In 1971, on the way to the moon, it was routed through the docking tunnel to connect the two spacecraft; it was used to provide power to the Lunar Module from the docked Service Module fuel cells until separation for the lunar landing, and it functioned as a command link for the LM/SLA sequence controller (required for LM extraction from the Saturn V stack).
Apollo 15 commander David Scott describes it as he remembers it: “On July 26, 1971, Al Worden, Jim Irwin and I were launched on our journey to the Moon. The Saturn V rocket carried both of our spacecraft in Earth orbit and then on to a trajectory to the Moon. After Trans Lunar Insertion (TLI), Al Worden, our Command Module Pilot (CMP) detached our Command/Service Module (CSM), ‘Endeavor,’ from the Saturn V S-4B stage, complete a 180 degree turn, then maneuvered toward and docked with the Lunar Module (LM), ‘Falcon.’ Once the LM was removed from the S-4B stage, we started our coast to the Moon. During the Trans Lunar Coast (TLC), it was Jim Irwin’s chore to pressurize the LM and provide power to it. Jim pressurized the LM with Oxygen supplied from the CSM. Jim then entered the LM to perform an inspection of spacecraft. In order to power up the LM, Jim had to remove this LM Umbilical cable bearing numbers ‘L01W11’ and ‘06301B00982,’ (along with a second LM Umbilical cable) then plug both of them into outlets within the connecting tunnel between the spacecraft. This cable was one of the actual LM Umbilical cables used to provide power to our lunar module, ‘Falcon,’ until it was time to undock and proceed to our landing site near the Hadley Rille in Apennine Mountain region of the Moon. Once the LM Umbilical cables were removed, they were stored in the F1 and F2 lockers for return to Earth. During the Apollo Program, NASA’s policy permitted astronauts to keep disposal items from their flights as personal mementos. The crew presented Donald ‘Deke’ Slayton with one of the LM Umbilical cables in honor of his work during the mission and I chose to keep this remarkable artifact among mine. This historic LM Umbilical cable has been part of my personal collection for thirty-eight years, ever since NASA handed it back to me in 1971 after my return to Earth.”
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