248 a
David Scott

The LM Spider over the Earth horizon

Apollo 9, March 3-13, 1969, orbit 59

Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based GAF paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with NASA MSFC caption numbered “AS9-21-3212” on the verso

248 b
David Scott

The ascent stage of the LM Spider approaching for rendezvous over the Earth

Apollo 9, March 3-13, 1969, orbit 62

Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso, numbered “NASA AS9-21- 3236” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

248 a
NASA SP-350, p. 191; Hope, p. 62; Reynolds, p. 123.

248 b
NASA SP-350, p. 191.

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Lot Essay

248 a
“Free and upside-down in the black sky of space, the LM is put through its paces on the fifth day of the Apollo 9 mission by Schweickart and McDivitt” (Mason, p. 155).
Clouds over Sahara and the Atlantic Ocean lie 145 miles below.

The LM descent engine fired once for 24.9 seconds to place the spacecraft into a 137 by 167 mile orbit. If fired again for 24.4 seconds to circularize the orbit about 154 by 160 miles, some 12 miles higher than the CSM and about 100 miles away.

“The mechanics of the orbit were such that the LM was on its own, but twice during each swing around the Earth, the two spacecraft were close enough so that Scott could initiate rescue operations should anything have happened to the LM.”
NASA associate administrator George Muller (NASA SP-350, p. 192)

248 b
Four hours after undocking from Gumdrop, the crew of the LM “jettisoned the descent stage, and then fired the ascent engine for the first time in space. From their adjusted position about 10 miles below and 80 miles behind the Command Module, they began their approach to a rendezvous and docking, much the same as the actual event to take place later on Apollo 11. The first phase of their rendezvous terminated temporarily with about a 100 ft separation, so that both spacecraft could be photographed,” related NASA associate administrator George Muller (NASA SP-350, p. 192).

“Here the bell of the vital ascent engine protrudes from a nest of foil thermal insulation” (NASA SP-350, p.191).

From the mission transcript as the two spacecrafts re-joined for rendezvous:
098:21:45 Scott (Gumdrop): Oh, I see you out there coming in the sunlight.
098:21:48 Schweickart (Spider): Great.
098:21:51 Scott (Gumdrop): You’re the biggest, friendliest, funniest looking spider I’ve ever seen.