Entry

Entry, Splashdown, and Recovery

 

 

Apollo 7

Apollo 8

Apollo 9

Apollo 10

Apollo 11

Apollo 12

Apollo 13

Apollo 14

Apollo 15

Apollo 16

Apollo 17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earth Entry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GET

259:53:26

146:46:12.8

240:44:10.2

191:48:54.5

195:03:05.7

244:22:19.09

142:40:45.7

215:47:45

294:58:54.7

265:37:31

301:38:38

Velocity (ft/sec)

25,846.4

36,221.1

25,894

36,314

36,194.4

36,116.618

36,210.6

36,170.2

36,096.4

36,196.1

36,090.3

Maximum Entry Velocity (ft/sec)

25,955

36,303

25,989

36,397

36,277

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maximum g

3.33

6.84

3.35

6.78

6.56

6.57

5.56

6.76

6.23

7.19

6.49

Range (n mi)

1,594

1,292

1,835

1,295

1,497

1,250

1,250

1,234

1,184

1,190

1,190

Geodetic Latitude (deg N)

-29.92

20.83

33.52

-23.60

-3.19

-13.80

-28.23

-36.36

14.23

-19.87

0.71

Longitude (deg E)

92.62

-179.89

-99.05

174.39

171.96

173.52

173.44

165.80

-175.02

-162.13

-173.34

Flight Path Angle (deg E of N)

-2.0720

-6.50

-1.74

-6.54

-6.48

-6.48

-6.269

-6.370

-6.51

-6.55

-6.49

Heading Angle (deg)

87.47

121.57

99.26

71.89

50.18

98.16

77.21

70.84

52.06

21.08

156.53

Lift To Drag Ratio

---

0.300

---

0.305

0.300

0.309

0.291

0.280

0.290

0.286

0.290

Max. Heating Rate (BTU/ft2/sec)

---

296

---

296

286

285

271

310

289

346

346

Total Heating Load (BTU/ft2)

---

26,140

---

25,728

26,482

26,224

25,710

27,111

25,881

27,939

27,939

Duration (sec)

937.0

869.2

1,003.8

868.5

929.3

845.9

835.3

852.8

778.3

814.0

801.0

Avg. Radiation Skin Dose (Rads)

0.16

0.16

0.20

0.48

0.18

0.58

0.24

1.14

0.30

0.51

0.55

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earth Splashdown

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GET

260:09:03

147:00:42.0

241:00:54

192:03:23

195:18:35

244:36:25

142:54:41

216:01:58.1

295:11:53.0

265:51:05

301:51:59

KSC Date

22 Oct 1968

27 Dec 1968

13 Mar 1969

26 May 1969

24 Jul 1969

24 Nov 1969

17 Apr 1970

09 Feb 1971

07 Aug 1971

27 Apr 1972

19 Dec 1972

GMT Date

22 Oct 1968

27 Dec 1968

13 Mar 1969

26 May 1969

24 Jul 1969

24 Nov 1969

17 Apr 1970

09 Feb 1971

07 Aug 1971

27 Apr 1972

19 Dec 1972

KSC Time

07:11:48 a.m.

10:51:42 a.m.

12:00:54 p.m.

12:52:23 a.m.

12:50:35 p.m.

03:58:25 p.m.

01:07:41 p.m.

04:05:00 p.m.

04:45:53 p.m.

02:45:05 p.m.

02:24:59 p.m.

Time Zone

EDT

EST

EST

EDT

EDT

EST

EST

EST

EDT

EST

EST

GMT Time

11:11:48

15:51:42

17:00:54

16:52:23

16:50:35

20:58:25

18:07:41

21:05:00

20:45:53

19:45:05

19:24:59

Splashdown Site (Ocean)

Atlantic

Pacific

Atlantic

Pacific

Pacific

Pacific

Pacific

Pacific

Pacific

Pacific

Pacific

Latitude (deg N)

27.63

8.10

23.22

-15.07

13.30

-15.78

-21.63

-27.02

26.13

-0.70

-17.88

Longitude (deg E)

-64.15

-165.00

-67.98

-164.65

-169.15

-165.15

-165.37

-172.67

-158.13

-156.22

-166.11

CM Weight (lbm)

11,409

10,977

11,094

10,901

10,873.0

11,050.2

11,132.9

11,481.2

11,731

11,995

12,120

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distance To Target (n mi)

1.9

1.4

2.7

1.3

1.7

2.0

1.0

0.6

1.0

3.0

1.0

Distance To Recovery Ship (n mi)

