posted 07-24-2022 07:47 PM               

Space Cover #660: Apollo 11 splashdown

July 24, 1969 saw President john F. Kennedy's challenge to the nation to "land a man on the Moon and return him safely to the Earth."

From a 2019 NASA feature article:

On July 24, 1969, Apollo 11 was 47,000 miles from Earth and rapidly accelerating toward its home planet when astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, and Michael Collins awoke for their last day in space, preparing for their splashdown in the Pacific Ocean 950 miles southwest of Hawaii.

The previous day, managers were forced to move the splashdown point by 250 miles to the northeast due to inclement weather at the original recovery site. The aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CVS-12), the prime recovery ship for Apollo 11, was speeding for the new splashdown target area. Overcast skies made stellar navigation impossible, so Hornet used the ancient mariner's technique of dead reckoning to arrive on time and at the proper position to recover crew and spacecraft.

Hornet's commanding officer Capt. Carl J. Seiberlich chose the slogan Hornet Plus 3 for the operation, signifying the safe recovery of the three Apollo 11 astronauts.

President Richard M. Nixon was en route to Hornet to greet the astronauts upon their return. He had flown aboard Air Force One from San Francisco via Hawaii to Johnston Island, an atoll 825 miles west-southwest of Honolulu, accompanied by NASA Administrator Thomas O. Paine, Apollo 8 astronaut Frank Borman, and other dignitaries. From Johnston Island, they flew aboard Marine helicopters to the communications relay ship USS Arlington (AGMR-2), where they spent the night before helicoptering to Hornet early on splashdown day.

Admiral John S. McCain, Commander in Chief of Pacific naval forces, greeted the President on Johnston Island and flew separately to Hornet to be present for the splashdown and recovery.

In celebration of that day now 53 years ago here are a group of covers in the Calle Family Collection.

• Splashdown cachet cover signed by Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins (above)
  
• Prime recovery ship USS Hornet cover signed by the Prime Helicopter Recovery Crew
  
• Prime recovery ship USS Hornet cover signed by the Air Boss and UDT recovery crew swimmers
  
• Prime recovery ship USS Hornet hand cancelled cover signed by President Richard Nixon