SPACE ART: Apollo S-II Stage Separation and S-IVB Ignition
(Above) This painting is an artist’s concept of the Saturn S-II stage separation event and S-IVB stage ignition prior to earth orbit acquisition during an Apollo mission to the moon.
(Above) This painting is an artist’s concept of the Saturn S-II stage separation event and S-IVB stage ignition prior to earth orbit acquisition during an Apollo mission to the moon.
(Above) This painting is an artist concept illustrating Lunar Module jettison by the Command Module before the Earth return burn.
(Above) This is a 1971 artist’s concept showing TRW’s small lunar sub-satellite being ejected into lunar orbit from the SIM bay of the Apollo 15 Service Module.
The 80 pound satellite remained in lunar orbit returning data from August 1971 to January 1973. Its main objectives were to study the plasma, particle, and magnetic field environment of the Moon and map the lunar gravity field. Specifically it measured plasma and energetic particle intensities and vector magnetic fields, and facilitated tracking of the satellite velocity to high precision. A basic requirement was that the satellite acquire fields and particle data everywhere on the orbit around the Moon.
A virtually identical sub-satellite was also deployed by Apollo 16
(Above) The Apollo 8 spacecraft still attached to the Saturn V third (S-IVB) stage, heads for the moon at a speed of about 24,300 miles an hour.
Fast Fact: Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the Moon, entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1968.
This painting was done by North American Rockwell for NASA.
(Above) This is an artist’s concept depicting the Soviet Apollo Soyuz Test Project (ASTP) Soyuz spacecraft in Earth orbit.
The three major components of the Soyuz are the spherical-shaped Orbital Module on which the letters CCCP (USSR) are printed, the bell-shaped Descent Vehicle in the center, and the cylindrical-shaped Instrument Assembly Module from which two solar panels protrude. The docking system on the Orbital Module was specially designed to interface with the docking system on NASA’s Apollo Docking Module.
This painting was done by artist Paul Fjeld.
(Above) This painting is a North American Rockwell artist’s concept depicting the Apollo 10 Lunar Module descending to 50,000 ft for a close look at a lunar landing site.
The Command and Service modules remain in lunar orbit. The landing area is Site 2 on the east central part of the moon in southwestern Sea of Tranquility (Mare Tranquillitatis). The site is about 62 miles east of the rim of the crater Sabine and 118 miles west-southwest of the crater Maskelyne.
(Above) This is an artist’s concept of the Apollo 15 Command/Service Modules, showing two crewmen performing a new Apollo extravehicular activity.
The figure at left represents Astronaut Alfred M. Worden, Command Module (CM) pilot, connected by an umbilical tether to the CM. At right, a figure representing Astronaut James B. Irwin, Lunar Module pilot, stands at the open CM hatch. Worden is working with the panoramic camera in the Scientific Instrument Module (SIM). Behind Irwin is the 16mm data acquisition camera.
(Above) This painting is an artist’s concept illustrating the relative sizes of the one-man Mercury spacecraft, the two-man Gemini spacecraft, and the three-man Apollo spacecraft. It also shows line drawings of the Atlas, Titian and Saturn V launch vehicles to show their relative size in relation to each other.
(Above) This is an artist’s concept illustrating liftoff of the Lunar Module from the surface of the moon.
(Above) This classic 1989 painting was done by Pat Rawlings for NASA. It features an American Astronaut proudly saluting the camera during an EVA, with the Moon and Mars majestically reflecting in the Astronaut’s visor.