Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 11-24-2018 11:39 PM
Here is a photo of the USS Hornet arriving in Hawaii after the Apollo 11 recovery. The command module can be seen on the deck of the Hornet.
Full Aerial view showing forward port quarter, entering Pearl Harbor after Apollo 11 recovery. 26 July 1969.
heng44 Member
Posts: 3674 From: Netherlands Registered: Nov 2001
posted 11-25-2018 03:54 AM
Wasn't the command module below deck?
oly Member
Posts: 1454 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2015
posted 11-25-2018 04:06 AM
Photos of the recovery show the Apollo 11 spacecraft lowered on the elevator below deck and the capsule and quarantine trailer connected by a plastic tent.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 11-25-2018 05:49 AM
Yes, everyone has seen those photos. But it looks like the Apollo 11 command module was on the flight deck and not below deck when the USS Hornet arrived in Pearl Harbor.
oly Member
Posts: 1454 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2015
posted 11-25-2018 07:52 AM
If it is in fact the Apollo 11 command module on the deck, this seems to contravene the second phase quarantine procedures detailed for the Apollo 11 mission, including the 21 day quarantine of crew and spacecraft, time in the Lunar Receiving Laboratory, including the protocols of the spacecraft room of the LRL. detailed as follows:
The spacecraft room contained all equipment required for decontamination of the Command Module. There were also communications and closed circuit television for monitoring and supporting cleanup and decontamination activities.
Personnel from the Crew Reception Area were trained to open the Command Module hatch and remove the double-bag stowed equipment, including lithium hydroxide canisters, fecal bags, food bags, and space suits.
The individual working inside the CM doffed shoe covers upon egress. All persons then reentered the CRA and showered. Thus the likelihood of contaminating the Crew Reception Area and space suit room was minimal.
Formaldehyde decontamination of the Command Module cabin and suit circuit was accomplished without reopening the hatch. Following a minimum 24-hour kill period, the hatch was opened and the cabin exhausted through the room air conditioning system.
The water and waste management systems were also decontaminated with aqueous formaldehyde (formalin) for 24 hours. Spore strips were placed at random locations in the CM to verify decontamination effectiveness.
Perhaps the CM was shrink wrapped while on deck.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 11-25-2018 08:30 AM
Photos in this Navsource gallery also show the Apollo 11 command module on the flight deck.
oly Member
Posts: 1454 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2015
posted 11-25-2018 08:15 PM
quote:Originally posted by LM-12: ...this Navsource gallery also show the Apollo 11 command module on the flight deck.
Good call, you have sprovided some fantastic information.
Details of the planned quarantine procedures can be found in this document.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 11-25-2018 08:35 PM
I like the overhead view of the Apollo 11 command module and raft, which I believe shows (top to bottom) Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong and UDT swimmer Clancy Hatleberg.
What do you think Aldrin is removing from the command module in this photo?
oly Member
Posts: 1454 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2015
posted 11-26-2018 05:41 AM
It looks to be a McDivitt Purse, as found on this page. Maybe it is this item.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 11-26-2018 01:13 PM
Film footage of the recovery shows that the astronaut seen in this photo was definitely the last crewman hoisted up to the helicopter.
But wasn't that Aldrin, and not Armstrong?
In this photo, Collins and Aldrin are waving at the camera. Armstrong (back to camera with his left arm raised up) is the closest astronaut to the Billy Pugh. And film footage seems to show him (Armstrong) going up first.
schnappsicle Member
Posts: 410 From: Houston, TX, USA Registered: Jan 2012
posted 11-30-2018 06:03 AM
quote:Originally posted by LM-12: ...it looks like the Apollo 11 command module was on the flight deck and not below deck when the USS Hornet arrived in Pearl Harbor.
Maybe it's just me, but I also thought the command modules were stored below deck for the trip back to port.
If there is a command module on deck in that picture, I really don't see it. But if it's there, my guess is it's the boilerplate used for retrieval exercises. It would make sense to me that the boilerplate be on deck and the command module below deck near the mobile quarantine facility.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 11-30-2018 08:46 AM
That is the Apollo 11 command module on the flight deck. Compare the command module side seen in the following two photos:
The boilerplate can be seen here:
ea757grrl Member
Posts: 798 From: South Carolina Registered: Jul 2006
posted 11-30-2018 03:29 PM
Seconding this, Hornet's Apollo 11 cruisebook clearly shows that what you see on the flight deck is the actual Apollo 11 spacecraft. There was also a big "welcome home" ceremony pierside, to celebrate the astronauts (who, of course, were still inside the MQF) and the ship and crew. Admiral McCain was there, as was Hawaii Gov. Burns. I imagine the spacecraft was up on deck so it would be visible during the celebration.
