Episodes Tagged with "Shepard"

Apr 17

Space Rocket History #297 – Apollo 14 – Introduction

Posted on April 17, 2019

The Apollo 14 crew were constantly aware that if their mission failed—if they had to turn back—it was probably the end of the Apollo program. Apollo 14 roll outFra Mauro Landing siteCentral station of the Apollo lunar surface experiments package

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Tagged:Apollo 14, Kraft, Shepard

May 29

Space Rocket History #302 – Apollo 14 – Commander Alan B. Shepard Jr. – Part 2

Posted on May 29, 2019

On January 19, 1961, Robert R. Gilruth, the director of NASA’s Space Task Group, informed the seven astronauts that Shepard had been chosen for the first American crewed mission into space. Shepard in Freedom 7Recovery of Shepard JFK presents Distin...

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P2-Marine Corps HUS-1 helicopter from HMR-262 retrieves Freedom 7 from the Atlantic

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Tagged:Cooper, Freedom 7, Glenn, Shepard, Von Braun

Jun 19

Space Rocket History #305 – Apollo 14 – Pre-launch

Posted on June 19, 2019

On November 9, 1970, the Apollo 14/Saturn V assembly, as tall as a 36-story building, rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building on the proportionally huge crawler transporter. TrainingRollout – Mitchell, Shepard, RoosaInsigna

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Tagged:Gene Cernan, Mitchell, Roosa, Shepard

Jul 3

Space Rocket History #307 – Apollo 14 – The Climb to Orbit & TLI

Posted on July 3, 2019

“The approaching dusk and the damp mistiness left by the now-departed rainstorm only enhanced the spectacular sight and the sound of the launch. Tentacles of flame erupted on either side of the bottom of the Saturn V, which seemed to sit in its own c...

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Tagged:Mitchell, Roosa, S Ii, Shepard, Si C, Siv B

Jul 24

Space Rocket History #309 – Apollo 14 – The Long Coast

Posted on July 24, 2019

Mitchell kept his plan a secret from NASA, knowing that the agency would be completely unreceptive to the idea. He said nothing about it to his crewmates. The test subjects had also agreed to keep quiet. Rendezvous with the MoonBackup Crew PatchApol...

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Tagged:Cernan, Mitchell, Roosa, Shepard

Jul 31

Space Rocket History #310 – Apollo 14 – Lunar Orbit

Posted on July 31, 2019

The first extended use of the Service Propulsion System engine on the Command and Service module was for the Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) burn. Antares UndockedAntares moving away from Kitty HawkAntares Upside-down

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Tagged:Anrtares, Kitty Hawk, Roosa, Shepard

Aug 7

Space Rocket History #311 – Apollo 14 – Lunar Landing – Part 1

Posted on August 7, 2019

While checking the lander’s guidance software, during a final practice run for the landing, engineers in mission control detected that the computer was receiving an errant signal from the abort pushbutton. LM Abort PushbuttonLM DSKYLM Throttle

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Tagged:Abort Pushbutton, Anrtares, Donald Elyes, Fred Haise, Mitchell, Shepard

Aug 14

Space Rocket History #312 – Apollo 14 – Lunar Landing – Part 2

Posted on August 14, 2019

Suddenly the caution lights went out and the radar signals began to transmit. Within seconds the astronauts could see that its data was good. Seconds later in mission control, a jubilant Will Presley shouted, “Flight, we got radar lockup!” Landing P...

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Tagged:Anrtares, Dick Thorson, Fred Haise, Mitchell, Shepard, Will Presley

Aug 21

Space Rocket History #313 – Apollo 14 – Moonwalk 1 – Part 1 – Color TV From the Moon

Posted on August 21, 2019

“Al is on the surface. And it’s been a long way, but we’re here.” Alan Shepard Modularized Equip. Stow. Assy. (MESA)Mobile Equip. Transporter (MET)Shepard on the Moon

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Tagged:Anrtares, Mesa, Met, Mitchell, Shepard

Aug 28

Space Rocket History #314 – Apollo 14 – Moonwalk 1 – Part 2 – Fueling the Nuke

Posted on August 28, 2019

A small plutonium source was used to power the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) that would provide electric power for the ALSEP experiments. Ed Mitchell performed the delicate maneuver of inserting the fuel capsule into the RTG. Ed Mitch...

