Spider and Gumdrop

The words

1. Apollo Nine

   Apollo 9 tested the first crewed lunar module in Earth orbit in March 1969. The flight brought the command module, service module and lunar lander together for a rehearsal of a Moon mission.

   Smithsonian: Apollo 9 and its crew (opens a new tab)

2. Crew Transfer

   McDivitt and Schweickart moved through a connecting tunnel between Gumdrop and Spider. This internal passage let them activate and test the lunar module, then rejoin Scott in the command module.

   NASA: Apollo 9’s flight tests (opens a new tab)

3. Dave Scott

   Dave Scott served as command module pilot, keeping Gumdrop flying while the lunar module operated separately. He had previously flown on Gemini 8 and later commanded Apollo 15.

   Smithsonian: Apollo 9 and its crew (opens a new tab)

4. Docked Burn

   Gumdrop’s service module engine was fired with Spider still attached. This test checked how the joined spacecraft responded to forces like those expected on a lunar mission.

   NASA: Apollo 9’s flight tests (opens a new tab)

5. Front Porch

   The front porch was Spider’s platform outside its side hatch. Schweickart stood there to test the spacesuit and backpack that would support astronauts working on the Moon.

   Did you know?

   Schweickart put his feet into restraints painted gold nicknamed golden slippers. They kept him in place while he evaluated equipment outside the hatch.

   NASA: Spider, Gumdrop and Red Rover (opens a new tab)

6. Gumdrop

   Gumdrop’s name came from its appearance during shipment on Earth. Blue wrappings made the command and service modules resemble a wrapped candy, inspiring the crew’s radio call sign.

   pp. 10–11 (PDF pp. 20–21) · NASA: Apollo 9’s spacecraft names (opens a new tab)

7. Hundred Miles

   Spider traveled more than 100 miles (160 km) from Gumdrop during the independent flight test. Its crew then had to return and dock with Scott’s spacecraft.

   NASA: Apollo 9’s flight tests (opens a new tab)

8. McDivitt

   James McDivitt commanded Apollo 9 after leading Gemini 4. With Schweickart aboard Spider, he tested the lunar module’s independent flight and returned it to dock with Scott’s spacecraft.

   Smithsonian: Apollo 9 and its crew (opens a new tab)

9. Nausea

   Schweickart developed space motion sickness during Apollo 9. The illness prompted NASA to shorten the planned spacewalk and drop the exterior crossing between Spider and Gumdrop.

   NASA: Spider, Gumdrop and Red Rover (opens a new tab)

10. Red Rover

    Schweickart used Red Rover as his radio call sign outside Spider. The name referred to his red hair and distinguished his transmissions from the two spacecraft.

    NASA: Spider, Gumdrop and Red Rover (opens a new tab)

11. Schweickart

    Lunar module pilot Russell Schweickart tested the spacesuit outside Spider. His portable backpack supplied oxygen, demonstrating equipment that later astronauts would need while working on the lunar surface.

    NASA: Spider, Gumdrop and Red Rover (opens a new tab)

12. Separation

    Spider left Gumdrop on the fifth day and later shed its descent stage. The ascent stage then returned for docking, rehearsing the reunion needed after a lunar landing.

    NASA: Apollo 9’s flight tests (opens a new tab)

13. Spider

    The name Spider reflected the lunar module’s buglike shape. Its crew had to dock with Gumdrop again because Spider could not carry them through Earth’s atmosphere.

    NASA: Apollo 9’s spacecraft names (opens a new tab) · NASA: Spider, Gumdrop and Red Rover (opens a new tab)

14. Ten Days

    The mission lasted about ten days, ending with an Atlantic splashdown on March 13, 1969. Once the lunar module tests were finished, the crew continued Earth observations in Gumdrop.

    Did you know?

    Four cameras photographed Earth through different filters at the same time. The experiment helped prepare for Landsat’s later studies of our planet.

    NASA: Apollo 9 completes its mission (opens a new tab) · NASA: Apollo 9’s splashdown (opens a new tab)

15. Throttle

    A control that changes the pushing force of an engine.

    Apollo 9 tested manual control of the lunar module’s descent engine while docked to Gumdrop. McDivitt varied its output, a capability needed for the later Moon landings.

    NASA: Apollo 9’s flight tests (opens a new tab)