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Author
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Topic: Apollo 18-20: Lunar Module Names
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Fezman92
Member Posts: 1031
From: New Jersey, USA
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 03-14-2013 08:13 PM
   
Were there names given to the LM's for Apollo 18, 19, and 20? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-14-2013 09:09 PM
The crews named their spacecraft, and so that immediately rules out Apollo 20 as no crew was ever assigned to that mission. From what I've read, the crews in line for Apollo 18 and Apollo 19 never got so far to talk about spacecraft names, patch designs or other such details. |
Delta7
Member Posts: 1527
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
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posted 03-15-2013 09:44 AM
"Dick Gordon and Jack Schmitt land their Lunar Module Liberty at Schroeter's Valley while Vance Brand remains in lunar orbit aboard the Command Module Constellation...""The lunar module Pegasus lifts off from the Marius Hills with Fred Haise and Jerry Carr, for a rendezvous with Bill Pogue and the Command Module Resolution ..." Completely made up captions for photos that were never taken. But fun to speculate ... |
robsouth
Member Posts: 769
From: West Midlands, UK
Registered: Jun 2005
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posted 03-15-2013 08:28 PM
I asked Richard Gordon if any names had been chosen for the Apollo 18 spacecraft and he said no, they never got that far. I suppose a better question would have been, 'what names would you give to a LM and CM if you had the choice'? |
Sabrenaut
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posted 03-31-2013 12:28 PM
Maybe off topic a bit, but were there any attempts to give names to Apollo 8, the Skylab Apollos or the ASTP Apollo? If not does anyone know why?
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Tom
Member Posts: 1610
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 03-31-2013 03:04 PM
There really was no need with only one spacecraft flying. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-31-2013 03:15 PM
To expand upon what Tom wrote, the purpose of naming spacecraft wasn't just ceremonial: it was to provide call signs for the vehicles. If only one spacecraft was flying, then it was easy enough for the crew to say "Houston, Apollo 8," or for mission control to respond, "Go ahead, Apollo 8." |
Sabrenaut
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posted 03-31-2013 04:41 PM
Thanks... I had heard these justifications before, just forgot about them. Still, Mercury and Shuttles flew solo and were named. Seems to me a real spaceship like Apollo should have only left the pad after a proper christening. Fantastic forum, this, by the way. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-31-2013 05:16 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Sabrenaut:
Still, Mercury and Shuttles flew solo and were named.
Mission patches replaced spacecraft names in Gemini, in part because Gus Grissom was insisting on naming Gemini 3 "Molly Brown," which management did not find humorous.The space shuttle orbiters were named, in part, because from the start they were anticipated to interact with another space vehicle (a space station). The orbiters were also going to need to be distinguished on the ground, because unlike Apollo and earlier programs, they were reusable and would be processed between flights. |
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