Space History Photo: 'Gumdrop Meets Spider'

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By NASA Archives
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space history, Apollo 9, NASA
Astronaut David R. Scott pictured with two command/service modules outside the Lunar Module. (Image credit: NASA | Russell L. Schweickart)

In this historical photo from the U.S. space agency, Apollo 9 Command/Service Modules (CSM) nicknamed "Gumdrop" and Lunar Module (LM), nicknamed "Spider" are shown docked together as Command Module pilot David R. Scott stands in the open hatch on March 6, 1969.

Astronaut Russell L. Schweickart, Lunar Module pilot, took this photograph of Scott during his EVA as he stood on the porch outside the Lunar Module.

Apollo 9 was an Earth orbital mission designed to test docking procedures between the CSM and LM as well as test fly the Lunar Module in the relative safe confines of Earth orbit.

Each weekday, SPACE.com looks back at the history of spaceflight through photos (archive).

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NASA Archives
NASA Archives
U.S. Space Agency

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