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Forum:	Mercury - Gemini - Apollo
Topic:	Apollo 13 false statement

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Your Reply: HTML is ON UBB Code is ON Smilies Legend	[QUOTE]Originally posted by ColinBurgess: [B]Well done, Sy. I've subsequently noticed that the horrendously wrong posting about the deaths of Bassett and See now directs you to a new page on which the correct information is given. But I might also try to contact Mark and ask him to delete the old, incorrect page, even if it is obsolete. Colin[/B][/QUOTE]
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<table border=0 cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 width="600"><TR><td bgcolor="#000000"><TABLE BORDER=0 cellpadding=4 border=0 cellspacing=1 WIDTH="100%"><TR bgcolor="#660000"><TD COLSPAN=2><CENTER>T O P I C     R E V I E W</CENTER></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Sy Liebergot</TD><TD>I discovered this incredible statement on the Asronautix website: From <A HREF="http://www.astronautix.com/flights/apollo13.htm" TARGET=_blank>http://www.astronautix.com/flights/apollo13.htm</A> �When the Apollo 13 Command Module was examined after its return, it was found that the crew had tried to wire up a manual deployment switch for the recovery parachutes. However - they had in fact wired the switch to the parachute jettison control. If they had decided to use their jury-rigged manual override they would have in reality released the parachutes from the command module and plunged to their deaths in the ocean below.� After checking with my memory, my retired NASA colleagues and Freddo Haise, I can assure you all that the statement is FALSE.Sy Liebergot "Apollo EECOM: Journey of A Lifetime" <A HREF="http://www.apolloeecom.com" TARGET=_blank>www.apolloeecom.com</A> </TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>ColinBurgess</TD><TD>It might be an idea to ask Mark Gray where this erroneous information came from, and get him to delete it.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>John Charles</TD><TD> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by ColinBurgess: It might be an idea to ask Mark Gray where this erroneous information came from, and get him to delete it.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Don't you mean Mark Wade?------------------ John Charles Houston, Texas</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>John Charles</TD><TD> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by Sy Liebergot: Sy disputed this statement: ...�When the Apollo 13 Command Module was examined after its return, it was found that the crew had tried to wire up a manual deployment switch for the recovery parachutes. However - they had in fact wired the switch to the parachute jettison control...." <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Sy, I agree with you. Was it even possible to "re-wire" switches on the Apollo CM control panel? I thought they were sealed watertight and firmly secured in the panel.------------------ John Charles Houston, Texas</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>spacecraft films</TD><TD>I never dealt with this subject at all... this is the first I've ever heard mention of such a thing...Perhaps since it is on Astronautix it is indeed Mark Wade to whom you are referring.Best, Mark Gray</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>Sy Liebergot</TD><TD>John, We did have some procedures that required the removal of a panel to cut wires and reconnect ( wires were tagged in the CSM) to provide power to Logic busses and Pyro busses if some how we lost that power. We checked them out in the 2TV-1 vehicle. No switches--they were all conformal coated. Sy </TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>ColinBurgess</TD><TD>Sorry Mark - I should have said Mark Wade.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>John K. Rochester</TD><TD>Thanks again Sy..40 years of reading Manned Spaceflight books, this is the first I've ever heard of those types of procedures. The things you learn on this site by those who LIVED it are absolutely mind-boggling!</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Naraht</TD><TD> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by spacecraft films: I never dealt with this subject at all... this is the first I've ever heard mention of such a thing...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> It used to be mentioned in the Wikipedia article on Apollo 13, although whether Wikipedia or Astronautix was the original source is debatable.Happily, it was excised by an editor who was sure that this was a fabrication (and I concurred): <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Apollo_13#Parachute_claim" TARGET=_blank>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Apollo_13#Parachute_claim</A> </TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>Rodina</TD><TD>Sy -Just fire off a letter to Mark Wade -- astronautix is an amazing resource, but it relies on a lot of folks to make it right. I don't doubt he'd correct it.