Apollo 10, officially designated AS-505, was the fourth crewed mission in the Apollo space program and served as the last test before the first lunar landing. The mission was launched on May 18, 1969, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It was a critical step as it combined many of the experiences gained from previous missions, including the necessary maneuvers for a lunar landing. Apollo 10's primary objective was to ensure that all elements of the lunar landing system worked together as expected. To this end, the Lunar Module, named Snoopy, detached from the Command Module, named Charlie Brown, and descended to within just 8.4 nautical miles of the Moon’s surface. During the mission, Apollo 10 provided a comprehensive assessment of the Lunar Module's capabilities, including its control systems and navigation. The crew—composed of Commander Thomas Stafford, Command Module Pilot John Young, and Lunar Module Pilot Eugene Cernan—performed essential tasks that would serve as a foundation for the Apollo 11 mission, allowing Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to land safely on the Moon less than three months later. Furthermore, this mission involved extensive communications checks and the examination of Lunar Module systems, ultimately contributing to the success of subsequent missions.The return journey involved a successful re-docking of the Lunar Module with the Command Module, followed by a safe splashdown in the Pacific Ocean on May 26, 1969. Apollo 10 had successfully completed its objectives, demonstrating the feasibility of human missions to the lunar surface. The mission was pivotal in reaffirming confidence in NASA’s ability to achieve its goal of landing a human on the Moon and returning them safely to Earth, which was articulated by President John F. Kennedy back in 1961.