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Topic: March 3-13, 1969: Remembering Apollo 9
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Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 43576 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-03-2014 11:19 AM
Today (March 3, 2014) marks the 45th anniversary of Apollo 9, the first crewed flight of the complete Apollo spacecraft. Anthony Young, writing for The Space Review, reflects on the mission's role testing the lunar module. Apollo 9 brought NASA one step closer to achieving the goal of landing humans on the Moon by the end of the decade. |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 43576 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-03-2014 07:17 PM
collectSPACE'rs Tim Gagnon (KSCartist) and Francis French worked together on this tribute to Apollo 9's 45th anniversary: The San Diego Air & Space Museum is the home of the Apollo 9 command module "Gumdrop." When Francis heard Tim was unveiling his Apollo 9 45th Anniversary patch he thought they should give it a proper launch. He printed the art and took these photos today.
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Gilbert Member Posts: 1340 From: Carrollton, GA USA Registered: Jan 2003
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posted 03-09-2014 08:50 AM
Great tribute to an important and memorable mission...a major step to the moon. |
alanh_7 Member Posts: 1252 From: Ajax, Ontario, Canada Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 03-09-2014 05:57 PM
I always felt Apollo 9 never got the credit it deserved. They flew a near flawless flight in a vehicle that had never been tested in a manned flight before and did a brilliant job.On edit: I mean to add my congrats to Tim and Francis on an excellent job. |
Lou Chinal Member Posts: 1332 From: Staten Island, NY Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 03-09-2014 07:05 PM
Good job Frances and Tim. What's the story with the X-1 over Gumdrop? |
APG85 Member Posts: 307 From: Registered: Jan 2008
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posted 03-10-2014 07:42 PM
I was fortunate to see Apollo 9 on the pad on her original launch day. I was pretty young, but I remember it...! |
David Carey Member Posts: 802 From: Registered: Mar 2009
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posted 03-13-2014 04:37 PM
45 years ago today... Splashdown! Two of my favorite notes among many from the LM Rendezvous Activation Flight Data File (checklist) used by Apollo 9's LMP Rusty Schweickart and CDR Jim McDivitt. The first comment is from entries in the book's log pages. The LMP expresses an almost-surprised gratitude that the LM caution and warning lights behaved according to plan. 'Al' here is Alan Bean, the backup LMP for Apollo 9, whose preference for spaghetti at Alma's Italian restaurant in Cocoa Beach was well-known. In a later note, the CDR reflects on the mission in the timeline section, adding a simple 'Very Nice' to describe the LM's first test drive away from the CM and back. The rendezvous tested the return and docking of the LM ascent stage for later lunar missions. |