When the first three astronauts visited the moon two went in the landing module what did the third astronaut do?

Answer 1

The first 3 astronauts to visit the moon were Frank Borman, James Lovell and Bill Anders on Apollo 8.There was no lunar module on the Apollo 8 flight. As the only rookie on the flight, Anders held the position of Lunar Module Pilot. His job was basically photographing the lunar surface.It was Anders who shot the famous Earthrise photo during the 4th orbit on Christmas Eve, 1968. The photo was taken with a Hassselblad camera using a 500mm telephoto lens. The earth would have been a tiny dot if he'd used the standard 80mm lens. The 500mm lens was used to shoot closeups of the lunar surface, while the 80mm lens gave lunar geologists a good overall view of the general geology of the area.

Without a Lunar Module, all 3Apollo 8 astronautswere free to photograph possible Apollo landing sites and other sites of various scientific interest. They had trained for 2 years to fly a high earth orbital mission that would simulate a command module'sreturn to earth. Their mission was changed to a lunar orbit after the success of Apollo 7, 2 months before Apollo 8 lifted off for the moon. The sudden change and intense training that followed in those 2 months made it impossible for the astronauts to be properly trained lunar observers. They did however learn the names of the craters and basic formations over which they flew, so they would know what to photograph once they arrived in lunar orbit.

TheCommand Module pilots that followed Apollo 8 to the moon (Apollo 10 through Apollo 17) did the same basic thing. They all followed different paths (orbits) around the moon photographing different portions of it for the scientists and for possible future landing sites.Beginning with the Apollo 15 flight, the Command Module pilot used the same reconnaissance cameras used by the high altitude aircrafts that fly around the earth.Their cameras were stationed outside the vehicle in a section of the Service Module.The Service Module, which provides oxygen, water and electricity to the Command Module sitsjust behind the Command Module. Ithides the heat sheild and must be jettisonned about an hour before splashdown. Because it is jettisonned, an astronaut must perform an Extra Vehicular Activity (spacewalk) to retrieve the film from those cameras.This was done during the return trip back to earth, a few hours after leaving lunar orbit.

The Command Module Pilot (CMP) was also trained in lunar geology. He was not able to pick up rocks from the surface, but he was able to make very important scientific observations while flying 60 miles above the moon. Al Worden,the Apollo 15 CMP, noticed cinder cones in the area of Taurus Littrow. Cinder cones are signs of previous volcanic activity. Worden's report to the scientists back on earth led to Taurus Littrow being selected as the landing site for Apollo 17. During the second EVA, Astronaut Harrison Schmitt, found orange soilnear the rim ofShorty Crater. It was that orange soil that Worden saw from 60 miles above. Orange soil was basically dried magma, proving thatShorty Crater began life asa volcano. Those were the only volcanic rocks returned to earth by the Apollo astronauts.

In addition to photographing and observing, the CMP was also responsible for many atmospheric and lunar magnetic experiments from orbit. For the most part, they were bussier than the 2 men who walked on the moon. In almost all cases, the CMP's lost more weight from lack of eating than the moonwalkers lost from walking on its surface.