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  Survivability of Mercury landing on land

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Author Topic:   Survivability of Mercury landing on land
Explorer1
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Posts: 180
From: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Registered: Apr 2019

posted 12-30-2019 12:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Explorer1     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
How survivable was a ground landing in the Mercury capsule?

Jim Behling
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Posts: 1488
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010

posted 12-30-2019 01:45 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jim Behling   Click Here to Email Jim Behling     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Very. The landing bag, deformable material and form fitted couch ensured it.

Explorer1
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Posts: 180
From: Los Angeles, CA, USA
Registered: Apr 2019

posted 12-31-2019 03:28 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Explorer1     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Great point about the landing bag.

So a landing of the Mercury capsule on land posed a lesser risk for injury than the Apollo capsule?

I would think the Mercury capsule would be worse because it's elongated shape would make it certain that the capsule would fall over and add additional shock to the occupant of the capsule versus the Apollo capsule which was wide at the base and would not tip over on land.

But as you noted, the landing would be a factor and perhaps that might prevent the capsule from tipping over.

Jim Behling
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Posts: 1488
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010

posted 12-31-2019 09:11 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jim Behling   Click Here to Email Jim Behling     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
No, there isn't a lesser risk.

Tipping over would be a minor event. The astronaut is strapped in.

moorouge
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Posts: 2458
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009

posted 12-31-2019 05:38 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for moorouge   Click Here to Email moorouge     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
There were some drop tests — the biggest from 20 feet I believe — involving a pig called "Gentle Bess." These would have had some relevance to the ability to survive an emergency recovery on land.

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

posted 01-23-2020 08:00 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lou Chinal   Click Here to Email Lou Chinal     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
While a Mercury landing may have been survivable, it was not desirable.

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