After the ceremony, the MQF was transported to Hickam AFB and loaded aboard a C-141 for the flight to Houston.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 11-30-2018 07:19 PM
A few more interesting photos of the command module on the flight deck can be seen here.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-01-2018 10:00 AM
quote:Originally posted by ea757grrl: I imagine the spacecraft was up on deck so it would be visible during the celebration.
This photo shows the Apollo 11 MQF departing the USS Hornet area. The far dockside crane appears to be lifting an object. The crane might be moving the command module and dolly from the flight deck to the dock (the timing seems right), but the photo resolution is not good enough to say for sure.
ea757grrl Member
Posts: 798 From: South Carolina Registered: Jul 2006
posted 12-01-2018 06:23 PM
Hornet's Apollo 11 cruise report doesn't go into detail about what happened when the ship arrived at Pearl Harbor, aside from mentioning it in the timeline. It does mention offloading the MQF and the CM, but has no details on any of that.
While it is difficult to make out the details of what's happening in the background, based on the other evidence and the fact that getting the CM offloaded would be a high-priority task, I would believe that is what we're seeing back there.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-02-2018 01:18 PM
quote:Originally posted by oly: It looks to be a McDivitt Purse
Whatever is in the plastic bag seen in this photo must be something just as important also.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-02-2018 05:16 PM
This photo shows the Apollo 11 astronauts exiting the Sea King helicopter in Hangar Bay 2 on the USS Hornet.
Donned in biological isolation garments, the Apollo 11 crew members, (L-R) Edwin Aldrin, Neil Armstrong (waving), and Michael Collins exit the recovery pick up helicopter to board the U.S.S. Hornet aircraft carrier after splashdown.
Notice the face mask canisters. The white labels on the mask canisters are all in slightly different positions. The position of the white label on the canister that Aldrin (at left) is wearing matches the position of the white label on the canister seen in the rescue net photo.
This observation, along with the imagery mentioned earlier, indicates to me that the below is a photo of Aldrin, not Armstrong.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-04-2018 08:46 AM
Also seen this photo: William Carpentier is carrying a white bag. Inside the white bag, there is a plastic bag that might be the plastic bag seen in the rescue net photo.
oly Member
Posts: 1454 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2015
posted 12-05-2018 05:50 PM
This film details some of the equipment strapped to the deck of the Hornet during the Apollo 11 mission that can be seen in the above photos.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-06-2018 04:23 AM
The USS Hornet would have passed near the USS Arizona Memorial before docking at Pearl Harbor, is that correct?
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-09-2018 06:10 PM
In addition to one spacecraft and the Sea King helicopters, what other aircraft can be seen on the Hornet flight deck?
oly Member
Posts: 1454 From: Perth, Western Australia Registered: Apr 2015
posted 12-09-2018 07:48 PM
I believe the aircraft with the large dome antenna are Grumman E-1 Tracer aircraft and the ones without the antenna and a conventional tail are Grumman s-2 Tracker aircraft (or perhaps C-1 Trader).
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-10-2018 11:57 AM
On July 25, the day after splashdown, two aircraft were flown off the USS Hornet. From the mission report:
The first lunar samples to be returned were flown to Johnston Island, placed aboard a C-141 aircraft, and flown to Houston. The second sample shipment was flown from the Hornet directly to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, approximately 6-l/2 hours later and placed aboard a range instrumentation aircraft for transfer to Houston.
ea757grrl Member
Posts: 798 From: South Carolina Registered: Jul 2006
posted 12-10-2018 07:44 PM
The air group embarked aboard Hornet consisted of four E-1B Tracers (the radar planes with the big domes on top) from VAW-111 Detachment 12, eight SH-3D Sea King helicopters from HS-4, three C-1A Traders (cargo planes based on the S-2 Tracker design), and one US-2 Tracker (a former sub-hunting aircraft repurposed as a utility plane).
Two of the C-1s belonged to VR-30 while one of them was Hornet's own COD aircraft. The lunar samples would have been flown to Johnston Island and Hickam aboard C-1s.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-10-2018 09:17 PM
Those aircraft launch times from the USS Hornet were 0515 GMT and 1145 GMT on July 25.
The command module hatch was secured at 0300 GMT on July 26. The Hornet arrived at Pearl Harbor Pier Bravo at 0832 Hawaii time, which is 1832 GMT if my conversion is right.
jklier Member
Posts: 90 From: Austin, Texas Registered: Aug 2007
posted 12-20-2018 08:41 AM
I've been trying to determine the location where this photo was taken as they were driving to Hickam Field.
The main visual clues are the left hand turn along the waters edge, the dock cranes and building in the background and the hills of what I assume are the hills of the forest reserve in the background. Anyone recognize that building in the background? I have not found any recent photos of the area with that building.
One thing I really love about this photo is the kid running along side the MQF. What a story he had to tell!
