249 a
James Mcdivitt or Russell Schweickart

The Command Module Gumdrop approaching for rendezvous over the Earth

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

Unreleased photograph, vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso (NASA / North American Rockwell) [NASA AS9-24-3657]

249 b
James Mcdivitt or Russell Schweickart

The Command Module Gumdrop before docking 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 AS9-24- 3660” (NASA MSC) in red in top margin

249 c
David Scott

The ascent stage of the LM Spider pitching up for inspection before docking

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

Unreleased photograph, vintage chromogenic print on resin coated Kodak paper, 20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in), with “A Kodak Paper” watermarks on the verso [NASA AS9-21-3243]
20.3 x 25.4cm (8 x 10in)

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Lot Essay

249 a
Its propeller-like antenna jutting toward Earth, the CM Gumdrop passes over Arizona (including the Rio Grande, foreground) and southern California (with the Gulf of California, left background) in a picture taken from the LM.

Docking mechanism is visible in nose of the CM as it approached for rendez vous with the ascent stage of the LM Spider.

NASA released a variant of this photograph (AS9-24-3656).

From the mission transcript as the two spacecrafts re-joined for rendezvous:

098:33:50 McDivitt (Spider): Okay, Davey. It says 100 feet on the radar tape. It looks a little closer to that to me, but what do you say we stop here?
098:33:58 Scott (Gumdrop): Okay. That’s a good idea.
098:34:04 McDivitt (Spider): Okay. I’ll get a STOP and STABILIZE and then give it to you.
098:34:28 Scott (Gumdrop): Okay. That looks pretty good to me.
098:34:30 McDivitt (Spider): Okay, good.
098:34:34 McDivitt (Spider): Let me take a couple of pictures of your nose; then I’ll start pitching around.

249 b
Gumdrop is photographed from the LM Spider before docking at the end of its first manned test flight on the fifth day of the Earth-orbital mission.

“Scott flew by himself in the Command Module for a six-hour period while the two crafts changed orbits and let as much as 100 miles separate them” (Mason, p. 152-54).
The south western United States (Estacado Plains of Texas and New Mexico) are below the spacecraft.

From the mission transcript as the two spacecrafts re-joined for rendezvous:

098:35:14 McDivitt (Spider): I don’t even see you in there, David.
098:35:18 Scott (Gumdrop): Oh, I’m here.
098:35:23 Scott (Gumdrop): I’ve been waiting for you to bring that good water back.

249 c
Six hours after undocking, the CSM and LM rendezvoused for docking. The LM, which had no heat shield to protect it, was jettisoned before reentry and commanded to fire its engine (whose dark bell is in shadow at the center of the photograph) to fuel depletion.
McDivitt and Schweickart enthused that the LM was a “great flying machine. And when it’s just the ascent stage alone, it’s very quick. It snaps to the controls like a fighter plane, or a sports car. It was super to fly!” (Reynolds, p. 123).

“Despite its appearance, the gawky LM had proved itself ready for the lunar job ahead” (Mason, p.152).

From the mission transcript as the two spacecrafts re-joined for rendezvous:

098:36:20 Schweickart (Spider): Okay, Dave. We’re going to start up on AUTO MANEUVER here, and we’re going to pitch up; then you can take a picture of our bottom.
098:36:26 Scott (Gumdrop): Alrighty. [...]
098:37:23 Schweickart (Spider): I’m - We’re looking at you.
098:38:36 Scott (Gumdrop): Looks like a big black hole where an engine used to fire.
098:38:39 Schweickart (Spider): Okay. Get a picture of it, I guess.
098:38:45 Scott (Gumdrop): I’ve got a couple.