The final mission before the landmark Apollo 11, Apollo 10 served as a dress rehearsal, testing every aspect of the Moon landing except for the actual landing itself. On May 18, the crew of Commander Tom Stafford, Command Module Pilot John Young, and Lunar Module Pilot Gene Cernan blasted off from Kennedy Space Center.
While the Apollo 11 Lunar Module was given a majestic name, fitting the historic moment (“Eagle”), Apollo 10’s crew named their Command Module and Lunar Module “Charlie Brown” and “Snoopy.” On May 22, 1969, Stafford and Cernan navigated Snoopy to its closest approach to the lunar surface, about 9 miles (14.4 kilometers) above the Sea of Tranquility. All systems of the Lunar Module were tested, including radar and flight control, and docking procedures were rehearsed. The crew also gathered data on the effects of the Moon’s gravity, and conducted 19 live color TV broadcasts. Snoopy was jettisoned in two parts, the descent module falling into lunar orbit, and the ascent stage eventually reaching a solar orbit. The Apollo 10 crew returned to Earth on May 26, 1969, its mission a success and the stage set for Apollo 11.
