Children of Apollo: From the Earth, to the Heavens

[Its_Just_Luci]

I was supposed to post this Sunday but it is finals week and I am quite crammed for time... I will be posting next Sunday! Sorry for the inconvenience <3

 

[defconh3ck]

I was supposed to post this Sunday but it is finals week and I am quite crammed for time... I will be posting next Sunday! Sorry for the inconvenience <3

sounds good! can't wait!

 

[Its_Just_Luci]

Chapter 4: An Intricate Dance, Part I

“Gemini 11 and 12 will be the most complex to date. It will demonstrate not only the ability to service a spacecraft in orbit, but to manage multiple vehicles in close proximity.”
James Webb.
December 19th, 1966

(Bing Crosby and The Andrew Sisters, Jingle Bells)

(Authors Note: I am finally done with finals! They didn't go terribly, and as the adage says: C's get Degrees. Regardless, I am excited to get back to storytelling, and I hope you all are having a good holiday season, whatever that might mean to you personally. Consider these next two as something of a two-part Christmas special, and a great sound off to Part I. I hope to be releasing Chapter 6, the first chapter of COA Part II: The Gift of Apollo no later than the end of January, anyways, hope you all enjoy, you don't know how happy it makes me to see you all enjoying it <3 stay safe, and give kindness to the people around you. -L )

During the early days of the Apollo program, NASA had intended to launch the majority of early flights atop the Saturn I. Plans quickly changed, and the functional Apollo flights were moved to the more powerful Saturn IB; However these early Saturn I rockets remained, and NASA was determined to use them. This led to the Pegasus program, a series of three satellites launched atop the Saturn I to investigate thermal management, micrometeoroid damages, and the design constraints needed to operate in space long term..

The third of these satellites contained a unique set of samples, called coupons, intended to be recovered. When NASA was planning the Pegasus program, they anticipated 4 Apollo Block II LEO test flights, and it was expected one of these would be capable of retrieving a limited quantity of these coupons; However, due to schedule changes (predominantly caused by the December 12th accident) and time constraints, Apollo was now on the books for only 2 low earth orbit test missions, which deemed the plan invalid. Luckily, Gemini had accomplished all of her objectives with flying colors. And yet two capsules remained, so NASA’s Manned Spaceflight Center had proposed a proof of concept mission: Prove that America had what it took to manage a space station, and do multi-man EVA’s while rendezvousing both capsules with the satellite concurrently, and retrieving all of the micrometeorite coupons.

While the MSC’s mission originally called for the rendezvousing of just the capsules with the Pegasus III, this was soon realized to be nearly impossible. The Gemini Block IB would surely have the fuel to get there, however taking stationkeeping into account meant they had almost no fuel left to spare. MSC calculated that the safety margins of this mission mode would leave crews with less than 150 ft/sec (45.7m/s) of Delta V to spare; This would push the capsule, and her OAMS to the breaking point.

NASA realized there was only one option if they wanted this unique 4 man flight attempt. The new mission schedule called for Gemini 11 to be launched, followed shortly by GATV-5004. Assuming all systems were go, the Gemini would continue to the satellite and await 12. GATV-5006 would then be launched, either as a replacement for 5004, or as a transfer vehicle for Gemini 12. If and only if all launches before it had proven to be successful, Gemini 12 would be cleared for liftoff.

It was a daring proposal indeed. However, NASA wasn’t the only one anticipating success with the Gemini 11/12 mission. The USAF was also interested in seeing the demonstration that work could be done on both a controlled and uncontrolled satellite. If this was feasible, there wouldn’t be any show-stoppers in repairing or refurbishing a spy satellite, and possibly investigating or disabling a hostile one. This mission was of great interest to all parties involved. For NASA it was a simulator for future station operations, for the Air Force it was a demonstration of constructive or destructive intervention of foreign and domestic space hardware, and for Congress it was a show of America’s capabilities; It showed to the world that we were, and would continue to be, on top in space.

NASA personnel, from pad technicians to mission control had a daring endeavour ahead. If all was successful, this mission would be the grand finale of NASA’s second manned low Earth orbit program. For all of this to work, new techniques would need to be utilized. The two Titans were rolled out to the pad simultaneously, for all pre-flight checks.

GLV-12 was up first, it’s engines were inspected thoroughly, and all electronic and mechanical connections were tested and re-tested. After receiving a passing grade, the Gemini’s OAMS were static tested as the rocket was held down (a tradition started after the troublesome Gemini 8 flight) and those too received a passing grade. GLV-12 was rolled off the pad, and Gemini 11’s launcher was mated to the pad for launch.

GLV-11 went through much the same testing, however much more thoroughly. The vehicle was inspected, reinspected, connected and reconnected. The spacecraft had its systems tested, OAMS fired, and launch abort tower mated. Both Spacecraft were ready to go, and it was only a matter of days until they would both see flight.

(Early Draft of the mission from NASA’s Manned Spaceflight Center)​

As Gemini 11 lifted off the pad, her crew was unsure of exactly what their mission would entail. They was on a trajectory to rendezvous with the primary agena, GATV-5004, within a few hours. As the GLV-11 roared to life, Pete Conrad, Richard Gordon, and all of those involved in America’s space program held their breath. The liftoff was smooth, and Gemini 11 cleared the tower.

Capcom: Liftoff of Gemini 11! Liftoff of America’s daring rescue mission to the Pegasus Satellite!

As the rocket climbed into orbit, and the second stage ignited, the spacecraft was pushed into an elliptical orbit, rendezvousing with the Agena at apogee. The crew successfully got to orbit, successfully performed all pre-rendezvous checks, and successfully prepared to close the distance between them and their target.

Conrad: Gemini CSQ, we have her in our window. We are stationkeeping with the Agena, she looks to be fully operational.

CSQ: That’s great to hear, Pete.

...

Capcom: CSQ, Houston..

CSQ: Go ahead Houston.

Capcom: Can we go ahead and get data points, and pressure on the Agena?

CSQ: Roger, Houston. Gemini 11, can we get a readout of all data you have on the Agena at present?

The Agena was stable, propellant and RCS tanks were at nominal pressure and the Gemini was cleared to dock once AOS occurred over southern California. For now, the Gemini spacecraft was stationkeeping in front of the Agena, as the astronauts got their first break in this busy mission schedule.

Capcom: We are expecting AOS in 3… 2… 1… Gemini 11, Houston, how do you read?

Gordo: We read you loud and clear!

Capcom: Glad to hear Dick, are you and Pete still reading good figures off the Agena?

Conrad: Roger, we are Houston!

Capcom: In that case, y’all are good to proceed with docking.

Conrad: Roger, proceeding with docking.

…

…

Conrad: Gemini, Houston, we’re ready to depart for Anchorage.

Gemini 11 was now ready to plot a course for Pegasus Anchorage; Pete, in tradition with the Navy, had coined it Anchorage as “She wasn’t a station or a port, but she gave us somewhere to drop the anchors and stay a while” They plotted a maneuver for the anchorage. This maneuver would have been strenuous on the Gemini’s limited fuel supply, however now that they had the Agena, this was well within reach. They raised their apogee to 500km, and waited around 30 hours for their closest approach to arrive.

Conrad: Alright Houston, we’re all good to begin closing our velocity with Anchorage.

Capcom: Roger that 11, proceed as planned.

Gordo: We are rendezvoused with pegasus, flight. Tell the engineers over at Fairchild congrats from all of us-

Conrad: That’s right, they built a hell of a bird… This thing seems far bigger up close.

Capcom: Roger that, we’ll send em a big congratulations from all of us here at NASA. This is a hell of a mission if we can pull it off, 11.

Conrad: Agreed, let’s keep our fingers crossed for Thursday's launch.

Command Pilot Pete Conrad rang a bell in honor of naval tradition; The crew of Gemini 11 hereby establish a new anchorage at Pegasus, may it serve us well. He then brought the Gemini into a flyaround, as Richard Gordo took pictures. They thoroughly documented the state and condition of the Pegasus, finding that it would be easy enough to approach on EVA. Additionally, as engineers had hoped, it was found that the central truss was in good condition. This, potentially allowing the capsules to fasten to it, if closer-than-anticipated operations were required.

Gemini 11 was now stationkeeping with the Anchorage, at a distance of around 100 feet (30.5 meters) This gave the astronauts ample time to both relax and prepare for the mission to come. They were now awaiting news on whether the Atlas Agena launch would be a success, or if they would be performing this mission unaccompanied.

The Atlas lifted off gracefully from the pad, rising atop its usual pillar of flames. It shot into the sky and began heading east from the cape

Capcom: We have skirt separation!

The booster continued climbing, before finally expending the first stage which only years prior carried nuclear warheads. The Agena lit, seperating from the former-missile, and continuing its short voyage into orbit. The engine cut off as the Target Vehicle made it to orbit. The fairings had separated perfectly, and all eyes were turned to Gemini 12.

Gemini 12’s rocket, which had been given a full shakedown just days prior, was rolled out to the pad for its final prelaunch checkout. All systems were found to be performing nominally, and the rocket was approved for flight. The Gemini IB’s OAMS engines were given another short firing, validating that the spacecraft would have stable propulsion once in orbit. The rocket began fueling, and the primary and backup crews entered the white room. Gemini 12 was good to go for launch later that evening, and a rendezvous with their Agena within 24 hours.

Gemini 12’s crew boarded their spacecraft at T-115 minutes. This would be the final flight of the Gemini spacecraft. As such, the ambitions of the entire program were on their shoulders. Command Pilot James Lovell was of NASA’s best and brightest, being one of two astronauts to hold the duration record set on Gemini 7. Sitting to his left was Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, the man who literally wrote the guide on orbital rendezvous. If there ever were a crew to do this mission, and catch up with Gemini 11, this was them.

Their LR-87 main engines screeched to life as they were standing on the shoulders of the Titan. The cables draping the rocket in all manners of electrical support and propellant supply fell away, as intended, only to be engulfed in the rocket's fiery exhaust.

Capcom: We got a liftoff, Liftoff of Gemini 12!

Lovell: We got a roll program, clock is running.

Capcom: Roger roll, Gemini.

…

Lovell: Tank pressure is good, cabin at 5.4 and holding.

Capcom: Roger, good cabin pressure, you are go for staging in 10.

Aldrin: MECO, we have main engine cutoff

Lovell: Staging.

The second stage roared to life as the booster below it fell away, the crew were on their way to a parking orbit, 97.1nmi by 108 nmi (180x200km). As their second stage flamed out, expending the final fumes of fuel it had left, the crew was right where they needed to be; They were on course for a rendezvous with the Agena just shy of 24 hours later. For now all the astronauts could do is wait, get some rest, and prepare for the day ahead.

Capcom: Good morning Gemini 12! You’re looking good down here, and you should see the agena coming up on your left hand side shortly.

Lovell: That’s affirm, I can see her out Buzz’s window, if just barely.

Aldrin: Yep, that’s her.

...

Lovell: Okay Kauai, we are closing velocities with the target vehicle… and… okay, we are stationkeeping with the Agena.

Capcom: Glad to hear it. We’ll have LOS shortly, expect to hear from Houston in just a few minutes!

The spacecraft was now stationkeeping in front of the target vehicle, gathering data from the Agena’s sensors. All signs pointed to the Agena performing as intended, and that docking would soon commence. Once they acquired signal over California, the spacecraft and her crew were sent codes to program into the Agena. These would be the final steps needed to take prior to docking.

