The crew nicknamed this operation “The Big Sneak.” They figured the only way to do this was to approach from behind a big rock, then reach over and collect the sample.

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John and Charlie also collected several rusty-looking rocks with brown stains on their surfaces. These were exciting finds because the rusty appearance suggested the presence of hydrated oxides of iron. “Hydrated” meant water and the scientists had a serious interest … Continue reading →

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Flag Crater was so steep that if either one of them fell in, it would have been fatal! There was no rescue from the bottom of a big crater.

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Charlie and John were startled by their landing spot. Much of the landing area was covered with rocks or had a steep slope. Fortunately, they had managed to land on the only level and smooth spot around.

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“There you are, our mysterious and unknown Descartes Highlands Plains. Apollo 16 is gonna change your image.” John Young

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Due to the change in their flight plan caused by the six-hour delay, the crew had to reprogram a great deal of their onboard data, and this had to be done before they had LOS.

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In the event of a secondary control system failure in the engine, the mission rules stated the entire landing phase of the mission would have to be terminated.

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“Unlike the roller-coaster ride of Earth orbit, we are entering a slow-motion domain where time and distance seem to have more meaning than speed.” Mike Collins

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It looked like they had a leak from one of the propellant tanks on the Lunar Module. If so, that meant abort!

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Duke was startled. Why was it shaking so hard? What in the world was happening? There had to be something wrong with this rocket. He didn’t recall any briefing to expect this violent vibration as they sat on the launch … Continue reading →

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