winning design featured a two-stage insectoid vehicle with a descent stage housing the landing engine and ascent stage housing the crew, built to the bare minimum mass using novel construction techniques including an outer hull only millimeters thick. The basic configuration Grumman proposed in 1962 was remarkably close to the LM that actually flew, demonstrating the soundness of their initial design approach. Grumman won the LM contract in November 1962 and spent seven years developing and refining the design into the Apollo Lunar Module that carried 12 men to the Moon.