Lovell: Okay Houston, we are docked.

Capcom: Glad to hear it Jim, we will get the maneuver to you shortly

The pilot programmed in the codes necessary to perform the pre-rendezvous alignment maneuver. This time, the wait between the docking and the burn was short; this left the astronauts with little time to spare. The pilots readied their spacecraft, and the maneuver was performed shortly after LOS over the Atlantic. They were now on course for a rendezvous the next morning, Christmas eve.

Gordon: Okay, I think they ought to be within comms range soon

...

Conrad: Alright, this is Pegasus Anchorage, how do you read us Houston?

Capcom: We copy you loud and clear, Pete.

Gordon: When can we expect to see James and Buzz, Houston?

Capcom: They should be coming into viewable range very soon Gordo-

Conrad: Hey, I can see 12 coming towards us. I see something approaching from the North as well!

Gordon: It seems to be in a polar orbit headed southbound!

Conrad: Houston, I’m trying to get a better look at this thing, I see him carrying something. And I can see a flashing red light leading his craft!

Gordon: Oh- Jingle bells! Conrad smells, Jingle all the way!

Conrad: Hey!!

Capcom: (Laughter can be heard in the background) Oh you two are just too much…

Gemini 12 was on final approach to the Anchorage, and with that, the MSC had proven themselves capable of managing multiple vessels in orbit, and converging them upon a common target. Gemini 12 performed their retro-fire maneuver, slowing their closing velocities down to a halt. All 4 astronauts were now stationkeeping with Anchorage. They had a small period of downtime, but their main task was front and center: retrieve the coupons.

Conrad: So, Jim, how was the trip?

Lovell: Smooth as could be.

Conrad: Hope the Airforce doesn’t give Buzz too much slack for spending time at the anchorage with the Navy-boys-

Aldrin: We’re all in the same boat now-

Gordon: Boat, eh?

Aldrin: Dammit, Dick. You know what I meant-

Conrad, Gordon and Lovell could all be heard laughing over the comms link at this remark…

Capcom: Quit y’alls little quarreling 11 and 12, we gotta get you ready for this EVA.

 

[Kloka]

How do you create NASA documentation like that,what app or site do you use?

 

[e of pi]

How do you create NASA documentation like that,what app or site do you use?

By having NASA make it, it's a vintage report.(Diagram is on the last page.)

Astronautix is generally bad about sources, but has some interesting stuff hidden in its attic as far as primary sources.

 

[Its_Just_Luci]

By having NASA make it, it's a vintage report.(Diagram is on the last page.)

Astronautix is generally bad about sources, but has some interesting stuff hidden in its attic as far as primary sources.

this. E and I consulted on this one and he was generous enough to help me find a report

 

[KAL_9000]

Watched!

 

[Its_Just_Luci]

Chapter 5: An Intricate Dance, Part 2

(The Rolling Stones, Satisfaction)

Both pilots departed their vessels, heading towards their service modules. After nearly two full orbits parked above the wings of the pegasus, the astronauts were now donning their Extravehicular Support Packages (ESPs) While the initial mission plan had used the Air Force’s AMU, this was deemed to pose too big a risk of contamination to the samples. The AMU exhausted hot steam and oxygen gas. These molecules were highly reactive, and could easily damage, contaminate or otherwise deem the samples unusable. This is why the choice was made early on to instead use the ESP.

The ESP, by contrast, connected directly to the handheld maneuvering unit (HHMU) which exhausted relatively non-reactive nitrogen gas. This would allow the astronauts to EVA up close to the samples, while allowing the spacecraft, with their toxic and reactive OAMS, to sit relatively far above them. This was through the use of metal tethers, attached to the spacecraft’s Astronaut Tethering Points, which allowed the astronauts to fly over 70 feet from their spacecraft.

Aldrin: Man! This thing’s a bit of a struggle to put on, but it’s nothing a little muscle can’t handle

Lovell: Just make sure not to hurt yourself there, Buzz.

Conrad: How’re you doing back there, Dick?

Gordon: 10 out of 10, Pete! Can you hear us alright, Houston?

Capcom: We roger the four of you loud and clear. Conrad, Lovell, what's y’alls distance above the target?

Conrad: We’re sitting about… 8 yards or so above em here-

Lovell: well we’re a bit closer, I’d say 7 yards or so Houston-

Conrad: It’s not a pissing contest, Jim. (Lovell can be heard chuckling)

Capcom: You two are doing good, just try not to fire the thrusters while the pilots are retrieving the samples okay? We’d like these things to return in good condition, hopefully with the astronauts included

Conrad: I’ll do what I can, flight.

The astronauts were quick to work, as they were on something of a time-crunch. As they migrated to the front of the spacecraft, and fastened their tethers, they also retrieved the tools they needed to free the coupons: modified bolt cutters, and a pressure sealed container.

The first set of samples measured 11 by 16 inches, and were 8 or 16 mils thick. In total there were 40 of these specimens spread across the two wings, each attached to the primary structure by two wire fasteners. These samples ranged in material: from different types of paint and lacquer, to aluminum, titanium, plastics and ceramics. These were the micrometeoroid coupons, and they proved critical in the design of the Apollo Command and Lunar Modules.

The second set of samples were the thermal control samples. These samples were the same width and height, measuring in at 32 mils thick. In total there were 8 of said samples, composed of thermal coatings for the Lunar Orbiters, Mariner, Ranger, ATS, and Apollo spacecraft. These too were attached with 2 wire fasteners which would have to be carefully cut and removed before the sample could be retrieved.

This was to be the first multi-man EVA, as well as the first to prove that having multiple astronauts might prove useful for performing certain tasks. As such, it was to be an incredibly intricate EVA, with both astronauts having to work their tails off to get this done. However, they were some of NASA’s best and brightest, and they had the right stuff.

Aldrin: This is brilliant, this is just absolutely brilliant!

Gordon: You’re telling me… This is a hell of a view.

Aldrin: … okay first sample free, you got it Dick?

Gordon: Got it! Let’s keep up this pace!

Keep up the pace they did. Like clockwork, Aldrin used the bolt cutters to free the samples, and Gordon retrieved them. By doing this, they were able to easily tear through the task in a single EVA; retrieving all 48 samples within an hour and a half, barely scraping by the hour and forty five minute time limit imposed by the MSC.

After performing their primary mission, The pilots stowed their EPS’ in the service module for later retrieval, and returned to their seats. The capsules separated, Gemini 11 pulling up and away from the satellite to a distance of 300 feet, while Gemini 12 moved in closer. James Lovell brought the capsule to the rear of the pegasus satellite to allow Aldrin to perform a second EVA.

Aldrin: Okay flight, these engines look pretty good, just a few minor scrapes on 'em.

Capcom: We’re glad to hear it Buzz, be sure to bring us back some nice photos, would ya?

Aldrin: Affirmative, Jim’s handing me the camera right now.

The camera flashed, as the engines were documented in excruciating detail. By photographing the engines, Aldrin extensively provided information on what damage, if any, the RL-10’s had sustained during flight. Aldrin's EVA would provide both Pratt & Whitney and Douglas with critical information on how the S-IV Stage had held up in it’s nearly 2 year journey in earth orbit. Later analysis of the photos, alongside testimony from Buzz Aldrin himself would find that almost no damage was present, and that the engines would likely be capable of relighting then-and-there, had their propellant not boiled off months prior.

Gordon: How’s the view down there Buzz?

Aldrin: Like lookin’ down the barrel of a gun!

Capcom: How do they look Buzz?

Aldrin: Perfect, they’ve got a few scratches but it’s nothing you couldn’t buff out.

Capcom: That’s great to hear, I bet the guys over at Pratt are jumping from joy right now just hearin’ that…

Once a sufficient number of pictures had been taken, Buzz climbed back into the capsule, and shut the door behind him. Now that the primary and secondary EVA’s were complete, the astronauts were ready for some recreation and relaxation time. Meanwhile, NASA’s Manned Spaceflight Center was holding a go/no-go poll on a tertiary EVA. All systems appeared to be good to go to attempt the intricate dance, and the word was sent up to the twin Geminis later that evening.

Capcom: CSQ, 11, how do you read?

Conrad: We read you loud and clear flight.

Capcom: CSQ, 12, do you copy?

Lovell: Roger CSQ, what’s the message?

Capcom: I have good news from Houston, boys. Buzz and Dick are cleared for EVA-3. You can begin filling up the O2 supplies for tomorrow morning.

Aldrin: Good to hear CSQ, tell mission control thanks from the two of us!

It was realized early in mission planning that by refilling the suits’ Extravehicular Life Support System’s oxygen supply, the astronauts would be able to knock off another first with this mission. The astronauts went to sleep for the night, preparing themselves for their next physical challenge: Humanity’s first in-space crew-rotation.

The spacecraft were situated no more than 25 feet from each other, in a nose to nose orientation. This would allow the two pilots to EVA between the craft while always maintaining contact with one or the other. This ensured that, in the case of an emergency, the command pilot could reel the stricken pilot back to safety.

Aldrin was up first, stepping out of the spacecraft and making his way towards the ESP. After putting it one, he grabbed a tether from Command Pilot Lovell, and fastened it to the spacecraft’s ATP. He attached the other end of the tether to his ESP, before finally detaching his suit umbilical. He was on his own now, beginning the slow trip towards Gemini 11. He used his HHMU to provide the thrust needed, waving a final goodbye to Jim Lovell through the spacecraft’s window.

Aldrin: Okay Pete, I’m on my way over. Keep my seat warm okay, Dick?

Gordon: Roger that, I’d keep it extra warm but Pete might get mad-

Conrad: Hush up would ya…

The three astronauts sat in silence as they watched Aldrin gracefully maneuver the eight and a half yard stretch between the craft. This was to be the most dangerous EVA performed, however one still deemed safe by NASA management. Aldrin spun gently, as using the HHMU wasn’t an exact science by any means, but he had made it, and grabbed onto the Gemini’s nose.

Conrad: Okay Flight, be advised I have an Air Force pilot smeared across my windshield.

Capcom: Copy that, Pete. We take it Aldrin’s made it there safely?

Aldrin: I have, I’m fastening their tether to my ESP right now.

Aldrin fastened the ESP left attached to Gemini 11’s nosecone to his suit, then fastened the tether attached to his former craft to the spacecraft’s second ATP. The Gemini capsules were now fastened together. If something were to go wrong it’d be up to Buzz Aldrin to free the spacecraft. Aldrin pushed himself off the nose, floating a short distance above it as the hatch opened. Gordon stepped out of the capsule, repeating much the same maneuvering Aldrin did on his way to the rear of the spacecraft. After donning the ESP, pilot Richard Gordon made his way to Buzz, giving him one last hug in orbit.

Gordon: It’s been good spending time with you buddy, drinks on me for all of us once we touch down okay?

Buzz: The feelings mutual man, see you after splashdown!

Gordon grabbed the tether from Gemini’s nosecone, detached it from the spacecraft and locked it to his suit. He gave one last salute to Pete Conrad as he pushed away from the spacecraft, headed towards Gemini 12.

Gordon: See ya later Pete!

Conrad: See you round bud.

Gordon drifted the distance between the capsules as Aldrin doffed his ESP and reattached it to the service module. Within 25 minutes of Aldrin stepping out of his spacecraft, both pilots were safely sitting back down in each other's couches.

Lovell: I’m not one for Ballette, but that was some brilliant dancing out there boys. Good job you two!

