Page 34 - The Appollo Story

The Apollo Story

Apollo 10 (AS-505) We Are Close
Despite these distractions, the ascent stage engine fired bang on schedule and after three hours apart they
were reunited with the CM. It was business as usual for the commander of Apollo 10 as he calmly radi-
oed Mission Control, 'Snoopy and Charlie Brown are hugging each other.'
Splashdown occurred in the Pacific Ocean on May 26, 1969 at 16:52:23 UTC, approximately 400 nauti-
cal miles (740 km) east of American Samoa. The astronauts were recovered by the USS Princeton, and
subsequently flown to Pago Pago International Airport in Tafuna for a greeting reception, before being
flown on a C-141 cargo plane to Honolulu.

--~~------
.·-------~---

-- ------

1,

U.S. N,~VY Pac:~:: f
1i RECOVERY
FORCE I

Above is a Recovery ship cover signed by Tom Stafford, postmarked USS Princeton on May 26 1969.
Below a Clive Sarzin splashdown cover cancelled at Cape Canaveral on the same date and signed by the
Captain of the ship, Carl Cruse.

SPLASHDOWN IN THE PACIFIC
and pickup by the U. S. carrier Princeton
of the Apollo 10 astronauts who had suc-
cessfully completed the dress rehearsal for
the actual moon landing.

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