Mission Accomplished

A re-post from eight years back from some notes from a project I was working on …

A half-century ago today … 

APOLLO 11

CDR Neil Armstrong, LMP Buzz Aldrin, CMP Michael Collins

CM: CSM-107 Columbia

LM: LM-5 Eagle

Launch: 7/16/69 from Pad 39A on Saturn V at 9:32 am

Launch Vehicle: SA-506

Lunar landing: 7/20/69

Location: Sea of Tranquility (maria)

Lunar stay: 21:36:21

Splashdown: 7/24/69 in the Pacific; retrieved by USS Hornet and welcomed there by Nixon.

Mission duration: 195:18:35

Returned to LM with 48.5 lbs of carefully selected Moon rocks and soil samples.

Destination: Apollo Landing Site 2 (one of three considered for first lunar landing). Located at the southwestern edge of Sea of Tranquility, just right of center of the Moon viewed from Earth. Surveyor 5 landing site just 15 miles northwest. Landing planned during lunar morning, when temperatures outside would range 40-50 degrees F, with shadows being about 150 degrees below zero.

* * *

Early afternoon of July 16th, after leaving Earth orbit, Collins pulled ahead of S-IVB, docked with LM, and extracted it from third stage.

Two days later, 48,000 miles from the Moon, astronauts gave a televised tour of the LM.

On July 19th they fired the CM’s SPS engine, braking them into lunar orbit.

On the morning of July 20th Armstrong and Aldrin entered the LM and powered it up. A few hours later they separated from the CM. “The Eagle has wings!” – Aldrin. At 3:08 pm EST Armstrong fired the LM’s descent engine, descending to 50,000 feet.

At 6,000 feet above the lunar surface, and again at 3,000 feet, a warning light flashed (1201 alarm – computer overload) in the Eagle. Houston advised to continue, despite four more warnings over the next four minutes. Armstrong had to override the LM’s automatic pilot, which was steering them into a boulder field.

At 4:18 pm EDT, Armstrong radioed Mission Control: “Houston … Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” Six-and-a-half hours later they left the LM to explore the lunar surface. At 10:56 pm, Armstrong stepped on lunar soil: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

The astronauts were allocated 2.5 hours for their Moonwalk. They unveiled the American flag, laid a commemorative plaque, accepted a congratulatory phone call from President Nixon.

Most of the time dedicated to collecting rock and soil samples, taking photos, setting up three experiments:

- Passive Seismic Experiments Package (PSEP) – to record/measure Moonquakes and meteorite impacts

- Laser Ranging Retro-Reflector (LRRR) – to precisely measure Earth-Moon distances

- Solar Wind Experiment – sheet of aluminum foil to collect particles of solar wind. Referred to as the Swiss Flag because it was sponsored by Swiss government and looked like a flag.

All experiments (EASEP – Early Apollo Scientific Experiments Package) powered by solar panels.

They rested in the LM that night; Aldrin slept on the floor; Armstrong on the ascent engine cover. Next morning the Eagle ascended at redocked with the CM.

Quarantined for three weeks upon their return.