Apollo 15

The Most Complex Mission Yet


HSK antenna during Apollo 15

Sunrise at Honeysuckle Creek during Apollo 15, heralding a new era in lunar exploration.

Photo by Hamish Lindsay during the Apollo 15 mission in 1971. Note the sunlight shining through gaps in the panels on the antenna surface.

Click on the image for a larger version. Click here for a 2.1MB scan.


Essay by Hamish Lindsay

(see below for table of contents)


Apollo 15 was Honeysuckle’s big mission.

It was the first of the ‘J’ missions. Not only was it technically far more complex –
involving support of the Rover and a sub-satellite
– but Honeysuckle was prime for most of the mission.

Of Apollo 15’s 295 hours in space, Honeysuckle Creek tracked the spacecraft for 250 hours.


This letter – sent by the crew to the tracking network before the mission –
underlines the crucial role of the Manned Space Flight Network.

Letter from the crew

This letter was sent by the crew to the Networks teams before the mission.

Scan: Hamish Lindsay.




Read the Apollo 15 Essay by Hamish Lindsay

Introduction
The Crew
Honeysuckle
Day 1 – launch, Trans Lunar Injection, TLC
Day 2 – Trans Lunar Coast, day 2
Day 3 – TLC day 3
Day 4 – Lunar Orbit Insertion
Day 5 – Landing, Stand-Up EVA, start EVA 1
Day 6 – EVA 1, start EVA 2
Day 7 – EVA 2 and EVA 3
Day 8 – Lunar liftoff
Day 9 – Lunar orbits
Day 10 – Trans Earth Injection
Day 11 – Trans Earth Coast EVA
Day 12 – TEC Day 2
Day 13 – Re-entry, Splash, Epilogue

 

Greetings to Honeysuckle from Dave Scott