Capcom: Big congratulations from all of us down here at the MSC, you’ve done us proud once again. We’re comin’ up on LOS here shortly.

The astronauts’ main mission was finally over. Command-pilot Pete Conrad took the Gemini for one last flyaround of Anchorage, documenting the view in detail using the spacecraft’s cameras.

(View of Gemini 12 and Anchorage from Gemini 11)​

Pre-entry checks would be performed the next morning, with the spacecraft both set to splash down in the Atlantic later that afternoon.

Conrad: We’re bringing you guys a Christmas gift, it’s a bit late but we had to go a hell of a long way to get it for you so I hope you’ll excuse us.

Capcom: We’ll see, it depends on how good they are. See ya once you get back 11!

The dual mission would set a final record as the first time two manned spacecraft were recovered the same day, both splashing down in the Atlantic on December 26th, 1966. With that, Gemini 11,12 and by extension the whole Gemini Program’s goals had successfully closed. Another flawless mission under NASA’s belt, Gemini Block IB had proven itself to be a reliable, high cadence and highly flexible crew vehicle; NASA’s Manned Spaceflight Center had also proven themselves to be an incredibly capable and competent group of engineers, scientists and technicians. They were all more than ready, and eager, to tackle what was sitting just beyond the horizon, Apollo.

A banner on the door into MSC’s mission control read Welcome Home James and Buzz, Welcome Home Pete and Dick, thanks for doing us proud!

(Authors Note: I've had a real fun time doing this over the past few months, and I'm excited to get more out there soon. Here's hoping we all have a good, and more boring, 2022! <3)
- L​

 

[Its_Just_Luci]

[REDACTED] From Yours Truly in Moscow, An Interlude.​

(Tchaikovsky No. 1 Scene. Moderato)

(Authors Note: This is a soviet focused interlude, anticipate the next major section this weekend )

1966 was an extremely eventful year for the Soviet design bureaus. As Sergei Korolev rested following his routine surgery that January, OKB-52 was in a state of disarray. A nearly 6 month long investigation, the cause of the 3 consecutive failures of the UR-500 rocket to reach orbit could not be identified. This was an unsettling conclusion, as if Chelomei’s design bureau couldn’t identify the problem soon, UR-500 would face cancellation. Despite another 2 launch attempts in February and April of 1966, the rocket simply couldn’t seem to fulfill its goal due to a combination of factors; The soviet government saw the funding of proper test stands as a somewhat worthless endeavor. This left Chelomei’s hands tied as he had neither the funding, nor the time to solve his issue. He was quickly running out of time, and facing a forced retirement, or worse, he wrote Korolev in late April of that year. Korolev, I feel it of the utmost importance that we meet discussing the N-1, UR-500, and LK programs as soon as is feasible. Chelomei, Isaev, and Korolev met in an undisclosed building in Moscow that May, and discussions began on the future of the soviet lunar program.

(Monument to the Conquerors of Space. Moscow, USSR 1966)​

Korolev and Isaev were both pursuing development of the N1-L3 rocket. Progress on the launch vehicle was beginning to pick up, the 3rd stage had been successfully fired that January and the first NK-15 engines had begun production. Isaev was in the process of securing funding for future N-1 variants, including some with advanced, hydrogen powered upper stages. It was here in which Chelomei was given an ultimatum; Abandon Glushko and the UR-500 program and begin work on the N11 rocket, or go down with the sinking ship, no matter the cost. It was decided, that with the UR-500’s days numbered due to stubborn soviet leadership, Chelomei would move his design bureaus focus to aiding in Korolev’s efforts, shifting the Soyuz-L1 spacecraft to the N11 rocket.

(N1 Block B, the stage that would serve as the N11’s first stage)
​

The N11 would serve as an all-up testing platform for all but the first stage of the N1 rocket. The launcher would use the Block-B second stage of the N1, modified to run sea level NK-15 engines, with an unmodified N1 3rd stage, the Block-V. The rocket was to be capable of launching 20 tons into Low Earth Orbit and with the help of the N1’s Block-D 5th stage, it could send a small manned craft to fly past the moon. With this design decided upon, Chelomei and Isaev were to work together to pursue the N11, and funding for the liquid hydrogen facilities that would be needed for the program's future; Korolev would shift his focus to developing the N1 Block-A, and securing funding for testing apparatuses.

The N11 was anticipated to start flying no later than January of 1968. This timeframe was ambitious, but if the 3 men could meet this deadline, they felt they could send a man to the moon by the end of that year. While this mission would only be a flyby, it would open up the gates for the N1 to launch a more ambitious mission: the first manned landing. The landing was planned for the summer of 1969, and Korolev stressed to soviet leadership that the only way to make this achievable was through more funding. Begrudgingly, the Soviet leadership obliged. Funding was allocated to the development of test stand equipment for the N1 rocket. These test stands wouldn’t be ready until the end of 1968 or the beginning of 1969. This meant the N1 would have to make at least its maiden launch without a test stand, something Chelomei was deeply uncomfortable with.

However, this was the government's final offer, take it or leave it they would have to make due. The three men set to work in the summer of `66 designing the launch vehicle family that would carry the Soviet Union to the moon, and everything seemed to be going as planned.

 

[Michel Van]

To make that Soviet scenario to work
They really have to use gun force on Chelomei...

 

[Its_Just_Luci]

To make that Soviet scenario to work
They really have to use gun force on Chelomei...

that's sorta the implication... Chelomei recognizes that this is a career ruining moment, and if nothing is done he may end up being imprisoned/disappeared.

 

[RanulfC]

that's sorta the implication... Chelomei recognizes that this is a career ruining moment, and if nothing is done he may end up being imprisoned/disappeared.

The problem though is no matter what the 'government' thinks Chelomei (and Glushko for that matter) work quite well for the military who are the ones actually running the space program. Operationally the hypergolic propellants used in the UR500 are VASTLY better than using kerolox as far as the operators (the military) are concerned and that's assuming they continue to see any possible utility with a "Super-ICBM" which is how both the N1 and UR500 were pitched.

Granted that by 1966 both the actual leadership of the USSR and the military were finally coming around to believe that the US was actually going to try and go to the Moon at that same time neither would (or could) authorize the needed money and resources to actually try and beat the American's and were still hoping 'stunts' would keep them in the game.

Really Chelomei is more 'expendable' than Glushko is for the Powers-That-Be in this case

Randy

 

[Michel Van]

like RanulfC say
Chelomei was obsessed by hypergolic propellants, just like Glushko who consider those propellants "less" problematic as Kerolox
To make matter worst, Chelomei had no experience in Kerolox hardware,
OKB-52 only build ICBM with hypergolic propellants, this what the Military wanted, not a Kerolox ICBM
On Super ICBM that was Khrushchev obsession for 100 Megaton Warhead + delivery system.

The only way this could work , Khrushchev successor not only political kill the 100 MT Nuke, but also the UR-500 !
and Chelomei goes working As Head of OKB-1, while Glushko is force to debug the N1 engines build by Kuznetsov
Both forced by Gunpoint...

 

[Its_Just_Luci]

“But if you turned off the byplay between Mission Control and the Sea of Tranquility, with its deliberately mundane and routine chatter, and stared into that black-and-white television monitor, you could glimpse that we humans had entered the realm of myth and legend.”

​

Part II: The Gift of Apollo​

---

Chapter 6: We are the First, We won’t be the Last.​

“I’m coming back in… and it’s the saddest moment of my life.”
- Ed White, Gemini IV EVA.​

(Debby Reynolds, Belly up to the bar, boys)

Apollo faced major hurdles and redesigns following the December 12th accident. Easily the most time consuming change was the reversion back to North American’s original mixed gas atmosphere. This switch made a rapid and spontaneous fire like that of Gemini 6a a near impossibility. Additionally, further fire prevention was taken by replacing nearly all flammable materials within the spacecraft with fire-retardant alternatives.

Ultimately these changes affecting the CSM, LM and EVA Suits would be severe; However their benefit would far outweigh any delays to the Apollo program, as engineers at NASA could proceed knowing this was the safest version of a very dangerous endeavor. Landing men on the lunar surface and returning them safely to the Earth was to be mankind's greatest engineering challenge to date, and this was partially helped by Apollo’s unique flight scheme.

When Project Apollo was originally pitched in 1961, contractors and mission planners had expected to use a mission mode called direct descent. This mode would merge the lunar lander and reentry vehicle into a singular behemoth of a spacecraft, allowing the mission to circumvent pesky rendezvous’ and dockings. This was the mode of choice when North American was chosen in November of that year to proceed with construction of the Apollo spacecraft.

However the Gemini Program had gotten these once complex maneuvers down to an exact science; and even by 1962 (notably many years prior to the first Gemini mission) NASA management was beginning to come around to Grumman’s mission mode of choice: Lunar Orbit Rendezvous (LOR). This mission mode would allow the entire spacecraft to ascend from the Earth to the Moon atop a single Saturn V rocket, and would counterintuitively simplify the mission. This, however, caused an issue with North American’s in-development Apollo spacecraft: it would have to dock.

(Apollo Direct Descent Concept, North American, 9-12-61)​

Before NASA committed to LOR in July of ‘62, the Apollo Spacecraft wouldn’t have docking capabilities. This meant the capsule would have to see major redesigns to the nose area, allowing crew to egress through a pressurized docking tunnel to the now-dedicated lunar vehicle. This led the Apollo designers to favor a two step approach, where they would first develop the capsule and service module, then the docking mechanism and tunnel. This led to two distinct versions of the Apollo CSM, Block I and Block II. Following the December 12th incident, both capsules would yet again see major redesigns and be dubbed Block IIA and Block III respectively.

Block IIA would carry no docking mechanism or pressurized tunnel, and would instead fly with a simplified nose-cone shell, protecting its parachutes during ascent and reentry. This simplified spacecraft would fly four times on Apollo’s 1-4 with all further missions switching to the docking capable Block III. This would ultimately allow NASA to test out the Apollo spacecraft in Earth orbit multiple times before pursuing a lunar landing, while not interfering with their already crammed schedule. Apollo 1, the first crewed mission of the program, was scheduled to lift off in September of ‘67.

Apollo 3 would beat them to the launchpads however, lifting off on August 14th, 1967. This mission reveals a unique quirk of NASA’s naming schemes that carried over from the Gemini Program; Missions were to be numbered in the order in which they were scheduled, not the order in which they flew. As such, Apollo 3 was to be the first all-up test of the Saturn V launcher.

AS-501 lit her engines with a roaring thunder, louder than any of humanity's machines to date, excluding the atomic bomb. The gargantuan rocket rose into the air atop a pillar of soot, as the engines glowed with the light of the sun. Engineers and onlookers alike cheered as the rocket's engines crackled and roared, and Mission Control declared over the loudspeaker: Apollo 3 has cleared the Tower!

(Liftoff of Apollo 3)​

Apollo 3 accelerated as it traveled further into the sky, rapidly approaching Max-Q, the point of maximum aerodynamic pressure on the vehicle. As it was crossing Max-Q, the oscillations began; The vehicle had entered a self-perpetuating cycle of acceleration changes the the engineers had coined Pogo-Oscillations. These oscillations would go largely unnoticed until a minute or so after staging occurred. The S-IC flamed out as the S-II’s interstage motors fired, sending the second and third stages further up and away from the giant first stage.

Mark seven minutes… forty four seconds and we are receiving data showing the premature shutdown of two of the second stage engines.

