Category: Apollos & Moonwalks
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Apollo 13 Splashdown
Astronaut John L. Swigert Jr., command module pilot, is lifted aboard a helicopter in a “Billy Pugh” net while astronaut James A. Lovell Jr., commander, awaits his turn.
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Close-up of Buzz Aldrin at the first scientific site on the Moon
Armstrong captured this close-up of Aldrin as he was making final adjustments on the seismometer. Through the visor, Aldrin’s face is distinguishable. Footprints made by the first moonwalkers are in the foreground
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Planet Earth from Apollo 11 half way from the Moon
Apollo 11 was already about 98,500 nautical miles (182,500 km) from Earth when the crew witnessed this “out of this world” (according to Buzz Aldrin) view of their Home Planet floating in the dark void of space.
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The Blue Planet Earth first seen by humans, from 180,000 km out in space during the first return journey from another world
“Photography brought home the real meaning of our space activity, a grasp of what we can accomplish, and a view of the Earth as it really is: a small planet in a common type of planetary system around a rather normal, nondescript star.” —James Lovell
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The moon
Apollo 8 was the first crewed spacecraft to successfully orbit the Moon and return to Earth. The service propulsion system (SPS) engine was ignited 69 hours, 8 minutes, and 16 seconds after launch, and burned for 4 minutes and 7 seconds, placing the Apollo 8 spacecraft in orbit around the Moon
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One third of earth illuminated
View of the Earth terminator. One third of Earth sphere illuminated,East Africa visible. Image was taken after the transearth insertion as the Apollo 11 crew traveled back to Earth
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Astronaut Charles Duke stands at rock adjacent to “House Rock”
Astronaut Charles M. Duke Jr., Apollo 16 lunar module pilot, stands at a big rock adjacent (south) to the huge “House Rock” (barely out of view at right edge)
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Buzz Aldrin exploring the Sea of Tranquillity
Striding off towards the horizon transporting scientific packages, Aldrin maneuvered through an area covered with fragments of broken rock
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Alan Shepard selfie
Commander Alan Shepard walks toward the Modularized Equipment Transporter (MET), during the first Apollo 14 EVA.
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Magnificient Earthrise
This amazing photograph was taken on orbit 24 looking west over Smyth’s Sea through the 250mm telephoto lens. LIFE described the picture with an accompanying quote by Cernan as he observed the Earth rising from the LM Snoopy on another orbit (orbit 13): “Oh. Charlie. We just saw Earthrise and it’s got to be magnificent.“