Final answer:
Apollo astronauts' rocket engine burn times varied, with the Trans Lunar Injection burn for Apollo 11 lasting about 5 minutes and 47 seconds. Engine burns for other phases of the mission lasted for shorter periods. The astronauts performed significant scientific work on the Moon, enduring communication delays and operating in a challenging environment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The duration for which the Apollo astronauts engaged the rocket engine during their trip to the Moon varied depending on the stage of the mission. For the initial lunar insertion and descent, the engine burn time was crucial, and the Trans Lunar Injection (TLI) burn lasted about 5 minutes and 47 seconds for Apollo 11, the first mission to land on the Moon. Once in lunar orbit, the burn times would be shorter to adjust the spacecraft's trajectory for landing or returning to Earth.
Expeditions such as Apollo 15, 16, and 17, which included the use of the lunar rover, required careful management of fuel during both descent and ascent stages to and from the lunar surface. The specific time the engine was switched on during descent and ascent would be on the order of minutes, while other technical maneuvers in space would also require brief engine burns.
It's important to note that aside from propulsion, Apollo astronauts conducted remarkable activities such as collecting lunar samples and photographing the Earth and Moon. These feats were achieved despite the immense challenges presented by the need to carry substantial amounts of fuel and the absence of an atmosphere on the Moon. The intricate communication delays caused by the distance between Earth and the Moon, as referenced by the 3-second delay in radio communications, also played a role in the complexity of operating on the lunar surface.