Apollo 16
Encyclopedia
Young and Duke served as the backup crew for Apollo 13
; Mattingly was slated to be the Apollo 13 command module pilot until being pulled from the mission due to his exposure to rubella
through Duke.
(CDR), William R. Pogue
(CMP) and Gerald Carr (LMP) who were targeted for the prime crew assignment on Apollo 19. However, after the widely-expected cancellations of Apollo 18 and Apollo 19 were finalized in September 1970 it meant that this crew would not rotate to a lunar mission as planned. Subsequently, Roosa and Mitchell were recycled to serve as members of the backup crew after returning from Apollo 14
, while Pogue and Carr were re-assigned to the Skylab program where they later flew on Skylab 4
.
8° 58' 22.84" S - 15° 30' 0.68" E
Mattingly's EVA was only the second trans-earth EVA ever and was used to bring in film from exterior cameras and conduct an experiment on microbial survival.
The splashdown
point was just south of the equator in the Pacific Ocean at 0 deg 43 min S, 156 deg 13 min W, 215 miles (346 km) southeast of Christmas Island (Kiritimati
) and 5 km (3.1 mi) from the recovery ship USS Ticonderoga
.
A malfunction in a backup yaw gimbal servo loop in the main propulsion system of the CSM Casper caused concerns about firing the engine to adjust the CSM's lunar orbit, and nearly caused the Moon landing
to be aborted. After a delayed first landing attempt, it was determined that the malfunction presented relatively little risk, and Young and Duke (who were already undocked, and flying LM Orion when the problem occurred) were permitted to land on the Moon.
Young and Duke spent three days exploring the Descartes highland region, while Mattingly circled overhead in Casper. This was the only one of the six Apollo landings to target the lunar highlands. On the first day of lunar surface operations, news was relayed to them that the House of Representatives had approved the Space Shuttle
program. Young stated that it was needed.
The astronauts discovered that what was thought to have been a region of volcanism was actually a region full of impact-formed rocks (breccias). Their collection of returned specimens included a 25-pound (11 kg) chunk that was the largest single rock returned by the Apollo astronauts (nicknamed "Big Muley
" after Bill Muehlberger, principal investigator for the mission's geology activities). The scientific results of Apollo 16 caused planetary geologists to revise previous interpretations of the lunar highlands, concluding that meteorite impacts were the dominant agent in shaping the Moon's ancient surfaces.
Young and Duke set up their Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), which included an experiment to measure heat flow between two probes they were to insert into holes drilled in the surface. Young, however, accidentally got one foot tangled up in the cable to one of the probes, detaching it and rendering the experiment useless.
The astronauts also conducted performance tests with the lunar rover, Young at one time getting up to a top speed of 11 miles per hour (18 kilometers per hour), which still stands as the record speed for any wheeled vehicle on the Moon (listed as such in the Guinness Book of Records).
Apollo 16 was originally scheduled for splashdown at 3:30 pm EST on April 28. The mission was shortened by a day (reducing the time in orbit around the Moon after the LM left the Moon and docked with the CSM) because of the problems with the command module prior to landing. As Duke described on the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal website: "The more you waited up there - if you did have a problem - the less time you had to think of something brilliant to fix it. They got a little nervous and brought us home a day early, I think, just to make sure we could have some ample time to fix any problems." There were no problems encountered during the return flight.
The aircraft carrier delivered the Apollo 16 command module to the North Island Naval Air Station, near San Diego, California on Friday, May 5, 1972. On Monday, May 8, 1972, ground service equipment being used to empty the residual toxic RCS fuel in the command module tanks, exploded in a Naval Air Station hangar. A total of 46 people were sent to the hospital for 24 to 48 hours observation, most suffering from inhalation of toxic fumes. Most seriously injured was a technician who suffered a fractured kneecap when the GSE cart overturned on him. A hole was blown in the NAS hangar roof 250 feet above, and about 40 windows in the hangar were shattered. The command module suffered a three-inch gash in one panel.
