This color educational film offers a view of the Apollo 9 astronauts before, during and after their Earth orbital mission. Presents a record of the training, launch, and rendezvous of the command module (Gumdrop) and the lunar module (Spider), and the return and recovery of the crew. Copyright 1969.

Opening: A Saturn V rocket on the launchpad. The Apollo 9 crew heads for the rocket, in their space suits: James McDivitt, David Scott, and Rusty Schweickart. Title: Apollo 9: The Space Duet of Spider & Gumdrop, music from The Yellow Submarine (:06-2:18). The elevator to the entry point of the rocket goes up with the astronauts in it. Spider is a lunar module, Gumdrop is the mothership, the command module. Saturn V rocket stands on the launchpad. Schweickart is the pilot of Spider, Scott is the pilot of Gumdrop, McDivitt is responsible for both. The astronauts speak to the press about their mission (2:19-4:44). A simulator moves with the men inside. They man their positions and press buttons. Hands on the controls. The simulators of Spider and Gumdrop move towards one another. A prototype for a lunar landing research vehicle is experimented with, it flies into the air. The men test out parachutes by jumping on a wire and by flying over the ocean being pulled by a boat (4:45-7:51). Astronauts walk in their space suits. One of the men climbs into a capsule, the capsule connects to a pool and the astronaut goes into the water to mimic space. Schweickart floats and moves underwater. Pictures of the three astronauts and their families. The three in their spacesuits. The men laugh (7:52-10:21). The press take photos of the men in front of a model of Spider. McDivitt speaks about the Spider module. In the air, on a wire, a module is tested. David Scott speaks about the mission and the modules. McDivitt talks to the press. The top of the Saturn V rocket is lowered. Saturn V on the launchpad. 7:40am, March 3, 1969, launch date, the astronauts get ready and put their helmets on. The men walk towards the rocket (10:22-13:29). Launch of Saturn V rocket and the Apollo 9 mission. The countdown followed by the ignition sequence starting. Booster rockets emit flame and smoke (shown in slow motion). From overhead, we see the rocket ready to go. In slow motion, we have liftoff and the Apollo 9 mission has begun as the rocket clears the tower. The rocket flies towards space (13:30-17:08). Smoke billows from the rocket as it heads for space high up in the atmosphere. The rocket gets smaller and smaller. A portion of the rocket breaks off. In orbit, Apollo 9 astronauts in space. Gumdrop is separated from the rocket. Inside Gumdrop, the astronauts experiment and get ready to go. The astronauts float (17:09-19:30). McDivitt and Schweickart transfer into the Spider. Footage is sent to the earth. Spider’s hatch is open. McDivitt and Schweickart are outside looking at the earth. McDivitt and Schweickart test Spider. The ship flies over the earth (19:31-22:06). Spider flies through space. Spider falls away. Spider heads towards the moon, for a practice return, the ship fires its ascent engine and starts coming back. Scott sees the Spider coming back with his friends onboard (22:07-24:43). Spider slowly turns. Spider and Gumdrop are to dock. They dock and the mission is a success. The astronauts stay on Gumdrop. Spider is jettisoned (24:44-25:57). Gumdrop begins re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. The parachute is launched and the capsule has a successful splashdown in the ocean. A U.S. Navy helicopter has a diver jump out and go to the capsule. Rafts are brought. A Navy ship. The astronauts on the ship. The three astronauts on the telephone, then eating (25:58-27:34). Gumdrop is on the ship, burned and blackened. Spider still in space circling the earth (27:35-28:12). End credits (28:13-28:46).

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com