Nov 01

Space Rocket History #230 – Apollo 11 – Recovery, Nixon, & Quarantine

Posted on November 1, 2017 by spac9750

The helicopter door slid open and Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins stepped out of the helicopter onto the lower deck of the carrier Hornet to the accompaniment of a brass band. They appeared to many, like men from another world. They were outfitted from head to toe in gray-colored Biological Isolation Garments.

Mission Control Celebrates Success of Apollo 11

Astronauts arrive on the USS Hornet

President Nixon welcomes the astronauts home

Oct 25

Space Rocket History #229 – Apollo 11 – Re-entry & Splashdown

Posted on October 25, 2017 by spac9750

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At launch, Apollo 11 weighed 6,000,000 pounds, now all that was left of Columbia weighed in at a mere 11,000 pounds.

Apollo 11 Entry Corridor

Apollo 11 splashdown

President Nixon observing recovery from the Hornet

Oct 18

Space Rocket History #228 – Apollo 11 – The Return

Posted on October 18, 2017 by spac9750

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The next critical event in the Apollo 11 mission was the Trans-Earth Injection burn. The burn involved firing the big service propulsion engine for two and a half minutes on the back side of the moon.

Apollo 11 heading for home

Apollo 11 leaving the Moon

Apollo 11 returning to Earth

Oct 11

Space Rocket History #227 – Apollo 11 – Rendezvous, Docking and Jettisoning

Posted on October 11, 2017 by spac9750

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The ascent of the Eagle was strikingly swift compared with the liftoff of the huge Saturn V rocket from Cape Canaveral. Of course for the Moon launch, there was no atmosphere resisting Eagle, and there was only one-sixth gravity to overcome.