, energetic particle intensities and the lunar magnetic field
s. The craft was deployed by a spring action, which generated a relative velocity of around 1.2 m/s and a spin of 120 rpm. It returned data from 24 April to 29 May 1972 with an orbital period of around 120 minutes. It was deployed into a sub-optimal inclination and the orbit decayed
earlier than anticipated, with impact occurring after 34 days and 425 revolutions.
. The lunar module ascent stage separated 24 April 1972 but a loss of attitude control rendered it out of control. It orbited the Moon for about a year. Its impact site on the Moon is unknown.
Duke donated some flown items, including a lunar map, to Kennesaw State University
in Kennesaw, Georgia
. He left two items on the Moon, both of which he photographed. The most famous is a plastic-encased photo portrait of his family (NASA Photo AS16-117-18841). The reverse of the photo is signed by Duke's family and bears this message: "This is the family of Astronaut Duke from Planet Earth. Landed on the Moon, April 1972." The other item was a commemorative medal issued by the United States Air Force
, which was celebrating its 25th anniversary in 1972. He took two medals, leaving one on the Moon and donating the other to the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
museum.
logo was placed on top of the shield, and then across the shield were written the words APOLLO 16. The artwork was bordered in white, with a blue band carrying 16 stars and the crew names, outlined by a gold border. The insignia was designed by NASA artist Barbara Matelski.
). He was unaware that his microphone was still transmitting after a recent conversation with Mission Control.
Apollo 13
Apollo 13 was the seventh manned mission in the American Apollo space program and the third intended to land on the Moon. The craft was launched on April 11, 1970, at 13:13 CST. The landing was aborted after an oxygen tank exploded two days later, crippling the service module upon which the Command...
; Mattingly was slated to be the Apollo 13 command module pilot until being pulled from the mission due to his exposure to rubella
Rubella
Rubella, commonly known as German measles, is a disease caused by the rubella virus. The name "rubella" is derived from the Latin, meaning little red. Rubella is also known as German measles because the disease was first described by German physicians in the mid-eighteenth century. This disease is...
through Duke.
Backup crew
Although not officially announced, the original backup crew consisted of Fred HaiseFred Haise
Fred Wallace Haise, Jr. is an engineer and former NASA astronaut. He is one of only 24 people to have flown to the Moon. Having flown on Apollo 13, Haise was to be the sixth human to walk on the Moon, but the mission did not land due to a failure aboard the spacecraft.-Early life and...
(CDR), William R. Pogue
William R. Pogue
William Reid Pogue is a retired American astronaut who is also an accomplished teacher, public speaker, and author.-Biography:...
(CMP) and Gerald Carr (LMP) who were targeted for the prime crew assignment on Apollo 19. However, after the widely-expected cancellations of Apollo 18 and Apollo 19 were finalized in September 1970 it meant that this crew would not rotate to a lunar mission as planned. Subsequently, Roosa and Mitchell were recycled to serve as members of the backup crew after returning from Apollo 14
Apollo 14
Apollo 14 was the eighth manned mission in the American Apollo program, and the third to land on the Moon. It was the last of the "H missions", targeted landings with two-day stays on the Moon with two lunar EVAs, or moonwalks....
, while Pogue and Carr were re-assigned to the Skylab program where they later flew on Skylab 4
Skylab 4
Skylab 4 was the fourth Skylab mission and placed the third and final crew on board the space station. The mission started November 16, 1973 with the launch of three astronauts on a Saturn IB rocket, and lasted 84 days, 1 hour and 16 minutes...
.
Support crew
- Philip K. Chapman
- Anthony W. England
- Henry W. Hartsfield, JrHenry HartsfieldHenry Warren "Hank" Hartsfield, Jr. is a retired United States Air Force officer and a former USAF and NASA astronaut who logged over 480 hours in space.-Personal:...
