The Translunar Insertion (TLI) burn of the Saturn third stage sending us toward the moon is a day behind,
the long launch day capped when we separated from the spent stage and performed Transposition and Docking,
turning around and nosing to the Lunar Module in its “garage” atop the third stage and springing it free.
Twenty six hours from Earth,
already halfway to the moon,
a misleading measure. The powerful grip
of Earth’s gravity had already reduced
the spacecraft’s speed from 24,200 mph
after TLI to just 3,689 mph, a celestial crawl
and still slowing — meaning we are still
two days out from LOI, lunar orbit insertion.
22:00 GET: Post Sleep Checklist
Crew status report (sleep)
Cycle O2 & H2 fans.
GDC align to IMU
Consumables update
Select normal Lunar configuration
MNVR to sighting ATT
Cislunar navigation P23
Optics calibration
3 marks on each star
Incorporate P23 mark data
and update onboard state vector
Transfer CSM state vector to LM slot
TLI + 24 hrs. Midcourse correction 2
MCC2 will be performed if delta V would exceed
25 FPS if delayed to MCC3 (LOI – 22 hrs.)
MCC2 Burn status report
V66 – trans CSM state vector to LM slot
Less than an hour after crossing the halfway point,
we fire the Service Module’s SPS engine
for the first time, the big engine that will be needed
to place us in lunar orbit and out again,
just a 2.91 second course correction,
but enough to prove the SPS is “go.”
During a TV broadcast, Michael Collins, says
‘We have a happy home.
Plenty of room for the three of us.
We’re all finding our favorite little corners.’
Out ahead of Apollo, the mysterious Luna 15 enters lunar orbit.
*****
In a blink
A swirl of cloud
. . . . circle a closed eye
A swirl of stars
. . . . sweep the space far ahead
A swarm of bees
. . . . carry their queen
and trail Apollo 11
. . . . toward the moon
They mass at Columbia’s great engine bell
. . . . and gather moonlight in their legs
Fifty years later, rain
. . . . masked a full moon
tlitiptree 