Apollo 10’s reentry speed remains the historically cited figure: about 24,800 mph (roughly 11,000 m/s) at Earth entry, which is why it’s often described as the fastest manned reentry on record. This speed is based on NASA flight journals and historical reporting from the mission, and there isn’t a later, authoritative update that changes that record. The key point is that Apollo 10 entered Earth’s atmosphere at approximately 36,000–37,000 feet per second (≈26,000–27,000 mph) just before atmospheric deceleration began, with peak heating and G-forces occurring during the high-velocity reentry phase. [NASA historical materials and mission summaries consistently cite the ~24,800 mph reentry speed for Apollo 10].[3][7][8]
If you’d like, I can pull the most recent authoritative references and summarize the original NASA flight data in a concise timeline.
Sources
How to survive your trip home from the moon
wehackthemoon.comThis velocity will increase dramatically in the last couple of hours prior to Entry Interface. At 2 hours prior to entry, the speed will be about 14,500 feet per second [4,030 m/s]. One half hour later it will have increased by 2,000 feet per second [556 m/s], up to about 16,120 [fps, 4,478 m/s], and in another half hour, 1 hour prior to entry, the velocity will be up to 18,696 feet per second [5,193 m/s]. Then in the final hour, the velocity will double, nearly double, reaching 36,314 feet...
www.nasa.govDiscover the Apollo 10 speed record: 24,816 mph! A legendary NASA mission that grazed the Moon and made history as the fastest flight ever.
sciencesbrief.comApollo 10 re-entered the atmosphere on May 26, 1969 at almost 40,000 km per hour, which is 11.08 km/second or 24,791 miles per hour. To date, Apollo 10 holds the record for the fastest manned reentry in history.
qa.answers.comApollo 10 served as the “dress rehearsal” for the first lunar landing two months later. NASA is preparing to launch its first human-rated spacecraft capable of a trip to the Moon and beyond.
www.nasa.govReference Article
www.space.comLanding Trial Run The Apollo 10 mission was the first ‘all up’ flight of the equipment required for a lunar landing to be flown around the Moon. The Lunar Module […]
www.spaceopedia.com