7

2.6

3

2.9

13

3.91

3.5

3.8

5

2.7

3.5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distance Traveled (n mi)

3,953,842

504,006

3,664,820

721,250

828,743

828,134

541,103

1,000,279

1,107,945

1,208,746

1,291,299

Maximum Distance Traveled

   From Earth (n mi)

 

 244.2

 

 203,752.37

 

 275.0

 

 215,548

 

 210,391

 

---

 

---

 

---

 

---

 

---

 

---

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Splashdown Weather

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1st Level Cloud Type

Light rain showers

Scattered clouds

30%

10%

---

---

Broken

High Scattered

Scattered

Scattered

Scattered

1st Level Cloud Cover (ft)

600 (overcast)

2,000

2,000

2,000

---

---

2,000

2,000

2,000

2,000

3,000

2nd Level Cloud Type

---

Overcast

Broken

20%

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

2nd Level Cloud Cover (ft)

---

9,000

9,000

7,000

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Visibility (n mi)

2

10

10

10

12

10

10

10

10

10

10

Wind Speed (ft/sec)

27

32

15

8

27

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wind Speed (knots)

16

19

9

5

16

15

10

15

10

10

10

Wind Direction (deg from True N)

260

70

200

100

 

68

 

 

 

110

130

Air Temperature (°F)

74

---

79

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Water Temperature (°F)

81

82

76

85

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Wave Height (ft)

3

6

7

3

3

3, with 15 ft swells

4

4

3

4

2 to 3

Wave Direction (deg from True N)

260

110

340

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crew Recovery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minutes To Crew Pickup

56

88

49

39

63

60

45

48

39

37

52

Launch Site Pickup Time

08:08 a.m.

12:20 p.m.

12:49:33 p.m.

01:31 p.m.

01:53 p.m.

04:58 p.m.

01:53 p.m.

04:53 p.m.

05:25 p.m.

03:22 p.m.

03:17 p.m.

Time Zone

EDT

EST

EST

EDT

EDT

EST

EST

EST

EDT

EST

EST

GMT Pickup Time

12:08

17:20

17:49:33

17:31

17:53

21:58

18:53

21:53

21:25

20:22

20:17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recovery Ship

Essex

(CVS-9)

Yorktown

(CVS-10)

Guadalcanal

(LPH-7)

Princeton

(LPH-5)

Hornet

(CVS-12)

Hornet

(CVS-12)

Iwo Jima

(LPH-2)

New Orleans

(LPH-11)

Okinawa

(LPH-3)

Ticonderoga

(CVS-14)

Ticonderoga

(CVS-14)

Commanding Officer (Captain)

John A.

Harkins

John G.

Fifield

Roy M.

Sudduth

Carl M.

Cruise

Carl J.

Seiberlich

Carl J.

Seiberlich

Leland E.

Kirkemo

Robert W.

Carius

Andrew F.

Huff

Frank T.

Hamler

Frank T.

Hamler

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spacecraft Recovery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flotation Attitude

Inverted

Inverted

Upright

Upright

Inverted

Inverted

Upright

Upright

Upright

Inverted

Upright

Minutes To Upright

12.0

6.0

0.0

0.0

7.6

4.5

0.0

0.0

0.0

4.5

0.0

Minutes To CM Pickup

111

148

132

96

188

108

88

124

94

99

123

Launch Site Pickup Time

09:03 a.m.

01:20 p.m.

02:13 p.m.

02:28 p.m.

03:58 p.m.

05:46 p.m.

02:36 p.m.

06:09 p.m.

06:20 p.m.

04:24 p.m.

04:28 p.m.

Time Zone

EDT

EST

EST

EDT

EDT

EST

EST

EST

EDT

EST

EST

GMT Pickup Time

13:03

18:20

19:13

18:28

19:58

22:46

19:36

23:09

22:20

21:24

21:28

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recovery Forces

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Navy Ships Deployed

9

12

6

8

5

5

4

5

4

4

3

 Atlantic

4

6

3

4

3

3

2

3

2

1

1

 Pacific

5

6

3

4

2

2

2

2

2

3

2

Aircraft Deployed

31

43

29

30

31

26

22

19

17

17

15

 Navy

8

21

7

10

13

9

8

5

5

6

5

 Air Force

23

22

22

20

18

17

14

14

12

11

10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Compiled from mission reports, USN Historical Office data, Apollo Program Summary Report (JSC-09423) and other sources.

Some Apollo 17 entry phase data are preflight predictions because actual data were not obtained.

Space Physiology & Medicine, SP-447.

JSC-09423, p. 7-18.

 

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