Space Rocket History #180 – Apollo 9 – Lunar Module Maneuvers

As Dave Scott pulled in closer to the Lunar Module he noticed that the command module’s nose was out of line with the lander’s nose. Scott tried to use a service module thruster to turn left, but that jet was not operating. It turns out that someone had accidentally bumped a switch that turned off one set of Thrusters. The crew then flipped the correct switches, and the thruster started working, and at T+3 hours 2 minutes the command module probe nestled into the lunar Module drogue, where it was captured and held by the 12 latches. The first docking of the Lunar Module in space was achieved. As a side note, switch guards were installed on all future Apollo missions to prevent accidentally flipping a switch.

LM on S-VIB stage preparing to dock with the Command Module

Command Module docked with Lunar Module

S-IVB stage after the Lunar Module was removed

2 thoughts on “Space Rocket History #180 – Apollo 9 – Lunar Module Maneuvers”

2 questions from a longtime fan.

1. What is your “cutoff” date (ie do you plan to stop at 1970? 1990? The end of the Shuttle program?)

2. Would you ever consider transcribing these podcasts and then writing a book series of the,?

spac9750 on October 13, 2016 at 6:57 pm said:

1. I don’t have a firm cutoff date. My first goal was to make it through Apollo. I guess I will decide when I get there.
2. I am not much of writer.