The TLI placed Apollo on a "free-return trajectory" - often illustrated as a figure of eight shape. This course would have harnessed the power of the Moon's gravity to propel the spacecraft back to Earth without the need for more rocket fuel.
The astronauts used Eagle's ascent stage to lift off from the lunar surface and rejoin Collins in the command module. They jettisoned Eagle before they performed the maneuvers that propelled Columbia out of the last of its 30 lunar orbits onto a trajectory back to Earth.
Once safely away, the Command Module would re-orient itself so that the heat shield was in the forward-facing position, prepared to absorb the brunt of the impact of re-entering Earth's atmosphere while protecting the astronauts inside.
The Eagle has landed.” At the time of landing, Mission Control thought that the spacecraft had just 17 seconds of fuel left in the descent stage.
Time was running out. The Apollo 11 lunar module was on its historic descent to the moon's crater-pocked surface on 20 July 1969 when a fuel light blinked on. Still 100ft (30 metres) above the ground, it was not what the astronauts needed. The Eagle's tank was nearly dry.
Pure oxygen was used in the case of the Apollo I because the alternative of using mixed gases did not allow for a breathable atmosphere. In addition, the fire safety checks assumed that there would be no flammable hazards that could pose any threat to the astronauts.
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Mark Collins didn't have a toilet onboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft so they had to use a specialised bit of equipment. The 'roll-on cuff' was basically a rubber tube that was hooked on to a 'receiver' and collection bag.
With the world anxiously watching, Apollo 13, a U.S. lunar spacecraft that suffered a severe malfunction on its journey to the moon, safely returns to Earth on April 17, 1970.
3.5 Apollo 13
During the second period, the Commander, Command Module Pilot, and Lunar Module Pilot slept 5, 6, and 9 hours, respectively. The third sleep period was scheduled for 61 hours, but the orygen tank incident at 56 hours precluded sleep by any of the crew until approximately 80 hours.
The entire EVA phase lasted more than two-and-a-half hours, ending at 111 hours, 39 minutes into the mission. Armstrong and Aldrin spent 21 hours, 36 minutes on the moon's surface.
In the case of the Moon landings, the solution was to monitor space weather and hope for the best. The spacecraft's aluminium skin gave some protection but would not shield against all of it. They really were just lucky that there were no unexpected radiation bursts.
With the electrical systems turned off, the temperature approached about 34 degrees Fahrenheit prior to entering the atmosphere.
This sleep restraint was used in the Command Module "Columbia" on the Apollo 11 mission, the first to land humans on the Moon. During sleep periods, the restraints were placed under the left and right couches and on top of the right couch.
During the nail biting 12.5 minute descent from lunar orbit, the LM's onboard computer (most critically needed during landing) shut down and recycled 5 times due to an erroneous checklist that had the crew turn on their ship's radar too early resulting in multiple data overloads.
Apollo fuel cells combined hydrogen and oxygen. This generated electrical power for the spacecraft and also water, which was used by the astronauts for drinking.
Apollo astronauts who walked on the Moon
Twelve men walked on the Moon during six Moon landings of the Apollo program between July 1969 and December 1972. All landed on the surface only once, and five missions consisted of two or more surface EVAs. Four of them are alive as of January 2023.
Their menu, however, was limited to rather unpalatable gelatin-coated food cubes, freeze-dried items, and paste squeezed from tubes. By Gemini, scientists had improved space food substantially in taste and texture, but it was still freeze-dried or dehydrated, there wasn't great diversity in options.
During the Apollo 13 mission, the LM environmental control system provided a habitable environment for about 83 hours (57:45 to 141:05 GET). Cabin temperature remained low due to low electrical power levels. This caused crew discomfort during much of this period, with cabin temperatures ranging between 49°F and 55 °F.
Small amounts of water are recycled from cabin air onboard the ISS, and the astronauts limit water use to only about three gallons (11 liters) per day.
Schirra really wasn't on us as bad as it seemed at the time. ... Bottom line was, even with a grumpy commander, we got the job done as a team." None of the Apollo 7 crew members flew in space again.
As the Apollo 13 crew re-entered the Earth's atmosphere there was a blackout period where they couldn't communicate with mission control. The blackout period was supposed to last three minutes, but it lasted 90 seconds longer, leaving those at mission control unaware if the crew were going to make it home safely.
The command module of Apollo 13 entered Earth's atmosphere and splashed down on target on April 17 at 1:07 PM Eastern Standard Time. The mission has been referred to as a successful failure, in that all the crew members survived a catastrophic accident.
Gunpowder! Apollo 11 astronauts described the smell on the lunar surface as similar to "burnt charcoal" or "gunpowder," though they're not necessarily of the same components. Of course, they smelled the dust when they're safely inside the lunar module already!
Images taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) have shown that the American flags left on the Moon by Apollo astronauts are still standing– except for the Apollo 11 mission, which Buzz Aldrin reported as being knocked over by engine exhaust as Apollo 11 lifted off.
It's the emotional climax of the film: Neil Armstrong in his spacesuit standing on the lip of a crater on the moon, holding a bracelet spelling out the name of daughter Karen, who had died seven years earlier, before her third birthday.