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Forum:	Space Shuttles - Space Station
Topic:	Spacesuit flag position on STS-69 spacewalk

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Your Reply: HTML is ON UBB Code is ON Smilies Legend	[QUOTE]Originally posted by LM-12: [B]I think you can see the Electronic Cuff Checklist (ECC) in photo STS069-394-008 from the first post. The ECC was also tested on two previous shuttle missions.[/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">LM-12</FONT></TD><TD><FONT SIZE="2" FACE="sans-serif">There was an EVA with James Voss and Michael Gernhardt on STS-69 back in 1995. Notice in photos <A HREF="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/22913921" TARGET=_blank>STS069-714-042</A> and <A HREF="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/22914177" TARGET=_blank>STS069-715-090</A> that Voss does not have an American flag on the left arm of his EMU suit.<P>A further search uncovered photo <A HREF="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/22911227" TARGET=_blank>STS069-394-008</A> showing the flag on the inside of his suit arm.</FONT></TD></TR><TR bgcolor="#333333"><TD valign=top><FONT SIZE="2" FACE="sans-serif">TLIGuy</FONT></TD><TD><FONT SIZE="2" FACE="sans-serif">I did some research on the STS-69 EVA on a different subject and noticed the flag on the underside of Voss' arm as well. <P>Here is the STS-69 post flight press conference video clearly showing the flag in full view under the arm beginning at 1:55.<P><center><iframe width="400" height="225" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w8jezoMQ398?rel=0&showinfo=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

From Colonel Voss regarding the unusual orientation of the flag.

The suit arms rotate at the shoulder and can get rotated around like that. Usually doesn't happen since the elbow bends better if rotated to the normal orientation. On a space suit, the internal pressure makes it hard to bend the suit so you don't want the pressure to get higher when bending a joint. So there are "constant pressure" joints with more material on the back side to allow the suit to bend normally without changing internal volume. If the volume decreased while bending a joint, the pressure would go up, making the suit stiffer. So that allows bending them in one direction more easily.
I don't know if it started that way when I put on the suit (I can't see the shoulder very well from inside) or if it got rotated while working. We were trying a lot of ISS assembly tasks so did a lot of arm work. I did not notice it during the EVA and it didn't constrain me in any noticeable way. One other possible explanation for the rotation — we were testing a new electronic wrist checklist. It was strapped to your arm. To see the screen it needed to be oriented in a particular way so I may have rotated the arm to see the screen. It was easier to rotate the arm than it was to loosen the strap and rotate the checklist.

LM-12

I think you can see the Electronic Cuff Checklist (ECC) in photo STS069-394-008 from the first post. The ECC was also tested on two previous shuttle missions.

LM-12

No flag can be seen in photo S102E5183 on the left arm of the EMU suit worn by Andrew Thomas during his EVA on STS-102 in 2001.

LM-12

Photo STS069-393-004 is another good view of the unusual position of the Voss flag.

Payload commander James Voss (EVA1, red stripe) works with the task board assembly in bay three forward section of the Endeavour's payload bay during a six hour extravehicular activity (EVA). Mission specialist Michael Gernhardt (EVA2) holds on to the handrail along the side of the bay. The remote manipulator system (RMS) end effector can be seen just above his head.

LM-12

On earlier shuttle missions like STS-69, the EMU flag was on a part of the suit arm that could rotate at the shoulder. On later missions like STS-104, the EMU flag was on a part of the suit arm that looks like it could not rotate at the shoulder.

Jim Voss was wearing the earlier-type suit, and the EMU flag somehow rotated to the inside of his arm. It looks like Andrew Thomas was wearing the later-type suit, so I don't think he even had a flag on his EMU suit arm.

LM-12

Photo STS102-346-014 is a close-up view of Andrew Thomas that shows no flag on the left arm of his EMU suit.

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