Inside the Apollo Command Module - April 1980 - Shot on Film

            This is a closer view of the same Apollo capsule, looking inside. This shows us that when the other two astronauts went into the LEM (lunar excursion module), the remaining astronaut sat in the middle seat, having all of the controls at his disposal easily.

The pilot of the command module had the thankless and unglamorous job of staying with the "mother ship" while the other two landed on the moon and did their exploring. But the command module pilot wasn't just sitting it out, he had to be ready to engage in the rendezvous and docking of both the command module and the lunar lander once the excursion was over and it was time for the two astronauts to return to the command module. Both radio and radar contact was necessary for the two objects to hook up. They did, with hundreds of hours of training paying off as a result. Once the two astronauts returned inside the command module they jettisoned the lunar lander, leaving it to wander in orbit until gravity pulled it down to crash land somewhere on the lunar surface.

The flight would begin with the Apollo capsule atop a humongous Saturn V rocket, taller than some tall buildings. By the time the astronauts would return it would only be the single capsule (which you see in the previous photo). One of the greatest (if not the greatest) endeavors of humankind was accomplished, but at the same time something had to be done so that return trips wouldn't be such an act of attrition, using materials that could not be utilized a second or third time. Hence the shuttle program.

And the first shuttle launch would not be for another year after my visit to the Air Space Museum, which is why you will not see any photographs of it here.

This photo was shot with my Vivitar 400 S/L 35mm camera, using Eastman Kodak 5247 motion picture stock, rated at ASA 100. I used my Vivitar 50mm lens. The image was scanned at Samy's Camera in Pasadena, California.

Taken on: April 1, 1980

Tags:

Apollo Space Program

Apollo Command Module

Apollo Lunar Landing Mission

NASA

Smithsonian Air Space Museum

Washington, D.C.

Vivitar

Vivitar 400 S/L Camera

Vivitar Cameras

Vivitar Lenses

Vivitar SLR Camera

Vivitar SLR Cameras

Vivitar 50mm Lens « less

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