Air & Cosmos 50 years ago, the Apollo 9 mission was testing the "Lunar train" Air & Cosmos

To ensure the success of the future human landing on the Moon, scheduled for the summer of 1969, the American mission Apollo 9 was to test the entire "lunar train" composed of the lunar module (LM) "Spider" (the spider) andof the command and service module (CSM) "gumdrop" (gum ball).The nicknames given to the modules held, for the LM, to its resemblance to the most famous arachnids and, for the CSM, to the blue tarpaulin which covered it when it arrived at the Kennedy space center;She was reminiscent of the famous gum ball.

The launch and constitution of the "lunar train".

On March 3, 1969, the SATURN-V launcher n ° 4 successfully took off from the Kennedy space center.At the top, in the Apollo capsule, is Commander James McDivitt, the CSM pilot David Scott, and the pilot of the Russel Schweickart.If the latter made his first flight, on the other hand, the first two are veterans who have already stolen, respectively on Gemini 4 (with Ed White, June 3-7, 1965) and on Gemini 8 (with Neil Armstrong, March 16-171966).

A few minutes later, the third floor of the launcher (S-IVB) places the various elements of the mission on an orbit of about 190 km above sea level.About four hours after the launch, the CSM separates from the S-IVB, pivots 180 degrees, then bursts to the LM still on the floor.Once done, the CSM delicately dislodges the S-IVB LM.Then, for security reasons, the S-IV B is ejected on a solar orbit.

"Lunar train" tests.

From March 4, the crew endeavors to pilot and test all CSM systems.Titching and roll tests are notably carried out to check the maneuverability of the space train.The operations are important because it is a question of verifying that the CSM can bear the mass of the lunar module during orbital maneuvers.

On March 5, for the first time, McDivitt and Schweickart enter the LM, passing by the mooring tunnel which links it to the CSM.Once inside, they check the state of Spider and its equipment (such as the manual control system), test the different propellers, etc..They also make a (first) television retransmission: we see two smiling, confident men, commenting on their current actions and stressing that "everything is going well".The smooth running of this kind of communication is not only intended to reassure the families of astronauts and to serve American propaganda, but also to ensure the control of communication techniques, a vital operation during lunar flights.

" What a view !»»

On March 6, from the LM, Schweickart must carry out an extravalicular outing (EVA) to test the space combination, but also to check if an astronaut can go from LM to CSM in case the two vessels do not arrive at S 'moor.However, when Schweickart is preparing, he is dizzy and nausea.He has the famous "space sickness".A few hours later, after having rested and after convincing his commander and the soil managers of his best form, Schweickart finally performs EVA, but on the condition that he does not deviate from the platformLM.Once outside, he exclaims: "My God!What a view !I would like to do a television show, but I don't think I will have time ".He takes photos, performs astronomical observations, as well as samples of materials (intended to understand and anticipate the possible risks of erosion and degradation in the extreme environment of space).As for his teammate Dave Scott, he only partially goes out to observe and intervene in the event of a problem.At the end, the two men returned to the LM, then the CSM.

Spider-Gumdrop "Spatial Duo".

On March 7, McDivitt and Schweickart made a third foray into the LM to, this time, disarruge it from the CSM (in which their colleague Scott remains).After some difficulties, the two vessels separate.If Spider starts to sink, McDivitt controls him quickly enough.Little by little, Spider moves away from gumdrop up to a distance of around 180 km.The two vessels evolve separately.Meanwhile, McDivitt and Schweickart verify that the LM is piloting, and rather well, noting noise at first disturbing!

Before joining Gumdrop, McDivitt and Schweickart drop the lower part of Spider, the one that should be used to land a crew on the moon.From now on, the LM looks like a strange device that has lost its legs.The upper part, in which the two astronauts are then found, is planned to redecol up the moon and join the CSM.It is therefore essential to test the ascending engine, then to carry out delicate maneuvers when returning to the CSM.Spider stops about 30 meters away, leaving Scott time to position the CSM well for mooring.Once the operation is carried out, after a 6 hour and 22 -minute flight, the two LM astronauts return to the CSM.What remains of the LM, "the ascent internship" (upstairs floor), is in turn dropped in space.About this LM, Deke Slayton, the former astronaut of Mercury who has become the head of the selection and training of astronauts, will say that he "was unique.It was the first vehicle designed to operate in space, anaerobic;And so the only real spaceship.Not having to face the heat from return to the earth's atmosphere, it did not include a thermal shield and was not profiled like the Apollo capsule.Headed with antennas and perched on his four thin legs, he looked like a giant insect ".

The last days of the mission and the return.

During the last days, while Scott still performs maneuvers of CSM, McDivitt and Schweickart make many observations of the earth, photographing in particular America, Africa, etc..This second part of the Apollo 9 mission is not unimportant, because the techniques of observations and photographs will be used later for the Skylab Orbital Laboratory Program.

On March 13, the control module separates from the service module, is boring and bitter in the Atlantic Ocean, 290 km east of the Bahamas, where it was recovered in the hour by the USS Guadalcanal ship.The mission is a great success, making it possible to prepare the next, Apollo 10, whose launch is announced for May 18.This time, it will be a question of repeating the operations carried out by Apollo 9 ... but from a lunar orbit.

References.

A book: they wanted the moon, from Deke Slayton and Alan Shepard, Ifrane Éditions, Paris, 1995

The press kit of the Apollo 9 mission, NASA archives, available online

A NASA video on the Apollo 9 flight.

Philippe Varnotes is a doctor in history, specialist in the beginnings of spatial exploration in France and author of several reference works.