Apollo 9 (Saturn V SA-504): James McDivitt, David Scott, and Russell Schweickart test, in Earth orbit, the rendezvous between the Command Module Gumdrop and the Lunar Module Spider, and the spacesuit in a 38-minute spacewalk; the Saturn V is the E model. With the reentry of Apollo IX and the successful test of the Lunar Module, the path to the Moon is wide open. But it is decided not to risk a landing with Apollo X, which will only attempt to approach within a few kilometers of the surface. This will be attempted for the first time with Apollo XI, and then, if something goes wrong with Apollo XI, Apollo XII is also planned within the year, again before the end of the decade, to fulfill President John Kennedy’s mandate.
