Science & Tech
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Apollo 9 and 10 served as vital dress rehearsals before a moon landing could be attempted. As Apollo spacecraft program manager George Low explained, landing on the Moon would have to wait a little longer because more had to be flown first. Apollo 9 was the first mission to launch with all its lunar hardware aboard, including the lunar module and space suits with portable life support systems. Remaining in Earth's orbit, its crew maneuvered and docked the command module and lunar module to demonstrate that this crucial operation was feasible in space. Apollo 10 then flew close to the Moon, maneuvering the lunar module to within 10 miles of the lunar surface, surveying the proposed Apollo 11 landing site at the Sea of Tranquility, performing every task except touching down, and sending back the first color TV broadcasts from space. With these successful flights, the stage was set for Apollo 11.
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