03/03/2026
On this day in 1969, a spider flew from a gum drop so Snoopy could go to the Moon! 👨🏻🚀🌎🚀🕷💧🌖
Apollo 9
Commander: Jim McDivitt
Command Module Pilot: Dave Scott
Lunar Module Pilot: Rusty Schweickart
CSM Callsign: Gumdrop
LM Callsign: Spider
Launch Date: 3 March 1969
Landing Date: 13 March 1969
Landing site: North Atlantic Ocean
Recovered by: USS Guadalcanal
Mission Duration: 10d 1h 54s
Rocket: Saturn V SA-504
Mission type: Low Earth Orbit
Objectives:
* Attempt first manned flight of a Lunar Module (LM) in low Earth orbit. (Successful)
* Attempt first docking and extraction of LM. (Successful)
* Test LM capabilities, navigation systems, backpack life support systems, and docking manoeuvres. (Successful)
* Attempt first space docking of two vehicles with an internal crew transfer between them. (Successful)
* Lunar Module Pilot (LMP) to perform an extra vehicular activity (EVA) to test the new Apollo spacesuit and its internal life support system. (Successful)
* Command Module Pilot (CMP) to perform a standing EVA to film LMP's testing of spacesuit. (Successful)
* LMP to perform an EVA to demonstrate an emergency transfer from the LM to the CSM. (Cancelled)
Fun Facts:
* The Apollo 9 crew was the original back-up crew for Apollo 1. They were training at Downey, CA, at the North American Aviation plant when the Apollo 1 fire occured. (Picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_1 #/media/File%3AZa%C5%82ogi_misji_Apollo_1_S66-30238.jpg)
(Picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_9 #/media/File%3AMcDivitt%2C_Scott_and_Schweickart_in_preliminary_training_for_Apollo_AS-258_mission.jpg)
* Apollo 9 was originally the Apollo 8 D Mission. However, there were safety concerns with the LM, which delayed the original launch date. The D and E Missions were then switched.
* McDivitt was asked by Director of Flight Crew Operations, Deke Slayton, which mission he wanted to fly—the new Apollo 8 lunar orbit mission or the new Apollo 9 LM testing mission—since his crew was slated to fly first. McDivitt, being a former test pilot, wanted to be the first to fly the LM; and Scott, also being a former test pilot, wanted to be the first to fly the CSM solo. So McDivitt opted to wait for the Apollo 9 mission and let Frank Borman's crew take Apollo 8.
* The mission swap determined who would be the first man on the Moon. The standard flight rotation dictated that the back-up crew of a mission would become the prime crew 3 missions hence—the back-up crew of Apollo 8 would become the prime crew of Apollo 11. The Commander of the back-up crew for the original Apollo 8 was Pete Conrad, and the Commander of the back-up crew for the original Apollo 9 was Neil Armstrong. When McDivitt decided to keep the LM testing mission, which pushed his crew back to become Apollo 9, Conrad was pushed back to Apollo 12, and Armstrong was pushed forward to Apollo 11.
* This was the first crew to be allowed to name their spacecraft since Gemini 3. This was necessary because there would be two spacecrafts in simultaneous flight once the LM undocks from the CSM.
* The LM was named 'Spider' because the crew said it looked gangly, and the CSM was named 'Gumdrop' because when it arrived at Kennedy Space Center, it had blue wrapping that resembled a gumdrop.
* Originally scheduled to launch on 28 February 1969, but was postponed because all three astronauts had colds.
* Not wanting a repeat of Apollo 7, where the crew suffered head colds during the mission and clashed with Mission Control, NASA delayed the launch to allow the crew to recuperate.
* Around-the-clock labour shifts were required to keep the spacecraft in readiness; the delay cost $500,000.
* Schweickart and Scott were the first astronauts to perform a two-man EVA. (Picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_9 #/media/File%3AGumdrop_Meets_Spider_-_GPN-2000-001100.jpg shorturl.at/jqvIQ)
(Picture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_9 #/media/File%3ASchweickart_Apollo_9_EVA_(AS09-19-2982).jpg)
* Schweickart was slated to carry out a more extensive EVA of an emergency transfer from the LM to the CSM. However, he was suffering from space sickness, so this EVA was cancelled.
* This mission was the most vital to the future lunar landing missions.
