Gamera>  I think it worked as well as could be expected.  We'll see after the clear coat and decals.

Got word my Pegasus V2 has shipped, so hopefully I'll have that soon.  Always nice to get a new kit!

Gary

Today In Space History:

1962 May 23 - . LV Family: Titan. Launch Vehicle: Titan II.

• Avco proposal for a space station. - . Nation: USA. Spacecraft: MOL.

  Representatives from Avco Manufacturing Corporation made a presentation to MSC on a proposal for a space station. Prime purpose of the station, company spokesmen said, was to determine the effects of zero-g on the crew's ability to stand reentry and thus fix the limit that man could safely remain in orbit. Avco's proposed station design comprised three separate tubes about 3 m in diameter and 6 m long, launched separately aboard Titan IIs and joined in a triangular shape in orbit. A standard Gemini spacecraft was to serve as ferry vehicle.

1963 May 23 - .

• Major redesign of the Apollo guidance computer - . Nation: USA. Program: Apollo. Spacecraft: Apollo LM, CSM Guidance, LM Guidance. MIT suggested a major redesign of the Apollo guidance computer to make the CM and LEM computers as similar as possible. NASA approved the redesign and the Raytheon Company, subcontractor for the computer, began work..

1965 May 23 - .

• American Apollo astronauts returning from the moon to be quarantined - . Nation: USA. Program: Apollo.

  The Life Sciences Committee of the National Academy of Sciences' Space Science Board recommended to NASA that American astronauts returning from the moon and planets be kept in quarantine for at least three weeks to prevent possible contamination of the earth by extraterrestrial organisms.

Bakster: Good luck with the Jeep and the flames. Looking forward to seeing how all this looks when together.

Gary: Good luck there too! I frankly have had no real luck with large scale use of metallics (larger than a 32mm knight etc) outside Alclad II.  

Well, the paint is fine, but it doesn't have the "lustre" I was hoping for.  Not like Alcad.  Still, it will probably be suitable.  The Titan IIs didn't seem to have the same shine the Atlases did, so it will be okay.  I need to do some touch-up work on all three boosters, so I will probably let the paint cure for a few days before continuing.  Meanwhile, the Vostok can be worked on while that is happening and I need to finish up another project for a GB, so I'm plenty busy.

Good luck on making the flames!  Hope it turns out well, and I'll keep my fingers crossed that you get the jeep in time for the weekend!

Gary

Yeah, them metallics can be tough. I have heard that Testers metallics tend to be gritty. Fingers are crossed for you sir!

On my end, as I wait for the jeep, I am working to come up with a "procedure" for making the flames. I was not planning to tackle this until the very end, but adding a jeep has turned my schedule upside down. I have a plan that involves casting the flames. I think that it might work. More testing to do.

The jeep kit is in route to me. Fingers crossed that I get it by this weekend. Then I can start working on it over the Memorial Day weekend.

Bakster>  It's Testors "Gloss Metallic Silver".  Perhaps not as glossy or metallic as claimed.  .  I think I'm just going to live with it.  I don't think a fourth coat of paint on this small model will help matters.  A gloss coat will improve its appearance (I hope).

Gary

Gary--what brand of aluminum paint did you use?

Update:  I applied another coat of paint to the Atlas and Titan II boosters today.  The graininess was gone, but it still doesn't have that shine I was hoping for.  Well, I'm not sure what to do next.  Applying a third coat might be overkill on these small models, and I want to apply a coat of satin finish, so it's possible the clear coat will be fine.  Decisions, decisions!

Spent most of the day rearranging the work room.  Spring cleaning.

Gary

Today In Space History:

1947 May 22 - . LV Family: Groettrup. Launch Vehicle: G-1.

• Groettrup G-1 design ordered - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Glushko, Groettrup, Korolev.

