Page 25 - The Appollo Story

-------------1 The Apollo Story t-----------

Apollo 9 (AS-504) Spider and Gumdrop
Shortly after Apollo 9 attained orbit, David Scott fired the explosive bolts to separate the CSM from the
rocket's third stage, and to remove the panels surrounding the LM. Then he nursed the CSM through 180
degrees to face a docking drogue on the top of the LM and, ever so gently, the two craft were locked to-
gether. Once the docking tunnel had been pressurised the foreword hatch could be opened, electrical
power linked up and the two spacecraft became one. Another box ticked.

HIGHLIGHTS OF APOLLO 9
C SM - LM Spacecraft

APOLLO 9 FIRST ENTRY INTO SPIDER.
March 5, 1969 McDivitt and Schweickart
transfer from Apollo command module through
the tunnel into the spider moon landing Lunar
Module spaceship. Exhaustive tests are made
to check spacecraft out for forthcoming sepa-
ration and flight.

C . SARZIN
PORT WASHINGTON
L. I., NEW YORK

For the first time since the first manned Gemini mission, the astronauts were allowed to name their
spacecraft. This came about to avoid confusion when dealing with two separate craft flying at the same
time. The crew dubbed the lunar module Spider for its bug like appearance, and the command module
Gumdrop because of its shape.