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Author
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Topic: Indicator light shown in TV's "Moon Shot"
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stsmithva
Member Posts: 1933
From: Fairfax, VA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 08-24-2011 08:26 AM
   
I'm watching dozens of movies and documentaries I recorded years ago on videotape one last time before tossing them or giving them away. One of these is 1994's "Moon Shot", narrated by actor Barry Corbin as Deke Slayton. (Corbin was chosen because he'd played Mercury/Gemini-era astronaut Maurice Minnifield on "Northern Exposure", which I miss despite it being relentlessly quirky.)Anyway, while it's not without its charms (condescending much?), it's not the best documentary. They skip Apollo 9 and 10 completely, for example, and play fast and loose with the editing. I noticed a detail I thought was funny: when they showed Mission Control allegedly during the emergency on Gemini VIII, and an hour later showed Mission Control allegedly seconds after the accident on Apollo 13, they used the same close-up shot of a blinking indicator light that read "STS CONF". I know this is a long shot about a tiny hardware detail, but my curiosity is piqued: what does that light actually indicate? Cause, like, I don't think there was a single light for "Gemini Capsule Spinning Out of Control and/or Apollo Service Module Oxygen Tank Rupture." |
328KF
Member Posts: 1234
From:
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 09-22-2011 10:40 AM
I remembered your post when I was visiting The Museum of Flight at Boeing Field in Seattle last week. They have the EECOM console from the MOCR on display there, and I took these photos to see if we can help you out. Sorry for the mediocre quality... tough to get it focused through plexiglass and a cell phone camera.This is the right half of the console, and your button is the last one in the lower right corner of the group, the "whiter" looking button.  Here is a closer view. The button actually reads "STS Comp Supv 103".  We do not know when that film was taken, or if this selector button was modified at some point. I would guess these consoles were used throughout Skylab and ASTP, and on into the shuttle program. Maybe Sy can chime in here, but it seems to me to be a comm line selector to a supervisor (?) of the STS comp(uter?). Just a guess... I could be completely wrong. Hope this helps! |
stsmithva
Member Posts: 1933
From: Fairfax, VA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 09-22-2011 09:41 PM
That is so cool that you searched for that selector button! Thanks very much. I am pretty sure the one shown twice on "Moon Shot" said "STS CONF." It just occurred to me to check one of the many searchable NASA acronyms websites, and for a pre-shuttle "STS" I got: - STS: structural transition section
- STS: system test station
...which still doesn't quite clear it up. Oh well, just idly curious. Thanks again and I hope your trip was wonderful. |
328KF
Member Posts: 1234
From:
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 09-22-2011 10:17 PM
You bet... one of the great things about this forum is being able to share info like this, and learn for yourself along the way.That museum was the highlight of four days there. They have a great collection of space artifacts, along with some fantastic aircraft. I found two Ambassador moon rocks there: Dick Gordon's and Pete Conrad's, a CM trainer, LM ascent stage, LRV, and a full size Destiny ISS module mockup which you can go inside. The room full of Pete's collection is in itself worth the trip. I loved his logbooks... T-33 flight followed by a T-38, followed by Gemini 5 (with a landing logged under "Other/Sea"! Classic. If anyone happens to be there, it's well worth stopping by. | |
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