  The G-1 was Groettrup's first design after the German engineering team had been moved to Russia. The first group of 234 specialists was given the task of designing a 600 km range rocket (the G-1/R-10). Work had begun on this already in Germany but the initial challenge in Russia was that the technical documentation was somehow still 'in transit' from the Zentralwerke. The other obstacle was Russian manufacturing technology, which was equivalent to that of Germany at the beginning of the 1930's. The Germans worked at two locations, NII-88 (Korolev OKB) and Gorodmlya Island to complete the design of the G-1. Other groups of Germans worked at Factory 88 (R-1 production) and Factory 456 (Glushko OKB / engine production).

1947 May 22 - .

• XS-1 Flight 35 - . Crew: Johnston, Alvin. Payload: XS-1 # 2 flight 17. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Johnston, Alvin. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft: XS-1. Bell flight 17. Pilot familiarization flight. Mach 0.72, 8 g pullout.

1956 May 22 - .

• X-2 Flight 10 - . Crew: Everest. Payload: X-2 # 1 flight 10. Nation: USA. Related Persons: Everest. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-2 . Sixth powered flight, mach 2.53 at 17.803 m.

1957 May 22 - .

• X-1B Flight 17 - . Crew: McKay. Payload: X-1B flight 17. Nation: USA. Related Persons: McKay. Class: Manned. Type: Manned rocketplane. Spacecraft Bus: XS-1. Spacecraft: X-1B. NACA flight 7. Control pulses at mach 1.45 at 18300 m. Flight for instrumentation check.

1969 May 22 - .

• Apollo 10 LM descends to within 15.4 km of the lunar surface - . Nation: USA. Flight: Apollo 10.

  On May 22 activation of the lunar module systems began at 11:49 a.m. EDT. At 2:04 p.m. the spacecraft were undocked and at 4:34 p.m. the LM was inserted into a descent orbit. One hour later the LM made a low-level pass at an altitude of 15.4 kilometers over the planned site for the first lunar landing. The test included a test of the landing radar, visual observation of lunar lighting, stereo photography of the moon, and execution of a phasing maneuver using the descent engine. An error in switch postion brought a heart-stopping moment when the LM ascent stage went into wild gyrations after separation from the descent stage - possible a fatal error if it had occurred during take off from the surface on a landing mission. The ascent stage returned to dock successfully with the CSM following the eight-hour separation, and the LM crew returned to the CSM. 

Gamera

Gary: Yeah the grain of the metallic paint does look pretty large unless you're going for a candy coat scheme  

Otherwise nice work! 

Perhaps with some racing stripes... 

Took a soft scrub pad and went over the boosters today.  Didn't get a chance to repaint, but I probably should have let the paint cure a bit longer anyway.  The graininess is gone, and the scrubbed surface will give the silver paint a better purchase.  I'll do some final touch-up filling and sanding before applying the new coat, hopefully tomorrow.

Also I began getting the engines for the Vostok removed from the sprues and ready for assembly. 

Gary

Today In Space History:

"Why so serious?"

1963 May 21 - .

• The cosmonauts are informed of the selections for the Vostok 5/6 flights. - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Bykovsky, Khrunov, Korolev, Leonov, Ponomaryova, Solovyova, Tereshkova, Volynov, Yerkina. Flight: Vostok 5, Vostok 6. Spacecraft: Vostok. Korolev asks Ponomaryova why she is so sad - 'I am not sad, but serious, as always'.

1969 May 21 - .

• Apollo 10 lunar orbit insertion - . Nation: USA. Flight: Apollo 10.

  At 4:49 p.m. EDT on May 21 the spacecraft was inserted into a lunar orbit of 110.4 by 315.5 kilometers. After two revolutions of tracking and ground updates, a maneuver circularized the orbit at 109.1 by 113.9 kilometers. Astronaut Cernan then entered the LM, checked all systems, and returned to the CM for the scheduled sleep period.

Gary: Yeah the grain of the metallic paint does look pretty large unless you're going for a candy coat scheme  

Otherwise nice work! 

I watched the History Channel program on the Russian rocket engines.  Interesting stuff, though I kind of disagree about how the Russian's approach was superior to the process NASA went through.  The process the Russians went through precluded them getting to the moon before us.  I think the KISS principle was at work here.  Nice that they finally got the engines to work!

