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  Apollo Soyuz: Apollo 18 designation

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Author Topic:   Apollo Soyuz: Apollo 18 designation
RocketmanRob
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Posts: 269
From: New York City USA
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 07-17-2005 08:42 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for RocketmanRob   Click Here to Email RocketmanRob     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
With all of the attention recently on the ASTP mission anniversary, I've been reading a few articles on the subject. I few refer to the mission as "Apollo 18." Can anyone confirm if NASA officially designated the Apollo part of ASTP as 18?

Michael Cassutt
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Posts: 358
From: Studio City CA USA
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 07-18-2005 04:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Michael Cassutt   Click Here to Email Michael Cassutt     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It's listed as the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, ASTP, not Apollo 18, in every official publication I've ever seen. For what it's worth, neither Deke Slayton or Tom Stafford ever called it "18" in my hearing.

Michael Cassutt, co-author of DEKE! and WE HAVE CAPTURE

spacecraft films
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Posts: 802
From: Columbus, OH USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 07-18-2005 09:13 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spacecraft films   Click Here to Email spacecraft films     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I had never heard it called Apollo 18 either, but there is a document, which I have seen (and am trying to track down) with the crew signatures above a listing of the mission as Apollo 18.

I remember it vividly because I had spent the evening arguing forcefully that it had never, ever been called Apollo 18. And then I was told to "go look at _____." and I did and there were the crew signatures (or at least Stafford's) over "Apollo 18 Commander."

I don't remember how official this made it, (not very, in my book), but there were some who apparently called it that on occasion. When I remember where it is (again) I will let you know.

robsouth
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Posts: 769
From: West Midlands, UK
Registered: Jun 2005

posted 07-19-2005 12:51 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for robsouth     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The ASTP mission was never called Apollo 18 officially. Apollo 18 was a lunar landing mission that was cancelled. When I met Richard Gordon he told me that he never performed any training for the mission and that he was disappointed not to have been able to land on the moon.

Rodina
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Posts: 836
From: Lafayette, CA
Registered: Oct 2001

posted 07-19-2005 01:03 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Rodina     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The only Apollo 18 that ever went anywhere was the fine album of the band They Might Be Giants.

Michael Cassutt
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Posts: 358
From: Studio City CA USA
Registered: Mar 2005

posted 07-19-2005 10:25 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Michael Cassutt   Click Here to Email Michael Cassutt     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
quote:
Originally posted by spacecraft films:
I remember it vividly because I had spent the evening arguing forcefully that it had never, ever been called Apollo 18. And then I was told to "go look at _____." and I did and there were the crew signatures (or at least Stafford's) over "Apollo 18 Commander.
I'm sure there are a ton of envelopes and other memorabilia with A-18 and signatures, and almost certainly the odd "official" or government document. Doesn't change things, though.... look at any NASA website for its list of missions.
quote:
I don't remember how official this made it, (not very, in my book), but there were some who apparently called it that on occasion.
Just as there were many who called the Skylab-2 mission Skylab-1....

spacecraft films
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Posts: 802
From: Columbus, OH USA
Registered: Jun 2002

posted 07-20-2005 09:21 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for spacecraft films   Click Here to Email spacecraft films     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
This was not a piece of memorabilia, it was a published document signed by Stafford over "Apollo 18 Commander."

As I said, I was arguing against it, but there it was. I will find it, I just have limited time to do so right now.

And I agree that it was never officially called Apollo 18. Nowhere near. But there are reasons that the idea continues to live, and this particular document is one of the reasons.

RGW
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Posts: 40
From: Long Island, New York, USA
Registered: Sep 2004

posted 07-20-2005 11:36 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for RGW   Click Here to Email RGW     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I was watching a 1994 EAA Aviation VHS tape "Magnificent Desolation: Our Journeys to the Moon" this evening. Although they state that moon landing missions designated Apollo 18-20 were cancelled, at the end of the video, there's a segment describing the ASTP mission wherein Slayton, Stafford and Brand are identified as the Apollo 18 crew. (This may be one of the sources Mark alluded to, above, that keeps that idea alive.)

I also recall seeing this designation before, but I don't recall whether it was in a NASA publication.

lb206
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Posts: 48
From:
Registered: Jul 2005

posted 07-21-2005 06:08 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for lb206   Click Here to Email lb206     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
From what i understand it was never officially called Apollo 18 though i seem to remember hearing audio from the mission referring to it as such. Alot of the confusion may stem from the fact that CM-111 was slated to be used on the Apollo 18 mission originaly.

J_Geenty
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posted 07-21-2005 02:24 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for J_Geenty   Click Here to Email J_Geenty     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Actually CSM-111 was due to be used on the original H-Mission Apollo 15. 112 was originally for 16, 113 for 17, 114 for 18, 115 for 19 and 115A for 20. Things got moved along by one when Apollo 15 and 19 were cancelled.

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