It's important to note that this speed varied slightly depending on the specific mission and the angle of reentry.
Here are some things to consider:
* Reentry velocity: The Apollo spacecraft did not directly fall back to Earth. It first went into lunar orbit and then fired its engines to slow down and initiate a return trajectory.
* Atmospheric drag: As the command module entered the atmosphere, the air resistance created intense heat, which required a heat shield to protect the crew.
* Parachute deployment: After the heat shield ablated away, the Apollo module deployed parachutes to slow down the descent to a safe landing speed.
The high speed of reentry is a testament to the incredible engineering feat that allowed the Apollo missions to safely return astronauts from the moon to Earth.