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>ColinBurgess</TD><TD>Hi Rodina,Unfortunately I'd have to disagree. Three years ago I contacted Mark Wade to tell him he had some grievous errors in his site's information on the deaths of Bassett and See in their T-38, which three years later have still not been amended. According to Astronautix, Bassett was flying one T-38 with See following in another when they crashed, with Bassett hitting the McDonnell building first. Totally wrong information and so far uncorrected, despite trying to do the right thing and even supplying the right facts to Mark. I thought Sy might have better luck with his complaint as he was personally involved in the Apollo 13 drama.Colin</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>Sy Liebergot</TD><TD>Okay Colin, I'll give a try. I just sent Mark Wade the correction comments. Sy</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Stephen Clemmons</TD><TD>I read this post with interest because I believe it is one of those items that fall into the area of unsupported rumors. I don't recall any electrical tools being included in the S/C tool kit that would allow such a modification in flight. To remove the control panel, cut wires, make the changes in flight would require skills of a surgeon, and the full cooperation of ground controllers (Si's group)to detect the correct wires to cut, if they had the proper equipment. One doesn't cut wires, particular in the command module, because they think it's the right one. All the wires terminating at the panel switches were coated with a special fireproof covering and one would have to break the wires out of a wire bundle to asertain the correct wire. It would require special splice connectors, crimping tools, voltmeter, a wire cutter and stripper They didn't have a wiring schematic or diagram of the affected areas and even if they had, I don't believe there was time to make such a change. For the astronauts to do it on their own was pretty far fetched. It was hard enough for us to make wiring changes during ground checkout with all the special tools required. Not only that, they were dealing with a "hot system" which would require a complete electrical system shutdown when dealing with the the master control panels. Now, this was a redundent system where one switch could perform in series with another , and this is probably what they were talking about. By reconfiguring the switch positions, they might have been able to effect such a change. This is similar to the rumor that a ground battery was connected to a "hot" buss in the service module in the hours before the Apollo I fire. To have done this, it would have required the complete shutdown of all systems connected to this particular buss and that's difficult because all the systems were tied in, one way or another. That's something one doesn't do when power is on the ship and to attempt a mod change in flight is pretty far fetched and extremely foolish, no matter the reason. The best source to confirm this was the Astronauts, which included Fred Haise and Si Liebergot and his controllers When one examines all the communications that are available to us between S/C 13 and Houston controllers, one doesn't find anything concerning this problem, and I'll leave it at that... Thanks Si for bring it to our attention. </TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>ejectr</TD><TD>.....and besides, the command module was cold, and dark. When would they have had the power to run lights to see what they were doing once they repowered the CM for landing.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Stephen Clemmons</TD><TD>Si, I do remember the special push pull splice connectors on certain wires behind the main panel. Each was identified by system and function. It would have been possible to have made the changes that were questioned. But to say the wires were "cut and spliced" would indicate that the astronauts actually performed a difficult function even to the ground operations with the proper tools. With the redundant systems, there were theoretical situations where even redundancy wouldn't work, requiring a wiring change. This was all in the planning and I think those in the ground control section would know more about this and just what one could do in an emergency. Of course, in an emergency situation, there would have to be communications between the Astronauts and controllers and if a wiring change was required, it would take both parties to set up the right configuration to make it work. But as you said, none of these changes were made, according to your recollections and published data available to us and verified by Fred Haise, later verified by an inspection of the Space Craft. </TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>Sy Liebergot</TD><TD>You said it well, Steve. Thanks, Sy</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Sy Liebergot</TD><TD>Finally, this from Mark Wade: Thanks for that. This story came from someone who claimed to be an insider. I of course will take your word as definitive, and delete it from the site. -- Mark Wade Encyclopedia Astronautica <A HREF="http://www.astronautix.com/" TARGET=_blank>http://www.astronautix.com/</A> astronautix@gmail.com </TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>ColinBurgess</TD><TD>Well done, Sy. I've subsequently noticed that the horrendously wrong posting about the deaths of Bassett and See now directs you to a new page on which the correct information is given. But I might also try to contact Mark and ask him to delete the old, incorrect page, even if it is obsolete.Colin</TD></TR></TABLE></td></tr></table>

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