Update:

I finished up the detailing of the engines (not very accurate, but looks a lot better) for the Titan II booster  and today gave it and the Atlas a spray of aluminum.  The result was a bit grainy, so I think I'm going to sand it smooth and then try the silver spray, leaving some areas in the aluminum for contrast.  The Titan may be okay, but definitely re-spray the Atlas.

That's all for now!

Gary

Today In Space History:

1968 May 20 - .

• Tests to evaluate feasibility of '1+2' Soyuz mission profile. - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Feoktistov, Khrunov, Volynov, Yeliseyev. Program: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Soyuz 7K-OK, Yastreb.

  Volynov conducts tests in a pressurised suit to see if it is possible to go from the SA capsule to the BO living module in a two-man crew transfer scenario. He shows it is not possible - exit from the SA to the BO is very unsafe, there is a good chance of getting stuck in the hatch. This shows it would be difficult or impossible for the spacecraft commander in the SA to go to the assistance of a single cosmonaut attempting to transfer from one Soyuz to another. Feoktistov proposes another alternative - launch of 3 cosmonauts in one Soyuz, one cosmonaut in another. After docking, a single cosmonaut would transfer from one Soyuz to another, but at least a second cosmonaut would be in the BO to assist him in case of difficulties. Two cosmonauts would return in each Soyuz capsule, meeting the reserve parachute mass limitations. This solution also takes care of a problem with the 1+2 scenario, in that it implied a crew consisting of Khrunov and Yeliseyev, but neither has been trained as a spacecraft commander. A crew could consist of Volynov and one of these, but then the problem is that no spacesuit has been fabricated for Volynov, and it requires two months to make one.

1978 May 20 - . 13:13 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC36A. LV Family: Atlas. Launch Vehicle: Atlas SLV-3D Centaur.

• Pioneer Venus Orbiter - . Payload: Pioneer-Venus 1. Mass: 582 kg (1,283 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Ames. Program: Pioneer. Class: Venus. Type: Venus probe. Spacecraft: Pioneer 12. Decay Date: 1992-10-22 . USAF Sat Cat: 10911 . COSPAR: 1978-051A.

  The Pioneer Venus Orbiter was inserted into an elliptical orbit around Venus on December 4, 1978. After entering orbit around Venus in 1978, the spacecraft returned global maps of the planet's clouds, atmosphere and ionosphere, measurements of the atmosphere-solar wind interaction, and radar maps of 93 percent of the planet's surface. Additionally, the vehicle made use of several opportunities to make systematic UV observations of several comets. From Venus orbit insertion to July 1980, periapsis was held between 142 and 253 km (at 17 degrees north latitude) to facilitate radar and ionospheric measurements. The spacecraft was in a 24 hour orbit with an apoapsis of 66,900 km. Thereafter, the periapsis was allowed to rise (to 2290 km at maximum) and then fall, to conserve fuel. In 1991 the Radar Mapper was reactivated to investigate previously inaccessible southern portions of the planet. In May 1992 Pioneer Venus began the final phase of its mission, in which the periapsis was held between 150 and 250 km until the fuel ran out and atmospheric entry destroyed the spacecraft. With a planned primary mission duration of only eight months, the spacecraft remained in operation until October 8, 1992 when it finally burned up in Venus' atmosphere after running out of propellant.

Gamera

Whoops! I meant Bakster with the Cosmodrome show. My mistake!!!

 

Buddy, no problem. 

mach71

I have a question about painting the black wings.  The gold is Tamiya lacquer. I have Tamiya lacquer and Testors enamel black. When I painted the V2 the lacquer over lacquer had some coverage issues. I think that enamel will go over lacquer.  I don't really want to put another layer of primer down, that will ne too thick. Am I worring about this too much? Any ideas? Thoughts?

Mach, you might be ok depending on how heavy a coat, but I am not 100% certain. I would follow Garys lead to post your question in the painting section. Or, wait a little longer, I bet ModelCrazy knows.

Whoops! I meant Bakster with the Cosmodrome show. My mistake!!!

Screen cap only. Not a link.

