posted 10-06-2006 05:07 PM               

When the Apollo 13 Command Module was examined after its return, it was found that the crew had tried to wire up a manual deployment switch for the recovery parachutes. However — they had in fact wired the switch to the parachute jettison control. If they had decided to use their jury-rigged manual override they would have in reality released the parachutes from the command module and plunged to their deaths in the ocean below.

posted 10-07-2006 10:29 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sy Liebergot:
I discovered this incredible statement on the Asronautix website...

---

posted 10-10-2006 10:31 AM               

To remove the control panel, cut wires, make the changes in flight would require skills of a surgeon, and the full cooperation of ground controllers (Sy's group) to detect the correct wires to cut, if they had the proper equipment. One doesn't cut wires, particular in the command module, because they think it's the right one.

All the wires terminating at the panel switches were coated with a special fireproof covering and one would have to break the wires out of a wire bundle to asertain the correct wire. It would require special splice connectors, crimping tools, voltmeter, a wire cutter and stripper. They didn't have a wiring schematic or diagram of the affected areas and even if they had, I don't believe there was time to make such a change.

For the astronauts to do it on their own was pretty far fetched. It was hard enough for us to make wiring changes during ground checkout with all the special tools required.

Not only that, they were dealing with a "hot system" which would require a complete electrical system shutdown when dealing with the the master control panels.

Now, this was a redundent system where one switch could perform in series with another , and this is probably what they were talking about. By reconfiguring the switch positions, they might have been able to effect such a change.

This is similar to the rumor that a ground battery was connected to a "hot" buss in the service module in the hours before the Apollo 1 fire.

To have done this, it would have required the complete shutdown of all systems connected to this particular buss and that's difficult because all the systems were tied in, one way or another. That's something one doesn't do when power is on the ship and to attempt a mod change in flight is pretty far fetched and extremely foolish, no matter the reason.

The best source to confirm this was the astronauts, which included Fred Haise and Sy Liebergot and his controllers. When one examines all the communications that are available to us between S/C 13 and Houston controllers, one doesn't find anything concerning this problem, and I'll leave it at that...

posted 10-10-2006 11:30 AM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sy Liebergot:
...procedures that required the removal of a panel to cut wires and reconnect (wires were tagged in the CSM) to provide power to logic busses and pyro busses if some how we lost that power.

---

But to say the wires were "cut and spliced" would indicate that the astronauts actually performed a difficult function even to the ground operations with the proper tools.
With the redundant systems, there were theoretical situations where even redundancy wouldn't work, requiring a wiring change.

This was all in the planning and I think those in the ground control section would know more about this and just what one could do in an emergency.

Of course, in an emergency situation, there would have to be communications between the Astronauts and controllers and if a wiring change was required, it would take both parties to set up the right configuration to make it work.

posted 10-11-2006 08:21 AM               

Thanks for that. This story came from someone who claimed to be an insider. I of course will take your word as definitive, and delete it from the site.