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Forum:	Mercury - Gemini - Apollo
Topic:	ASTP: green substance during recovery

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Your Reply: HTML is ON UBB Code is ON Smilies Legend	[QUOTE]Originally posted by alec: [B]That's exactly what I've supposed. Thanks! Any references about its use?[/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><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#ffffff" FACE="sans-serif">T O P I C     R E V I E W</font></CENTER></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#494949"><TD valign=top><FONT SIZE="2" FACE="sans-serif">alec</FONT></TD><TD><FONT SIZE="2" FACE="sans-serif">Anyone know what is the green substance in the water during the recovery of Apollo ASTP in the captured image? See minutes 5 through 7: <P><center><iframe width="400" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X3GUTV3aYBQ?rel=0&showinfo=0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen>

NovaRob

Unless I'm mistaken, that is green dye from a dye marker, commonly used to help make the location of the capsule easier to see from a distance, especially if viewed from the air. It would be especially useful if the capsule landed a long distance from the recovery ships, in which case helicopters and aircraft would be flown over the general area looking for that bright green patch.

alec

That's exactly what I've supposed. Thanks! Any references about its use?

moorouge

You may find what you're looking for in the Apollo Recovery Operational Procedures Manual.

A sea dye marker is also used to aid in visual location of the CM.
Sea dye marker - A perforated housing to the left of the RCS engine panel in the forward section of the command module contains the sea dye marker. This canister, on an 8-foot cable, is ejected into the water on crew command and will provide a yellow-green dye slick for about 12 hours.

oly

Sea dye markers were standard equipment in military survival kits of the time. At one point the dye also contained shark repellent, more affective at giving the survivor a comforting feeling than it had repelling sharks. There were also sea dye markers in the Apollo life raft kits.

The command module Earth landing system included several recovery aids. The uprighting system, swimmer interphone connections, sea dye marker, flashing beacon, VHF recovery beacon and VHF transceiver. The sea dye marker was deployed automatically, along with the swimmers umbilical, when the HF recovery antenna was deployed automatically (or manually by crew).

Dye markers were used with earlier programs as seen here.

moorouge

There would seem to be some discrepancy between what the Recovery Manual says and that posted by Oly. The former clearly says that the dye marker was on crew command and makes no mention of it being otherwise whilst Oly's post implies it was automatic but that the crew could over-ride this. Which is correct?

oly

From the Apollo Spacecraft Familiarization Manual.

The sea (dye) marker and swimmer's umbilical are deployed automatically when the HF recovery antenna is deployed (manually initiated by crew).

So when the crew deploy the antenna, the dye and swimmers umbilical are automatically deployed also.

moorouge

This extract is from the Apollo Recovery Manual as referenced above -

The two VHF recovery antennas referred to in the table are ll inches in length and are installed in the forward compartment of the CM. They are automatically deployed 8 seconds after main parachute deployment. The antennas in the deployed positions are shown in figures 1-16 and 1-17. A flashing light to aid in visual location of the CM is also automatically deployed at main parachute deployment. It is shown in its deployed position in figure 1-18. Both the VHF recovery beacon and the flashing light are activated by the crew. A sea dye marker is also used to aid in visual location of the CM.

It would seem from this that although the antenna were automatically deployed it was a crew command that actually activated them. The implication is that the crew activated these recovery aids after splash-down and once the CM was in a stable one condition.

oly

quote:
Originally posted by moorouge:
The implication is that the crew activated these recovery aids after splash-down and once the CM was in a stable one condition.

The Apollo Spacecraft Familiarization Manual states:

If the command module enters the water and stabilizes in a stable II (inverted) condition, the uprighting system is activated (manually), inflating three air bags causing the command module to assume a stable I (upright) condition. Each bag has a separate switch for controlling inflation. The sea (dye) marker and swimmer's umbilical are deployed automatically when the HF recovery antenna is deployed (manually initiated by crew). The marker is tethered to the C/M forward compartment deck and will last approximately 12 hours. The swimmer's umbilical provides the electrical connection for communication between the crew in the C/M and the recovery personnel in the water.

It would not be the first time I have noticed discrepancies between manuals. Considering how many different manuals existed for Apollo, and that they were produced using typewriters.

I guess more research would be required on this subject.

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