- Robert F. OvermyerRobert F. OvermyerRobert Franklyn Overmyer, Colonel, United States Marine Corps, Ret. was an American test pilot and NASA astronaut. He was born in Lorain, Ohio, but considered Westlake, Ohio his hometown.-Early life:...
Mission parameters
- Mass:
- Launch mass: 2,921,005 kg
- Total spacecraft: 46,782 kg
- CSM mass: 30,354 kg, of which CM was 5840 kg, SM 24,514 kg
- LM mass: transposition and docking 36252 lb (16,443.6 kg), separation for landing 36743 lb (16,666.3 kg), ascent stage at lunar liftoff 10949 lb (4,966.4 kg)
- Earth orbits: 3 before leaving for Moon, about one on return
- Lunar orbits: 64
- PerigeePerigeePerigee is the point at which an object makes its closest approach to the Earth.. Often the term is used in a broader sense to define the point in an orbit where the orbiting body is closest to the body it orbits. The opposite is the apogee, the farthest or highest point.The Greek prefix "peri"...
: 166.7 km - Apogee: 176.0 km
- InclinationInclinationInclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction.-Orbits:The inclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit...
: 32.542°
- PeriodOrbital periodThe orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars.There are several kinds of...
: 87.85 min
- Perilune: 107.6 km
- Apolune: 315.4 km
- InclinationInclinationInclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction.-Orbits:The inclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit...
: 168°
- PeriodOrbital periodThe orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars.There are several kinds of...
: 120 min - Landing Site: 8.97301° S - 15.50019° E or
8° 58' 22.84" S - 15° 30' 0.68" E
LM - CSM docking
- Undocked: April 20, 1972 - 18:07:31 UTC
- Docked: April 24, 1972 - 03:35:18 UTC
EVAs
- Young and Duke - EVA 1
- EVA 1 Start: April 21, 1972, 16:47:28 UTC
- EVA 1 End: April 21, 23:58:40 UTC
- Duration: 7 hours, 11 minutes, 02 seconds
- Young and Duke - EVA 2
- EVA 2 Start: April 22, 1972, 16:33:35 UTC
- EVA 2 End: April 22, 23:56:44 UTC
- Duration: 7 hours, 23 minutes, 09 seconds
- Young and Duke - EVA 3
- EVA 3 Start: April 23, 1972, 15:25:28 UTC
- EVA 3 End: April 23, 21:05:31 UTC
- Duration: 5 hours, 40 minutes, 03 seconds
- Mattingly (Duke - Stand up) - Transearth EVA 4
- EVA 4 Start: April 25, 1972, 20:33:46 UTC
- EVA 4 End: April 25, 21:57:28 UTC
- Duration: 1 hour, 23 minutes, 42 seconds
Mattingly's EVA was only the second trans-earth EVA ever and was used to bring in film from exterior cameras and conduct an experiment on microbial survival.
The splashdown
Splashdown (spacecraft landing)
Splashdown is the method of landing a spacecraft by parachute in a body of water. It was used by American manned spacecraft prior to the Space Shuttle program. It is also possible for the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft to land in water, though this is only a contingency...
point was just south of the equator in the Pacific Ocean at 0 deg 43 min S, 156 deg 13 min W, 215 miles (346 km) southeast of Christmas Island (Kiritimati
Kiritimati
Kiritimati or Christmas Island is a Pacific Ocean raised coral atoll in the northern Line Islands, and part of the Republic of Kiribati....
) and 5 km (3.1 mi) from the recovery ship USS Ticonderoga
USS Ticonderoga (CV-14)
USS Ticonderoga was one of 24 s built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for historic Fort Ticonderoga, which played a role in the American Revolutionary War...
.
