Journey to the Moon

Three days of flight through the emptiness between Earth and the Moon. Shortly after the TLI burn, the crew performed a critical maneuver: transposition, docking, and extraction of the Lunar Module from the rocket's third stage.

Collins separated the command module Columbia, turned it 180 degrees, approached the S-IVB stage again, and docked with the Lunar Module Eagle stowed in its adapter. The combined spacecraft then continued toward the Moon, while the spent stage was diverted onto a solar orbit. The spacecraft flew in a slow rotation — the "barbecue roll" — to distribute solar heating evenly.

During the journey, the crew broadcast two color television transmissions for viewers on Earth. On July 19 at 17:22 UTC, behind the far side of the Moon and out of contact with Earth, they performed a six-minute braking burn and entered lunar orbit at an altitude of 111 km.