APOLLO 16 ( AS-511 )

Apollo 16 insignia

Apollo 16 prime crew

Thomas K. Mattingly. II(CMP), John W. Young(CDP), Charles M. Duke(LMP), (Left to right)

Mission Status

Spacecraft
Launch date	16. Apr. 1972 17:54:00 UTC(12:54:00 EST)
Mission Designation	AS-511 / SA-511
Launch Pad	PAD 39A
CSM	CSM-113 (Casper)
LM	LM-11 (Orion)
Launch vehcle
Type	Saturn V
First Stage	S-IC-11
Second Stage	S-II-11
Third stage	S-IVB-511
Instrument Unit(IU)	S-IU-511
Prime crew
Commander Pilot:CDP	John W. Young
CM Pilot:CMP	Thomas K. Mattingly. II
LM Pilot:LMP	Charles M. Duke
Backup crew
Commander Pilot:CDP	Fred W. Haise, Jr.
CM Pilot:CMP	Stuart A. Roosa
LM Pilot:LMP	Edgar D. Mitchell
Mission Objective
First study of highlands area. Selected surface experiments deployed, ultraviolet camera/spectrograph used for first time on Moon, and LRV used for second time.
Mission Result
The launch was postponed about one month from the originally scheduled date, March 17, because of a docking ring jettison malfunction. The S-IVB stage was released into a lunar impact trajectory, but due to an earlier problem with the auxiliary propulsion system (APS) helium regulators, which resulted in continuous venting and loss of helium, the second APS burn could not be made. Tracking of the S-IVB was lost. The S-IVB stage impacted position and time was estimated from the Apollo 12, 14 and 15 seismic station data. During translunar coast a CSM navigation problem was discovered in which a false indication would cause loss of inertial reference, this was solved by a real-time change in the computer program. The LM separated from the CSM at 18:08:00 UT, but the LM descent was delayed almost 6 hours due to a malfunction in the yaw gimbal servo loop on the CSM which caused oscillations in the service propulsion system (SPS). Engineers determined that the problem would not seriously affect CSM steering and the miision was allowed to continue with the LM descent. Young and Duke made three moonwalk EVAs totaling 20 hours, 14 minutes. During this time they covered 27 km using the Lunar Roving Vehicle, collected 94.7 kg of rock and soil samples. After LM was jettisoned, the LM began tumbling, apparently due to an open circuit breaker in the guidance and navigation system. As a result the planned deorbit and lunar impact could not be attempted. The LM remained in lunar orbit with an estimated lifetime of one year. The instrument boom which carried the orbital mass spectrometer would not retract and was jettisoned. Because of earlier problems with the SPS yaw gimbal servo loop the mission was shortened by one day. The orbital shaping maneuver was cancelled, and the subsatellite was spring-launched at 21:56:09 UT into an elliptical orbit with a lifetime of one month, rather than the planned one-year orbit. Mattingly began a cislunar EVA to retrieve camera film from the SIM bay and inspect instruments, two trips taking a total of 1 hour, 24 minutes.
Parameters
Launch weight	2,921,005(kg)
Lunar orbits	64
Duration	265:51:05(11days and 1hours)
Landing Location	Descartes Highlands 8.97 degrees South, 15.51 degrees East
Splashed down	27.Apr.1972 19:45:05 UT (14:45:05 EST)
Splashdown point	Pacific Ocean:0 deg 43 min S, 156 deg 13 min W:215 miles southeast of Christmas Island
Recovery ship	U.S.S Ticonderoga