posted 11-22-2006 12:23 PM               

There's nothing like the old stories, especially when they have that lovely mixture of 20 percent fact, 80 percent nonsense....

Fact is, Schweickart was indeed considered, like Cunningham, to be a bit of a "scientist". Neither man would have been selected in 1963 without that science background -- NASA was trying to broaden the astronaut team to some degree.

I've never heard that the science background held Schweickart back -- like Anders, Chaffee, Cunningham, he was simply not rated (by Slayton, Shepard, others) as highly as the members of his group who had flight test experience.

Nevertheless, he was assigned to McDivitt's crew -- and McDivitt was highly-regarded by Slayton and NASA management.

As for Schweickart and Grissom, no doubt they had different personalities -- but Schweickart's oral history states quite clearly that they wound up working well together during 1966. Did this somehow hold Schweickart back? Hard to see where and how.

Schweickart's bout of sickness on Apollo 9 did affect his career -- it certainly bumped him from a lunar landing crew. Should NASA have made a different decision? What did the agency know about SAS at the time, given astronaut reluctance to talk about it and other uncertainty? Why would you fly someone to the Moon knowing he was prone to it?

Yes, with the perspective of years, it seems unfair... but at the time it was a prudent decision.

With all that, Schweickart would almost certainly have commanded a Skylab mission, had there been a Skylab II.

Bottom line -- he flew one of the most significant missions in the Apollo program, had one bit of bad luck that kept him from another flight in the program.

That's all you can say about it.

posted 11-22-2006 12:35 PM               

I hear Schweickart's doing impressive work on the space treaty.

posted 11-22-2006 01:08 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by KC Stoever:
I hear Schweickart's doing impressive work on the space treaty.

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posted 11-22-2006 01:54 PM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
To what space treaty do you refer, Kris? I know Schweickart is involved with advocating UN hearings on asteroid deflection, which would be international in nature. Is there another project/treaty underway?

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posted 11-22-2006 02:54 PM               

Yep, that's the treaty that was mentioned--cocktail party conversation only. Is there an earth sciences component as well?

posted 11-27-2006 11:15 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
To what space treaty do you refer, Kris? I know Schweickart is involved with advocating UN hearings on asteroid deflection, which would be international in nature. Is there another project/treaty underway?

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What we are working on (with Schweickart as chair of the NEO Committee) is a UN asteroid deflection protocol, which we hope will ultimately be the basis for a UN-sponsored treaty. The work of the NEO Committee will include organizing a series of international workshops on NEO deflection decision-making, culminating in the presentation of a draft UN Protocol on NEO Deflection to the United Nations via COPUOS in about 2008. The committee has been contacting prominent international experts in diplomacy, international law, space policy and other disciplines in the preparation phase of organizing the workshops.

posted 11-27-2006 10:05 PM               

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Originally posted by carmelo: Yes you are right, and i excuse with you for the little off thread. But i ask a thing again. Reading Deke biography, oral history, threads on web forums, i had this impression,that in astronaut office in 1963-1966 under Slayton and Shepard management was this situation: "The right guys": Slayton, Shepard (grounded from damned doctors, but Oh boys, astronauts wuth 100% right stuff!), Grissom, Schirra, Young, McDivitt, Conrad, Stafford, Borman, Lovell, Armstrong, Scott, Bassett, Collins, Gordon, Cernan, Aldrin, Anders, Williams. And the "Wrong guys": Carpenter, Cooper, White, See, Schweickart, Chaffe, Cunningham, Eisle, Bean (saved from AAP swamp from Pete Conrad). Now i know that is a simplification, but in general this was right?[/B]

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I also read that Frank Borman and/or Gus Grissom both flat out refused to work with Buzz Aldrin. His ability to get along with Jim Lovell and his great Gemini XII EVA probably qualified him for the Apollo XI seat.

I'm not sure about Cunningham. I've heard he could be abrasive but he flew an important mission. Eisele was fired for doping off after Apollo X backup duty and it was said his effort would mimic his commander's (prickly with Schirra on VII and too laid back with Cooper on X).

In 1966 AAP wasn't a "swamp". It wasn't fast track, and it was charecterized as being on the bench to a certain extent, but Bean was also the first member of Group 3 to get a command seat (backup on Gemini XII).

I don't know if the Astronaut office was as strictly defined as it is now in legend. I know some people were bullet proof but that's any organization.

Hope this helps, and have a great holiday season.

posted 11-28-2006 06:58 AM               

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Originally posted by Duke Of URL:
Wasn't RS one of Jim McDivitt's guys? Could he have lost out in the Shepard/McDivitt power play?

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Not sure that would apply--after all, wasn't Dave Scott also one of Jim McDivitt's 'guys'? And he did fairly well for himself...