Jan 18

Space Rocket History #193 – Apollo 10 – Coasting to the Moon & Loss of Signal

Posted on January 18, 2017 by spac9750

Stafford, Cernan, and Young were the first Apollo astronauts to be free from illness during the mission, although Cernan experienced a slight vestibular disturbance. Like all their colleagues who had flown before, once they unbuckled from the couches they had a stuffy feeling in their heads. This lasted for 8 to 10 hours for Stafford and Young; Cernan gradually lost the sensation over the next two days.

Apollo 10’s View of Earth seen in MCC

Color TV from Apollo 10

The Patch for Apollo 10

Jan 11

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

Posted on January 11, 2017 by spac9750

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

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

Jan 04

Space Rocket History #191 – Apollo 10 – The Climb to Orbit

Posted on January 4, 2017 by spac9750

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

At first stage cutoff the astronauts expected to encounter a single pulse of negative G and the crew would be thrown forward in their straps before the Second stage ignited and recommenced the acceleration. However, they actually encountered a form of pogo which continued for 4 cycles, during which they were “slammed forward, back, forward, back, forward, back, and forward, back. At this point the instrument panel was so blurred the astronauts could not read it.

Apollo 10 clears the tower

Houston on launch day

Apollo 10 ground track

Dec 28

An Encore Presentation of Space Rocket History #17 – The Mercury 7

Posted on December 28, 2016 by spac9750

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Email | TuneIn | RSS

On April 1, 1959, Robert Gilruth, the head of the Space Task Group, Charles Donlan, Warren North, and Stanley White selected the first American astronauts. The “Mercury Seven” were Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., John H. Glenn, Jr., Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Walter M. Schirra, Jr., Alan B. Shepard, Jr., and Donald K. “Deke” Slayton.