|
|
Author
|
Topic: Butter cookie tradition when suiting up for EVA?
|
p51 Member Posts: 1642 From: Olympia, WA Registered: Sep 2011
|
posted 11-06-2013 02:09 PM
A while back I'd heard a comment from someone about butter cookies and getting ready for shuttle EVAs.Today, I read a passage in "NASA's Scientist-Astronauts" by Shayler and Burgess that mentioned the same thing, which I took to mean it was some form of tradition. Does anyone know more about this? The passage in the book is the first thing I've ever read about this being a common thing. If so, why butter cookies? |
jasonelam Member Posts: 691 From: Monticello, KY USA Registered: Mar 2007
|
posted 11-06-2013 04:28 PM
In searching for information about this subject, I found this in the JSC Oral History from Joe Allen. There is a point when the IVA crewman pops the helmet on the head of each of the spacewalking crewmen, and he had already buttoned Dale up, and then he was coming to me. Just as he got ready to do it, I said, "David, stop. I am so hungry. I really need a cookie or something to eat."He said, "Oh, Joe, how could you? We're slightly—." I said, "David, I need a butter cookie." So he goes off into the food pantry, grabs things, throws it hither and yon and comes back with a butter cookie. I open my mouth. Keep in mind I can't use my hands now. He puts the butter cookie into [my mouth], the whole thing, and then he hits my jaw shut [demonstrates]. He says, "Eat it, but don't choke, you little rodent." We can come back to that later. I ate the butter cookie; felt better. David put the helmet onto me, popped it. We're now sealed, and there unfolded a pressurizing and then a depressurizing of the airlock, and the EVA started. |
ea757grrl Member Posts: 729 From: South Carolina Registered: Jul 2006
|
posted 11-06-2013 05:17 PM
I remember Joe Allen making the butter cookie reference in a documentary, I believe an episode of "Frontline" from 1986 or 1987 about the astronaut corps during the Challenger stand-down. He said it as a passing reference, while drawing an analogy to your crewmates helping you get suited up being like your mom bundling you up to go out in the snow when you were a kid.(Need to find that videotape. That was a very good documentary.) |
sts205cdr Member Posts: 649 From: Sacramento, CA Registered: Jun 2001
|
posted 11-07-2013 11:39 AM
Butter cookies were specially made for the Skylab crews. Pete Conrad was especially addicted to them. | |
Contact Us | The Source for Space History & Artifacts
Copyright 2020 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved.
Ultimate Bulletin Board 5.47a
|
|
|
advertisement
|