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Tagged:Alsep, Anrtares, Mesa, Met, Mitchell, Rtg, Shepard

Sep 4

Space Rocket History #315 – Apollo 14 – Moonwalk 1 – Part 3 – ALSEP Deployment

Posted on September 4, 2019

The mortar package contained a set of grenades which were planned to be fired to distances of 500, 1000, 3000, and 5000 feet to the north of the ALSEP site. ALSEP ExperimentsCentral Station & RTGMitchell Deploys ASEALSEP Subpackage 1CPLEE & Central ...

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Tagged:Alsep, Ase, Central Station, Cplee, Mitchell, Pse, Rtg, Shepard

Sep 11

Space Rocket History #316 – Apollo 14 – Solo Flight Over the Moon & Lunar Geology

Posted on September 11, 2019

With the Hycon camera down, Roosa would have to step in and use a Hasselblad with a 500 mm lens, to take detailed photos of the Apollo 16 potential landing site. If Roosa did nothing else, he had to return to earth with pictures of Descartes that wo...

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Tagged:Decartes, Hycon, Kitty Hawk, Mitchell, Roosa, Shepard

Sep 18

Space Rocket History #317 – Apollo 14 – Moonwalk 2 – Part 1 – The Rim of Cone Crater

Posted on September 18, 2019

The majority of the second moonwalk was dedicated to reaching the rim of Cone Crater. The wide, deep geological gold mine, which scientists believed was actually the remains of an ancient volcano. Traverse MapShepard with the METThe Ascent to Cone ...

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Tagged:Cone Crater, Fred Haise, Gordon Swann, Mitchell, Shepard

Oct 2

Space Rocket History #318 – Apollo 14 – Moonwalk 2 – Part 2 – How about a round of golf?

Posted on October 2, 2019

“It was terribly, terribly frustrating; coming up over that ridge that we were going up, and thinking, finally, that was it; and it wasn’t – suddenly recognizing that, really, you just don’t know where you are.” Ed Mitchell Apollo Moon WalkersEVA 2S...

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Tagged:Cone Crater, Fred Haise, Golf, Mitchell, Shepard

Oct 9

Space Rocket History #319 – Apollo 14 – Lunar Lift-off

Posted on October 9, 2019

141:45:30 Shepard: Okay. The abort stage is set. Ascent Engine is Armed. 6, 5, 4… 141:45:38 Mitchell: Proceed with the ignition program 141:45:38 Shepard: …3, 2, 1, 0… 141:45:42 Mitchell: Ignition. 141:45:43 Shepard: We have ignition… 141:45:44 ...

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Tagged:Cone Crater, Mitchell, Roosa, Shepard

Oct 16

Space Rocket History #320 – Apollo 14 – Docking & Alexei Leonov

Posted on October 16, 2019

Would the docking probe that caused so much difficulty a week ago during the first docking work now or would Shepard and Mitchell be forced into a space walk in Lunar orbit? Antares ReturnsCommand ModuleAlexei Leonov

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Tagged:Leonov, Mitchell, Roosa, Shepard

Oct 23

Space Rocket History #321 – Apollo 14 – Splashdown

Posted on October 23, 2019

Gradually, as Mitchell worked and glanced at the bright crescent, he was filled with a quiet euphoria, great tranquillity, and an overpowering sense of understanding. It was as if he had suddenly begun to hear a new language, one being spoken by the ...

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Tagged:Mccandless, Mitchell, Roosa, Shepard

Oct 30

Space Rocket History #322 – Apollo 14 – Recovery & Conclusion

Posted on October 30, 2019

Alan Shepard’s wife Louise was elated after watching on TV as Shepard boarded a Navy ship bound for Houston, where he would be safe behind the glass windows of the post-flight quarantine room. Ed MitchellExiting the HelicopterQuarantine

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Tagged:Mccandless, Mitchell, Roosa, Shepard

Nov 2

Space Rocket History #401 – Skylab – Training Part 1

Posted on November 2, 2022

Aside from physically training for the longest crewed missions that the United States had ever attempted, the actual training program was developed simultaneously with the hardware and experiments for the mission.

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Tagged:Bean, Carr, Conrad, Ed Gibson, Garriott, Gene Kranz, Lousma, Phil Shaffer, Pogue, Shepard, Skylab, Slayton, Story Musgrave, Tony England, Training, Vance Brand, Weitz

Nov 16

Space Rocket History #402 – Skylab – Training Part 2

Posted on November 16, 2022

The backup crew and some support crew participated in an interesting rescue scenario with 2 astronauts flying to Skylab to take back the crew of 3 onboard Skylab. This would mean 5 astronauts returning to earth in the command module.

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Tagged:Bean, Carr, Conrad, Don L Lind, Ed Gibson, Garriott, Shepard, Skylab, Slayton, Training, Vance Brand, Weitz