Students of space history will remember that Apollo 12’s most memorable claim to fame was being struck by lightning during the launch phase. Yet the mission carried on was considered a success. Less successful was NASA’s trajectory of the S-IVB third stage. It was supposed to be sent into a distant solar orbit but because of an instrument error, it spun off on a 40-year odyssey that continues yet today. For a time, it was a mystery object that astronomers couldn’t identity until some strategic spectroscopy returned spectra for white titanium paint. Primal Space’s video explains the details.
Best Of The Web: The Strange Journey Of Apollo 12’s S-IVB Third Stage
Key Takeaways:
- Despite Apollo 12's successful mission after being struck by lightning during launch, its S-IVB third stage deviated from its intended solar orbit due to an instrument error.
- This error sent the S-IVB on an ongoing 40-year journey, becoming a mystery object to astronomers for a period.
- The object was eventually identified through spectroscopy, which detected spectra consistent with white titanium paint, confirming it as the Apollo 12 S-IVB stage.
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