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Apollo 14 Description from NASA, July 8, 2009

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Apollo 14 Description from NASA, July 8, 2009 Apollo 14 Description from NASA, July 8, 2009 https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo14.html Mission Objective The primary objectives of this mission were to explore the Fra Mauro region centered around deployment of the Apollo Lunar Surface Scientific Experiments Package, or ALSEP; lunar field geology investigations; collection of surface material samples for return to Earth; deployment of other scientific instruments not part of ALSEP; orbital science involving high-resolution photography of candidate future landing sites; photography of deep-space phenomena, such as zodiacal light and gegenschein; communications tests using S-band and VHF signals to determine reflective properties of the lunar surface; engineering and operational evaluation of hardware and techniques; tests to determine variations in S-band signals; and photography of surface details from 60 nautical miles in altitude. Mission Highlights Apollo 14 launched at 4:03 p.m. EST on January 31, 1971. At approximately 3:41 p.m. ground elapsed time, or GET, difficulties were experienced in docking with the lunar module, or LM, and six attempts were required before a "hard dock" was achieved. An in-flight televised inspection of the docking mechanism revealed no apparent reason for the malfunction and the system appeared to be functioning normally. Prior to the powered descent initiation, or PDI, for the Antares landing, a short in the LM computer abort switch was discovered, which could have triggered an undesired abort during the LM's descent. On Feb. 5, Antares made the most precise landing to date, approximately 87 feet from the targeted landing point. The landing point coordinates were 3 degrees, 40 minutes, 27 seconds south and 17 degrees, 27 minutes, 58 seconds west, midway between the Doublet and Triplet craters in the hilly uplands of the Fra Mauro crater, and about 110 miles east of the Apollo 12 landing site. Due to communications system problems, the first period of extra vehicular activity, or EVA, began almost one hour later than scheduled with Commander Alan Shepard setting foot on the lunar surface at 114 hours, 31 minutes GET. The first of the two EVA periods included ALSEP deployment and lasted four hours, 49 minutes. The second EVA on Feb. 6 began when the LM egress hatch was opened at 4:15 a.m. EST. During this EVA, Shepard and Edgar Mitchell moved more than half a mile from their LM, conducting selenological investigations, collecting samples and attempting to reach the rim of Cone crater, approximately 300 feet above the landing site. NASA personnel monitoring the EVA estimate that the two astronauts were within 50 to 75 meters of the crater rim when they were advised by mission control to collect samples at that spot and begin their traverse back to the LM. The second EVA lasted four hours, 35 minutes, resulting in a new mark for EVA time by a lunar landing crew: nine hours, 24 minutes. Shepard set a new distance-traveled record on the lunar surface of approximately 9,000 feet. During the two traverses, the astronauts collected 94 pounds of rocks and soil for return to Earth. The samples were scheduled to go to 187 scientific teams in the United States, as well as 14 other countries for study and analysis. Orbital science activities were conducted by Stuart Roosa during the lunar surface activities period. He experienced some difficulties with the high- resolution, motion-compensating Hycon Lunar Topographic Camera while attempting to photograph the Descartes area, the landing site planned for Apollo 16. The liftoff of Antares from the lunar surface took place precisely on schedule. Rendezvous and docking occured only two minutes later than scheduled. The command module Kitty Hawk splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean at 4:05 p.m. EST Feb. 9, exactly nine days and two minutes after launch. The actual landing point was only 1.02 nautical miles off its targeted point of about 765 nautical miles south of Samoa, and four miles from the prime recovery ship, the USS New Orleans. The mission duration from liftoff to splashdown was 216 hours, two minutes. APOLLO 14 GUIDANCE AND NAVIGATION SUMMARY Source B.P. Blasingame Papers (Ms1987-010) Date Undated, circa 1970s Description Published by Delco Electronics, a division of General Motors Corporation, the guidance and navigation summary is a technical manual for the Apollo 14 spacecraft. This copy comes from the papers of B.P. Blasingame, director of A.C. Spark Plug (Delco), the lead contractor for the Apollo guidance and navigation systems. APOLLO 14 TECHNICAL CREW DEBRIEFING Source Christopher C. Kraft Papers (Ms1985-001) Date February 17, 1971 Description Declassified in November 1971, the Apollo 14 Technical Crew Debriefing is a full transcript created by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the debriefing interviews with the mission’s astronauts. The transcript on display is open to Section 10.0 Lunar Surface where, on page 10- 45, lunar module pilot Edgar Mitchell is discussing a problem he encountered with his suit’s right glove. APOLLO 14 MISSION REPORT Source Christopher C. Kraft Papers (Ms1985-001) Date May 1971 Description The Apollo 14 Mission Report is the final technical report issued by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) detailing the Apollo 14 mission. The report is currently open to section 14.0 Anomaly Summary and is displaying section 14.1.1 detailing the problems encountered docking with the lunar module. APOLLO 14 POST-LAUNCH MISSION OPERATION REPORT #1 Source Christopher C. Kraft Papers (Ms1985-001) Date February 22, 1971 Description The Apollo 14 Post-Launch Mission Operation Report #1 was issued by Apollo Program Director Rocco A. Petrone and approved by the Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, Dale A. Myers. It summarizes the overall Apollo 14 mission, including information about mechanical operations of the spacecraft, crew performance, and summaries of the scientific experiments conducted on the lunar surface. The report is open to the Preliminary Science Report section where the science experiments done by the mission are discussed. APOLLO 14 PHOTOGRAPHS Source Christopher C. Kraft Papers (Ms1985-001) & Robert R. Gilruth Papers (Ms1990-053) Date 1971 Description These photographs were the first release of Apollo 14 on-board still photography by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). They include both color and black and white still photographs taken on the lunar surface during the mission. The captions here were provided by NASA in the 1970s. PHOTOGRAPH AS14-68-9405 Description Commander Alan B. Shepard Jr., assembles a double core tube as he stands beside the Modularized Equipment Transporter (MET) during the second EVA. PHOTOGRAPH AS14-68-9448 Description Closeup view of a large mutli-colored boulder in the boulder field located on the rim of Cone Crater. The view is looking west, southwest. The lunar module can be seen in the far distance. PHOTOGRAPH AS14-66-9306 Description Front view of the LM, reflecting circular flare caused by brilliant sun. The unusual sight was said, by the two moon-exploring crewmen of Apollo 14, to have a jewel-like appearance. PHOTOGRAPH AS14-67-9367 Description View of the Apollo 14 lunar module, Antares, as seen by the astronauts during their second EVA. Tracks left by the Modularized Equipment Transporter (MET) can be seen leading away from the LM. The inverted umbrella of the S- band antenna is to the left. PHOTOGRAPH S-71-19510 Description Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., foreground, Apollo 14 commander, walks toward the Modularized Equipment Transporter (MET), out of view at right, during the first Apollo 14 extravehicular activity (EVA-1). An EVA checklist is attached to Shepard's left wrist. Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, is in the background working at a subpackage of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP). The cylindrical keg-like object directly under Mitchell's extended left hand is the Passive Seismic Experiment (PSE). PHOTOGRAPH AS14-66-9232 Description Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander of the Apollo 14 mission, stands beside the deployed U.S. flag during the first extravehicular activity. Shadows of the lunar module, Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, LM pilot, and the Erectable S- band antenna can also be seen..
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