Apollo 11: Splashdown, 24 July 1969 11:50 AM CDT
This is the eleventh of eleven geocaches being placed in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11. These caches are being scheduled to publish at 50 years after the event each one represents. The city where they are placed has the distinction of sharing its name with the Apollo 11 Command Module, Columbia.
During the return flight of Apollo 11 from the moon to the earth, the crew made several television broadcasts. The broadcasts are much more relaxed and playful than the broadcasts on the flight to the moon, including a food demonstration of how to eat and drink in space. Of course, there are still a lot of routine technical tasks to keep the crew busy, especially navigational and systems checks to prepare for reentering earth orbit.
Finally, time is reached for reentry to take place. At 11:21 AM CDT on 24 July 1969, the service module portion of the command service module is released. Now the crew will continue with just the small conical portion of the command module, the part in which they have lived. Reentry begins at 11:35 AM CDT.
During reentry, communications between the crew and Houston are cut off due to gas ionization around the craft caused by the extreme heating of the craft by air friction. Everything is performing normally under computer control, so the crew leaves it there. Reentry engines fire as necessary to slow the craft.
At 11:44 the parachutes deploy and the craft is quickly spotted by the recovery team. Radio contact with the crew is reestablished. The command module slowly descends to the surface of the Pacific Ocean.
Splashdown occurs at 11:50 AM CDT on 24 July 1969.
Helicopters bearing divers approach the floating capsule. The designated Apollo 11 Prime Recovery Ship, USS Hornet CVS-12, is in the area to facilitate the recovery. On board is President Richard Nixon. Armstrong, Aldrin, and Collins emerge from the command module and are flown to the Hornet arriving on deck at 12:53. The command module itself is lifted from the water some 2 hours later.
The mission has taken 8 days.
This geocache has been placed in accordance with the published guidelines of Columbia Parks & Recreation Department, Lida M. Gochenour, Administrative Supervisor.