Apollo 9 spacecraft floats in Atlantic recovery area after splashdown

S69-27925 (13 March 1969) --- The Apollo 9 spacecraft, with astronauts James A. McDivitt, David R. Scott, and Russell L. Schweickart aboard, floats in the Atlantic immediately after splashdown. Moments later the three crewmen were picked up by a helicopter and flown to the deck of the USS Guadalcanal, prime recovery ship for the Apollo 9 10-day Earth-orbital space mission. Splashdown occurred at 12:00:53 p.m. (EST), March 13, 1969, only 4.5 nautical miles from the USS Guadalcanal. Just after this picture was taken U.S. Navy underwater demolition team swimmers were dropped into the water to assist in the recovery operations, including attaching a flotation collar to the spacecraft.