Posts: 152
From: Peoria, AZ, USA
Registered: Oct 2009

posted 04-03-2010 02:58 PM            

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I just read about the longest Gemini mission -- Gemini 7 -- 148 hours into the flight, Borman got his chance to get out of his space suit to cool down. In the end, the NASA managers decided that there was little benefit in having the crew members suited and so relented after a couple of days.

Borman was wearing his suit and was sweating profusely, but agreed to let Lovell stay out his suit as Lovell was the larger of the two and it required a lot of effort to get in and out of a suit in little more space than the front seat of a car.

I can't imagine that Borman wore his suit 148 hours I mean that's six days from launch and I believe they got to use the restroom as we all do.

Does anybody know how Borman handled this situation?

Posts: 1332
From: Staten Island, NY
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Posts: 3117
From: Paris, France
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 04-03-2010 05:19 PM               

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When people refer to the early astronauts as heroes for getting into a spacecraft knowing that they could lose their lives I always think that's a bit too simple.

Even knowing the level of risk I think many people would have been prepared to do the same thing given the amazing trips they were going on.

But then there's Gemini 7.

Now that's one mission I really wouldn't have liked to take. There I have to agree that Borman and Lovell were heroes for climbing into that spacecraft. They both deserved seats on man's first trip to the moon for going through that.

Posts: 203
From: Woodbridge, VA, USA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 04-04-2010 06:50 PM               

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Both astronauts are a class act. Incredible what they went through, even more so what Gemini 5 Cooper and Conrad did - going from 8 days to 14 days. True space pioneers.

As a side note, I had the pleasure of meeting Borman back in the 1996 timeframe in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. I saw him near the 30's race plane displays (Howard Hughes type planes, etc.) No one seemed to realize it was he, with his wife and another couple. After I told My wife who I thought that was in the museum, she recommended I go ahead and introduce yourself - why miss the opportunity. Shy guy that I was, I went up to his wife first to ask if it would be okay if I could have my three young kids and I interrupt their visit. She said sure - so I did. What a nice lady and guy. Both of them were very gracious. I was so honored to meet one of our nation's heroes, and especially to share it with my kids. Made my day in a big way. No autograph, but that was okay.

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From: Staten Island, NY
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From: Adelaide, South Australia
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From: Greensboro, NC USA
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posted 04-05-2010 07:45 AM               

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quote:

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Originally posted by ejectr:
You would have thought that if NASA made them wear suits for so long, they would have let them depressurize the cabin, open a hatch and throw that stuff out.

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Unfortunately, that was precisely the point of Gemini VII. The mission was designed to last as long as the longest planned trip to the Moon. No one knew how the human body would function in weightlessness that long. The waste specimens were the "smoking gun" (as it were) of the state of the processes going on within the crew's body as the mission progressed. As such, everything had to be saved for analysis back on the ground.

Posts: 1332
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007

posted 04-05-2010 03:09 PM               

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Hank, yes both Borman and Schirra were dead set against opening the hatch. The mission of Gemini 7 was to stay up for 14 days.

Bill, I never heard it put quite that way, "smoking gun".

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