Oct 25

Space Rocket History #229 – Apollo 11 – Re-entry & Splashdown

At launch, Apollo 11 weighed 6,000,000 pounds, now all that was left of Columbia weighed in at a mere 11,000 pounds.

Apollo 11 Entry Corridor

Apollo 11 splashdown

President Nixon observing recovery from the Hornet

Oct 18

Space Rocket History #228 – Apollo 11 – The Return

The next critical event in the Apollo 11 mission was the Trans-Earth Injection burn. The burn involved firing the big service propulsion engine for two and a half minutes on the back side of the moon.

Apollo 11 heading for home

Apollo 11 leaving the Moon

Apollo 11 returning to Earth

Oct 11

Space Rocket History #227 – Apollo 11 – Rendezvous, Docking and Jettisoning

The ascent of the Eagle was strikingly swift compared with the liftoff of the huge Saturn V rocket from Cape Canaveral. Of course for the Moon launch, there was no atmosphere resisting Eagle, and there was only one-sixth gravity to overcome.

Columbia photographed from Eagle

Eagle inspection and rendezvous

Eagle returns to Columbia with Earth watching

Oct 04

Space Rocket History #226 – Apollo 11 – Moon Launch

Until now they had been focused on reaching the moon, landing, taking a walk on its surface, setting up experiments, exploring, and gathering evidence. With those tasks completed and their lunar bounty was board, the top priority was to fly back to Earth.

Rear of the LM ascent stage with Earth beyond

Buzz after his moonwalk

Rocketdyne’s artist concept of the Apollo 11 LM ascent stage launched from the surface of the moon