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APOLLO 15 COMMAND MODULE
To the Moon: Project Apollo and the U.S. Air Force
The goal of Project Apollo was to land astronauts on the moon and return them safely to Earth. Beating the Soviets to the moon in the "space race" of the 1960s was an important part of the Cold War competition between the United States and the USSR for prestige and world leadership in science and technology.
NASA had contemplated a journey to the moon since its formation in 1958. Rivalry with the USSR in space "firsts" was intense, and the Soviets had scored important victories -- launching Sputnik, the world's first satellite, and sending the first man into space. The moon landing project was the biggest prize in the space race. It became a national goal in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy proposed that the United States complete this difficult task before 1970.
Developing the ability to travel to the moon and carry out lunar scientific exploration established American preeminence in space technology. Project Apollo achieved six lunar landings between 1969 and 1972, in which 12 astronauts walked on the moon. The U.S. Air Force role in Apollo was important and varied, and included biomedical research and testing, launch and recovery support, and airborne telemetry and tracking. Of the 29 astronauts who flew Apollo missions, 14 were Air Force officers or had Air Force experience.
Apollo 15 Command Module Endeavor
Apollo 15 was the fourth mission to land astronauts on the moon and the only Apollo mission with an all-Air Force crew. Col. David R. Scott, Lt. Col. James B. Irwin and Maj. Alfred M. Worden flew the command module on display, named Endeavor, to the moon in 1971. The craft is named after the ship that carried Capt. James Cook on his famous 18th century scientific voyage.
After launch on July 26, 1971, the crew spent four days traveling to the moon. On July 30, Scott and Irwin landed the lunar module Falcon on the moon, and spent about 67 hours on the lunar surface. Worden remained aboard Endeavor in lunar orbit conducting experiments and taking photographs. The crew returned to Earth on Aug. 7, 1971, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. The successful mission lasted just over 12 days.
The three major Apollo spacecraft components were the command module, the service module and the lunar module. The service module carried equipment, plus support and propulsion systems, while the lunar module took two crewman to the moon's surface. Like earlier Mercury and Gemini spacecraft, the Apollo command module re-entered Earth's atmosphere blunt-end first. A protective heat shield made of epoxy resins in a metal honeycomb charred away as the spacecraft slowed in the atmosphere, shedding the nearly 3,000-degree (F) heat of re-entry. Parachutes then slowed the spacecraft for a landing in the Pacific Ocean. One of Apollo 15's three parachutes failed, and Endeavor hit the water somewhat faster than the anticipated 29-36 mph, but no crewmen were injured.
The command module, made by North American Rockwell Corp., is 10 feet, 7 inches tall, 12 feet, 10 inches wide, and 12,952 pounds at launch. The space for three crewmen inside is about 210 cubic feet, about the same as an average minivan. The crew compartment contained navigation equipment, controls and displays, and other equipment. The lower part of the spacecraft housed plumbing, wiring, fuel and reaction control engines, while the upper part contained re-entry parachutes and a hatch for passage to the lunar module. The hatch on the side of the spacecraft was used for entry before launch and exit after returning to Earth, and is located above the middle of three side-by-side astronaut couches.
APOLLO 15 COMMAND MODULE
To the Moon: Project Apollo and the U.S. Air Force
The goal of Project Apollo was to land astronauts on the moon and return them safely to Earth. Beating the Soviets to the moon in the "space race" of the 1960s was an important part of the Cold War competition between the United States and the USSR for prestige and world leadership in science and technology.
NASA had contemplated a journey to the moon since its formation in 1958. Rivalry with the USSR in space "firsts" was intense, and the Soviets had scored important victories -- launching Sputnik, the world's first satellite, and sending the first man into space. The moon landing project was the biggest prize in the space race. It became a national goal in 1961 when President John F. Kennedy proposed that the United States complete this difficult task before 1970.
Developing the ability to travel to the moon and carry out lunar scientific exploration established American preeminence in space technology. Project Apollo achieved six lunar landings between 1969 and 1972, in which 12 astronauts walked on the moon. The U.S. Air Force role in Apollo was important and varied, and included biomedical research and testing, launch and recovery support, and airborne telemetry and tracking. Of the 29 astronauts who flew Apollo missions, 14 were Air Force officers or had Air Force experience.
Apollo 15 Command Module Endeavor
Apollo 15 was the fourth mission to land astronauts on the moon and the only Apollo mission with an all-Air Force crew. Col. David R. Scott, Lt. Col. James B. Irwin and Maj. Alfred M. Worden flew the command module on display, named Endeavor, to the moon in 1971. The craft is named after the ship that carried Capt. James Cook on his famous 18th century scientific voyage.
After launch on July 26, 1971, the crew spent four days traveling to the moon. On July 30, Scott and Irwin landed the lunar module Falcon on the moon, and spent about 67 hours on the lunar surface. Worden remained aboard Endeavor in lunar orbit conducting experiments and taking photographs. The crew returned to Earth on Aug. 7, 1971, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. The successful mission lasted just over 12 days.
The three major Apollo spacecraft components were the command module, the service module and the lunar module. The service module carried equipment, plus support and propulsion systems, while the lunar module took two crewman to the moon's surface. Like earlier Mercury and Gemini spacecraft, the Apollo command module re-entered Earth's atmosphere blunt-end first. A protective heat shield made of epoxy resins in a metal honeycomb charred away as the spacecraft slowed in the atmosphere, shedding the nearly 3,000-degree (F) heat of re-entry. Parachutes then slowed the spacecraft for a landing in the Pacific Ocean. One of Apollo 15's three parachutes failed, and Endeavor hit the water somewhat faster than the anticipated 29-36 mph, but no crewmen were injured.
The command module, made by North American Rockwell Corp., is 10 feet, 7 inches tall, 12 feet, 10 inches wide, and 12,952 pounds at launch. The space for three crewmen inside is about 210 cubic feet, about the same as an average minivan. The crew compartment contained navigation equipment, controls and displays, and other equipment. The lower part of the spacecraft housed plumbing, wiring, fuel and reaction control engines, while the upper part contained re-entry parachutes and a hatch for passage to the lunar module. The hatch on the side of the spacecraft was used for entry before launch and exit after returning to Earth, and is located above the middle of three side-by-side astronaut couches.