February 9


9 February 1971


The Apollo 14 Command Module approaches touchdown in the South Pacific Ocean. The splashdown occurred on February 9, 1971, approximately 765 nautical miles south of American Samoa. The three crew men were flown by helicopter to the USS New Orleans prime recovery ship. Credit: NASA

On February 9, 1971, at 20:35:44 UT, the Apollo 14 Command Module separated from the Service Module, and, at 21:05:00 UT, splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after a mission elapsed time of 216 h, 01 min, 58 s. The splashdown point was 27 deg 1 min S, 172 deg 39 min W, 765 nautical miles south of American Samoa. The three astronauts – Alan B. Shepard Jr. (1923–1998), Stuart A. Roosa (1933–1994), and Edgar D. Mitchell (1930–2016) – and capsule were picked up by the recovery ship USS New Orleans. This was the last Apollo mission in which the astronauts were put in quarantine after their return. The crew collected a total of 42.28 kilograms of Moon rock and soil for a geological investigation back on the Earth.

The Apollo 14 Command Module (CM) splashes down and two of its three main parachutes can be seen collapsing, as the 10-day mission comes to a safe and successful end. Credit: NASA

Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, Lunar Module pilot, is assisted out of the Command Module (CM) by a U.S. Navy underwater demolition team swimmer during the Apollo 14 recovery operations in the South Pacific Ocean. Mitchell was followed out of the spacecraft by astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander; and Stuart A. Roosa, Command Module pilot. Roosa is partially visible behind Mitchell. The Apollo 14 splashdown occurred at 3:04:39 p.m. (CST), Feb. 9, 1971, in the South Pacific Ocean, approximately 765 nautical miles from American Samoa. They were transported by U.S. Navy helicopter to the USS New Orleans, prime recovery vessel. Credit: NASA


© 2026, Andrew Mirecki



9 February 2021


Artist's depiction of the Emirates Mars Mission. Credit: MBRSC

On February 9, 2021, the Emirates Mars Mission (Al Amal) spacecraft entered orbit around Mars at 15:57 UTC with the completion of its 27-minute orbit insertion burn. The burn required about 400 kg of hydrazine. The initial orbit was was about 1,000 x 49,380 km x 19.6 deg. with a period of 40 hours. The science orbit is roughly 22,000 x 43,000 km with a period of 55 hours and a 25 degree inclination. The periapse is near the equator. The mission launched from Tanegashima Space Center in Japan on July 19, 2020.

Built by the United Arab Emirates, the mission will orbit Mars and study the dynamics of the Martian atmosphere and its interaction with outer space and the solar wind. The primary scientific objectives are to search for the connection between current Martian weather and the ancient climate of Mars, study the loss mechanisms of Mars' atmosphere to space by tracking the behavior and escape of hydrogen and oxygen, investigate how the lower and upper levels of the Martian atmosphere are connected, and create a global picture of how the Martian atmosphere varies throughout the day and year.

The first science image taken by the Emirates eXploration Imager (EXI). The image was taken at an orbit altitude of 24,700 km above the Martian surface at 20:36 UTC on 10 February 2021, one day after arriving at Mars. Prominent are the three large shield volcanoes of Tharsis Montes (Ascraeus Mons, Pavonis Mons, and Arsia Mons). Looking east or to the right of the three volcanoes, is the mighty canyon system of Valles Marineris, filled with clouds. Image Credit: MBRSC/UAE Space Agency/CU-LASP/EMM-EXI

The Emirates eXploration Imager (EXI) captured this view of Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the solar system, at 9:33 UTC on February 26, 2021, from an altitude of 13,007 km. Credit: MBRSC


Image of Valles Marineris taken by taken by the Emirates Mars Mission spacecraft on March 16, 2021, from an altitude of 12,009 km. Credit: Emirates Mars Mission/EXI/Andrea Luck
 

© 2026, Andrew Mirecki

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