Apollo 14, the eighth US Apollo program crewed mission, marked the third lunar landing and the first in the lunar highlands. Explore this historic mission in detail.
Last of The “H missions.”
The Six Successful Moon Missions Can Be Arranged Into Two Sections.
- Apollo 11, 12, and 14 – the so-called ‘H’ missions.
- And Apollo 15, 16, and 17 – the ‘J’ missions.
These latter missions had science – especially the chemistry and geology of the Moon at their core. Apollo 14 was the last of the “H missions,” targeted landings with two-day stays on the Moon with two lunar EVAs or moonwalks.
- Astronauts: Alan B. Shepard Jr., Commander. Edgar D. Mitchell, Lunar Module Pilot. Stuart A. Roosa, Command Module Pilot
- Launch date: January 31, 1971, 21:03:02 UTC
- Rocket: Saturn V SA-509
- Landing date: February 9, 1971, 21:05:00 UTC
- Spacecraft: Apollo CSM-110; Apollo LM-8
- Surface EVAs: 2
- Backup Crew
- Eugene A. Cernan, Commander.
- Joe H. Engle, Lunar Module Pilot.
- Ronald E. Evans, Command Module Pilot.
What Were Apollo 14 Objectives?
The main objectives of this mission were to explore the Fra Mauro region.
The mission focused on deploying the Apollo Lunar Surface Scientific Experiments Package or ALSEP, also on lunar field geology investigations. That meant collection of surface material samples for return to Earth. Furthermore, orbital science. Including high-resolution photography of candidate future landing sites. And deployment of other scientific instruments not part of ALSEP.
Credit: NASA.
Apollo 14 Photography Deep-Space
Photography of deep-space phenomena, such as zodiacal light and gegenschein, should be done during the mission. Communications tests using S-band and VHF signals to determine the reflective properties of the lunar surface. To conduct the operational evaluation of hardware and techniques. Finally, to Test and learn variations in S-band signals and photography of surface details from 60 nautical miles in altitude.
Difficulties in Docking With The Lunar Module
Docking was a delicate procedure since both spacecraft moved nearly five miles per second. But the docking mechanism was one of the simplest on the entire spacecraft.
And the docking procedure had been perfected on earlier Apollo flights, none of which encountered any significant docking problems. Apollo 14 launched at 4:03 p.m. EST. At approximately 3:41 p.m., ground elapsed time, or GET.
“Hard Dock” With Lunar Module
Problems occurred when docking with the lunar module or LM. An in-flight televised review of the docking device showed no apparent cause for the malfunction, and the system seemed to function normally. Six attempts were needed before a “hard dock” was performed.
Before the powered descent initiation, or PDI, for the Antares landing. A short in the Lunar Module’s computer abort switch was found, which could have triggered an undesired abort during the LM’s descent.
Where Was Apollo 14 Landing Site?
On February 5, Antares made the most precise landing date, nearly 87 feet from the targeted landing point. It was halfway between the Doublet and Triplet craters in the Fra Mauro crater’s rocky ridges and about 110 miles east of the Apollo 12 landing site. The landing spot coordinates were 3 degrees, 40 minutes, 27 seconds south and 17 degrees, 27 minutes, 58 seconds west.
Inside Footage of Command Module Apollo 14
This short clip below shows the crew of Apollo 14 inside the Command Module “Kitty Hawk.”
Why Was EVA Delayed?
Due to communications system problems, the first period of extravehicular activity, or EVA, started almost one hour later. Commander Alan Shepard put his foot on the lunar surface at 114 hours, 31 minutes GET. As Shepard set foot on the lunar surface, he said: “It’s been a long way, but we’re here.” The first of the two EVA periods included ALSEP deployment and lasted four hours and 49 minutes.
The second EVA
The second EVA on February 6 started when the LM doorway hatched at 4:15 a.m. EST. Throughout this EVA, Shepard and Edgar Mitchell walked more than half a mile from their LM, handling selenological investigations and accumulating samples, and trying to reach the Cone crater’s rim, about 300 feet above the landing site.
New Distance-Traveled Record on The Moon
NASA staff observing the EVA estimate that the two astronauts were within 50 to 75 meters of the crater rim when they were told by mission control to secure samples at that spot and begin their traverse back to the LM. The second EVA continued for four hours and 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 around 9,000 feet.
How Much Moon Rock Did Apollo 14 Sample?
The astronauts accumulated 94 pounds of rocks and soil for return to Earth throughout the two traverses. The samples went to 187 scientific teams in the United States and 14 other nations for research and examination.
Who Played Golf on The Moon?
Before, the astronauts were about to get back in their lunar module to plan to return to orbit. Alan Shepard staged a memorable performance, picking two golf balls from a pocket in his spacesuit and dropping them into the sandy lunar soil.
Shepard used a substitute club comprising a “6 Iron” specially modified to connect to the extension handle for a scoop to pick up lunar rock samples. Shepard drove the balls one-handed because of the limitations of the spacesuit as far as he could.
Alan became the first “Moon Golfer” or “Interplanetary Golfer” officially. He is, at the moment, the only man to have played golf on the Moon, though with little success, the ball ended its run in a hole.
Fun fact, Shepard eventually donated the club to the USGA Museum in 1974. A replica is in the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.
Stuart Roosa Conducted Orbital Science
Stuart Roosa conducted orbital science activities during the lunar surface activities period. He encountered some problems with the high-resolution, motion-compensating Hycon Lunar Topographic Camera. All this while he was trying to photograph the Descartes area, the landing site planned for Apollo 16.
The liftoff of Antares from the lunar surface took place precisely as planned. Rendezvous and docking happened only two minutes later than scheduled.
Where Did Kitty Hawk Splash Down?
The command module Kitty Hawk splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean at 4:05 p.m. EST on February 9, precisely nine days and two minutes after launch. The mission span from liftoff to splashdown was 216 hours and two minutes. The exact touchdown point was only 1.02 nautical miles off its targeted mark of about 765 miles south of Samoa and four miles from the prime recovery ship, the USS New Orleans.
That’s it, and I hope you enjoyed this article. Please check out this article: Summary of Apollo 11 Events. The new book ‘How We Got to the Moon’ will reveal a stunning look at Apollo 11 Mission to the Moon.