After Apollo 8’s historic circumlunar flight and the Lunar Module dress rehearsal, NASA looked like they might meet their end-of-decade deadline to plant footprints on the Moon.
But before Apollo 9 can make its final journey to the Moon, one of its toughest challenges must first be met and overcome. This story chronicles some of America’s unsung heroes behind this monumental effort to reach lunar orbit.
Gumdrop
The crew dubbed their command module Gumdrop due to the way it looked wrapped in blue fabric for shipping, while their lunar module Spider earned its moniker due to its shape. This mission marked the first test of all elements needed for lunar landing — Saturn V rocket, lunar module and spacesuit from Apollo; plus astronauts performed long distance rendezvous and dockings successfully for the first time ever in space.
Once in orbit, Gumdrop and Spider were brought into an equal relative orbit and performed one of the most complex space rendezvous maneuvers ever attempted; matching speeds to replicate what would occur should a lunar module separate from its Saturn V rocket and attempt to dock with one.
At the appointed time, astronauts fired the LM’s engines. It launched itself away and left 180 km between it and Gumdrop – it took some time before Gumdrop caught up, when it did, the astronauts fired their engines back towards Gumdrop to return it home again; coupling between LM and Gumdrop worked flawlessly proving that all aspects of Apollo system were ready for Moon landing.
Once the astronauts were back in the command module, motion sickness returned in full force – making preparations for an emergency spacewalk even more hazardous – especially since vomiting inside their suits could result in choked-off oxygen supply to life support systems and astronauts could possibly collapse from vomiting inside their suits and strangulated by falling.
Commander James McDivitt and Lunar Module Pilot Russell Schweickart spent approximately two hours conducting extravehicular activity (EVA). They used this time to test out a newly designed Apollo spacesuit, equipped with its own life support system, as well as various instruments. These included seismographs; laser reflectors that could accurately measure lunar distance from our planet; solar wind particle collectors; seismometers for monitoring earthquakes, and seismographic detectors – as well as taking photos from more than 1,000 miles using film sensitive to different wavelengths of light.
Spider
McDivitt and Schweickart conducted numerous checks on both command and service modules during their first day in orbit to make sure that everything was ready for their ambitious lunar rendezvous maneuver. They conducted multiple Service Propulsion System (SPS) engine firings – including one to test out navigation autopilot gimbaling capabilities – before beginning their long, slow burn to bring their lunar module (nicknamed Spider) within 30 meters of command module (CM).
Schweickart began experiencing space sickness while working. Although he tried his best to remain motionless for the previous two days, the strain eventually started taking its toll and space sickness was becoming unbearable.
Though initially delayed by technical difficulties, the mission proceeded successfully. After undocking their Command Module (CM), Gumdrop, from Saturn V’s booster stage and rotating it around so they could dock with Spider lunar module, everything seemed on track for success. They spent another day testing out manoeuvrability of combined spacecraft before commencing testing of individual modules in tandem – with everything going according to plan.
Schweickart soon realized attempting to open the hatch was more challenging than anticipated; he required considerable strength in pushing open its latch handle; even then it opened only centimeters wide before closing again and forcing him into his craft – fearful that its door might close behind him and trapping him there forever.
Once aboard, he began by testing out the new Apollo spacesuit and PLSS backpack before embarking on a 47-minute spacewalk, during which time he tested SPS/landing radars, performed five minute television broadcasts, tested SPS and landing radars and made several observations before reentry through Gumdrop’s open side hatch.
Eagle
1969 was an unsettling year, with American troops serving far away in Vietnam; campus unrest reaching an all-time peak; and NASA was desperately racing against time to put a man on the moon before time ran out. Apollo 9 — NASA’s maiden voyage testing the lunar module which would carry Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin onto its surface — had its launch delayed three days when astronauts James McDivitt, David Scott, and Rusty Schweickart fell sick from cold-related illnesses.
The 10-day mission was intended to qualify the lunar module for manned lunar flight, demonstrate combined spacecraft systems and maneuvers in Earth orbit, perform crew transfers between pressurized vehicles for crew rotation purposes, demonstrate ascent/descent engine operation in space as well as demonstrate ascent/descent engines of LM as well as performing docking/retrograde maneuvers with joined command/service modules, LM, and S-IVB stage. Additionally, an overall checkout of launch vehicle/spacecraft systems as well as various docking/retrograde maneuvers between all modules, LM, S-IVB stage was accomplished during this mission.
After an exhausting journey to orbit, the crew immediately started their day of tasks: beginning with firings of the S-IVB Service Propulsion System (SPS), designed to shape its orbit and prepare it for rendezvous exercises. At 11 am sharp, five powerful F-1 engines on Saturn V’s first stage roared to life – shaking and vibrations similar to those experienced during training were felt within the command module; McDivitt and Schweickart handled these experiences well while checking power, communications and environmental systems from respective couches before sharing Schweickart’s seat for reentry sequence itself.
Once they had successfully docked with the lunar module, astronauts quickly transitioned out of their Command Module (CM) into Lunar Module (LM). Although feeling slightly queasy from this transition, Schweickart performed an Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) test lasting 37.5 minutes that demonstrated its backpack life support system. Additionally, crew completed tests involving ascent and descent engines before sending data back to ground teams.
Apollo 9
Apollo 9 (March 3-13, 1969), despite its many challenges, proved one of NASA’s most successful crewed missions and the second crewed mission launched from a Saturn V rocket. For the first time ever all three components of a lunar landing vehicle – Saturn V rocket, Command Service Module (CSM), Lunar Module (LM), were in flight together – with astronauts testing both its descent and ascent propulsion systems during orbital travel.
It marked the first spacewalk conducted without capsule-based life support equipment and marked the first time two Lunar Modules separated, rendezvoused and redocked in space. Commander James McDivitt and Lunar Module Pilot Russell Schweickart demonstrated they could maneuver their LM independently of CSM for landing operations on the Moon.
On day 2, the crew conducted more system checks, practiced maneuvering their docked LM through pitches, rolls, and yaws, as well as firing its descent engine for 372 seconds total. Additionally, five times during this day they fired CSM service propulsion system (SPS) in order to simulate different rendezvous and backup abort procedures.
By the third day, the crew had successfully transitioned between CSM and LM, without incident, and began practicing their plans for lunar surface EVA. This included testing alignment optical telescope in LM and unfolding its four landing legs – these had been folded for launch – for EVA. They also made a five-minute telecast showing inside views of their cabins as well as panorama photos to Earth.
At approximately 1:43 p.m. on the fourth day, Scott ignited the pyrotechnics to separate the command module from its S-IVB stage and, for the first time ever in history, an undocked spacecraft was released midflight from a launch vehicle. They accelerated to their lunar-orbit transfer velocity of 102.3 by 103.9 miles in under four hours to reach the lunar reentry point, located approximately 4,000 miles away from their departure point.