The Lunar Module ‘Eagle’ returns to ‘Columbia’
The Lunar Module ‘Eagle’ returns to ‘Columbia’
The return of the Eagle to Columbia did not signify the end of the mission. Other mission-critical milestones were yet to come – docking with the Command and Service Module and igniting the engine to return to Earth from lunar orbit on the correct trajectory. After another three days, more critical tasks followed – re-entering Earth’s atmosphere at the correct angle to dissipate all the kinetic energy transferred to the system by the launcher and finally descending safely on parachutes to splash down in the ocean. The image shows the ‘Eagle’ in front of the lunar horizon with the dark outline of Mare Smythii and the ‘half Earth’ in the background.