Despite this failure, the Launch Vehicle Digital Computer (LVDC) adjusted course and began a steeper trajectory. The S-II burned longer and further downrange than anticipated, leaving more work to be done by the rocket’s third stage to reach orbit.

We have shut down of the 3 J-2’s and we are expecting staging shortly.

The S-IVB roared to life, seemingly unscathed by the cascading series of failures below it, the final J-2 engine slowly spooling up to its full, rated thrust. The stage performed nominally as it performed its short burn, ultimately placing Apollo 3 into a stable, albeit more elliptical than desired, orbit.

Apollo 3 completed 3 orbits before successfully deorbiting, reentering and splashing down in the Pacific. This mission would prove the Apollo spacecraft safe for manned flight, while also proving NASA still had some problems to solve with the Saturn V. This was, while not ideal, a good outcome for NASA. Schedules would not need to be changed, and a second unmanned test of the Saturn V, Apollo 5, was scheduled for Q1 1968.

For the time being, Mission Control had more pressing matters. AS-204, Apollo 1, was to be the first manned mission of the Apollo Spacecraft. Her crew consisted of 3 of NASA’s best and brightest. Command Pilot Gus Grissom had been one of the first Americans to fly into space, as well as the first to command the Gemini Spacecraft on Gemini 3. Senior Pilot Ed White was the first American to walk in space on his first mission, Gemini 4. Lastly the mission carried one rookie astronaut, Roger Chaffee. Despite his rookie status, he had been at the consoles of mission control numerous times, and had proved himself more than capable in the simulators.

(Chaffee at the consoles of Gemini 3)​

Gus Grissom, the most experienced of the three, was also seen as something of a troublemaker at NASA. He named his Gemini capsule Molly Brown after The Unsinkable Molly Brown in hopes to avoid his capsule sinking as it had on Liberty Bell 7. While comedic, this did not go over well with NASA personnel, who swiftly banned the practice of naming spacecraft.

This ban, however, would not last forever. Apollo 1’s crew pled to name their capsule Phoenix, in honor of, as Ed White put it Apollo’s rise from Gemini’s Tragic ash. This idea was rather well received by mission control and NASA personnel alike, and in May of that year, NASA’s Associate Administrator James Webb approved the name, on one condition. Future capsule names were to be safe for broadcast, and they couldn’t paint the administration or their goals in a bad light. And with this, CSM-101 dawned the name Phoenix, and was awaiting her final preflight check: the plugs out test.

It was warm and humid as the astronauts arrived at the Cape. The warm pre-sunrise glow dimly illuminated the Floridian coast, as the three walked to the suit-up room. The crew donned their A1C suits with help from support teams, and prepared themselves for the challenging simulation ahead.

(Chaffee seen here wearing the A1C Pressure Suit)​

The A1C took the majority of its design from the Gemini-Era G4C suit. As such, it was far simpler than the later suits destined to walk on the lunar surface; However it was the right fit for the mission. The A1C offered the life support and reliability necessary to perform a LEO flight, and even an EVA if the mission required it.

The astronauts exited the crew quarters and began the walk to NASA’s newly purchased, and extensively modified Clark-Cortez motorhome called the Astronaut Transfer Van, or AstroVan for short. The three astronauts disembarked the van at the launch pad, wiping the fog from their visors and staring up at their Saturn IB in awe.

Grissom: She’s a hell of a beauty, isn’t she?

White: Sure is…

Chaffee: This is really somethin’ else.

The astronauts boarded the elevator up to their vehicle, and entered the white room. Today’s schedule was to be the most complex in the three astronauts’ careers. It would put them through the paces of flying the most complex manned spacecraft ever built, and prove their aptitude thorough enough to fly. The three men boarded Phoenix, helped by a swarm of launch personnel. Once the astronauts were seated, and final checks were performed, the hatch was sealed, and the clock started. Their extensively redesigned Block-IIA spacecraft had been proven for flight months prior. Now it was her crew’s turn.

Nearly as soon as the test began, so did Mission Control’s difficulties. Shortly after disconnecting the capsule, Capcom found it nearly impossible to hear her crew. Following multiple blackouts in communications, and an almost complete breakdown of the test schedule, both the astronauts and mission control were fed up.

Grissom: How are we gonna get to the Moon if we can’t talk between three buildings?

White: They can’t hear a thing you’re saying.

Grissom: Jesus Christ…

…

Capcom: Come again Gus?

Grissom: I said how the hell are we planning on landing on the moon if we can’t talk between two or three buildings?!

Chaffee: Here we go…

Grissom: I mean seriously, you need to get your shit together so we can get this show on the road, Houston.

And get their shit together they did. Shortly after Gus made his remark, in a fit of frustration, Gene Kranz called off the test. The spacecraft was to be rolled back to the Operations and Checkout Building that evening and wasn’t to leave until this little comms issue of theirs was fixed.

It took a few days, but after hours of digging around under the seats of Pheonix, a bundle of frayed wires was found under Gus’s seat; This ultimately was found to be preventing the spacecraft’s antennas from broadcasting at full strength. After some minor checkouts, the Apollo capsule was readied for testing once more. She was scheduled to be rolled out the following morning, the 16th of August, 1967.

(Phoenix being mated to the Spacecraft Adapter)​

Capcom: Good Morning Phoenix, how do you read?

Grissom: Loud and clear Capcom!

Mission control ran the crew through their paces, simulating all manner of failures in their spacecraft leading up to launch; However the crew kept her steady. They did exactly what they needed to to maintain the flight schedule and correct the flight computer’s errors. The three astronauts had performed perfectly, and proven their proficiency with the Apollo. Phoenix and her crew were ready for Apollo’s maiden voyage.

Public Affairs Officer: This is Apollo Saturn launch Control at T minus 22 minutes and counting. T minus 22. We are standing by for the next major milestone before flight as the Commander of the Apollo 1 spacecraft, Virgil Grissom, will go through a series of test firings of the spacecraft's Reaction Control Systems. These are the engines located in clusters of four circling the spacecraft’s Service Module; Each engine is capable of outputting some 100-pounds of force (~445N) to allow the spacecraft to rotate about its axi in orbit.

Public Affairs Officer: This is Apollo Saturn launch Control at T minus 17 minutes and counting. T minus 17. All signs show we are go for launch at this time. The weather here on the floridian coast is a balmy 81 degrees, with beautiful blue skies. Winds are trending towards favorable, sitting at about 10 miles per hour to the East. We appear to be go for launch!

Grissom: Sheesh, glad we have air conditioning in this thing…

Chaffee: You bet.

Public Affairs Officer: This is Apollo Saturn launch Control. We're at 8 minutes… 45 seconds and counting as Spacecraft Test Conductor Skip Chauvin is going through a final status check with the spacecraft team here at the KSC. Teams are monitoring the performance of the Saturn IB, and all pressures seem to be nominal, we are go for launch as we are closing in on 8 minutes to liftoff, T minus 8 minutes and counting. This is Launch Control.

Public Affairs Officer: This is Apollo Saturn launch Control at T minus… 3 minutes and counting, we are continuing the countdown. The three astronauts have just completed the final checks of their guidance and navigation systems.

White: Okay Capcom, I can confirm we are running program 2, I repeat running P-02, Verb 75.

Capcom: Copy that, Ed. Good to hear, y’all holding up okay?

Grissom: No complaints here houston!

Phoenix’s Computers were now running internal guidance, and all was set for the launch of Apollo 1. The spacecraft sat in the low hanging floridian sun, seemingly glowing with all the ingenuity of mankind up to that point. Her crew wasn’t going to the moon, not even close. But they understood that with this small step, they’d be placing humanity one giant leap closer to that daring goal.

Public Affairs Officer: This is Apollo Saturn launch Control coming up on T minus One minute and counting; Mark. T minus sixty seconds. Atmosphere is internal and guidance is internal. All reports are coming in good as we approach T minus 50 seconds. Coming up on the forty second mark; Mark. T minus forty and counting.

Public Affairs Officer: Forty, all reports coming out of the blockhouse appear good as we converge on the T minus- Mark; T minus thirty seconds to liftoff of Apollo 1. The Saturn IB launch vehicle weighing in in excess of 1.3 million pounds is now ready as we close in on the ten second mark.

Capcom: Standby for the 10-second count.

Grissom: Roger-

Capcom and Public Affairs Officer: T minus 10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5… 4…

Capcom: We have Ignition! 2… 1…

Public Affairs Officer: Liftoff! Liftoff of Phoenix towards the Heavens!

White: Yahooo!

Chaffee: Alright!

Grissom: Liftoff Houston- Clock’s runnin’

AS-504 lit her 8 H-1 engines as the Florida coast received their wakeup call. It was showtime. The rocket rose up off the pad as onlookers screamed out in cheers and awe. Phoenix was on her way, and by extension, so was the Apollo Program.

Grissom: Alright Capcom, we got a roll program!

Public Affairs Officer: 12 seconds after liftoff and we have report of a roll program!

Capcom: Roger roll, Phoenix.

The rocket rolled, slowly but surely, lining up the rocket to her 32 degree inclination before beginning the pitch program. The S-IB was performing flawlessly, as it had for the previous flights.

Grissom: Okay Houston, Pitch is looking good on our end

Capcom: Roger Pitch, Gus.

Public Affairs Officer: As we approach 1 minute into the flight, we are getting reports back from the crew that the roll program has suspended, and the computer is back in mode 1. This indicates that in the case of an abort, an extra pitch motor on the launch escape tower would fire to help the crew clear the fireball and splashdown off the coast.

Public Affairs Officer: We are coming up on 2 minutes; Mark, 2 minutes. Status checks show the crew is go for S-IVB staging.

Capcom: Go for Staging, Phoenix.

White: Roger that, go for staging.

Grissom: Inboard cutoff, smoothing out a bit. Okay we have outboard engine cutoff.

Capcom: Roger that Gus, proceed with staging.

The S-IVB separated gracefully from the stage below it as the three ullage rockets fired. Fractions of a second after this event, the propellant settled in the aft of the tanks, and their J-2
roared to life

(S-IVB separation)​

Grissom: Let’s see what this baby can do! We got good light on that J-2 Houston!

Capcom: Glad to hear Gus, Expect to see tower sep here in about T minus 20.

Public Affairs Officer: We’re here at T-plus two minutes… thirty seconds and the crew has lit their second stage engine, expect to see that launch tower on top of the capsule shoot off shortly.

Chaffee: Okay Flight, that tower really shot off. [Unintelligible] Miles and miles!

Capcom: Glad to hear it’d save your skins if we needed it. You’re go for mode 2 Phoenix.

Grissom: Roger, mode 2.

Public Affairs Officer: We have clean tower separation here at T-plus 3 minutes, 5 seconds. Launch teams are reporting the S-IVB is performing nominally, and the flight computer has switched to a ‘Mode 2’ abort. This means the tower will no longer be needed, and the capsule would fire it’s RCS engines in the case of an abort.

Capcom: Okay 1, how do you read?

Grissom: We read you crystal clear flight.

Capcom: Okay we’re having some difficulties hearing y’all, try turning up the S-Band antennas.

White: Roger that, how’s this sound?

Capcom: A bit loud, but we’ll take it… I’ll go ahead and count you down at four… 3, 2, 1, Mark; All systems go at T-plus four, Phoenix.

Grissom: She’s a smooth ride Houston… Gimbal check looking good

Capcom: I’m sure Douglas’s glad to hear that, Gus; Roger good gimbal check.

