1950s-70s Space Race to The Moon: 1969-03-03 USA Apollo 9

A cover from "Heritage Crafts," signed by the Apollo 9 crew, features a Kennedy Space Center machine cancellation dated March 3, 1969, marking the launch date of the first flight of the lunar module. This piece, autographed by Dave Scott, James McDivitt and Rusty Schweickart, originates from the collection of Steven R. Belasco. - Heritage Auction

Launched on March 3, 1969, Apollo 9 marked the third crewed flight in NASA's Apollo program. The three-member crew consisted of Commander James McDivitt, Command Module Pilot David Scott, and Lunar Module Pilot Rusty Schweickart. Over the course of the ten-day mission, they conducted tests on crucial systems and procedures needed for a Moon landing, including the Lunar Module (LM) engines, backpack life support systems, navigation systems, and docking maneuvers. The mission concluded on March 13 and effectively showcased the LM's readiness for crewed spaceflight, setting the stage for the upcoming Moon landing rehearsal, Apollo 10, and the ultimate objective of landing on the Moon.

Photo: The Apollo 9 crew (from left to right), Rusty Schweickart, James McDivitt, Dave Scott, and their mission insignia. This photograph was taken at a news conference on February 8, 1969.


Photo: Apollo 9 crew at news conferences on January 25 and February 8, 1969.

This Apollo 9 commemorative cover features a printed cachet displaying the mission insignia and is postmarked at Kennedy Space Center on the day of the launch. It bears the signatures of James McDivitt, Rusty Schweickart, and Dave Scott. The cover is addressed to E. Clinton Towl, a founder and former chief executive of Grumman Corporation. While working on Wall Street, he contributed to the founding of the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation in 1929. Towl's career at Grumman spanned various roles, advancing from bookkeeper to treasurer, then vice president, and ultimately being elected president in 1960. He served as chairman and chief executive from 1966 to 1975, providing leadership for Grumman’s diverse programs, including negotiating the Lunar Module contract with NASA in 1962.

Photo: The Apollo 9 launch was delayed from February 28 to March 3, 1969, due to all three astronauts suffering from colds.

The mission was designed to validate the Lunar Module (LM) for operations in lunar orbit in anticipation of the first Moon landing. This was achieved by demonstrating the LM's descent and ascent propulsion systems. It proved that the crew could operate the LM autonomously and successfully rendezvous and dock with the Command and Service Module (CSM) again, which was essential for the upcoming crewed lunar landing. Other objectives included firing the LM's descent engine to propel the spacecraft stack as a backup mode, as needed during the Apollo 13 mission, and using the portable life support system backpack outside the LM cabin.

An official NASA cachet for Apollo 9 is featured on this cover, which bears a Kennedy Space Center machine cancel from the launch day, March 3, 1969. It is signed by James McDivitt, Dave Scott, and Rusty Schweickart.


Photo: Commander James McDivitt of Apollo 9.

Apollo 9 cover from "Orbit Covers," postmarked at Cape Canaveral on March 3, 1969, and signed by James McDivitt, Rusty Schweickart, and Dave Scott.

Apollo 9 launch cover, postmarked on March 3, 1969, at Cape Canaveral, and signed by James McDivitt, Rusty Schweickart, and Dave Scott.

After its launch on March 3, 1969, the crew undertook the first crewed flight of a lunar module, successfully completed the initial docking and extraction of the lunar module, performed a two-person spacewalk (EVA), and accomplished the second docking of two crewed spacecraft—only two months after the Soviets executed a crew transfer via spacewalk between Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5.

A Sarzin cover featuring a cachet that illustrates the docking of the command module with the lunar module includes printed signatures of the astronauts and is postmarked March 3, 1969, at Cape Canaveral.

On the third day of the mission, the flight plan included the commander and lunar module pilot entering the Lunar Module (LM) to inspect its systems and use its descent engine to maneuver the entire spacecraft.

On March 5, 1969, McDivitt and Schweickart entered the Lunar Module (LM), marking the first successful transfer between vehicles without a spacewalk in the U.S. space program—only two months after the Soviets accomplished a crew transfer via spacewalk between Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5. This cover, postmarked at Cape Canaveral, bears the signature of James McDivitt.

On March 6, 1969, Schweickart exited the hatch of the Lunar Module and made his way along the exterior of the spacecraft to the hatch of the Command Module. This maneuver demonstrated that such a transfer could be executed in case of an emergency.

Rusty Schweickart performed the first Apollo 9 spacewalk on March 6, 1969.

On March 7, 1969, McDivitt and Schweickart undocked from the Lunar Module and activated its descent engine twice, elevating their orbit to 20 kilometers higher than that of the Command and Service Modules, where Scott remained. They discarded the lunar module’s descent stage and ignited its ascent stage engine, marking the first use of this engine in space. Subsequently, they guided the ascent stage back to rendezvous with the Command and Service Modules, simulating a return from the lunar surface.

First manned test of the Lunar Excursion Module (LEM), postmarked March 7, 1969, at Cape Canaveral, with signatures from Rusty Schweickart and James McDivitt. - RRAuction

A NASA local post cover featuring the first manned link-up between the lunar and command modules, postmarked March 7, 1969, in Houston.

Apollo 9 was designed to stay in space for about ten days to assess the performance of the Command and Service Module (CSM) during a lunar mission. Key events were prioritized for the first few days to ensure their completion in the event of an early flight termination. The subsequent days in orbit were planned to follow a more leisurely pace. After achieving the main mission objectives, McDivitt and Schweickart captured special photographs of Earth through the hatch window with Hasselblad cameras, while Scott focused on continuing tests of the CSM.

Rendezvous with the Command and Service Modules to simulate a return from the lunar surface, postmarked March 7, 1969, at Cape Canaveral, and signed by Dave Scott.

Photo: Apollo 9 splashed down near Grand Turk Island on March 13, 1969.

The front of the postcard features the Apollo 9 crew, and it is postmarked on the USS Guadalcanal with a Beck rubber stamped cachet. The back displays the ship's cachet.

Photo: A helicopter hovers above the Apollo 9 command module as the USS Guadalcanal stands by during the recovery operation.

Apollo 9 cover from the USS Guadalcanal recovery ship, featuring a Beck rubber stamped cachet and a maroon USS Guadalcanal ship's stamped cachet. This postmark variation shows the ship's name at the top of the hand cancel. - RegencyStamps

Apollo 9 cover from the USS Guadalcanal recovery ship, featuring a Beck rubber stamped cachet and a black USS Guadalcanal ship's stamped cachet. This postmark variation shows the ship's name at the bottom of the hand cancel.

Photo: The Apollo 9 crew walks down the red carpet of the USS Guadalcanal recovery ship in their socks.

Photo: The Apollo 9 crew alongside Captain Roy Sudduth, the commanding officer of the USS Guadalcanal.

Apollo 9 cover from the USS Guadalcanal recovery ship featuring a Beck rubber stamped cachet. This cover is signed by Jim McDivitt, Dave Scott, and Rusty Schweickart.