Gary: The Vostok looks cool! And I have Netflix, going to give the series a look. Thanks for the recommendation!

Mach71: Wish I could help but I don't use anything other than acrylic if I can help it. I've used enamel and laquer but really don't like either.

Hey Gary, no, that is not the same. Though the History Channel version that you found looks good too! Unfortunately, unless you have Netflix, I don’t think you will be able to view the one that I watched. The best I can do is paste this link that talks about it. Netflix did a really good job with the show.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/cosmodrome-new-documentary-netflix-captures-peter-tharaldson

GAF

Meanwhile, Hobbylinc has a sale on the Pegasus 1/48th scale V2 rocket.  I ordered one of those as I really liked Mach71's build.  I may turn it into a diorama (not for this GB) of one at White Sands, so I'm interested in seeing how Bakster's base for the X-1 turns out.  I hope to use it, the 1/48th scale Hasegawa jeep and a Tamiya fuel truck.  Meanwhile, I'm collecting information and images of V2 launches from WSPG.

Very cool, Gary. It sounds like a cool project. Fingers crossed!

Thank you, Commissar Bakster! 

Is this the program you're referencing?  Looks interesting!

Gary

Comrade Gaf, you are off to a great start with the Vostok! Months back I watched program  off Netflix about Russia’s rocket engines, and how they engineered things that America was struggling to design. The show is called Cosmodrome. If you get an opportunity to see it, it is really good.

Keep up the good work, Comrade Gaf. 

Mach71>  I have some qualms about Tamiya over Tamiya.  It doesn't work well for me, as the second layer seems to dissolve the first layer.  Maybe I'm just doing it wrong, but I would elect for the Testors.  My own experience is limited, however.

Perhaps someone else has better advice.  I would post the question in the "Painting" technical thread here on FSM.

Gary

Comrades!

In preparation for the eventual build of the Vostok booster, our German technicians (who are far superior to the American's German lackeys) have prepared a mock-up of the parts for its final assembly.  Velikolepnyy!

I've taken the major parts from the sprues and cleaned them, and using a saw removed the "launch lug" from the side of the booster section.  There was very little flash, and I only needed to sand off the nibs left from the sprues.  In fit, they surprised me.  This kit went together very well.  I found only one area in one of the boosters where one side was slightly wider than the other, but some slight bending and once glued it shouldn't present a problem.  The clear part shown in the photo is for the "flying model" and will not be used once the support braces are installed.  Overall, it is not a bad kit.  I have also found a piece of foam that I will turn into a base.

Gary

Today In Glorious Russian Space History!

1970 May 19 - .

• Soyuz 9 crew departs for Baikonur. - . Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Nikolayev, Sevastyanov, Tereshkova. Program: Soyuz. Flight: Soyuz 9.

  Kamanin leaves for Tyuratam at 09:00 with 13 others aboard an Il-18 from Chkalov Airfield. The group included the 'space family' - Nikolayev, his wife Tereshkova, and their daughter Aleuka - with extensive photographic and film coverage. After the 10 hour flight, Kamanin goes to the 'Alley of Heroes' at Area 17 of the cosmodrome. Here each crew plants a tree before departing for space. The 11 first trees planted have all grown well, and are now 6 m tall with large crowns. Sevastyanov plants the 22nd tree. After a meeting of the State Commission, everyone watches an Italian movie, 'The Owl Appears at Day' - a story of murder in Sicily, terror against women, and the corruption of the Mafia (apparently a remake of the classic 'M').

1971 May 19 - . 16:22 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC81/24. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-K/D.

• Mars 2 - . Payload: M-71 s/n 171. Mass: 4,650 kg (10,250 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Program: Mars. Class: Mars. Type: Mars probe. Spacecraft Bus: 4MV. Spacecraft: Mars M-71. USAF Sat Cat: 5234 . COSPAR: 1971-045A. Apogee: 25,000 km (15,000 mi). Perigee: 1,380 km (850 mi). Inclination: 48.90 deg. Period: 1,080.00 min.

