Apollo 9

Apollo 9
David Scott performs a standup EVA from Command Module Gumdrop, seen from docked Lunar Module Spider
Mission typeLunar Module test flight
OperatorNASA[1]
COSPAR ID
  • CSM: 1969-018A
  • LM: 1969-018C
SATCAT no.
  • CSM: 3769
  • LM: 3771
Mission duration10 days, 1 hours, 54 seconds
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft
Manufacturer
  • CSM: North American Rockwell
  • LM: Grumman
Launch mass95,231 pounds (43,196 kg)
Landing mass11,094 pounds (5,032 kg)
Crew
Crew size3
Members
Callsign
  • CSM: Gumdrop
  • LM: Spider
EVAs1
EVA duration77 minutes
Start of mission
Launch dateMarch 3, 1969, 16:00:00 (1969-03-03UTC16Z) UTC
RocketSaturn V SA-504
Launch siteKennedy LC-39A
End of mission
Recovered byUSS Guadalcanal
Decay dateOctober 23, 1981 (LM)
Landing dateMarch 13, 1969, 17:00:54 (1969-03-13UTC17:00:55Z) UTC
Landing siteNorth Atlantic Ocean
23°15′N 67°56′W / 23.250°N 67.933°W / 23.250; -67.933 (Apollo 9 splashdown)
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Perigee204 kilometers (127 mi)
Apogee497 kilometers (309 mi)
Inclination33.8 degrees
Period91.55 minutes
EpochMarch 5, 1969[2]
Docking with LM
Docking dateMarch 3, 1969, 19:01:59 UTC
Undocking dateMarch 7, 1969, 12:39:06 UTC
Docking with LM Ascent Stage
Docking dateMarch 7, 1969, 19:02:26 UTC
Undocking dateMarch 7, 1969, 21:22:45 UTC

Left to right: McDivitt, Scott, Schweickart 

Apollo 9 was a mission in NASA's Apollo program. It was the third crewed mission in the Apollo program and was the first flight of the Command/Service Module (CSM) with the Lunar Module (LM). The crew was Commander James A. McDivitt, Command Module Pilot David R. Scott, and Lunar Module Pilot Russell L. Schweickart.[3] The mission was launched on March 3, 1969.[3] The mission tested several things which were important for landing on the Moon, including the LM engines, backpack life support systems, navigation systems, and docking maneuvers.

References

  1. Orloff, Richard W. (September 2004) [First published 2000]. "Table of Contents". Apollo by the Numbers: A Statistical Reference. NASA History Series. Washington, D.C.: NASA. ISBN 0-16-050631-X. LCCN 00061677. NASA SP-2000-4029. Retrieved June 27, 2013. {cite book}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. McDowell, Jonathan. "SATCAT". Jonathan's Space Pages. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Apollo 9". NASA. Retrieved 2012-05-17.