Dramatic ‘Chase'

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32047, 23 July 1969, Page 1

Dramatic ‘Chase '

The dramatic “space chase” had been precisely on time, and the two craft were only 44 miles apart when the Eagle pursued the Columbia around behind the moon and out of radio contact with the earth. When they emerged again, the Columbia was in her twenty-seventh orbit, the Eagle in its second since the lunar blast-off; and now they were only a few feet apart. While they were manoeuvring into the docking position, their aerials were hot directed well for radio signals, and communication was scratchy. “World Is Proud” The Eagle h>d blasted off from the moon at a tremendous rate of ascent at 5.54 a.m., New Zealand time, after having been on the surface for 21 hours and 36 minutes. Mr Armstrong reported, The Eagle is back in orbit, having left Tranquillity Base, leaving behind a replica of our Apollo 11 patch with an olive branch.” “Roger," acknowledged mission control. "The whole world is proud of you.” The lunar module, which for 28 vital hours had held the k(*y to life and death for Mr Armstrong and Colonel Aldrin, had performed virtually without a hitch throughout the descent to the moon, the lunar landing, the blastoff from the surface, and the 12,000-mile chase for the rendezvous and docking. It was just six hours after Mr Armstrong and Colonel Aldrin had rocketed from the lunar surface that they were

back with Colonel Collins in the comparatively spacious and comfortable cabin of the command ship. Remarking on the extra space in the Columbia after the cramped cabin of the Eagle, Mr Armstrong said: “It’s nice to find a place to sit down.” The spacecraft communicator (Mr Charles Duke) asked Colonel Collins how he liked having company again after so many hours alone. “It’s damned good,” the command module pilot replied. “It’s a happy home up here, and it’s nice to have company.” . The. two moon-walkers, who had spent the night asleep on the' lunar surface in the cramped, seatless cahin of the Eagle, were tired; so they advanced their programme and left the Eagle two hours earlier than expected. It was then that it was decided to abandon the little, spindly-legged spacecraft that had safely carried them to the moon’s surface and back again. Colonel Collins described the Eagle’s departure as “beginning with a fairly loud noise. “It appears to be departing, I’d guess, about several feet a second,” he said. Just after the astronauts had fired the Columbia’s main rocket and began their journey to earth, mission control said it had received a solitary signal from the Eagle, now alone and coming out from behind the moon. At 10 p.m. New Zealand Hme, the Apollo 11 spacecraft was already about 8000 miles from the moon on its return voyage.

The three astronauts were then about to enter a 10-hour rest period, but space centre spokesmen in Houston said that the trio would be allowed to sleep until they awoke naturally. The velocity of the craft at that time was about 3270 miles an hour.