Shortly after the trans-lunar injection 
maneuver that placed the Apollo spacecraft 
on its trajectory towards the Moon, the 
transposition and docking maneuver would 
be performed. This involved an astronaut 
separating the Apollo Command/Service 
Module (CSM) spacecraft from the adapter 
which fastened it to its launch vehicle 
upper stage, turning it around, and docking 
its nose to the Apollo Lunar Module (LM), 
then pulling the combined spacecraft 
away from the upper stage.
Transposition, docking,
and extraction
J-2 ENGINE
LUNAR MODULE 
DESCENT STAGE
APOLLO 
COMMAND 
MODULE
S-IVB STAGE
INSTRUMENT UNIT
LUNAR MODULE 
ASCENT STAGE
APOLLO 
SERVICE 
MODULE
LAUNCH 
ESCAPE 
SYSTEM
Lunar Module 5 
ascent stage in Final 
Assembly area on 
overhead hoist
The Apollo 11 CSM 
being moved 
from work 
stand  for 
mating
The Command/
Service Module (CSM) 
separates from the 
adapter.
The CSM then turns 
around in preparation 
for docking with the 
Lunar Module (LM)
After docking, the CSM 
pulls the LM away from 
the launch vehicle’s 
upper stage