The anniversary of the 1969 Apollo 9 mission has brought us magnificent photos from the vast universe. NASA has posted a few amazing images in celebration of the Apollo 9 mission. That was a test mission before starting the Apollo 11 mission. The flight test of Apollo 9 has consisted of flying three astronauts into our planet’s orbit for ten days.
The crew was formed by Commander James McDivitt, Command Module Pilot David Scott, and Lunar Module Pilot Rusty Schweickart. Apollo 9 mission started on March 3, 1969, the crew turning back on Earth on March 13. Together, the three astronauts completed 151 trips around the blue planet.
The Apollo 11 on the Moon started in July 1969, just four months after the crew finished the Apollo 9 mission. The historical moment of the Apollo missions was captured in a photo. The space agency shared this unique moment with us by posting the magnificent image online.
The image reveals the Earth from a distance while the three astronauts orbit our planet. The iconic photo also reveals McDivitt and Schweickart, while Scott is the one who captured the moment. The stunning photo is not a new one; however, it is perfect for celebrating the event.
Here’s NASA’s message posted on their website: “Apollo 9 launched in March 1969 and was the countdown to Apollo 11. Flown in low Earth orbit, it was the first flight of the full Apollo spacecraft: the command and service module with the lunar module.
Stunning image of the Apollo 9 mission released
“The mission was flown to qualify the lunar module for lunar orbit operations in preparation for the first Moon landing by demonstrating its descent and ascent propulsion systems. This would also demonstrate that its crew could fly it independently, then rendezvous and dock with the command module again, as would be required for Apollo 11.
“The three-person crew consisted of Commander James McDivitt, command module pilot David Scott and lunar module pilot Russell Schweickart. In this image, McDivitt and Schweickart tested the lunar module in Earth orbit, while Scott remained behind in the command and service module. During the mission, Schweickart also performed a spacewalk to test the lunar spacesuits to be worn on the Moon,” NASA continued.
NASA is planning to implement a base on the Moon that will stay there permanently. By the year 2024, we could see many missions taking off to our natural satellite.
The base on the Moon is an excellent idea as it could work as a checkpoint between Earth and the red planet, Mars. According to Jim Bridenstine, the NASA administrator, a lunar colony is a bright idea, and we could not agree more.
Here’s what NASA has to say regarding the future plans: “After returning humans to the Moon in 2024, NASA plans to establish sustainable lunar exploration by 2028. Gaining new experiences on and around the Moon will prepare NASA to send the first humans to Mars in the mid-2030s. NASA expects to select the new class of astronaut candidates in mid-2021 to begin training as the next class of Artemis Generation astronauts.”
