{"id":96293,"date":"2022-04-29T16:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-29T20:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-479164"},"modified":"2024-04-23T12:50:42","modified_gmt":"2024-04-23T16:50:42","slug":"50-years-ago-apollo-16-splashes-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-apollo-16-splashes-down\/","title":{"rendered":"50 Years Ago: Apollo 16 Splashes Down"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>On April 27, 1972, Apollo 16 astronauts <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/young_john.pdf?emrc=1bda00\" rel=\"noopener\">John W. Young<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/MattinglyTK\/mattinglytk.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Thomas K. \u201cKen\u201d Mattingly<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/DukeCM\/dukecm.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Charles M. Duke<\/a> successfully ended their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-apollo-16-on-the-moon-at-descartes\/\" rel=\"noopener\">11-day Moon landing<\/a> mission with a splashdown in their Command Module (CM) Casper in the Pacific Ocean. Recovery teams from the U.S.S. Ticonderoga (CVS-14) monitored the descent and landing and retrieved the astronauts and their spacecraft. Officials from NASA and the U.S. Navy greeted the astronauts as they stepped off the recovery helicopter. President Richard M. Nixon telephoned to congratulate them on their successful mission. They spent their first night on Earth aboard Ticonderoga before beginning the journey home to Houston. Workers removed toxic materials from Casper to make it safe for transport back to its manufacturer for postflight inspections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"337\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_1_tico_sailors_in_formation.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown_tico_sailors_in_formation\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"253\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_2_as16-0542-72p-148.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"><br><em>Left: Aerial view of sailors aboard the prime recovery ship U.S.S. Ticonderoga, standing in a formation spelling out \u201cApollo 16.\u201d Right: Distant view from a recovery helicopter of the Apollo 16 Command Module Casper at the moment of main parachute opening.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Young, Mattingly, and Duke awoke after their last night\u2019s sleep in space, Casper had closed the distance to Earth to 52,000 miles and its velocity continued to increase. Out the spacecraft\u2019s windows, the relative size of the Earth had increased but the visible portion had shrunk to a thin crescent with only about 10 percent of the planet illuminated from the astronauts\u2019 perspective. In Mission Control at the Manned Spacecraft Center, now NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Flight Director <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/ShafferPC\/shafferpc.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Philip C. Shaffer<\/a> and his Purple Team of controllers, including capsule communicator (capcom) <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/HartsfieldHW\/hartsfieldhw.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Henry W. \u201cHank\u201d Hartsfield<\/a> took over the consoles to see the crew through to splashdown. In preparation for reentry and landing, the astronauts shut down the instruments in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-one-month-until-apollo-15\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Scientific Instrument Module (SIM)<\/a> bay for the final time. They performed a minor course correction using the Service Module\u2019s Reaction Control System thrusters to slightly tweak their spacecraft\u2019s trajectory for reentry. The 4-second burn took place with Apollo 16 28,000 miles from Earth. The astronauts powered up the CM\u2019s Reaction Control System thrusters to prepare it for its solo entry through the atmosphere and separated from the Service Module at an altitude of a little more than 3,000 miles. They maneuvered Casper so its heat shield faced in the direction of flight. The spacecraft experienced the upper layers of Earth\u2019s atmosphere at about 400,000 feet, the point known as entry interface, at a velocity of 24,663 miles per hour. The spacecraft\u2019s motion compressed the molecules of the thin air to create a sheath of plasma around the capsule, blocking out communications for about three and a half minutes. The astronauts briefly experienced a force of about 7 g due to the rapid deceleration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"216\" height=\"260\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_3_as16-0543-s72-36235.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"260\" height=\"260\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_4_as16-0545c-s72-36291-4.27.72.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"260\" height=\"260\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_5_as16-0550b-s72-36293-4.27.72.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"><br><em>Left: Distant view of Apollo 16 descending on its three main parachutes. Middle: Apollo 16 moments before splashdown. Right: Splashdown of Apollo 16!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the radio blackout, Casper jettisoned its forward heat shield, also known as the apex cover, at 24,000 feet to enable the two drogue parachutes to deploy to help stabilize and slow the spacecraft to 170 miles per hour. At 10,000 feet, the three 83-foot-wide main parachutes deployed. Apollo 16 splashed down about three miles from the U.S.S. Ticonderoga and 3.4 miles from the planned target point, after a mission lasting 11 days, 1 hour, 51 minutes. The capsule first assumed a Stable II orientation, with its apex pointing into the water. Three self-inflating balloons righted the spacecraft within four and a half minutes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"334\" height=\"210\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_6_as16-0557a-72-hc-453-4.27.72.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"263\" height=\"210\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_7_as16-0561-s72-36435.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"><br><em>Left: View of the Apollo 16 Command Module taken by one of the recovery swimmers. Right: Recovery team members ready to open the hatch.