  Mars probe intended to conduct of a series of scientific investigations of the planet Mars and the space around it. Parameters are for Mars orbit. Mid-course corrections were made on 17 June and 20 November. Mars 2 released the descent module (1971-045D) 4.5 hours before reaching Mars on 27 November 1971. The descent system malfunctioned and the lander crashed at 45 deg S, 302 deg W, delivering the Soviet Union coat of arms to the surface. Meanwhile, the orbiter engine performed a burn to put the spacecraft into a 1380 x 24,940 km, 18 hour orbit about Mars with an inclination of 48.9 degrees. Scientific instruments were generally turned on for about 30 minutes near periapsis. Data was sent back for many months. It was announced that Mars 2 and 3 had completed their missions by 22 August 1972. On-orbit dry mass: 2265 kg. Had the lander survived, data would have been relayed to the earth via the orbiter.

1974 May 19 - . Launch Vehicle: N1.

• N1 launches suspended. - . Nation: Russia. Spacecraft Bus: L3M. Spacecraft: L3M-1972. Ministry of Defence Decree 'On suspension of further launches of the N1' was issued.

Thanks for the youtube like! I'll check it out.

No new photos, I did get to buff out the gold paint on the corvette. 

I thought I would have to put another coat of gold on but It looks good.

I have a question about painting the black wings. 

The gold is Tamiya lacquer. I have Tamiya lacquer and Testors enamel black. When I painted the V2 the lacquer over lacquer had some coverage issues. I think that enamel will go over lacquer. 

I don't really want to put another layer of primer down, that will ne too thick.

Am I worring about this too much? Any ideas? Thoughts?

Steve>  Sorry about that!  I kind of thought you meant the tower on the Mercury capsule (at 1/200 scale), but I wasn't sure.  That's why I said we didn't scratch it (as in hitting it on launch).    Oh, well...  

Bakster>  Okay, sounds good.  I thought I might ask if you had something to trade for the jeep, but I think the trailer will be good for the diorama.  I've also checked on 1/48th scale fuel trucks and found a Tamiya model.  I may get one for a diorama.  As for the jeep color, maybe just watch "The Right Stuff".  I remember a couple of jeeps at the base. 

Mach71>  Thanks, though only the Redstone is in green.  The other two are still in their black base coat.  It might look green on the monitor, as both are pretty dark.  I'm detailing the engines at the moment and will try to get some aluminum paint on the Atlas and Titan boosters tomorrow, weather permitting!

Gamera> Thanks for the link recommendation!  I'll check it out.  I think army "green" would be good for the jeep as the USAF was only about a month old when Yeager made his flight to break the sound barrier.

Nothing new to report for the AMT kit.  I'm adding piping and some details on the Titan and Atlas in preparation for a first coat of aluminum tomorrow.  Depending on how it looks, I'll either stick with it or give them a coat of silver for a shinier appearance.  The Redstone is being cleaned a bit in prep for decals.  I'll have to print some "white" letters with a background of OD green for that.

Meanwhile, Hobbylinc has a sale on the Pegasus 1/48th scale V2 rocket.  I ordered one of those as I really liked Mach71's build.  I may turn it into a diorama (not for this GB) of one at White Sands, so I'm interested in seeing how Bakster's base for the X-1 turns out.  I hope to use it, the 1/48th scale Hasegawa jeep and a Tamiya fuel truck.  Meanwhile, I'm collecting information and images of V2 launches from WSPG.

Gary

Today In Space History:

1965 May 19 - .

• Apollo mission A-003 - . Nation: USA. Program: Apollo.

  Apollo mission A-003, a planned high-altitude abort test, was flown at WSMR. About 25 seconds after launch, and at an altitude of about three miles, the Little Joe II booster disintegrated as a result of violent - and unprogrammed - roll. The launch escape system (LES) functioned perfectly, however, and lifted the spacecraft (boilerplate 22) clear of the vehicle. ASPO Manager Joseph F. Shea, while acknowledging that A-003's "prime objectives . . . were not met," rightly observed that the LES nonetheless "proved its mettle in an actual emergency."

1969 May 19 - .

• Apollo 10 trans-lunar coast - . Nation: USA. Flight: Apollo 10.

