I have been trying to figure out what the delta-V is for a spacecraft to return from lunar orbit to Earth. I can not find this info in any of the space travel books I have, and I don’t know how to figure it out using math. If anyone could point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it.
I remember a book in my Thermodynamics class that might have what you’re looking for. IIRC, it mostly contained thermodynamic cycles and properties for different types of engines, but there were a few pages on the Saturn V rocket that was used on the Apollo missions. There was definitely a graph showing the mass, velocity and altitude of the rocket starting from the launch, it looked like it was copied from the orignal draughtsman’s calculations (the amount of weight a Saturn V burns off in the first two minutes is staggering). The book was hardcover, plain red, and horizontal format (6" high and 12" long). Check a Physics library (Thermodynamics section) for reference books on the performance of different engine types.
Try this link:
http://www.apollosaturn.com/gcomputer.htm
If I’m reading this correctly, it indicates a delta-v of 3292.7 fps for TransEarth injection (which I think is the maneuver to leave lunar orbit and return to earth).
There’s a bunch of other interesting stuff on that same page.
Ugly