Author
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Topic: Apollo Spacecraft seen and heard from Earth
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holcombeyates Member Posts: 253 From: UK Registered: Dec 2010
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posted 05-17-2016 04:13 AM
I have read that Apollo 8 and Apollo 13 were seen in flight from Earth-based telescopes. Apollo 8 was seen as a star circling the moon. An observatory (and tv camera) on the roof of the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston famously captured the loss of the first oxygen tank during Apollo 13's flight to the moon. Henry SF Cooper referred to it in the first chapter of his excellent book "13: The Flight that Failed." On a separate note, I read a long time ago, that an amateur radio enthusiast was able to capture some of Apollo 14's transmissions from lunar orbit. Does anyone know any more about this or similar stories from that time? |
Ian Limbrey Member Posts: 130 From: England Registered: Nov 2012
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posted 05-17-2016 06:16 AM
I posted about my sighting of Apollo 15 in lunar orbit the night before they landed using my 3 inch refractor telescope, which was focused on Mare Crisium and I saw a very sharp point of light which lasted no more than a couple of seconds and could only have been Apollo 15! |
Buel Member Posts: 653 From: UK Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 05-17-2016 07:08 AM
I've got an audio clip somewhere of a Ham radio enthusiast who claimed to have listened to some of the conversations between Aldrin and Armstrong while they were on the surface.I'll try and dig it out... |
holcombeyates Member Posts: 253 From: UK Registered: Dec 2010
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posted 05-17-2016 10:35 AM
Thanks — to have seen with your own eyes Apollo 15 orbit the moon is really something.Be great to hear the audio clip. I should add that the telescope tracking Apollo 13 was actually tracking the third stage on route to lunar impact, they also happened to pick up the oxygen tank loss of containment. I know that the venting third stage from Apollo 8 was also picked up by a telescope in Hawaii. |
Space Cadet Carl Member Posts: 225 From: Lake Orion, Michigan Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 05-17-2016 11:28 AM
I seem to recall Apollo 8 being spotted by telescopes as it was heading outward toward the Moon. But as far as I know, none of the attempts to spot Apollo 8 in lunar orbit were successful. I distinctly remember CBS News trying to get a live television shot of Apollo 8 in lunar orbit on Christmas Eve night, about an hour or two after the famous "Genesis broadcast". But again, the attempt to see it did not work. |
SkyMan1958 Member Posts: 880 From: CA. Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 05-17-2016 12:38 PM
Here's an article about telescopic tracking of Apollo spacecraft. |
Buel Member Posts: 653 From: UK Registered: Mar 2012
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posted 05-17-2016 04:41 PM
Owen Garriott, Sputnik, Armstrong, Aldrin, what more do you want?
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