  On May 19 the crew elected not to make the first of a series of midcourse maneuvers. A second preplanned midcourse correction that adjusted the trajectory to coincide with a July lunar landing trajectory was executed at 3:19 p.m. The maneuver was so accurate that preplanned third and fourth midcourse corrections were canceled. During the translunar coast, five color TV transmissions totaling 72 minutes were made of the spacecraft and the earth.
  

1980 May 19 - .

• NASA Astronaut Training Group 9 selected. - . Nation: USA. Related Persons: Bagian, Blaha, Bolden, Bridges, Chang-Diaz, Cleave, Dunbar, Fisher, William, Gardner, Guy, Grabe, Hilmers, Leestma, Lounge, O Connor, Richards, Ross, Smith, Spring, Springer.

  The group was selected to provide pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights.. Qualifications: Pilots: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. Advanced degree desirable. At least 1,000 flight-hours of pilot-in-command time. Flight test experience desirable. Excellent health. Vision minimum 20/50 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 vision; maximum sitting blood pressure 140/90. Height between 163 and 193 cm.

  Mission Specialists: Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics and minimum three years of related experience or an advanced degree. Vision minimum 20/150 uncorrected, correctable to 20/20. Maximum sitting blood pressure of 140/90. Height between 150 and 193 cm..

I've no idea on how to paint the Jeep, either green or blue sound good to me. You might want to just look around the internet, I'd be surprised if there wasn't a few photos here and there on how to paint her.

BTW: I've been spending a lot of time on Isaac Arthur's Youtube channel. Let me recommend it as a lot of cool space related material and he makes it really easy for anyone to understand:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZFipeZtQM5CKUjx6grh54g

mach71

Bakster, since the Air Force was just being born I would guess you could go with either color. The Air Force got all its equipment from the Army when they separated. When I was in the airforce field equpment and field vehicles were green.

I've said it before, but your X-1 looks outstanding!

Thank you for the kudos... you honor me sir. And thanks for the help!

Gary your rockets look great in green!

Bakster, since the Air Force was just being born I would guess you could go with either color. The Air Force got all its equipment from the Army when they separated. When I was in the airforce field equpment and field vehicles were green.

I've said it before, but your X-1 looks outstanding!

GAF

I checked on the Hasegawa jeep kit after I mentioned it and, like you, was shocked at the asking price!  Really!  I picked up a couple of those kits a few years ago for $10 each.

Well, glad to see I wasn't alone with the sticker shock! Lol.

No worries. I would not want to thin your stash! Like you said, having the trailer may work better. 

Thanks Gary, and you too Gam.

If all goes well with the Jeep... I will need help about the markings and paint color. The kit is Army, but this is an airforce project. Anyone here have some knowedge about this? I did some searches and it appears the airforce may use both blue or green. The markings, particlulary on the hood, is I think just a star. The Army uses a star in a circle.

I am getting ahead of myself here but the clock is ticking. Lol. 

Oh sorry Gary, I see how anyone wouldn't get my attempted at brevity. Did you scratch build the tower for the Atlas? I believe it's the Atlas I'm looking at.

modelcrazy

Looks great Gary, did you scratch the tower?

Steve> Thanks!  And we cleared the tower with inches to spare!    Actually, I'm not sure what you mean?

Bakster>  Looks good!  Those should hold it in place.  Glad you found a jeep model.  I checked on the Hasegawa jeep kit after I mentioned it and, like you, was shocked at the asking price!  Really!  I picked up a couple of those kits a few years ago for $10 each.  They were dirt cheap.  I should have mentioned that I would make you a deal if you needed it, but I think the one with the trailer might work better.

Gamera>  Thank you, sir!  Hope things are going well for you.

No progress today as I was visiting family.  I'm too tired to sit in front of a desk now.  Maybe I'll get something done tomorrow.

Today In Space History:

1969 May 18 - . 16:49 GMT - . Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Complex: Cape Canaveral LC39B. Launch Platform: LUT3. Launch Vehicle: Saturn V.

