Apollo 14

Key facts

Mission & specifications

Mission

Apollo 14 carried Alan Shepard back into space — the first American in space, now, a decade later, commanding a voyage to the Moon. Launched on 31 January 1971, Shepard, Stuart Roosa and Edgar Mitchell flew to the Fra Mauro highlands, the geologically rich destination Apollo 13 had been forced to abandon. The landing was a redemption for the programme after the near-disaster, and it nearly went awry itself: a faulty abort switch and a balky landing radar threatened the descent until last-minute workarounds saved it. Shepard and Mitchell made two excursions on foot, hauling their equipment on a wheeled cart, and on a difficult trek toward Cone crater they came up just short of the rim in rough, confusing terrain. At the end of the last moonwalk, Shepard improvised a moment of showmanship: he fixed a golf-club head to a sample tool and hit two golf balls across the lunar surface, one of which, he joked, sailed 'miles and miles and miles' in the low gravity. Apollo 14 restored confidence after Apollo 13 and returned a wealth of ancient highland rock.

1. 1971Apollo 14 launchesLaunch

   Shepard, Roosa and Mitchell head for Fra Mauro, the site Apollo 13 could not reach.

2. 1971Landing at Fra MauroMilestone

   Shepard and Mitchell land after overcoming abort-switch and radar troubles during descent.

3. 1971Golf on the MoonMilestone

   At the end of the last moonwalk, Shepard hits two golf balls across the lunar surface.

4. 1971SplashdownMission end

   Apollo 14 restores confidence after Apollo 13 and returns ancient highland rock.

Images

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