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Forum:	Mercury - Gemini - Apollo
Topic:	Suiting-up inside the Apollo LM and CM

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Your Reply: HTML is ON UBB Code is ON Smilies Legend	[QUOTE]Originally posted by BBlatcher: [B] [QUOTE]Originally posted by LM-12: [b]They are suited up for the 7-day 2TV-1 vacuum chamber test back in 1968.[/b][/QUOTE] I'm curious what that test entailed. Did those astronauts really stay in CM for 7 days?[/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>LM-12</TD><TD>This <A HREF="http://footagevault.com/clip/FTV-0002368/apollo+16/hd" TARGET=_blank>short in-flight video</A> clip shows Young and Duke as they practice suiting-up inside the Lunar Module (LM) on Apollo 16.The LM looks pretty cramped even without the PLSS backpacks on. Which would have been more difficult — two astronauts suiting-up in the LM for the moonwalks, or three astronauts suiting-up in the Command Module for the transearth EVA?The clip is dated April 30, but that can't be right. Any idea when the footage was taken? Maybe it wasn't a practice.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>328.5KF</TD><TD>I believe that film is actual in-flight footage taken prior to the LM's descent to the surface. I recall seeing that same clip on a DVD set that I have at home about the mission. If you look closely, it's clear that several items are weightless as well.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>LM-12</TD><TD>I did notice the weightlessness that you mentioned. I just wondered if the footage shows Young and Duke practicing a suit-up on the translunar coast, or suiting-up for the actual lunar landing. </TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>328.5KF</TD><TD>I just read your post again. Sorry... I misunderstood. I think I have a mission report from the flight. I'll try to look into whether they practiced the suit-up or not. </TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Dietrich</TD><TD> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by 328.5KF: I believe that film is actual in-flight footage taken prior to the LM's descent to the surface.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> The clip is contained on magazine HH from the 16 mm DAC camera, thus t was taken during the flight. That magazine used very high speed black and white film with 6000 ASA. This is obviously the reason for the grainy picture.The Apollo 16 Photo-index (MSC-07252) states that the magazine was used for photography of the sunrise solar corona during orbits 38 and 47/48, those clips follow the LM internal clip.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>ehartwell</TD><TD>The PLSS was only used during a moonwalk; inside the CM and LM they used a short umbilical while suited up during launch and landing. The spacewalker used a longer umbilical, not a full PLSS. As you say, the LM was terribly cramped, even without the PLSS. With it there was barely room to turn around.With the middle seat stowed, the CM was relatively spacious. Even so the astronauts preferred to take turns suiting up in the lower equipment bay.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>LM-12</TD><TD>The CMP did have to wear the OPS (Oxygen Purge System) behind his helmet during the transearth EVA. That must have been a bit awkward inside the CM.NASA photo <A HREF="http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images/apollo/apollo16/html/s72-31047.html" TARGET=_blank>S72-31047</A> shows the Apollo 16 crew inside the CM training for EVA. Duke is behind Mattingly in the lower equipment bay.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>arjuna</TD><TD> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by ehartwell: With the middle seat stowed, the CM was relatively spacious.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I have always wondered about this. Did the middle CM seat retract/fold or not? I have not been able to locate pictures of this, inflight or otherwise.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>LM-12</TD><TD>NASA photo <A HREF="http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/luceneweb/caption.jsp?searchpage=true&photoid=S72-31046&hitsperpage=5&photoidsearch=Go&pageno=1&photoId=S72-31046" target="AirLock">S72-31046</A> is a similar view from a different angle. Interesting shot.