Public Affairs Officer: We’re seeing slightly elevated heart rates sitting in excess of 100 beats per minute, this is to be expected and all physical parameters are within safe limits. The crews are experiencing 1G of acceleration at this point in flight, T-plus five Minutes.

The rocket was cruising brilliantly, and the three astronauts we’re having the ride of a lifetime, soaring up and beyond the sky at T+5 minutes into flight. G forces were relatively moderate all the way to orbit, at least by the crew’s standard. Both Grissom and White had seen G-Forces above 7 during the Gemini Titan II’s SECO, for the two experienced pilots this was nothing.

Chaffee: Bit of a bumpy ride flight-

Grissom: You ain’t seen nothing yet kid. We’re looking good for orbit at 9 flight.

Capcom: (laughing) Roger that Gus, prepare to switch to Mode IV in 35.

Grissom: Roger.

Capcom: Phoenix, your CMC and trajectory are go! Anticipate SECO here in 20.

Grissom: Roger… switching to mode 4

Grissom: Alright flight… we report SECO, zero-g and feeling great.

Capcom: Beautiful flight, Phoenix. Welcome to space.

Apollo 1 had reached orbit, clearing the first of many milestones for their mission. The 14 day mission was scheduled to put the spacecraft through her paces, ultimately displaying some of the scientific prowess of the program. However, days 1 and 2 of the mission were dedicated to the spacecraft itself; The crew would put the Command and Service Module (CSM) through its paces, as they had many times in the simulators leading up to flight.

White: Alright Gus, I’m gonna get these gimbals off

Grissom: Roger flight, we’re seeing Pitch 1 off, Yaw 1 off, Pitch 2 and Yaw 2 off as well. I repeat all 4 are off.

Capcom: Gotcha Gus, all 4 off. Beautiful.

White: Okay, DSKY is reading velocity at 25565; H-dot is minus four; and altitude is 122.3

Capcom: Roger that; Phoenix, your S-IVB has been safed.

The S-IVB began venting excess propellants, first hydrogen, then oxygen. By the end of the first orbit, the stage had vented almost all excess residuals, and the computer had been shut down. This left the booster safe for separation, and cleared the crew for at least 6 more orbits. The flight computer was reading their velocity at 25,565 feet per second [7,792 m/s] putting them just where they wanted to be.

White: okay flight, guidance is showing us at an apogee of 146, perigee of 135. (270x250km)

Capcom: Roger you loud and clear Ed; We copy your orbit, you guys are looking good down here.

Grissom: I got pretty good aim, don’t I?

Chaffee: -for an air force boy, yeah!

Grissom: Hey!

Grissom: Okay flight, how long until we can expect separation?

Capcom: Come again? We’re having a real rough time hearing ya down here Phoenix.

Apollo 1 was now drifting above the Atlantic, and despite some communications difficulties, was performing nominally. Mission control was trying everything they could to stabilize communications between them and Phoenix, and only by orbit 2 did they do so. Once comms were stable, the crew were go for separation, staging their spacecraft away from the now-safed S-IVB.

Capcom: Okay Phoenix, we got you good for staging.

Grissom: Roger that flight, we’re separating from the S-IVB now. Firing RCS and flipping around.

Chaffee: Isn’t she a beauty?

White: Sure is, no doubt about it.

Grissom: Okay flight, we’re sitting about 25 feet from the S-IVB, drifting away slowly.

Capcom: Glad to hear it, Phoenix

Apollo 1 went on to be yet another in a string of successes since the December 12th accident. The mission, clocking in just shy of 14 days, nearly doubled Gemini 7’s record of 8 days, a record set by NASA just two years prior. This mission showed that America was ready and eager to take on the challenge of going to the moon, while proving we had the tools to do so. Upon splashdown, after days of scientific research and humanities longest spaceflight to date, Gus Grissom put it best in a post flight interview:

Grissom: I mean that’s gotta be one of the greatest test-flights we could have asked for.

Apollo 2 (AS-205) lifted off a mere 48 days after Phoenix’s splashdown, proving that Apollo 1 wasn’t a one-off success. The mission largely repeated the 14 day success story of Phoenix before it, carrying new scientific instruments and collecting further data on the vehicle. The mission would provide training in the Apollo to a further three astronauts: Eliot See, Walter Cunningham, and Done Eisele.

Apollo 5(AS-502) would be the second mission of 1968, following Apollo 4’s LM testflight. The mission would see the Saturn V perform flawlessly after a number of minor modifications had been implemented to dampen the pogo-oscillations. It would be on this flight that NASA would test Saturn’s Trans Lunar Injection (TLI) capabilities for the first time.

Mission Control: Okay, we have burnout of the S-IVB, Apollo 5 is on her way to the moon!

The capsule would, as planned, simulate a critical emergency only 6 hours after TLI. This forced the CSM-201 to fire her main engine, performing a direct abort. This maneuver would provide a critical safety net, and be one of two methods to expedite a return journey if radiation, fuel cell problems, or any number of other hazards presented themselves.

(Direct Return Abort)​

In this abort mode, performable up to T+25 hours post-TLI, the CSM or LM engines would be used to null out the majority of the spacecraft's velocity, and allow it to fall back to the Earth. After T+25 hours, the spacecraft would boost itself towards the moon, performing a high speed free-return before reentering the atmosphere. Because of these two abort modes, if any emergency happened on the way to the moon NASA had a small, but usable window of time to save the crew. Apollo 5 splashed down safely, less than a day after liftoff.

 

[Its_Just_Luci]

Chapter 7: Here there be spiders.​

“Okay Houston, We’re opening the tunnel now.”​

- John Young, Apollo 7​

(Jimmy Hendrix, Voodoo Child)

(Authors Note: Sorry for being a bit late I celebrated my birthday last weekend a bit too hard, and had 2 exams this week leading to very little time to post... That said, I'm back and in good spirits, had a great time and I'm excited to get back to storytelling thanks for the patience and sorry for the wait)

Public Affairs Officer: And we have Liftoff! Liftoff of Apollo 7 from Launch Complex 34! Hot on the heels of Lunar-Module 2!

The Saturn IB rose atop a brilliant column of light, as it had hours prior for the launch of AS-207 (Apollo 6). The hold down clamps released as the 8 H-1 engines reached their full throttle, sending the rocket up and past the launch tower.

Young: Alright flight, we’ve cleared the tower

…

Young :We got a roll program going, Houston.

Capcom: Roger that, John. Expect to start your pitch program here in 12.

Young: I hear ya, pitch here in about 12.

Public Affairs Officer: Commander John Young is reporting a nominal roll program, putting them in the correct orientation to begin their pitch over into Earth Orbit.

The rocket began her pitch program, lofting the astronauts slowly but surely towards their desired rendezvous-trajectory. Commander John Young, LM-Pilot Walter Cunningham, and CSM-Pilot Charles Bassett were now soaring up and beyond the blue skies over Florida.

(Apollo 7’s Ascent to Orbit)​

Capcom: Apollo 7, you are go for staging.

Young: Roger, Go for Staging!

…

Young: Ignition… okay Houston we’ve got a good looking second stage now.

Capcom: Rodge.

Bassett: Holy Cow! Chaffee was right, look at that thing go!

Young: We got good abort tower separation, Houston

Apollo 7 continued their ascent into orbit, burning the S-IVB to depletion and circularizing their orbit at 165 nautical miles (305 km). They were now on track to rendezvous with the lunar module in T-4 hours, giving them ample opportunity to verify all the necessary systems were in order.

Cunningham: Alright Houston, we’ve started on the S-IVB safing checklist.

Capcom: Roger that, Gumdrop. Congrats on a great launch, expect to hear from us shortly about your LM.

Grumman’s Lunar module had been experiencing a number of delays, almost all of which related to the dry-mass of the spacecraft. Grumman had switched from their original pure-oxygen atmosphere to a much more complex mixed gas atmosphere, following North American’s switch the year prior. Additionally, extra precaution had been taken to fireproof both the Apollo Command Module, as well as the Lunar Module. The LM’s complexity kept increasing, and with its complexity, mass.

Every pound added to the LM’s ascent module yielded nearly four more pounds on the pad; Every pound added to the descent stage increased launch mass by a factor of 2.25 to 1. Mass kept increasing while margins remained relatively unchanged, and needless to say, the Lunar Module was overweight. However, by late 1967, with the LM nearly seven thousand pounds over the original design spec, the growth finally came to a stop.

The LM Weight Reduction Program was pushing the landing date back further and further, leaving a trail of slimmed down LM-Carcasses in their wake. Weight was far less of a concern in Earth Orbit, however, so Lunar Module 2 had her leaking hull patched, and her mission reassigned. While originally meant for a second unmanned test of the Lunar Module, Spider was now tasked with proving the LM was controllable during piloted flight.

Apollo 7 was a mission born out of necessity; The lunar module wasn’t expected to be ready for a manned landing for another year, and yet NASA needed to test the flight controls to ensure they were usable for the astronauts. The Saturn V was in the process of undergoing structural improvements, offsetting the pogo-oscillations felt by Apollo 3 the year prior. This ultimately left NASA to find a way to test the LM in earth orbit, without facilitating the use of a Saturn V. Their choice was as obvious as it was complex. Mission designers chose a dual launch Saturn-IB based architecture to place the CSM and LM on path to dock.

Their mission was therefore something of an open ended question; How much could the Lunar Module be tested in Low Earth Orbit? What were the benefits of taking this approach? And ultimately, could the it be proven lunar orbit ready without facilitating the need for a Saturn V flight? Apollo 7’s task was to test the basic maneuverability and docking capabilities of the Lunar Module, with secondary objectives demonstrating the LM’s capability to help during abort scenarios, and to serve as a lifeboat for a stranded Command Module.

NASA’s latest schedule would see Apollo 6 and 7 serving as the LEO test-flight of the Lunar Module, and Apollo 8 delivering men to the moon. Apollo 9 would be the second manned mission to the Moon, and the first to bring along a Lunar Module to practice both High and Low Gate lunar landing approaches. This ultimately left Apollo 10 as the first manned landing attempt on the books for May of ‘69, with backups available every two months as long as needed. This schedule gave NASA ample opportunity to attempt and re-attempt manned landings, allowing them to pursue the ambitious missions safely. This plan was seen as the most conservative and resourceful approach, and it was given approval shortly after the flight of Phoenix in 1967.

However the initial landing wasn’t the only thing on NASA’s mind at the time; In April of 1966, before the Gemini Program had even concluded, the Johnson White House reached out to NASA administrator James Webb regarding the future of the agency, and their Post-Apollo plans. After much debate, it was decided that NASA would pursue a series of studies into Apollo derived hardware that favored reuse and a high flight rate.

However these studies would take time; To hold the agency over, Webb requested funding for a second order of Apollo hardware, and additional funding for the Saturn Apollo Applications (SAA) Office. NASA’s SAA office would now turn it’s focus to developing new lunar and earth orbit uses of Apollo hardware, and developing sustainable derivatives of this hardware. This, however, was presently overshadowed by NASA's current goal: The initial landing.

Capcom: Alright Gumdrop, The LM seems to have held up alright, and we’ve got good data back from its S-IVB, we expect you ought to be able to go ahead and dock once you get there.

Young: Roger, go for docking on arrival.

Capcom: we also show no indication that a course correction will be needed, you are good to separate from the S-IVB and begin separation maneuvers.

