#astronaut suit
Leaving for work. Apollo 15 was the 4th mission to land on the moon. Astronauts David Scott & James Irwin became the first to drive on the moon courtesy the Lunar Rover. The pair landed by Hadley Rille which was originally planned to be the landing spot for Apollo 19 before budget cuts nixed the mission. The Aug 1971 mission was Scott’s 3rd and final spaceflight while it was Irwin’s & Command Module Pilot Al Worden’s first and only. What a historic mission.
Parking is ample. The first to drive on the moon, David Scott, walks away from the Lunar Rover during Apollo 15, Aug 1971. Scott & fellow astronaut Jim Irwin spent 18.5 hours on EVAs during their lunar stay while Command Module Pilot Al Worden orbited above.
Astronaut Neil Armstrong undergoes training prior to Apollo 11, 1969. Following his retirement from NASA in 1971, Mr. Armstrong went taught at the University of Cincinnati until 1979 in the Dep’t of Aerospace Engineering. During his space career, he also flew on Gemini 8 in 1966 & spent a total of 8 days & 14 hours in space during the two historic missions.
Astronauts on a cloudy day. Alan Bean, Pete Conrad & Richard Gordon hop out of the shuttle bus & step towards the 363-foot tall Saturn V rocket in preparation for Apollo 12, Nov 1969. Conrad & Bean spent 31 hours on the lunar surface while Gordon orbited 45 times above in the Command Module. The spacecraft was nearly identical to that of Apollo 11 with the exception being that hammocks were added to the Lunar Module so that Bean & Conrad could rest more comfortably when not out moonwalking. The mission lasted a total of 10 days & 4 hours.
A relaxed astronaut. Stuart Roosa takes a moment during preparations for Apollo 14, Jan 1971. Mr. Roosa flew ‘Kitty Hawk’, the Command Module for the mission & orbited the moon 34 times as crew mates Edgar Mitchell & Alan Shephard walked on the moon. Roosa was 1 of 19 astronauts chosen in Group 5 by NASA in 1966. Following A14, he served as backup Command Module Pilot for Apollo 16 & 17.
Astronauts Jim Lovell & Fred Haise prepare for Apollo 13, Feb 1970. Mr. Haise was chosen in the 5th group of astronauts in 1966. Besides A13, he flew 5 Space Shuttle Approach & Landing Tests during the early days of the Shuttle Program in 1977. Mr. Lovell was chosen in 1962 in the 2nd Group of astronauts & flew on Gemini 7, 12 & Apollo 8 & 13. An excellent film on the Apollo 13 mission is Ron Howard’s fantastic, award-winning film.
Standing by. Astronaut James McDivitt readies for training during preparation for Apollo 9. Mr. McDivitt first flew on Gemini 4 with Ed White on a historic space flight in which White became the first American to space walk. Apollo 9 was a 10-day flight which McDivitt commanded and the first to employ the full Apollo spacecraft (the Lunar Module & Command & Service Modules). A9 was also the 2nd crewed flight with the Saturn V rocket. McDivitt was part of the Group 2 of astronauts selected in 1962.
Currently seated, soon to fly. Pete Conrad & Richard Gordon take a load off their feet prior to their near 3-day Gemini 11 mission, Sept 1966. The pair performed the 1st ever direct-ascent rendezvous with an AGT (Agena Target Vehicle) as they docked with it just 94 minutes after launch (& during the 1st orbit). Gordon also performed a pair of EVAs on the mission for a total of 2 hours & 41 min. The duo went on to fly to the moon together during Apollo 12 in Nov 1969. Conrad became the 3rd human to walk on the lunar surface on the mission while Gordon orbited above in the Command Module. A historic pair of astronauts.
Suited & ready. Frank Borman trains for his space age marathon mission with astronaut Jim Lovell on Gemini 7, Dec 1965. The pair set a space endurance record at the time; 14 days in space in a tiny Gemini capsule; about ½ the size of a VW Beetle. Mr. Borman later went on to fly with Lovell & William Anders on the historic first lunar orbit via Apollo 8 in Dec 1968. Chosen in the Next Nine (2nd Group of astronauts in 1962), Borman was also the NASA liaison to the White House during Apollo 11 & watched the moon landing mission with President Nixon.
Edgar Mitchell has the @hasselblad camera in hand during zero gravity training in preparation for Apollo 14. Mitchell served as Lunar Module Pilot on the mission with Commander Alan Shepard & Command Module Pilot Stuart Roosa & became the 6th human to walk on the moon. Mitchell graduated in the 5th Group of astronauts in 1966 & served as support crew for Apollo 9 & backup LMP for A10. The Apollo 14 crew was to fly the Apollo 13 mission, but additional time was needed for Shepard to train as he was recovering from Ménière’s Disease. Mitchell later served as backup LMP for Apollo 16. A space legend of the early 1970s.
