Apollo 9 – Duet of Spider and Gumdrop part 2

The first part of the film is here.

In the second part of the film, we see the launch of Apollo 9 and the manoeuvres of the three astronauts. First, the lunar module is manoeuvred out of the transport container and docked with the mother ship “Gumdrop”. Then we see longer spacewalks by the astronauts. Then the actual docking manoeuvre takes place. Spider floats away to the sounds of Creek’s “Air”. These tests are intended to test the shuttle’s suitability for landing on the moon.

Historical context

Apollo 9 was the third manned mission in NASA’s Apollo programme and the first in which the lunar module was tested in space. It was launched on 3 March 1969 and consisted of commander James McDivitt, command module pilot David Scott and lunar module pilot Rusty Schweickart.

The main objectives of Apollo 9 were to test the lunar module systems and to rendezvous and dock with the command module in Earth orbit. During the mission, the lunar module named “Spider” separated from the command module named “Gumdrop” and performed various manoeuvres, including a test to separate the descent and ascent stages. This demonstrated the module’s ability to operate in space and rendezvous and dock with the command module.

Apollo 9 lasted 10 days, during which the crew orbited the Earth 151 times, covering over 6.3 million kilometres. The mission was a crucial step towards NASA’s goal of landing astronauts on the moon before the end of the 1960s and provided valuable data and experience for subsequent lunar missions, including the historic Apollo 11 moon landing in the same year.