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Author
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Topic: Apollo 13 original launch date in December 1969
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Headshot
Member Posts: 891
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 08-13-2015 12:57 PM
   
Had Apollos 11 and 12 failed to successfully land on the moon, NASA planned to launch Apollo 13 in December 1969 for a last ditch attempt, or so I have read. Does anyone know what that launch date might have been?As info, NASA was prepared to launch Apollo 12 on Sept. 13, 1969, had Apollo 11 failed in its attempt. When Apollo 11 landed successfully, 12 was moved to Nov. 14, 1969 and 13 to March 12, 1970. Thirteen then slipped to April 1970. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-13-2015 03:44 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Headshot:
NASA planned to launch Apollo 13 in December 1969 for a last ditch attempt
In November, according to "Rocket Ranch" on page 111. |
NukeGuy
Member Posts: 55
From: Irvine, CA USA
Registered: May 2014
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posted 08-13-2015 04:22 PM
Assuming that Site 2 in the Sea of Tranquility was still the choice for the first landing and a November 1969 launch date, I would guess about 3-4 days prior to when Apollo 12 actually launched on November 14. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-13-2015 05:22 PM
If Apollo 11 had failed, the Apollo 12 rollout would have been on July 26 to Pad B. |
Headshot
Member Posts: 891
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 08-14-2015 10:29 AM
Thanks for the comments. A November date for Apollo 13 seems far more sensible.If NASA could not launch 13 (for weather or equipment reasons) during November, they would still have a December launch window on which to fall back. It looks like the five-day November launch window would have opened on the tenth of the month. I wish I could recall where I read about the December 1969 window for Apollo 13. I thought it was a footnote in "Where No Man Has Gone Before," but was not able to find it last night. |
Jeff
Member Posts: 483
From: Fayetteville, NC, USA
Registered: May 2009
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posted 08-14-2015 11:08 AM
Alan Bean did mention in the movie "In the Shadow of the Moon"...all three crews were training for the Apollo 11 site. If Apollo 11 didn't make it in July, Apollo 12 would attempt it in September and if they failed Apollo 13 would try in November. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-14-2015 01:45 PM
The Apollo 13 crew had not yet been announced when Apollo 11 launched. |
Headshot
Member Posts: 891
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 08-14-2015 05:22 PM
If the lunar landing attempt had failed on Apollo 11, chances are that Armstrong's crew would have been recycled to Apollo 12. Had they then failed to land on 12, they, or, more likely, Pete Conrad's crew would have flown Apollo 13. |
ilbasso
Member Posts: 1522
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 08-14-2015 07:54 PM
Found this on Astronautix.com: 1969 April 18 -
Changes in launch readiness dates for Apollo 12 and Apollo 13 missions - . Nation: USA. Program: Apollo. Flight: Apollo 12; Apollo 13. Summary: ASPO announced changes in launch readiness dates for the Apollo 12 and Apollo 13 missions. Apollo 12 was moved up from September 18 to September 13, 1969; and Apollo 13 was moved up from December 1 to November 10. |
Headshot
Member Posts: 891
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 08-15-2015 08:02 AM
Excellent find! Thank you very much. It answers all my questions and is consistent with other information I have seen.As info, I believe that December 1 date is a "misprint." The moon had not even reached last quarter by the first. Had an Apollo launched on December 1, 1969, it would have arrived at the moon several days before new moon. They would have had to wait almost a full week in lunar orbit before sunrise occurred over the first landing site. Most likely the actual date was December 10. Then the sunrises over the three potential landing sites are within an early Apollo's stay capability. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-15-2015 09:31 AM
I think the misprint originates in the 1969 April 18 entry in NASA SP-4009. |
Headshot
Member Posts: 891
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 08-15-2015 09:43 AM
You are probably correct. Unfortunately I have never given NASA's chonology books the examination they deserve. They certainly have interesting info buried within their pages. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-15-2015 11:06 PM
The Apollo 11 Press Kit has the launch windows for July, August and September. |
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1332
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 08-16-2015 05:17 PM
When was the crew for Apollo 13 formally announced? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 08-16-2015 05:34 PM
Aug. 6, 1969 (see the earlier discussion here). |
Captain Apollo
Member Posts: 260
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 08-16-2015 06:34 PM
I wonder if the 11 crew really would have been given a second attempt? I have read Slayton promised it, but was it his gift? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 08-16-2015 06:41 PM
It was NASA Administrator Thomas Paine, rather than Deke Slayton, who is said to have made the pledge to the Apollo 11 crew that they could try again if their landing attempt was unsuccessful. (See some of the discussion here.) |
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