Editing Apollo 15 (section)

=== Return to Earth ===
[[File: Apollo 15 liftoff from the Moon.ogg|thumb |alt=Video showing the lunar lander taking off|The liftoff from the Moon as seen by the [[Apollo TV camera|TV camera]] on the lunar rover]]
{{main|Return of Apollo 15 to Earth}}

''Falcon'' lifted off the Moon at 17:11:22 GMT on August{{nbsp}}2 after 66 hours and 55 minutes on the lunar surface. Docking with the CSM took place just under two hours later.<ref name="Apollo 15 CSM">{{cite web|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1971-063A|title=Apollo 15 Command and Service Module (CSM)|publisher=[[NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive]]|access-date=December 21, 2018|df=mdy-all}}</ref> After the astronauts transferred samples and other items from the LM to the CSM, the LM was sealed off, jettisoned, and intentionally crashed into the lunar surface, an impact registered by the seismometers left by Apollo 12, 14 and 15.<ref group=ALFJ name=jettison /> The jettison proved difficult because of problems getting airtight seals, requiring a delay in discarding the LM. After the jettison, Slayton came on the loop to recommend the astronauts take sleeping pills, or at least that Scott and Irwin do so. Scott as mission commander refused to allow it, feeling there was no need. During the EVAs, the doctors had noticed irregularities in both Scott's and Irwin's heartbeats, but the crew were not informed during the flight. Irwin had heart problems after retiring as an astronaut and died in 1991 of a heart attack; Scott felt that he as commander should have been informed of the biomedical readings.<ref group=ALFJ name=jettison>{{cite web |url=https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap15fj/18tunnel_leak_lm_jett.html |title=Leaking Tunnel and Jettison of the LM |year=1998 |editor-last=Woods |editor-first=W. David |editor-last2=O'Brien |editor-first2=Frank |work=Apollo 15 Flight Journal |publisher=NASA |access-date=December 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171225233958/https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap15fj/18tunnel_leak_lm_jett.html |archive-date=December 25, 2017 |url-status=live |df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref group=ALFJ name=summary /> NASA doctors at the time theorized the heart readings were due to [[hypokalemia|potassium deficiency]], due to their hard work on the surface and inadequate resupply through liquids.{{sfn|Chaikin|pp=446–447}}

[[File: Apollo 15 Worden EVA.ogg|thumb|left|alt=Video of a man working outside the spacecraft|Worden's deep space EVA]]
The crew spent the next two days working on orbital science experiments, including more observations of the Moon from orbit and releasing the subsatellite.<ref name = "moon mountain" /> ''Endeavour'' departed lunar orbit with another burn of the SPS engine<ref group=ALFJ name=jettison /> of 2{{nbsp}}minutes 21 seconds at 21:22:45 GMT on August{{nbsp}}4.<ref name = "Apollo 15 CSM" /> The next day, during the return to Earth, Worden performed a 39-minute EVA to retrieve film cassettes from the service module's scientific instrument module (SIM) bay, with assistance from Irwin who remained at the command module's hatch.<ref name="Drew">{{cite web |url=https://www.drewexmachina.com/2017/12/17/a-history-of-deep-space-evas/ |title=A History of Deep Space EVAs |last=LePage |first=Andrew |date=December 17, 2017 |website=Drew Ex Machina}}</ref> At approximately 171,000 nautical miles<ref group=ALFJ name=wordeneva>{{cite web |url=https://history.nasa.gov/afj/ap15fj/23day11_worden_eva.html |title=Day 11: Worden's EVA Day |last1=Woods |first1=W. David |last2=O'Brien |first2=Frank |work=Apollo 15 Flight Journal |publisher=NASA |access-date=December 26, 2018| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110629043034/http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/ap15fj/23day11_worden_eva.htm| archive-date=June 29, 2011 | url-status= live}}</ref><ref name="moonworden">{{cite web |url=https://moon.nasa.gov/resources/232/astronaut-alfred-worden-floats-in-space-outside-spacecraft-during-eva/ |title=Astronaut Alfred Worden Floats in Space Outside Spacecraft During EVA  |website=NASA|date=July 9, 2018 }}</ref> (197,000&nbsp;mi; 317,000&nbsp;km) from Earth, it was the first "deep space" EVA in history, performed at great distance from any planetary body. As of {{year}}, it remains one of only three such EVAs, all performed during Apollo's J missions under similar circumstances. Later that day, the crew set a record for the longest Apollo flight to that point.<ref group=ALFJ name=wordeneva />

On approach to Earth on August{{nbsp}}7, the service module was jettisoned, and the command module [[Atmospheric reentry|reentered the Earth's atmosphere]]. Although one of the three parachutes on the CM failed after deploying, likely due to damage as the spacecraft vented fuel, only two were required for a safe landing (one extra for redundancy). Upon landing in the North Pacific Ocean, the CM and crew were recovered and taken aboard the recovery ship, {{USS|Okinawa|LPH-3|6}}, after a mission lasting 12 days, 7{{nbsp}}hours, 11 minutes and 53 seconds.{{sfn|Mission Report|p=3}}