Apollo 16

By Marty McDowell

The Apollo 16 space vehicle was launched from Kennedy Space Center on April 16, 1972. The crew consisted of Captain John W. Young, commander; Lt. Commander Thomas K. Mattingly II, Command Module pilot; and Lt. Colonel Charles M. Duke Jr., Lunar Module pilot.

A number of experiments were deployed and two impressive landmarks, Stone Mountain and the North Ray crater, visited. Samples taken from the rim of North Ray crater later proved to be bedrock thrown up from the meteorite impact that had created it. Three moon walks with lunar surface activities totaling 20 hours and 17 minutes were accomplished by Young and Duke. The crew remained on the lunar surface for a total of about 71 hours. After lunar liftoff, the Lunar Module rendezvoused with the Command Module and Mattingly.

Facts and Figures
		Apollo 16
			The huge, 363-feet tall Apollo 16 (Spacecraft 113/Lunar Module 11/Saturn 511) space vehicle is launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, at 12:54:00.569 p.m., April 16, 1972. The launch is framed on the left by a large piece of dead wood in a body of water near the launch pad.
	NASA image

When the crew returned to orbit, tensions rose as it was discovered that a faulty engine on Casper, the Command Module, had to fire. The module was taken around the far side of the Moon where the burn would take place as Mission Control waited for news.

The burn had the desired effect as the astronauts re-established radio contact, and entry and landing proceeded as normal.

Source: NASA.

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Space References (Videos):
Cosmos. PBS, 2000.
Stephen Hawking's Universe. PBS, 1997.
Hyperspace. BBC, 2002.
Life Beyond Earth PBS, 1999.
The Planets. BBC, 1999.
Understanding The Universe. A&E, 1996.