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[i]Approximately 1 hour was required for the Commander and Lunar Module Pilot to doff and stow their A7LB pressure garment assemblies. The actual donning and doffing was accomplished most easily in the lower equipment bay with a second crewman assisting, as needed, from the couch position. Zipper closure is probably the most difficult part of the donning operation. During the second scheduled (third actual) lunar module manning, the Commander and Lunar Module Pilot used the lunar module cockpit for donning to obtain more room for zipping the suits. This seemed to speed up the donning activity and was a more convenient place to work. The Command Module Pilot required approximately 10 minutes to don or doff his pressure garment assembly in the lower equipment bay by himself. Having another crewman to assist in zipping saves approximately 3 minutes. The most time-consuming part of doffing the suits is the actual stowage of the suits in their bag. Although stowage of three pressure garment assemblies (two A7LB's and one A7LB-CMP) in the bag had been accomplished several times during training, it proved to be impractical in flight. Several factors may be involved in the difference. First, in flight, there is no gravity to help fold the pressure garment assemblies and keep them in place. Second, the accessory pockets were more prominent on the flight suits than on the training suits. A third possible factor is that the best possible care is taken of the pressure garment assemblies in flight, which means there is a minimum of pulling and bending on the zipper. Another possible factor is that the simulator and mockup training bags have become stretched with use. To alleviate the stowage problem, the Command Module Pilot's suit was stowed under the left couch. In order to provide access to stowage containers A1 and A2, it was not tied in place. Following the transearth extravehicular activity, all three suits were stowed in the pressure garment assembly bag through the generous use of kick-and-shove techniques. The center couch had to be removed at the marmon clamp in order to accomplish this. The size of the pressure garment assembly bag should be enlarged and some extra volume made available in the area between the center couch and the rotation hand controller junction box.[/i]
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