​A mathematician from Stellenbosch University and a great fan of the Apollo 11 moon landing, Dr Bruce Bartlett, has built an app that simulates its “figure eight" free-return path around the moon.

Moonshot! is an interactive simulation, with accompanying information, intended for anyone with a passion for space exploration.

“All you have to do, is push the play button," explains Dr Bartlett. “The only requirement is that you need to be curious about what actually happened. It is an interactive demonstration. In other words, if you want to be a geek, you can fiddle with the controls and see how it changes things. But don't let the astronauts crash into the moon!"

He says he has always been inspired by the story of Apollo 11: “From a young age, I remember both my parents talking about it with wonder, about how they tuned into the radio to listen to Neil Armstrong's historic words when he stepped onto the moon.

“I've always wanted to be one of the scientists in Mission Control, calculating and computing the trajectory around the moon, and jumping up and cheering when they've made it. Now that I'm a mathematician I've finally got my chance!" he laughs.

The app can be accessed from his website at https://math.sun.ac.za/bbartlett/assets/moonshot.html

Bartlett says the moon landing was a seminal moment in human history and needs to be commemorated.

Enquiries

Dr Bruce Bartlett

E-mail: bbartlett@sun.ac.za

Tel: 021 808 3283