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>LM-12</TD><TD>The Apollo 15 crew discussed PGA donning in the post-flight debriefing:<BLOCKQUOTE>SCOTT: We set up a plan on the LOI day to try out our sequence of suiting for PDI day. As a result, we changed our minds on PDI day to make it a little more efficient. WORDEN: You two put your suits on and then went into the LM to zip them up. SCOTT: Because it's a lot easier zipping up the 7LB suits in the LM and it gave us a chance to do the tunnel work shirtsleeve. We helped you (CMP) get your suit on. It is worth while to run through suit donning because the first day we did it we had you (CMP) put your suit on. Then we put our (CDR & LMP) suits on in the command module, and it is hard to zip them up in the command module. That was sort of chore. Jim suggested we suit up and go to the LM before zipping them up. That made it a lot easier. We recommend cleaning the tunnel out or putting the suits on unzipped, cleaning the tunnel out, and then the CDR and LMP transferring to the LM to do their suit zip. It would be a good idea to have a little trial run one of the days on the way out. WORDEN: As to the time line, that works out much better, too, because while you were over there putting suits on and zipping them up, that gave me a chance to put my suit on which is done in parallel rather than sequentially.<BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>mark plas</TD><TD>Looks like Young is wearing an A7L suit instead of an A7L/B. Look at the gloves and no NASA patch on his shoulder.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>LM-12</TD><TD> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by arjuna: Did the middle CM seat retract/fold or not? I have not been able to locate pictures of this, inflight or otherwise.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> There is <A HREF="http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/misc/apmisc-S68-35881.jpg" TARGET=_blank>this photo</A> that shows astronauts Kerwin, Brand and Engle inside the CM with the center seat either stowed or removed. They are suited up for the 7-day 2TV-1 vacuum chamber test back in 1968.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>BBlatcher</TD><TD> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Originally posted by LM-12: They are suited up for the 7-day 2TV-1 vacuum chamber test back in 1968.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I'm curious what that test entailed. Did those astronauts really stay in CM for 7 days?</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>LM-12</TD><TD>From the Apollo 8 Mission Report prepared by the Mission Evaluation Team:<BLOCKQUOTE>To provide more free space for intravehicular activity, all three couches in the Apollo 8 command module could be folded, whereas no couches were foldable for Apollo 7.<BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>Apolloman</TD><TD><BLOCKQUOTE>...no couches were foldable for Apollo 7.<BLOCKQUOTE> Indeed, the CM Apollo 7 was equipped with couches block I.</TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top>LM-12</TD><TD>There is a <A HREF="http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/alsj/a17/A17_FlightPlan.pdf" TARGET=_blank>suit wearing schedule</A> on page 2-1 of the Apollo 17 Flight Plan.hard suit = suit/helmet/gloves pressurized soft suit = suit/helmet/gloves unpressurized partial suit = suit without helmet and gloves shirtsleeves = ICG (inflight coverall garment)launch: - soft suit (all)Earth orbit thru S-4B evasive maneuver: - partial suit (all)translunar coast: - shirtsleeves (all)PGA test: - partial suit (all)LM activation: - partial suit (all)undocking: - soft suit (CDR/LMP) - soft suit (CMP) for docking latches release - partial suit (CMP) otherwiseundock +5 min thru circ: - partial suit (all)PDI thru touchdown: - soft suit (CDR/LMP) - partial suit (CMP)lunar stay except EVA: - shirtsleeves (all)lunar surface EVA and equipment jettison: - hard suit (CDR/LMP) - shirtsleeves (CMP)liftoff prep: - partial suit (all)liftoff thru docking: - soft suit (CDR/LMP) - partial suit (CMP)docking to LM jettison: - partial suit (all)LM jettison: - soft suit (all)post LM jettison thru TEI: - shirtsleeves (all)transearth coast: - hard suit (all) for TEC EVA - shirtsleeves otherwise (all)entry: - shirtsleeves (all) </TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top>LM-12</TD><TD>The Apollo 7 crew re-entered wearing partial suits as indicated in the Apollo 7 Mission Report:<BLOCKQUOTE>It was elected to make the entry with helmets and gloves removed primarily to provide a means of clearing the sinus and inner ear cavities. The crew would have preferred to remove the suits as well for entry, but no other means of restraining leg motion was available. The head area was padded to provide support and bring the spine approximately straight during entry deceleration. Based on Apollo 7, suits-off entry or even an entire unsuited mission is recommended for future flights from the standard of crew comfort and reduction in crew fatigue. There should be no compromise to safety from a rapid decompression since the cabin structural integrity is well checked out before flight.<BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR></TABLE></td></tr></table>

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