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Aided by swimmers from Task Force 130, Pacific Recovery Area, Young, Mattingly, and Duke exited Casper onto a life raft. First Duke, then Mattingly, and finally Young were lifted aboard a recovery helicopter and transported to Ticonderoga\u2019s flight deck, arriving 37 minutes after splashdown. On the ship, captain of Ticonderoga Edward A. Boyd, Rear Admiral Henry S. Morgan, commander of the Pacific Recovery Force, and hundreds of cheering sailors greeted them. Young, Mattingly, and Duke gave speeches, thanking the teams at NASA who trained them for the mission and the U.S. Navy who recovered them. In Mission Control, the room filled with not only the flight controllers but many VIPs, and the customary cigars were lit as soon as Young, Mattingly, and Duke emerged from the recovery helicopter and stepped onto the ship\u2019s deck. Sailors retrieved Casper onto Ticonderoga\u2019s flight deck 62 minutes after. The astronauts received their first medical examinations aboard Ticonderoga, with flight surgeons declaring them to be in excellent health after their 11-day trip to the Moon and back. They took showers, participated in celebrations with the ship\u2019s crew, and talked by telephone with President Richard M. Nixon, who congratulated them on their successful mission. They spent their first night back on Earth aboard the recovery ship before beginning their trip back to Houston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"277\" height=\"180\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_8_as16-0562a-72-hc-452-4.27.72.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"229\" height=\"180\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_9_as16-0567-s72-36451.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"227\" height=\"180\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_10_as16-0568-s72-36492.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"><br><em>Left: Apollo 16 astronaut Thomas K. \u201cKen\u201d Mattingly climbs out of the capsule and onto the recovery craft. Middle: Charles M. Duke exits the spacecraft. Right: John W. Young climbs out of the capsule.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"264\" height=\"210\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_11_as16-0572-s72-36508.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"324\" height=\"210\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_12_as16-0574-72hc-328.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"><br><em>Two views of Apollo 16 astronauts Charles M. Duke, left, John W. Young, and Thomas K. \u201cKen\u201d Mattingly aboard the recovery raft, awaiting pickup by the recovery helicopter.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"276\" height=\"210\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_13_as16-0583-s72-36526.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"205\" height=\"210\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_14_s72-36262_full.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"246\" height=\"210\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_15_as16-0600-s72-36361.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"><br><em>Left: Apollo 16 astronauts John W. Young, left, Charles M. Duke, and Thomas K. \u201cKen\u201d Mattingly exit the recovery helicopter on the deck of the prime recovery ship U.S.S. Ticonderoga. Middle: The welcoming reception on the deck of the Ticonderoga. Right: Below decks, Young cuts a Moon-shaped cake as Mattingly and Duke, partly hidden, watch.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"303\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_16_as16-0596-s72-36268.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"302\" height=\"240\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_17_as16-0597-s72-36316.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"><br><em>Left: The prime recovery ship U.S.S. Ticonderoga has pulled alongside the Apollo 16 Command Module Casper. Right: Sailors hoist Apollo 16 onto the Ticonderoga.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"293\" height=\"230\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_18_as16-0603-s72-36575.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"293\" height=\"230\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_19_as16-0605-s72-36589.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"><br><em>Left: Apollo 16 astronaut John W. Young inspects the Apollo 16 Command Module Casper aboard the U.S.S. Ticonderoga. Right: Thomas K. \u201cKen\u201d Mattingly inspects Casper after its recovery.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"292\" height=\"232\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_20_as16-0609-.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"288\" height=\"232\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_21_as16-0610-s72-36189.jpg\" alt=\"apollo_16_splashdown\"><br><em>Two views of workmen safing the Apollo 16 Command Module aboard the U.S.S. Ticonderoga following its recovery.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 article_a hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-credits-and-details\">\n<section class=\"padding-x-0 padding-top-5 padding-bottom-2 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-2 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Share<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"social-icons social-icons-round\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-x\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/intent\/tweet?via=NASA&text=50%20Years%20Ago%3A%20Apollo%2016%20Splashes%20Down&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fhistory%2F50-years-ago-apollo-16-splashes-down%2F\" aria-label=\"Share on X.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"1200\" height=\"1227\" viewBox=\"0 0 1200 1227\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M714.163 519.284L1160.89 0H1055.03L667.137 450.887L357.328 0H0L468.492 681.821L0 1226.37H105.866L515.491 750.218L842.672 1226.37H1200L714.137 519.284H714.163ZM569.165 687.828L521.697 619.934L144.011 79.6944H306.615L611.412 515.685L658.88 583.579L1055.08 1150.3H892.476L569.165 687.854V687.828Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-facebook\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fhistory%2F50-years-ago-apollo-16-splashes-down%2F\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M9 8h-3v4h3v12h5v-12h3.642l.358-4h-4v-1.667c0-.955.192-1.333 1.115-1.333h2.885v-5h-3.808c-3.596 0-5.192 1.583-5.192 4.615v3.385z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-linkedin\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fhistory%2F50-years-ago-apollo-16-splashes-down%2F\" aria-label=\"Share on LinkedIn.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M4.98 3.5c0 1.381-1.11 2.5-2.48 2.5s-2.48-1.119-2.48-2.5c0-1.38 1.11-2.5 2.48-2.5s2.48 1.12 2.48 2.5zm.02 4.5h-5v16h5v-16zm7.982 0h-4.968v16h4.969v-8.399c0-4.67 6.029-5.052 6.029 0v8.399h4.988v-10.131c0-7.88-8.922-7.593-11.018-3.714v-2.155z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-rss\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/feed\/\" aria-label=\"Subscribe to RSS feed.