[Apollo 9] LM SPIDER NESTLED IN THE S-IVB STAGE AFTER SEPARATION FROM CSM GUMDROP Russell Schwe...

[Apollo 9] LM SPIDER NESTLED IN THE S-IVB STAGE AFTER SEPARATION FROM CSM GUMDROP Russell Schweickart or James McDivitt, 3-13 March 1969 Printed 1969. Vintage chromogenic print on fibre-based Kodak paper [NASA image AS9-19-2922]. Numbered 'NASA AS9-19-2922' in red in the top margin, with 'A Kodak Paper' watermark on the reverse (issued by NASA Manned Spacecraft Centre, Houston, Texas). 25.4 x 20.3 cm. (10 x 8 in.) Historical context This photograph captures the first Apollo CSM/LM-SIVB separation in Earth orbit. The CSM Gumdrop manoeuvred to inspect LM Spider, still nestled atop the S-IVB third stage, with the breathtaking blue Earth as a backdrop. The Spacecraft LM Adapter (SLA) panels, which protected the LM during launch and connected the CSM to the Saturn launch vehicle, had already been jettisoned. This moment marked a pivotal milestone in spaceflight history—the first time a Lunar Module was carried into orbit and tested by humans, paving the way for future Moon landings. Footnotes: From the mission transcript after CSM/LM-SIVB separation: 002:41:12 Schweickart: Okay. 3, 2, 1 - Bang! It's gone. [...] 002:42:14 Schweickart: Hey, David, there goes the (garbled) on the panel. See it? 002:42:18 Scott: Yes. 002:42:19 McDivitt: Man, look at that son of a gun go! 002:42:20 Schweickart: Okay, Dave, (garbled) is just beautiful. Just halfway around. Okay, just right there, Davey. Just leave it like it is (garbled) nice and bright there. [...] 002:42:40 McDivitt: Is the camera running? 002:42:42 Schweickart: Turn it on! [...] 002:43:23 Scott: Well, our pitch angle isn't exactly right - it doesn't look right. 002:43:27 McDivitt: Okay. 002:43:31 Schweickart: That's alright; we're going to fly around a little bit, Dave. [...] 002:43:54 Scott: Roger. It (the LM-SIVB)'s out there, and we're turned around and proceeding with the station-keeping and docking. 002:58:02 Schweickart: Well, that's looking beautiful, David. I'm going to start the camera again. Well, I'll wait for a minute here. [...] 002:58:34 Schweickart: Roger, Houston. We are about 25 feet now and closing slowly. 002:58:41 Roosa (Mission Control): Copy. 002:58:51 Schweickart: That looks beautiful, Dave. Literature LIFE, 28 March 1969, pp. 30-31 (variant) For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing