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A remarkable survival from the navigational planning of the Apollo 11 mission, this large-format Earth orbit chart depicts the second revolution ground track of the Apollo Command and Service Module (CSM) for the three approved July 1969 launch dates: 16, 18, and 21 July. It is Sheet 2 of a three-part chart series developed to support the launch and Earth-orbit phase of the first crewed lunar landing.
Printed on a Mercator projection at a scale of 1:40,000,000 at the equator, the chart was produced by the Aeronautical Chart and Information Center (ACIC) under the direction of the Department of Defense and in cooperation with NASA. It presents a detailed view of orbital ground tracks for launch azimuths of 72°, 90°, and 108°, corresponding to variations in the launch trajectory from Kennedy Space Center.
Blue tracks indicate the spacecraft’s orbital path for each of the proposed launch windows, with tick marks at one-minute intervals and numerical labels at ten-minute increments of elapsed time from launch. Red curves and labels indicate the timing and global position of the first Translunar Injection (TLI) opportunities, the critical rocket burns required to propel the spacecraft from Earth orbit toward the Moon. These are shown for each of the three potential launch dates, with specific arcs labeled “TLI (16 July),” “TLI (18 July),” and “TLI (21 July),” converging over the central Pacific.
Prominently marked are two “Injection Ships” stationed near the equator to monitor the translunar injection window, a vital element of the tracking and abort support network. Additional symbols indicate the locations and coverage arcs of ground-based tracking stations, aircraft, and recovery ships, including major outposts such as Ascension Island, Hickam AFB in Hawaii, Andersen AFB in Guam, and Carnarvon and Pearce in Australia. The black lobes outlining coverage zones demonstrate reliance on global coordination to maintain telemetry and voice communication during the mission’s early orbital phases.
This edition, dated 19 June 1969, reflects the finalized mission geometry just weeks before launch. It would have been distributed to key NASA centers, recovery forces, and shipboard operations rooms for use in live mission tracking. Most copies were discarded after use or lost in the turnover between mission phases. Today, original AEO charts from Apollo 11, especially those showing operationally critical paths like Revolution 2 and the first TLI opportunities, are highly sought-after artifacts of space history.
The Apollo 11 mission, launched on July 16, 1969, was a historic and groundbreaking spaceflight that marked the first time humans set foot on the moon. Led by commander Neil A. Armstrong, lunar module pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin, and command module pilot Michael Collins, the mission achieved the ambitious goal set by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to land humans on the moon and return them safely to Earth. On July 20, 1969, Armstrong and Aldrin spent over two hours exploring the lunar surface, collecting samples, and conducting experiments, while Collins orbited above in the command module. Armstrong's famous words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," encapsulate the monumental impact of the Apollo 11 mission on human history, as it demonstrated the incredible achievements made possible through scientific innovation, collaboration, and determination.
