Jun 28

Space Rocket History #417 – Skylab – Skylab 3 – Maximum Effort, Determination, Efficiency, and Accomplishment

Finally, the crew became efficient enough to get all of the work done that was scheduled for a given day. But, that did not make up for the time lost at the beginning of the mission.  Reaching 100 percent efficiency was not enough for Bean.

Bean Reading in His Bed on the Wall

Al Bean Reading in His Bed on the Wall

Garriott at the ATM Console

Jun 07

Space Rocket History #211 – Apollo 11 – Mission Training – Part 3 & Contamination

In addition to the fixed-base lunar module simulators in Houston and at the Cape, astronauts also practiced at Langley Research Center on the suspended lunar landing trainer which was equipped with realistic surface views and lighting.

Aldrin practices setting up Solar Wind experiment

Armstrong practices opening a lunar sample box

1/6 gravity harness to practice moon walking

Feb 15

Space Rocket History #197 – Apollo 10 – Ascent Stage Rendezvous, Docking & Jettisoning

As the lunar module approached, Young saw it through his sextant at a distance of 259 kilometers. Stafford and Cernan got a radar lock on the command module shortly after the insertion burn and watched with interest as the instrument measured the dwindling gap between the vehicles and demonstrated the theories of orbital mechanics in actual practice. Cernan especially liked the steady communications that kept both crews aware of what was happening.

Ascent stage of Apollo 10 LM viewed from CM.

Apollo 10 re-docking plan

CM and LM pre-jettison attitude

Jan 11

Space Rocket History #192 – Apollo 10 – Translunar Injection & First Docking

After a shaky but successful S-IVB burn Apollo 10 was on the way to the Moon. Now the first order of business was for John Young to move to the command module pilot seat.

Snoopy & Charlie Brown taped to the console

View of Earth from Apollo 10

Preparing for first docking