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-20-2018 11:10 AM
The MQF motorcade would have had to make a left turn not long after this photo was taken. Maybe that is where the above photo was taken.
jklier Member
Posts: 90 From: Austin, Texas Registered: Aug 2007
posted 12-20-2018 01:35 PM
Yes, that's the photo I was looking at for the starting point. I tried going along the shoreline from that spot all the way around to Hickam in Google Earth but I have not been able to find that spot. Of course, there could have been changes to the roads ands such since then. I need to find some aerial photos from that time.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 12-20-2018 02:21 PM
Here is a circa 1965 aerial photo of the USS Hornet at Pearl Harbor with Hickam Air Force Base in the background.
ea757grrl Member
Posts: 798 From: South Carolina Registered: Jul 2006
posted 12-20-2018 04:32 PM
The July 27, 1969 Honolulu Star-Bulletin had some good coverage of Hornet's return to Pearl Harbor the previous day. Some odds and ends:
Hornet did pass the Arizona Memorial on the way in and the ship's company rendered a salute.
Commercial aircraft on approach to Honolulu International/Hickam AFB dipped their wings in salute as they flew over. There was also a flyover by military aircraft, ten of which flew in formation to spell out an "11."
Hornet moored at Pier Bravo.
Hawaii Gov. Burns and Admiral McCain (CINCPAC) delivered remarks during the welcome-home ceremony. McCain went to the podium, looked at the astronauts in the MQF, said something kind of salty (to the effect of "you're the darnedest thing I ever saw") then said "Oh...are we on television?"
Mike Collins cracked up the crowd by saying "Sorry we got delivered to you in a box!"
McCain, who loved cigars, presented the crewmembers with a gift-wrapped box each of his favorite cigars.
According to the account, the command module was taken to Ford Island for three days of examination, then flown to Houston.
Several leis were put aboard the C-141 as gifts for the astronauts' wives. A lei was also draped on the door handle to the MQF.
The ride to Hickam Operations was a three-mile route.
The 12-year-old who ran alongside the MQF was Glenn Holman, one of a dozen youngsters who ran alongside the MQF. Most of them faded off but Glenn ran most of the three miles, to the cheers of onlookers - and, once the astronauts saw what he was doing, they waved to him and encouraged him on. He finally accepted a ride from one of the escorting cars once they got to Hickam. Holman was the son of a Navy pilot who was air adviser to the commander of Pacific Fleet submarine forces.
jklier Member
Posts: 90 From: Austin, Texas Registered: Aug 2007
posted 12-21-2018 08:42 AM
Wow! Thanks for the info on the kid running in the photo. That's a great story!
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 07-27-2019 06:47 AM
quote:Originally posted by jklier: I've been trying to determine the location where this photo was taken as they were driving to Hickam Field.
Here is a similar photo that looks like it was taken a bit later on that same road.
jklier Member
Posts: 90 From: Austin, Texas Registered: Aug 2007
posted 07-27-2019 04:23 PM
Nice find! That's definitely down the road a bit. You can see that same building in the far background. So I assume that's base housing on the right.
The only place I see that matches these photos attributes AND is along their assumed route is at
21°20'14.44"N 157°58'4.38"W
...but it's showing as a bike path. I imagine this could have been a road then. I'll have to find some 1960's aerials of the field.
ea757grrl Member
Posts: 798 From: South Carolina Registered: Jul 2006
posted 07-27-2019 05:32 PM
This home movie, which was recently posted to coincide with the 50th anniversary, shows some scenes of Hornet returning to Pearl Harbor, including several shots of the Command Module and a view or two of the MQF being offloaded. Very interesting viewing.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 07-27-2019 08:08 PM
That's terrific. Some really nice footage there of the arrival at Pearl Harbor and the command module on the flight deck with the helicopters flying in the background.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 08-04-2019 05:14 PM
Here is a another view of the Apollo 11 command module on the USS Hornet arriving at Pearl Harbor.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 08-07-2019 12:13 AM
Here are a couple of more photos of the Apollo 11 command module at different locations on the flight deck of the USS Hornet.
The CM hatch was secured on the Hornet at 0300 GMT on July 26. You can see a seal on the hatch in the second photo.
LM-12 Member
Posts: 3795 From: Ontario, Canada Registered: Oct 2010
posted 08-14-2019 09:19 AM
Found another photo of the Apollo 11 command module on the Hornet flight deck. Looks like the CM is positioned at helicopter landing target 2 on the deck.
ea757grrl Member
Posts: 798 From: South Carolina Registered: Jul 2006
posted 08-14-2019 05:01 PM
For reference, Spot 2 was/is on Hornet's forwardmost aircraft elevator (forward end of flight deck, between the catapults). In at least a couple of the pictures I've seen in this thread, it looks like the dolly with CM aboard is being prepared to be craned off the ship.
posted 11-24-2018 11:39 PM
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