Cunningham: We copy ya Houston.

Gumdrop was now on her own, drifting on a slow course that brought her to rendezvous with the Spider. The crews took their leisure time whilst finishing up the final checks necessary prior to the rendezvous. The Apollo was a sturdy craft, and nearly all necessary testing had been done on previous flights. While waiting for the rendezvous, the three astronauts were simply along for the ride.

Capcom: Okay, we anticipate Acquisition of signal here in a few seconds. Seven’s Acquisition of target should only be a few minutes out now…

Capcom: AOS in 3… 2… Apollo 7, this is Houston, how do you copy?

Young: We copy ya loud and clear, Roosa. The three of us just wrapped up lunch.

Capcom: Glad to hear it John. How are y’all holding up?

Bassett: We’re doing great Houston. This vehicle’s flying like a dream.

Cunningham: View’s even better- Speaking of which, I think I can see Spider coming up over the horizon.

Capcom: That’s Great to hear, The LM is ready for your arrival, you three can continue working your way through pre-docking checks. We’ll touch base with you in just a few.

Young: Roger.

(Lunar Module Pilot Walter Cunningham looks out the Apollo’s windows)​

Apollo 7 was now slowly drifting towards a distant spec on their windshield. As Walter Cunningham stared out the window of the Command Module, he could just faintly make out the black markings of the S-IVB, before finally spotting the signature gold foil of their Lunar Module.

Cunningham: Alright Houston, looks like the petals on the S-IVB have separated cleanly, I can see Spider from here and she’s looking good.

Young: RCS has closed out our velocity. We are stationkeeping with the Lunar Module.

Their launch trajectory had given them a relatively hastey 3-orbit rendezvous, allowing them to begin docking procedures later that day. However, before that could be done, the Lunar Module would have to be inspected remotely, ensuring it was both safe to dock with, and safe to separate from it’s S-IVB. Once these checks had been performed, the Command Service Module would begin extracting the Lunar Module from the Spacecraft-LM Adapter (SLA)

Young: Okay Houston, Spider seems to have held up pretty good, we’re going to go ahead and wrap up our pre-dock checklist and begin docking procedures.

Capcom: Copy that Gumdrop, Go ahead and proceed to docking.

(LM-2, Spider, seen from the Gumdrop.)​

Young: Alright… Nice and Easy

Cunningham: You’re aligned, you just gotta make contact, John.

…

Bassett: Easy does it…

…

The Command Module docking probe extended, contacting the LM Drogue cone and expanding to grab hold of it.

Young: Okay Houston, We have soft capture with the spider

The probe retracted, pulling the two spacecraft closer until contact was made. As the Lunar Module’s drogue approached, it depressed the triggers lining the Command Module docking ring and a series of 12 latches automatically slammed shut. This was Hard Capture, and the two spacecraft were made one.

Young: latches are closing now- (a muffled bang could be heard)

…

Young: We’re docked.

Capcom: Glad to hear it 7, we’re gonna run some final diagnostics on her, you have the go-ahead from us to begin S-IVB separation procedures.

Mission controllers stared at their computer monitors, double and triple checking for any sign of deviance. Thankfully none were present, the astronauts secured electrical connections between the two modules, and the two spacecraft now pulled away from Spider’s S-IVB, beginning their free-flight in Earth Orbit. This first manned LM, while unfit for a manned landing on the lunar surface, served a critical role in achieving NASA’s ultimate goal.

The astronauts’ next task was freeing the hatch separating them from their lander. When the Gumdrop and Spider had docked, two distinct mechanisms were at play working to form a pressurized tunnel between the two craft. The first was the probe and drogue assemblies; These assemblies would be the first to make contact, with the Gumdrops docking probe retracting to allow her docking ring to contact the Lunar Module’s tunnel. Once these were attached, latches lining the interior of the docking ring slammed shut, forming an air-tight seal between the ring and the tunnel. Now the tunnel had been fully pressurized, and it was safe for crews to begin opening the hatches.

Cunningham: Alright, capture release handle…

Young: Rodger-

John Young twisted a small knob at the center of the probe mechanism, releasing the probe assembly from the Lunar Module’s drogue mechanism.

Capcom: How’s she look guys?

A loud metallic thud could be heard over the comms system, followed by a slight hissing. Engineers sat with bated breath before finally hearing John Young mutter over the comms system She’s looking great flight. The crew began egressing into the lunar module, looking around at the interior, and inspecting it for any signs of issue. Spider was good to go.

The crew entered the lunar module, inspecting the intricate walls of switches and knobs ensuring everything was as it should be. The crew then verified that the docking assembly could be reinstalled and removed once more. Once all was verified to be operational, the astronauts returned to the command module, and closed the hatch. They were ready to begin winding down for the night. Tomorrow would see the first maneuvers performed by the LM, and the first verification of onboard systems in a free-flight.

The next morning, John Young and Walter Cunningham donned their suits and boarded the Lunar Module in preparation for their first test. This test was interrupted when both astronauts felt nauseous, and Walter Cunningham began to vomit. It was later found that the short contorted movements necessary to don the suits quickly caused motion sickness in microgravity. The astronauts were put on a private communication relay to doctors at NASA’s manned space flight center at Young’s request. This knowledge, though painful, would serve as valuable intel in preventing this phenomenon on later flights.

Once the astronauts vestibular systems had come to a rest, the testing resumed. The LM fired her engine posigrade, simulating the duration and throttling necessary to perform a landing. This demonstrated two things; Firstly the Lunar Module could, at least in theory, provide course corrections in the event of an emergency involving the service module. Secondly, the LM was up to the task of performing a full duration landing burn.

Young: Alright flight, Spider handled that one like a champ.

Capcom: We are glad to hear that John. You two can return to Gumdrop now. Doctors told us to tell you to please take off your suits slowly this time.

Cunningham: Roger that, we definitely don’t want a repeat of that.

Young: Yeah no more of those please.

Day 2 of the mission had wrapped up swimmingly, the LM had demonstrated that her descent engine was fully functional, and that the docking ring was strong enough to deal with the forces involved in an abort scenario. The crews spent the remainder of the day conducting experiments while mission control looked over the data they had collected.

On day 3 of the mission, The three astronauts suited up in preparation for EVA. Commander John Young opened the LM’s front hatch, clasped his support tether to the hand railing, and stood out the open door. Charles Bassett opened the hatch on Gumdrop and poked his head out as well, capturing a photo of Young staring at the world below.

(John Young on EVA from the Spider, 14 August 1968)​

The two men took time on this EVA to assess the spacecraft, their suits and conduct further experiments. Once they had done their tasks, the two returned into the spacecraft, closed the hatches, and repressurized. Days 4 and 5 were spent conducting further experiments and testing in preparation for the mission's ultimate goal: LM free-flight.

On day 6, the Commander and LM pilot boarded their lander. The probe-drogue assembly was reinstalled from the lunar module’s side, and the probe was preloaded to 6000 lbs of tension, allowing the 12 docking latches to disengage while maintaining pressure. Charles Bassett reinstalled the Command Module forward hatch, and the LM’s tunnel door was closed. Only now was Spider ready to undock.

Bassett: How does that convertible handle?

Young: Assuming we can keep the top on her, pretty smooth Charlie!

Bassett: Well that’s brilliant to hear John, I’ll be here when you two come back. Take some cool pictures up there for me okay?

Cunningham: You bet!

(Spider as seen from Gumdrop)​

After stationkeeping with Gumdrop for nearly an hour, Spider was cleared to perform a separation maneuver, sending them up and over the Command Module. The LM slowly separated from the Command module, marking the first time in history that humans had ridden inside a vehicle in space which could not safely reenter in case of an emergency. The mission was daring, if not slightly dangerous, but the two men pushed on.

Spider tested her descent engine at a range of throttles, demonstrating that the Lunar Module’s Descent Engine (LMDE) was stable at a wide range of settings. In total, Spider spent nearly 12 hours separated from the Command Module, and as Commander John Young put it later: It all felt routine. It was just like the simulators. Spider returned to Gumdrop that evening, and the next morning the crews separated from the LM and began reentry.

Apollo 7 had proven that with minor weight reductions, the lunar module was ready for its first flight to the moon, and then its debut landing. The mission had its issues, but in all, had gone well. The crew splashed down in the Atlantic, marking yet another success for NASA’s Project Apollo.

 

[Its_Just_Luci]

Sorry for the hiatus, haven't had a ton of time lately due to school Post coming this weekend!

 

[RanulfC]

Sorry for the hiatus, haven't had a ton of time lately due to school Post coming this weekend!

Hey it's ok, we understand...
You just feel that trivial things like school, sleep, having-a-life are all more important than us.
It's fine, really it's fine...

(And actually really it IS fine but I just love that passive-aggressive stuff )

Randy

 

[Its_Just_Luci]

Chapter 8: Fly me to the Moon.​

“Nixon: A Campaign in Denial, Despite FBI and French Revelations.

People have got to know whether or not their Candidate is a crook. And I'm not a crook. I’ve worked hard for everything I've got. -Richard Nixon ”

- Front Page of the New York Times, Oct 25, 1968​

(The Rolling Stones, Gimme Shelter)

1968 was a wildfire of a year for US politics. Only months after the attempted assination of Robert F Kennedy in June of that year, the New York Times broke the story of the decade.The story had been leaked to them via an internal memo, originating somewhere within the whitehouse. It had come out that the Nixon Campaign had been conversing with South Vietnamese politicians, promising them a “better deal”, preventing the US from getting out of Vietnam. The scandal, coined the Chennault Affair, would ultimately shape the election that year. While the South Vietnamese Ambassador firmly denied the allegations, the writing was on the wall: This event would single handedly bring the downfall of the Republican nominee, Richard Nixon.

Ultimately, LBJ was tired of the presidency, and RFK would not recover from the attempted assasination in time to resume campaigning, handing his support to Vice President Humphrey. Humphry ultimately won the support of many, campaigning on the promise of an end to the Vietnam War, and an end to so-called civil unrest. Additionally, Humphrey campaigned on the continuation of Johnson’s Great Society Programs, and a continued American presence in space. This left Hubert Humphrey as the democratic candidate chosen in August of 1968, and the elected president early that November.

While the Americans were dealing with their own political troubles, the Soviet N1 rocket was facing an intensive investigation following it’s premature shutdown only 50 seconds into flight. The rocket appeared to have suffered a structural failure due to one or more engines spontaneously shutting down, and a fire seemed to have followed; The underlying causes of these issues was yet to be determined, but the soviets continued onwards with their multi-phase plan unphased.

The L1 rocket sat atop a newly constructed launch facility near the N1’s LC-110 at Baikonur. The L1, a little brother of sorts to the much larger N1, was to be UR-500s replacement. It had flown multiple times before, demonstrating that it’s Block B, V and D stages were more than up to the task of launching today’s payload. This mission would be flown under the Zond classification, a name often given to unmanned lunar and planetary probes, however today's mission would be quite different.

The L1 was launching an unmanned Soyuz L1 spacecraft, her first major payload, alongside a Block D Trans Lunar Injection stage. This launch would, if successful, be followed hours later by a 3 man Soyuz-OK spacecraft. Two cosmonauts would disembark the OK, and board the L1, leaving a single cosmonaut to pilot the capsule back down to Earth’s surface. The two launches went off without a hitch, and by the end of the day, two cosmonauts were on their way to the moon. Just days later, Americans awoke to the news, Pavel Popovich and Vitali Sevastyanov were flying past the moon.