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 800 800\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M493 652H392c0-134-111-244-244-244V307c189 0 345 156 345 345zm71 0c0-228-188-416-416-416V132c285 0 520 235 520 520z\"\/><circle cx=\"219\" cy=\"581\" r=\"71\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Details<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row margin-bottom-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading\">Last Updated<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-8\">Apr 23, 2024<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\"><div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black \"><div class=\"margin-bottom-2\"><h2 class=\"heading-14\">Related Terms<\/h2><\/div><ul class=\"article-tags\"><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/\">NASA History<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/the-apollo-program\/\">Apollo<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission\/apollo-16\/\">Apollo 16<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/astronauts\/former-astronauts\/charles-m-duke-jr\/\">Charles M. Duke Jr.<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/former-astronaut-john-w-young\/\">John W. Young<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/humans-in-space\/astronauts\/former-astronaut-thomas-k-mattingly-ii\/\">Thomas K. Mattingly II<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-articles\">\t\t<section class=\"hds-related-articles padding-x-0 padding-y-3 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"w-100 grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0 text-align-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-4\"><h2 style=\"max-width: 100%;\" class=\"width-full w-full maxw-full\">Explore More<\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/flag-day-2024-one-small-flags-incredible-journey\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?resize=400,300 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?resize=900,675 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">7 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">Flag Day 2024 \u2013 One Small Flag\u2019s Incredible Journey<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 day ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/55-years-ago-manned-orbiting-laboratory-cancellation\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"212\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mol-cancellation-4-mol-group-1-astronauts.jpg?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mol-cancellation-4-mol-group-1-astronauts.jpg 424w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mol-cancellation-4-mol-group-1-astronauts.jpg?resize=300,212 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mol-cancellation-4-mol-group-1-astronauts.jpg?resize=400,283 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">10 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">55 Years Ago: Manned Orbiting Laboratory Cancellation<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t3 days ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/55-years-ago-star-trek-final-episode-airs-relationship-with-nasa-endures\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"217\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/star-trek-final-episode-13-armstrong-at-doohan-farewell-anne-cusack-la-times-2004.jpg?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/star-trek-final-episode-13-armstrong-at-doohan-farewell-anne-cusack-la-times-2004.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/star-trek-final-episode-13-armstrong-at-doohan-farewell-anne-cusack-la-times-2004.jpg?resize=300,217 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/star-trek-final-episode-13-armstrong-at-doohan-farewell-anne-cusack-la-times-2004.jpg?resize=768,555 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/star-trek-final-episode-13-armstrong-at-doohan-farewell-anne-cusack-la-times-2004.jpg?resize=400,289 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/star-trek-final-episode-13-armstrong-at-doohan-farewell-anne-cusack-la-times-2004.jpg?resize=600,434 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">15 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">55 Years Ago: Star Trek Final Episode Airs, Relationship with NASA Endures<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1 week ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On April 27, 1972, Apollo 16 astronauts John W. Young, Thomas K. \u201cKen\u201d Mattingly, and Charles M. Duke successfully ended their 11-day Moon landing mission with a splashdown in their Command Module (CM) Casper in the Pacific Ocean. Recovery teams from the U.S.S. Ticonderoga (CVS-14) monitored the descent and landing and retrieved the astronauts and [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":99476,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2671,2713,2926,3514,3752,3627],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[12664],"coauthors":[11996],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"50 Years Ago: Apollo 16 Splashes Down","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-apollo-16-splashes-down\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-apollo-16-splashes-down\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_1_tico_sailors_in_formation.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_1_tico_sailors_in_formation.jpg"},"articleSection":"NASA History","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"John Uri"}],"creator":["John Uri"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Humans in Space","Astronauts","Former Astronauts","Thomas K. Mattingly II","NASA History","Apollo","Apollo 16","Charles M. Duke Jr.","John W. Young"],"dateCreated":"2022-04-29T20:30:00Z","datePublished":"2022-04-29T20:30:00Z","dateModified":"2024-04-23T16:50:42Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"50 Years Ago: Apollo 16 Splashes Down\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/50-years-ago-apollo-16-splashes-down\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_1_tico_sailors_in_formation.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2022-04-29T20:30:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Humans in Space,Astronauts,Former Astronauts,Thomas K. Mattingly II,NASA History,Apollo,Apollo 16,Charles M. Duke Jr.,John W. Young\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"John Uri\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":5,"time_ago":"2 years","featured_image":{"id":99476,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/apollo_16_splashdown_1_tico_sailors_in_formation.jpg","title":"apollo_16_splashdown_1_tico_sailors_in_formation","alt":"apollo_16_splashdown_tico_sailors_in_formation","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96293"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96293"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96293\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":652090,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96293\/revisions\/652090"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/99476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96293"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96293"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=96293"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=96293"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=96293"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}