Page 8 - Apollo Moonships

6 On bOard apOllO mOOnships
THE MISSION PHASES
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SATURN V LAUNCH
The Saturn V rocket takes off carrying the Command/Service Module (CSM) and the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) attached to its S-IVB third stage.
EARTH ORBIT INSERTION
The rocket reaches the Earth’s orbit. The Apollo ships remain attached to the S-IVB stage while ground control checks the flight systems.
TRANSLUNAR INJECTION
When checking was completed, the S-IVB stage reignites for about 6 minutes, and the CSM-LEM assembly leaves the Earth orbiting towards the moon..
DOCKING OF CSM TO LEM
The S-IVB stage turns off. The CSM separates from the rocket, turns 180°, and extracts the LEM housed in the launch vehicle. Then, the third stage is discarded.
SPLASHDOWN AND RECOVERY At 10,000 feet altitude, the three main parachutes open it, and the CM splashes down into the Pacific Ocean. An aircraft carrier recovers the crew and the spacecraft.
REENTRY
The CM enters the Earth’s atmosphere. The friction slows the craft to a point at which drogue parachutes are deployed to reduce speed to only 175 mph.
SM JETTISON
Just before reentry, the crewmen jettison the SM and turn the CM 180° so that its base-end heat shield faces the friction generated by Earth’s atmosphere.
MIDCOURSE CORRECTIONS
To put the CSM in route to the reentry corridor in Earth’s atmosphere (the accuracy was critical), the astronauts carry out one or more midcourse corrections.
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LEM (inside S–IVB)
CM
SM
S–IVB
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