You have been made Command Module Pilot. How do you feel?

[Drunkrobot]

Six men have known solitude like none other. Mike Collins, Dick Gordon, Stu Roosa, All Worden, Men Mattingly, and Ron Evens stayed inside and piloted the Command and Service Module while their crewmates went down to the surface of the Moon.

I really wish this son of a ***** could hold three people.

An unfortunate quirk in the Lunar Orbit Rendezvous mission plan is that one person would have to stay behind so they could dock to the returning Lunar Module. Once the other two separated, all that had to be done to completely isolate the CMP from the rest of humanity was for the CSM to follow it's trajectory around to the far side, where radio signals from Earth, or from the astronauts on the near side, couldn't reach.

On one side of the Moon, this. On the other side, everything else humanity has.

It's safe to say that they were alone.

Let's say that you, as an Apollo astronaut, was given the role of CMP. What would that make you feel, knowing you'll have to train so hard to only get 110km from the surface? How would you deal with the isolation? Would you worry about the say of your Moonwalker comrades, because remember, if they die down there, you would be the sole survivor. Or would getting a view of the Moon that not even the other two crewmembers will ever get help make you feel secure as a vital part of the mission?

[rpayne88]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't they given the opportunity to return to the Moon on a future mission and land?

[PakledHostage]

I recall reading that Mike Collins was offered a chance to command Apollo 17, but he chose to retire from the astronaut program instead.

And I think it would be important to avoid the Buzz Aldrin trap... Buzz may not have been the first person ever to walk on the Moon but he was still the second, yet he's never seemed to get over the fact that he wasn't first. Anyone in that position should keep in mind that even the command module pilots have done something that only a handful of people have ever done. Their place in history is still assured.

[Skyler4856]

^This. I would get to go into space...

[K^2]

Eh, Moon's surface is overrated. I'd be fine with flying the CM. Of course, being LM pilot is fun too. Either one works.

Now, Mars I'd want to step on. But I don't think there is any mission plan that leaves a crew member stuck in orbit, so it's not something I have to think about.

[manskal]

A (somewhat?) relevant xkcd post on this topic:

http://what-if.xkcd.com/72/

[lajoswinkler]

I agree. I'd totally be like this, thinking "nobody can see me now".

[peadar1987]

I think I'd be delighted just to be involved

[jwenting]

not having to spend hours wiping dust from the LM floor before pressurising the thing alone is worth being stuck in the CM. And you have a better view too

[DonLorenzo]

1. YES IM GOING!!! AWESOME. MOON HERE WE COME BABY

2. Oh **** I'm not going to land on it, shucks

3. Oh well, at least I'm not going to crash on it either

[Tommygun]

I'd be happy just to be part of the team, but then again I might take a few minutes of that radio silence and cuss out those two lucky *******s out load.

[John Nowak]

Pretty darned good. There's only two guys in the astronaut program who wouldn't switch places with me.

[DisarmingBaton5]

Put it this way:

-I get to go to space

-I get to go to space on an awesome rocket

-I get to go to the moon

-I get a great view

-I get to be part of a Lunar mission

-I get to have a few minutes alone on the far side

So yeah, pretty good. Might not beat the other two, but I'd be happy as a CM pilot.

[thunderstar]

i'll be happy as f*ck i mean i will be one of the few people that went to the moon, or really close to it, i mean of course i would liked to land on it, but orbit is great enough