Author
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Topic: Gemini 5 and Scott Carpenter on Sealab II
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Hawkman Member Posts: 400 From: Union, New Jersey Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 03-30-2005 10:30 PM
I was just reading Apogee Books' "How NASA Learned To Fly In Space" and in the chapter about Gemini 5, I found something that I had never heard about before (or forgot). At the beginning of Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad's 117th orbit aboard Gemini 5, Scott Carpenter — 200 feet down on the ocean floor in Sealab II — was patched through and they exchanged pleasantries. I thought that was pretty cool. Maybe a little sentimental, but very cool none the less. I think it goes again to the heart of the Mercury 7 "brotherhood." |
KC Stoever Member Posts: 1012 From: Denver, CO USA Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 04-05-2005 11:03 AM
Scott Carpenter and President Johnson had another historic conversation during Sealab II, taped by the White House and the U.S. Navy, I believe, which National Public Radio sometimes plays on air as part of its historic series on "American Sounds" or "Sounds of America." It is comical in part because of Carpenter's helium-inflected voice, and because President Johnson appears not to understand a word the astronaut/aquanaut is saying! |
Hawkman Member Posts: 400 From: Union, New Jersey Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 04-05-2005 08:34 PM
They said the same thing about Carpenter's conversation with Cooper. They said that the helium made his voice a few pitches higher. It must have been a surreal conversation! They also said that there were communication difficulties between Sealab and Gemini 5, which added to the oddity of the conversation. |
heng44 Member Posts: 3428 From: Netherlands Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 04-05-2005 11:20 PM
This reminds me of a similar event. In 1985 there was a conversation between two shuttle crews, from one orbiter to the other. They were the crews of STS-51D and STS-51B (from memory, so I may be wrong). One crew was in space, while the other was aboard their orbiter on the launch pad for the countdown demonstration test. Commanders Bo Bobko and Bob Overmyer exchanged a few words. I don't think this ever happened again. |
Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 44019 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-21-2006 02:25 PM
quote: Originally posted by KC Stoever: It is comical in part because of Carpenter's helium-inflected voice...
For those who have never heard the complete segment, its definitely worth the listen. From NPR's Lost and Found Sound, LBJ and the Helium Filled Astronaut. The idea is to have President Lyndon Johnson offer Commander Carpenter a formal congratulation. This is a purely ceremonial call. It should be cut-and-dried. But there's a bizarre problem. |
ejectr Member Posts: 1771 From: Killingly, CT Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 03-21-2006 03:42 PM
Incredibly funny... and Scott Carpenter remained the consummate professional through it all. |
KC Stoever Member Posts: 1012 From: Denver, CO USA Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 03-21-2006 04:44 PM
Oh the ignominy...Surviving audio of Carpenter reveals — take your pick — Alvin the Chipmunk or Mickey Mouse! |
Scott Member Posts: 3307 From: Houston, TX Registered: May 2001
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posted 03-21-2006 05:53 PM
That is too much! You can almost hear LBJ chewing the inside of his cheek. |
Larry McGlynn Member Posts: 1274 From: Boston, MA Registered: Jul 2003
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posted 03-22-2006 01:20 PM
Personally, I think it is great. An explorer in his element. Do you know that you can actually get an approximate idea of how much helium in your air tanks by breathing through your regulator and speaking? Although we do gas checks via helium analyzers, it is fun to guess the mixture. It is like sampling a fine wine and knowing the vintage. If we are using a 15/48 tri-mix for deep dives, then you can really heard the high-pitched squeak. We like to put the reg in take a couple of deep breaths to do a reg check and then yell Geronimo! Then we switch back to our travel gas and exit the boat. The cry Geronimo takes on a whole new meaning when it sounds like a chipmunk. |
John Charles Member Posts: 342 From: Houston, Texas, USA Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 03-22-2006 09:27 PM
Note that the NPR website says this clip is from 1964. But, Carpenter's 30-day sojourn aboard Sealab II started on Aug. 28, 1965, so his telephone exchange with LBJ must have occurred no earlier than Sep. 27, 1965. |
KC Stoever Member Posts: 1012 From: Denver, CO USA Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 03-22-2006 10:22 PM
Yes. Absolutely right. Fall of 1965.Carpenter sustained painful bone necrosis during this decompression period. And before that, during his 30-day stay underwater, in addition to sustaining a painful sting from a scorpion fish, he sang "Waltzing Matilda" or "Goodnight Irene" to his Sealab SEAL crewmates, in his finest Mickey Mouse persona, playing the uke as accompaniment. I have seen and heard this film footage, which is precious. Whereabouts unknown. |
Scott Member Posts: 3307 From: Houston, TX Registered: May 2001
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posted 03-24-2006 10:39 AM
The dying of bone. Sounds pretty darn painful. |
KC Stoever Member Posts: 1012 From: Denver, CO USA Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 03-24-2006 11:02 AM
Underwater workers, like aquanauts or even laborers digging out riverbeds for bridge building (beneath the surface, inside caissons), get what's called the bends or decompression sickness or caisson disease, named after the laborers who first suffered or died from the affliction.The nitrogen in your body is stored as an inert gas in your joints and tissues, and it can come out of solution too quickly if you are subjected to decreased atmospheric pressure. The nitrogen actually bubbles (think of opening a bottle of soda), creating the painful symptoms of the bends, felt especially in the joints. The idea is to decompress slowly. I guess this wasn't done on the ascent from Sealab II. |
mjanovec Member Posts: 3811 From: Midwest, USA Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 03-24-2006 12:48 PM
For me, the funniest part of the audio isn't the LBJ part, as he sounds as if he really isn't even listening to Carpenter (or perhaps can't understand him). He just mentions how "proud" everyone is about five different times.The hilarious part is listening to the switchboard operators discussing that something is wrong with the connection. Then when they try to explain the helium atmosphere to operators, it only gets funnier. |