(L1-Block D lunar flyby craft)​

Dammit! Slayton said to himself, slamming his hand down on his desk, They pulled the rug out from under us again! Across the world, photographs of soviet cosmonauts looking out their window at the lunar surface were broadcast to the masses. Their faces lit up in awe, pointing at mankind's first glimpse of the far side. The Soviets had sent men to fly past the moon, something far short of Apollo 8’s upcoming lunar orbit, but a definite show of competence. This launch was also the first publicized of the new L1 heavy lift rocket, something the Americans had overlooked as not being fit for crews yet.

NASA Administrator James Webb gave a statement that morning, addressing the mission, and explaining its merit in comparison to Apollo: We at NASA do not believe the soviets pose any major risk to surpassing us in our goal to land a man on the moon by the end of the decade. We believe this mission was done to scare the American public, and to display their technological achievements. While we recognize the mission for its merit, we do not expect to see them on the lunar surface any time soon. Despite this embarrassment, Apollo 8 would continue onwards unabated. The soviets flight was comparable to the first American suborbital flights versus the flight of Yuri Gagarin, both used the nations best technology, while one was far more advanced.

In 1967, it was decided that missions would be given an alphabetical designation, signifying what objectives they were aiming to accomplish. At the time, no delays in the LM were foreseen. The expectation was that the C, D, and E class missions, testing the CSM in Low Earth Orbit, then the LM in Low Earth Orbit, and finally the LM in High Earth Orbit, would lead to the F class mission, the dress rehearsal for landing. However, the Lunar Module was still overweight; And at time of planning, only 4 months before liftoff, it was decided that bringing along a Lunar Module aboard Apollo 8 would prove no benefit, and indeed possibly hinder the mission's abort capabilities.

Instead, it was decided that this mission would be uniquely separate from those originally planned during the early days of Project Apollo. This daring mission would be designated C′-class: Named after its closest analogue, the C-class LEO CSM test missions of Apollo’s 1 and 2. The mission would see the Saturn V deliver a Block III CSM to lunar orbit for a short stay, before ultimately returning her crew safely to the Earth. This objective, though a small step, would prove itself to be the first in a series of leaps towards the ultimate landing. Apollo 8 was scheduled to fly in just over 3 weeks, lifting off on December 21st, 1968.

(CSM-203 being mated to her Launch Vehicle, September ′68)​

The countdown began, T minus one hundred and three hours to lift off. This countdown ultimately bought the engineers just enough time to do a full final checkout of the saturn vehicle. Sleighbell had been mated to her launcher in the months prior, following a checkout regime that had become something of a routine following Apollo 1’s sluggish rollout. Engineers surrounded the vehicle on it’s launch pad, inspecting the electrical and fluid connections lining the vehicle's stringers. The rocket was deemed ready following days of final preparations, and the Terminal Countdown began at T-28 hours.

The rocket was fueling up as the astronauts arrived to the suit up room. Commander James Lovell, LM Pilot William Anders, and CSM Pilot Michael Collins dawned their A7L suits with the help of a swarm of technicians. The three men sat in silence, mentally preparing themselves for the flight ahead. Sleighbell’s flight would be the first manned mission atop NASA’s goliath moonrocket, and only the fourth manned flight of the Apollo program. This mission rode atop the shoulders of giants, and the fate of the Apollo program sat in its hands.

After some deliberation, the three men rode up the access elevator and boarded Sleighbell, walking their final steps before entering the history books. James Lovell, William Anders, and Michael Collins were soon to become the first men to orbit the moon, if all went well. The hatch was sealed, and pad crews evacuated the premises, the men were on their own now.

Capcom: Alright Sleighbell, how are you three holding up?

Lovell: We’re doing great flight, we’re eager to get this show on the road.

Capcom: That’s entirely understandable Jim, we’re trying our best to get you off the pad on schedule.

Flight controllers were resuming their obsessive search for any signs of deviance, any little issues or errors that could suggest something may be wrong with the vehicle. Thankfully, the Saturn V seemed to have matured as a launcher over the course of its two test flights; The rocket’s systems were performing flawlessly, weather was ideal, and the launch window was theirs for the taking.

Public Affairs Officer: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control at T-minus 2 minutes to lift off of Apollo 8, America’s mission to the moon.

Capcom: Alright guys, we’re at T-60.

Collins: Roger that.

Public Affairs Officer: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control at T-minus 30 seconds until Liftoff…

Public Affairs Officer: T-minus 10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 5

(S-IC Ignition, December 21, 1968)​

Capcom: We have good S-IC ignition-

Public Affairs Officer: 3… 2…

Lovell: Clamps released, here we go-

Public Affairs Officer: Liftoff! And Apollo 8 has cleared the tower!

The S-IC roared to life, all 5 engines screaming at full thrust. Clamps holding down the rocket gave way, and the launch vehicle was sent on its way to the heavens. The crackling signs of life were heard for miles down the floridian coast, and these three men were on their way to the history books.

Lovell: Okay we got a good roll program flight-

Capcom: Roger that 8, you’re looking great from here.

The Saturn rolled, aligning itself with the 32 degree launch azimuth. The guidance computer was operating flawlessly as the flight continued onwards.

Anders: Okay, we’re seeing pitch over-

Collins: Mode IB flight.

Capcom: Mark. One Bravo.

Public Affairs Officer: The crews are reporting ideal ascent here at 50 seconds into flight, they have switched over to abort mode 1-B as scheduled.

Lovell: Okay we got engine lights here flight-

Capcom: Underperforming, roger. Anticipate staging here shortly-

Lovell: Copy… Alright, engine out-

Capcom: You are go for staging.

Lovell: Separation. Ignition.

(S-II Ignition and staging)​

Capcom: Alright we see good separation of the S-IC, Go Sleighbell Go!

The First stage had, despite minor performance issues, served its purpose. The stage peeled off, revealing another 5 engines that would continue the three astronauts ascent into orbit.

Lovell: How do we read, flight?

Capcom: Loud and clear, 8.

Lovell: Okay flight we see good skirt sep, and the launch abort tower is off.

Capcom: Roger.

Public Affairs Officer: Commander James Lovell is reporting that the interstage has separated cleanly from the vehicle, and the launch abort tower has separated from the spacecraft. All systems are performing nominally, this is Apollo Saturn Launch Control at T-plus 3 minutes, 30 seconds into flight.

The S-II stage burned out as expected, delivering the S-IVB third stage and Apollo Command Module to a near-orbital trajectory. With the second stage expended, on course to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, the third stage ignited, sending the astronauts to orbit.

Collins: Okay… shutdown.

Lovell: Roger capcom, we have S-IVB shutdown-

Capcom: Great to hear Sleighbell, we’re gonna work on your trajectory, expect to hear from us shortly.

The three men spent just over an hour in orbit, as final checks were made on their S-IVB to clear it for Trans-Lunar Injection. During their short orbital stay, the astronauts were checking their own onboard systems, verifying their command module had survived ascent unscathed. Ultimately, both elements of the Apollo TLI stack were performing healthily, and the three men were sent up a message from houston:

Capcom: Apollo 8, Go for TLI!

The J-2 engine ignited, flaring to life and sending Sleighbell on her way to the moon. Once the stage had expended it’s useful life, the S-IVB was safed, and the command module separated. The three men were on their own now, flying the outward leg of the Free-Return Trajectory. While there were abort modes available, the astronauts were now in the position of ‘fix it, or head back home’.

(Lunar Free Return trajectory as flown by Apollo 8)​

The astronauts had a 3 day trip ahead of them, in which they would maintain near constant communications with mission controllers at NASA’s Manned Spaceflight Center. The three men conducted Earth and Lunar observation experiments, reporting on their surroundings and personal condition during the flight. Two of the three men reported seeing Flashes of light when they closed their eyes, something that would remain a mystery to NASA for some time. It was eventually figured out that these flashes were likely caused by Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR’s) hitting the astronauts optic nerve.

While their physical condition remained largely unchanged, the astronauts reported a sense of awe in seeing the world from this great distance. On day 2, CSM Pilot Michael Collins noted It is such a strange phenomena, seeing Earth for what it is, a fragile and pale blue dot against the harsh blackness of space. He captured this photo, at the time one of the furthest views of Earth humanity had seen with the unaided eye.

(Earth as seen from Apollo 8)
​

As the three men approached the lunar sphere of influence, all focus was shifted to preparing for Lunar Orbit Insertion. The LOI maneuver would occur on the far side of the moon; This placed the maneuver distinctly outside of communications with the MSC, and therefore added considerable risk. If anything had failed during the burn, the astronauts would be on their own to fix it. However, the three astronauts understood the risk; As Sleighbell was dipping beyond the lunar horizon, Commander James Lovell uttered the soon to be famous words: This is the commander of Apollo 8 speaking. We’ll see you on the other side, flight.

 

[Its_Just_Luci]

Chapter 9: If at First You Don’t Succeed…​

(Led Zeppelin, Good Times Bad Times)

Capcom: We are expecting AOS here in T-25 seconds…

Capcom: Apollo 8, this is Houston, how do you copy?

…

Capcom: Sleighbell, this is Houston, do you copy?

…

…

Capcom: Apol-

Lovell: We hear ya loud and clear flight. Sorry, we were taking in the view from lunar orbit.

Capcom: Well feel free to get some pictures, but try and answer us okay?

(Earthrise from aboard Apollo 8)​

Collins: One step ahead of you, flight. We definitely have some Christmas gifts for you when we land!

Sleighbell had entered Lunar Orbit. The capsule would remain in orbit for just under 24 hours, conducting countless scientific experiments and observations. Landing sites for Apollos 10, 11, and 12 were analyzed from orbit during this period. After their short stunt in lunar orbit, the CSM performed a Trans-Earth Injection, placing itself on a return course for reentry.

Lovell: Okay flight, we’re separating from the service module now.

Capcom: Glad to hear, proceed to reentry.

The Capsule successfully entered Earth's atmosphere, splashing down mere days before new years. The crew’s short stay in lunar orbit had provided ample technical information to NASA, while providing further discoveries about Earth’s natural satellite. The mission paved the way for the more technically demanding Apollo 9; This mission would serve as the dry-run dress rehearsal for the lunar landings. The mission would demonstrate high and low-gate operability of the Lunar Module in low lunar orbit. If all was successful with Apollo 9, Apollo 10 was destined to become humanity’s first lunar landing. This mission was simple in comparison to future plans; The only mission objective was to land, get boots on the lunar surface, and return the astronauts safely to the Earth.

Apollo 9 was NASA’s primary objective at the moment, and with only a 3 month gap between launches, the agency was meeting demands it had never faced before. The Saturn V proved itself capable however, and signs showed that a gap as low as 1 month may be conceptually achievable. For the time being, NASA was aiming for a launch every 2-3 months following Apollo 9 until mankind successfully reached the surface. This was an ambitious pace, but NASA was up for the task. Apollo 9’s spacecraft were mated to the upper stage, and the Rocket was rolled out to the pad.

(Apollo 9 rolling out to the Launchpad. January, 1969.)
​

As Apollo 9 was rolling onto the pad, Apollo’s 10 and 11 were being readied at the cape. By March, Apollo 10 was nearly ready, having its LM installed that January. The first portions of Apollo 12 arrived at the cape that month as well. Project Apollo, along with the VAB it had given way to, was becoming a well oiled machine. Technicians double and triple checked Apollo 9’s launch vehicle, AS-504, for any signs of problems. The rocket proved flawless, according to their inspection, and was given the go ahead to launch on the 3rd of March, 1969.