Mission highlights
The original launch date in March 1971 was scrubbed well in advance due to an issue with a fuel tank supplying the RCS on the command module. The location of the problem forced a rollback to the VAB on January 27, 1971. The stack was returned after repairs well before the final countdown was initiated.A malfunction in a backup yaw gimbal servo loop in the main propulsion system of the CSM Casper caused concerns about firing the engine to adjust the CSM's lunar orbit, and nearly caused the Moon landing
Moon landing
A moon landing is the arrival of a spacecraft on the surface of the Moon. This includes both manned and unmanned missions. The first human-made object to reach the surface of the Moon was the Soviet Union's Luna 2 mission on 13 September 1959. The United States's Apollo 11 was the first manned...
to be aborted. After a delayed first landing attempt, it was determined that the malfunction presented relatively little risk, and Young and Duke (who were already undocked, and flying LM Orion when the problem occurred) were permitted to land on the Moon.
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
program. Young stated that it was needed.
The astronauts discovered that what was thought to have been a region of volcanism was actually a region full of impact-formed rocks (breccias). Their collection of returned specimens included a 25-pound (11 kg) chunk that was the largest single rock returned by the Apollo astronauts (nicknamed "Big Muley
Big Muley
Lunar Sample 61016, better known as "Big Muley", is a lunar sample discovered and collected on the Apollo 16 mission in 1972 in the Descartes Highlands. It is the largest sample returned from the Moon as part of the Apollo program...
" after Bill Muehlberger, principal investigator for the mission's geology activities). The scientific results of Apollo 16 caused planetary geologists to revise previous interpretations of the lunar highlands, concluding that meteorite impacts were the dominant agent in shaping the Moon's ancient surfaces.
The astronauts also conducted performance tests with the lunar rover, Young at one time getting up to a top speed of 11 miles per hour (18 kilometers per hour), which still stands as the record speed for any wheeled vehicle on the Moon (listed as such in the Guinness Book of Records).
Apollo 16 was originally scheduled for splashdown at 3:30 pm EST on April 28. The mission was shortened by a day (reducing the time in orbit around the Moon after the LM left the Moon and docked with the CSM) because of the problems with the command module prior to landing. As Duke described on the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal website: "The more you waited up there - if you did have a problem - the less time you had to think of something brilliant to fix it. They got a little nervous and brought us home a day early, I think, just to make sure we could have some ample time to fix any problems." There were no problems encountered during the return flight.
The aircraft carrier delivered the Apollo 16 command module to the North Island Naval Air Station, near San Diego, California on Friday, May 5, 1972. On Monday, May 8, 1972, ground service equipment being used to empty the residual toxic RCS fuel in the command module tanks, exploded in a Naval Air Station hangar. A total of 46 people were sent to the hospital for 24 to 48 hours observation, most suffering from inhalation of toxic fumes. Most seriously injured was a technician who suffered a fractured kneecap when the GSE cart overturned on him. A hole was blown in the NAS hangar roof 250 feet above, and about 40 windows in the hangar were shattered. The command module suffered a three-inch gash in one panel.
Subsatellite
The lunar subsatellite (PFS-2), virtually identical to one released during Apollo 15, was a 78 cm x 36 cm hexagonal cylinder weighing 36.3 kg and three 1.5 m booms. Released from the Service Module's Scientific Instrument Module (SIM) bay on April 24, 1972 at 21:56:09 UTC, the subsatellite's mission was to measure plasmaPlasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
, energetic particle intensities and the lunar magnetic field
Magnetic field
A magnetic field is a mathematical description of the magnetic influence of electric currents and magnetic materials. The magnetic field at any given point is specified by both a direction and a magnitude ; as such it is a vector field.Technically, a magnetic field is a pseudo vector;...
s. The craft was deployed by a spring action, which generated a relative velocity of around 1.2 m/s and a spin of 120 rpm. It returned data from 24 April to 29 May 1972 with an orbital period of around 120 minutes. It was deployed into a sub-optimal inclination and the orbit decayed
Orbital decay
Orbital decay is the process of prolonged reduction in the altitude of a satellite's orbit.This can be due to drag produced by an atmosphere due to frequent collisions between the satellite and surrounding air molecules. The drag experienced by the object is larger in the case of increased solar...
earlier than anticipated, with impact occurring after 34 days and 425 revolutions.
