The CSM Endeavour with exposed SIM bay and nose down over the Sea of Fertility, 26 July - 7 August 1971

Vintage chromogenic print on fiber-based paper, printed 1971, numbered "NASA AS15-88-11970" (NASA MSC) in red in top margin, with "A KODAK PAPER" watermark on verso, 20,3 x 25,4 cm, with 3 filing holes in top margin not affecting the image

Alone in the Endeavour, Alfred Worden pitched the command ship nose down toward the Moon so that David Scott and James Irwin in the LM Falcon could inspect and photograph the exposed SIM (Scientific Instrument Module, used for the first time on Apollo 15) bay where Worden would later retrieve the cassettes of the panoramic cameras during the first ever deep space EVA.

From the mission transcript when the photograph was taken:
173:15:44 Scott: Okay, Houston. We’re stationkeeping at about 120 feet [37 m] or so.
173:15:50 Mitchell (Mission Control): Roger. Dave, during the Command Module pitcharound, and we’d like for you to take a look at the V-over-H sensor in the SIM (Scientific Instrument Module) bay, if you can. [...]
173:17:05 Scott: Okay, we’ll get a picture of it.
173:17:20 Worden: Okay. I’ll go ahead and do your pitcharound. [...]
173:19:11 Scott: Hey, it looks good, you’re going the right way. [Long pause.]
173:19:37 Mitchell: Dave, while he’s pitching, I’ll tell you - should be about the middle of the SIM bay by the Mapping Camera. [Long pause.]
173:20:18 Scott: Very nice maneuver, Endeavour.

Watch more: Apollo 15 - In The Mountains Of The Moon (1971)

Literature:
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, February 1972, p. 249, variant.