The rocket lifted off the pad, aiming to once again deliver American’s to the moon. Apollo 9’s mission would be rather similar to Apollo’s 6 and 7 before it, but would no-doubt pave the way for things to come. By now, the Saturn V was proving itself a worthy machine, and the launcher’s first stage performed without error, proving fixes implemented since Apollo 8 were successful.

Capcom: Go for Staging, Charlie Brown.

Scott: Roger that flight, we got a good S-II up here.

Borman: Interstage separated.

Public Affairs Officer: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control at T-Plus 3 minutes. Commander David Scott and LM Pilot Frank Borman have reported that the second stage of their launch vehicle is performing as expected, and that the separation motors on the interstage have fired. All systems are performing at T-Plus 3 minutes… 30 seconds. This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control.

The S-II had faced issues in the past, but improvements to the S-IC had largely ironed out those kinks. Apollo 9 continued its ascent into orbit.

Schweickart: Launch tower’s off!

Capcom: Copy that Rusty!

…

Capcom: Okay anticipate S-II burnout here shortly-

Scott: Flameout.

…

Scott: Ullage firing… Ignition!

The S-IVB peeled off the second stage as it had many times before, flying Charlie Brown and Snoopy the remainder of the way into orbit. The S-II had fulfilled its purpose, and was left to die a viking funeral, burning up upon entry into the Earth’s thick lower atmosphere. The S-IVB flamed out, and the three men breathed a sigh of relief as they felt weightless.

Schweickart: Woah!

Scott: Okay we got engine cutoff, Rusty’s gasping up here, typical rookie stuff.

Capcom: (Laughing) Alright Dave, we’re glad to hear y’all made it safe and sound, expect to receive a go no-go from us here shortly.

After one and a half revolutions around the Earth, the men finally got their poll results from Capcom: Apollo 9, you are good to go. Press to TLI! The J-2 engine restarted, sending the two cartoon characters on the adventure of a lifetime. The astronauts felt multiple times their full body weight once more, as the stage flamed out. The three men were on their way to the moon, and began their next task after TLI: Transposition and docking.

Scott: Alright, we’re separating from the S-IVB now.

The spacecraft began the separation by puffing it’s RCS, translating forwards from the stage. The four petals of the Spacecraft-LM Adapter separated, and the LM was fully visible. Charlie Brown flipped about it’s axis, facing towards the LM, Snoopy.

Schweickart: Snoopy is looking great, flight.

Capcom: We’re glad to hear that, 9.

Scott: Alright I’m bringin’ him in to dock…

Borman: Easy does it Dave-

Scott: -I know what I’m doing

The spacecraft inched closer, slowly closing the distance between them before finally-

Scott: Contact!

Borman: Probe retract-

Scott: Capture.

Apollo signature thud could be heard, as mission controllers breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the spacecraft were now securely attached. The tunnel was pressurized, and the spacecraft began separation maneuvers.

Scott: Pulling away from the S-IVB now, flight.

Capcom: We copy ya loud and clear, 9.

The spacecraft were now on their way to the moon, docked and fully secured, destined now to play the waiting game. The 3 day trip to the moon wasn’t entirely wasted time; The CSM and LM were checked out in transit, and the hatch was verified to be safe for separation. Additionally, a number of course-measurements and subsequent course-corrections were made over the course of their trip. Finally, on the 6th of March, Apollo 9 had reached the moon’s sphere of influence.

Capcom: Okay, Charlie. We’re expecting LOS here in a few minutes, we’re here if you need us, but you look 10/10 on the LOI checks here.

Scott: Alright, then all I can ask is you wish us luck, Capcom.

Capcom: Hope you won’t need it, Dave, but we’re all crossing our fingers for ya…

The 3 man spacecraft dipped behind the lunar horizon, and faded into radio silence. Their next task was clear, and was by far one of the most practiced parts of the mission. Charlie Brown ignited his engine. The spacecraft began to slow down, capturing into the lunar gravity's grasp. The spacecraft’s main engine burned for just under 5 minutes, capturing himself and his dog into low lunar orbit. Apollo 9 was now safe and sound, flying a fast course, a mere 65 miles (105km) above the lunar surface. The spacecraft had survived the daunting maneuver unphased, and the astronauts acquired signal only 20 minutes later.

Capcom: Okay Apollo 9, how do you copy?

Scott: We are in lunar orbit, the dog’s doing fine too.

Capcom: Glad to hear about Snoopy, congrats on a good orbit insertion.

The men would spend day 4 of the mission in lunar orbit, preparing for the separation and descent of the Lunar Module. However, this wasn’t all the astronauts did in lunar orbit; a live broadcast from lunar orbit was also conducted, as well as the first EVA around the moon. LM Pilot Frank Borman disembarked from the Apollo and attempted to open the LM’s hatch from the outside. While doing so in a weightless environment proved challenging, it was possible, and the door’s design proved functional.

(Frank Borman on EVA holding on to CSM Charlie Brown. Apollo 9. March 10, 1969)​

At the start of Day 5, David Scott and Frank Borman boarded Snoopy. The two preloaded Charlie Brown’s docking probe to 600lbs of tension, and closed the two hatches. The Lunar Module separated, and waited to begin descent to the test altitude.

Capcom: Alright Snoopy, you are looking good, proceed to begin descent to 45,000 feet.

Scott: Roger that.

The LM was then brought down to 45,000 feet above the surface(13.7km). This was about as close the astronauts could safely get without attempting a landing. This height was rather comparable to those flown in commercial airliners, allowing the astronauts to get a great look at Apollo 10 and 11’s target landing sites. Upon reaching their perigee, the orbit was circularized, and the descent module discarded. The LM’s ascent module fired up it’s engine and plotted a return trajectory bringing it to a rendezvous with Schweickart in the CSM.

Scott: Alright, Houston, we’re approaching Charlie Brown right now, Snoopy has performed flawlessly.
Capcom: Roger that Snoopy, we’re glad to hear that the LM performed as intended; Good job you two.

Borman: Scott flew her like a champ, this thing handles real well.

Scott: That’s for sure, she flies like a dream.

Capcom: I’m sure the boys over at Grumman are thrilled to hear that. We’re all eagerly awaiting the May landing window.

Snoopy and Charlie Brown were reunited, the spacecraft docking and eventually separating for the last time. Charlie Brown fired his engines for the last time, performing a pinpoint Trans Earth Injection.

Scott: We’re on our way home, Houston. Tell Tracy and Doug that I’ll be home by next week, will ya?

Capcom: We’ll pass the message on to Ann for you. You three have done great work today, congrats on the successful dress rehearsal!

Schweickart: Much appreciated, flight.

Borman: Same here.

Fire engulfed the bottom of the vehicle, as engineers monitored the flashes of data in front of them. All systems were performing nominally, and the vehicle had survived the roughest part of its lifespan. The N1-L5 began throttling down it’s engines, providing engineers with the data necessary to find the cause of the N1-L3’s failure. The core 6 engines shut down, and the problems began almost immediately; Fuel lines ruptured, as a pressure wave was measured on the test stand. The vehicle began experiencing Pogo-oscillations, and the shutdown command was sent. An ominous silence followed the roar that had engulfed Baikonur…

Engineers hesitantly approached the vehicle, searching for signs of damage. Despite the somewhat violent failure, the shutdown sequence seemed to have saved the vehicle, and the test-stand. N1-L5 was bruised, but not broken. The vehicle was prepared for further inspection, and the heavily modified N1-L6 first stage began preparations for its test. OKB-276 realized they were running out of time. A hail mary solution was proposed, and the conversion of the NK-15s on N1-L6 began later that month. Engineers knew they were steadily running out of time, and everyone on the N1 program was praying for a successful second test.

Following the safe splashdown of Apollo 9, focus was immediately shifted to Apollo 10. The Saturn V was having her final checks completed before rolling out to the launchpad. Engineers checked the vehicle much the same as they had for all prior flights, however the feeling of suspense hung overhead. Apollo 10 was to be the culmination of Kennedy’s promise; In a few months' time, NASA was scheduled to land men on the moon, and return them safely to the Earth. The vehicle passed all examinations with flying colors; The engineers couldn’t find any deviance from anticipated values or observations, and the Apollo 10 Stack was certified for flight that May.

By now, Grumman had solved all weight issues with their Lunar Module, and it too was cleared for the landing. The lightweight spacecraft was proving itself to be a competent machine, one capable of not only landing men on the lunar surface, but supporting them for short duration lunar stays. The spacecraft’s limited autopilot capabilities had proven fruitful on previous flights, and so the landing site for Apollo 10 was picked; The three men would aim for the southwestern part of the sea of tranquility. The mission was scheduled for the 18th of May, 1969.

The three hardened pilots arrived at the cape that morning. The mission was composed of some of the greatest pilots NASA had in their ranks. Commander Gus Grissom had flown previously on Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and soon the LM. This would make him the first person to fly 4 different space vehicles over his career. LM-Pilot James Mcdivitt was also an experienced pilot, controlling the Gemini Spacecraft during Ed White’s famous spacewalk. Lastly was CM-Pilot Eugene Cernan, he had piloted the Gemini 9 spacecraft, practicing some of the transposition and docking maneuvers necessary to fly the Apollo lunar missions. The mission’s legendarily experienced crew donned their flight suits in the suit up room, and were shuttled to the pad in the AstroVan.

Public Affairs Officer: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control anticipating the liftoff of Apollo 10 within the hour! We are currently at T-45 minutes until Liftoff, T-45.

Capcom: How’s she looking, Gus?

Grissom: Clean as a whistle, flight, let’s light this candle.

Capcom: Roger, we’ll keep you posted with updates as we get em, Challenger.

The countdown went smoothly, all systems were performing as they had during the numerous flawless countdowns preceding it; All was going according to schedule.

Public Affairs Officer: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control at T-3 minutes to the liftoff of Apollo 10, mankind's daring endeavor to the lunar surface.

McDivitt: Auto-Sequence start

Capcom: Roger, Auto start Challenger.

Public Affairs Officer: This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control at T-1 minute, 30 seconds to the launch of the Apollo; All indications coming into the control center indicate we are go. 1 Minute, 15 seconds to liftoff, this is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. Our status check indicates the third stage has fully pressurized, and we are within the 60 second window. Mark. T-1 minute to liftoff of Apollo 10.

Capcom: Go for launch, Challenger.

Grissom: Rodge.

Public Affairs Officer: 15… 14… 13… 12… 11-

Capcom: T minus 10, Challenger.

Public Affairs Officer: 9.. 8… 7-

Capcom: Ignition sequence start-

Grissom: All engines running!

Public Affairs Officer: 5… 4… 3… 2…

Grissom: Liftoff!!

Public Affairs Officer: Liftoff… we have- we have a liftoff. 13 minutes past the hour. Liftoff on Apollo 10!

 

[BillKerman1234]

That was a really good update! This story is once again proving to be excellent, and I'm really enjoying reading it.

Public Affairs Officer: Liftoff… we have- we have a liftoff. 13 minutes past the hour. Liftoff on Apollo 10!

Oh dear. Apollo 10 IOTL lifted off at 49 minutes past the hour, it was Apollo 13 that rather famously lifted of at 13 past. Could be nothing I suppose, but it doesn't exactly bode well.