Posts: 109
From: Chester, Cheshire, UK
Registered: May 2004

posted 06-14-2019 05:24 PM               

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It's often said that Neil Armstrong requested Charlie Duke as Apollo 11 capcom because of his expertise with the Apollo lunar module. But, Alan Shepard is also said to have nominated Ed Mitchell as his LM pilot because of his LM skills, and Fred Haise was the first Group 6 LM pilot selected, and also an apparent master of his craft.

So, who was the ultimate LM expert/pilot?

Posts: 2176
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999

Posts: 874
From: Orlando, FL
Registered: Jan 2014

Posts: 3120
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 06-16-2019 02:14 PM            

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quote:

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Originally posted by Chuckster01:
Many people were "the right person" for that moment in history.

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Straying through the hatch from "Aquarius" into "Odyssey" it could be said that Ken Mattingly was the right man for the job, but when he was replaced by Jack Swigert, Swigert became the right man for the job.

It is surely axiomatic that the prime crew member is better trained than his back-up but also axiomatic that the back-up has to be well-enough trained to step in if the prime crew member cannot fly. Therefore, when the back-up flies, he is not only the best available, but must be good enough to do the job.

(Think in terms of Mattingly and Swigert both being able to set a new world high jump record, but Mattingly could have jumped an inch higher if he hadn't been pulled off the flight...)