Spacecraft locations
The Apollo 16 command module Casper is on display at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AlabamaHuntsville, Alabama
Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....
. The lunar module ascent stage separated 24 April 1972 but a loss of attitude control rendered it out of control. It orbited the Moon for about a year. Its impact site on the Moon is unknown.
Duke donated some flown items, including a lunar map, to Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw State University, also referred to as KSU, Kennesaw, or Kennesaw State, is a public, coeducational, comprehensive university that is part of the University System of Georgia. The university's main campus is located in Kennesaw, Georgia, United States, approximately north of Atlanta...
in Kennesaw, Georgia
Kennesaw, Georgia
Kennesaw is a city in Cobb County, Georgia, United States. It had a population of 29,783 according to the 2010 census. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area. Founded in 1887, Kennesaw has a past surrounded with railroad history...
. He left two items on the Moon, both of which he photographed. The most famous is a plastic-encased photo portrait of his family (NASA Photo AS16-117-18841). The reverse of the photo is signed by Duke's family and bears this message: "This is the family of Astronaut Duke from Planet Earth. Landed on the Moon, April 1972." The other item was a commemorative medal issued by the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
, which was celebrating its 25th anniversary in 1972. He took two medals, leaving one on the Moon and donating the other to the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Greene and Montgomery counties in the state of Ohio. It includes both Wright and Patterson Fields, which were originally Wilbur Wright Field and Fairfield Aviation General Supply Depot. Patterson Field is located approximately...
museum.
Mission insignia
The circular emblem featured an eagle with wings outstretched, perched atop a red, white and blue shield, over a lunar surface. The vector symbol from the NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
logo was placed on top of the shield, and then across the shield were written the words APOLLO 16. The artwork was bordered in white, with a blue band carrying 16 stars and the crew names, outlined by a gold border. The insignia was designed by NASA artist Barbara Matelski.
Quotes
"I mean, I haven't eaten this much citrus fruit in 20 years! And I'll tell you one thing, in another 12 fucking days, I ain't never eating any more."—John Young in an air-to-ground transmission, reacting to stomach problems caused by drinking potassium-enriched orange juice (to prevent an electrolyte deficiency identified in the crew of Apollo 15Apollo 15
Apollo 15 was the ninth manned mission in the American Apollo space program, the fourth to land on the Moon and the eighth successful manned mission. It was the first of what were termed "J missions", long duration stays on the Moon with a greater focus on science than had been possible on previous...
). He was unaware that his microphone was still transmitting after a recent conversation with Mission Control.
See also
- Extra-vehicular activityExtra-vehicular activityExtra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...
- List of spacewalks
- SplashdownSplashdown (spacecraft landing)Splashdown is the method of landing a spacecraft by parachute in a body of water. It was used by American manned spacecraft prior to the Space Shuttle program. It is also possible for the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft to land in water, though this is only a contingency...
- List of artificial objects on the Moon
- Google MoonGoogle MoonGoogle Moon is a service similar to Google Maps that shows satellite images of the Moon. It was launched by Google on July 20, 2005, the 36th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing...
External links
- NASA Apollo 16 press kit - Apr 6, 1972
- ON THE MOON WITH APOLLO 16 A guidebook to the Descartes Region by Gene Simmons, NASA, 1972.
- Apollo 16 entry in Encyclopedia Astronautica
- U.S. Space & Rocket Center Museum (location of Apollo 16 command module)
- (Part 1) NASA film on the Apollo 16 mission from the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- (Part 2) NASA film on the Apollo 16 mission from the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
- Apollo Lunar Surface VR Panoramas QTVR panoramas
- Apollo 16 Science Experiments
- Audio recording of Apollo 16 landing
- Apollo 16 television transmissions ApolloTV.net Video
- Interview with the Apollo 16 Astronauts (June 28, 1972) from the Commonwealth Club of California Records at the Hoover Institution Archives.