• Apollo 10 - . Call Sign: Charlie Brown. Crew: Cernan, Stafford, Young. Backup Crew: Cooper, Eisele, Mitchell. Payload: Apollo CSM 106 / Apollo LM 4 / Saturn S-IVB-505N. Mass: 28,870 kg (63,640 lb). Nation: USA. Related Persons: Cernan, Cooper, Eisele, Mitchell, Stafford, Young. Agency: NASA Houston. Program: Apollo. Class: Moon. Type: Manned lunar spacecraft. Flight: Apollo 10. Spacecraft: Apollo CSM. Duration: 8.00 days. Decay Date: 1969-05-26 . USAF Sat Cat: 3941 . COSPAR: 1969-043A. Apogee: 186 km (115 mi). Perigee: 185 km (114 mi). Inclination: 32.50 deg. Period: 88.19 min.

  Final dress rehearsal in lunar orbit for landing on moon. LM separated and descended to 10 km from surface of moon but did not land. Apollo 10 (AS-505) - with crew members Thomas P. Stafford, Eugene A. Cernan, and John W. Young aboard - lifted off from Pad B, Launch Complex 39, KSC, at 12:49 p.m. EDT on the first lunar orbital mission with complete spacecraft. The Saturn V's S-IVB stage and the spacecraft were inserted into an earth parking orbit of 189.9 by 184.4 kilometers while the onboard systems were checked. The S-IVB engine was then ignited at 3:19 p.m. EDT to place the spacecraft in a trajectory toward the moon. One-half hour later the CSM separated from the S-IVB, transposed, and docked with the lunar module. At 4:29 p.m. the docked spacecraft were ejected, a separation maneuver was performed, and the S-IVB was placed in a solar orbit by venting residual propellants. TV coverage of docking procedures was transmitted to the Goldstone, Calif., tracking station for worldwide, commercial viewing.

  On May 19 the crew elected not to make the first of a series of midcourse maneuvers. A second preplanned midcourse correction that adjusted the trajectory to coincide with a July lunar landing trajectory was executed at 3:19 p.m. The maneuver was so accurate that preplanned third and fourth midcourse corrections were canceled. During the translunar coast, five color TV transmissions totaling 72 minutes were made of the spacecraft and the earth.

  At 4:49 p.m. EDT on May 21 the spacecraft was inserted into a lunar orbit of 110.4 by 315.5 kilometers. After two revolutions of tracking and ground updates, a maneuver circularized the orbit at 109.1 by 113.9 kilometers. Astronaut Cernan then entered the LM, checked all systems, and returned to the CM for the scheduled sleep period.

  On May 22 activation of the lunar module systems began at 11:49 a.m. EDT. At 2:04 p.m. the spacecraft were undocked and at 4:34 p.m. the LM was inserted into a descent orbit. One hour later the LM made a low-level pass at an altitude of 15.4 kilometers over the planned site for the first lunar landing. The test included a test of the landing radar, visual observation of lunar lighting, stereo photography of the moon, and execution of a phasing maneuver using the descent engine. The lunar module returned to dock successfully with the CSM following the eight-hour separation, and the LM crew returned to the CSM.

  The LM ascent stage was jettisoned, its batteries were burned to depletion, and it was placed in a solar orbit on May 23. The crew then prepared for the return trip to earth and after 61.5 hours in lunar orbit a service propulsion system TEI burn injected the CSM into a trajectory toward the earth. During the return trip the astronauts made star-lunar landmark sightings, star-earth horizon navigation sightings, and live television transmissions.

• Apollo 10 LM - . Call Sign: Snoopy. Payload: Apollo LM 4. Mass: 13,941 kg (30,734 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Houston. Program: Apollo. Class: Moon. Type: Manned lunar spacecraft. Flight: Apollo 10. Spacecraft: Apollo LM. Duration: 8.00 days. Decay Date: 1969-05-26 . USAF Sat Cat: 3941 . COSPAR: 1969-043x. Apogee: 186 km (115 mi). Perigee: 185 km (114 mi). Inclination: 32.50 deg. Period: 88.19 min.