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Author Topic:   Returning printed manuals from the moon
garymilgrom
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Posts: 1966
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 12-13-2015 06:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for garymilgrom   Click Here to Email garymilgrom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The Apollo lunar module had many printed manuals stored in the rear of the cabin. I think most have seen these manuals or pages from manuals that are sold at auctions or by collectors. I have a page from Apollo 17 and with this week's anniversary I've been thinking of it a lot.

And something odd occurred to me — why would any astronaut bring back an obsolete printed manual? We know the rocks and film had priority, to the extent that astronauts were prohibited (discouraged?) from bringing other items because of their weight (and effect on the command module's center of gravity). Yes, some astronauts brought mementos of their journey — Cernan's boot covers, Bean's camera, Conrad's COAS etc. But paper is heavy, especially in large bundles, and the manuals in question became redundant as soon as the LM re-docked with the CM. I'm sure the engineers would like the data on how their systems performed during flight, but that would not be found in a manual printed before the mission.

So I ask again — with restrictions on time and weight why would any astronaut coming back from the lunar surface retrieve and return a printed manual from their mission? Thank you.

GACspaceguy
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Posts: 2474
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006

posted 12-13-2015 07:01 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for GACspaceguy   Click Here to Email GACspaceguy     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That is a very interesting observation. Also how would they have made the paper fire resistant? With the concern with fire in the vehicle that much paper would be an issue was the paper treated, if so with what?

Robert Pearlman
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Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 12-13-2015 07:36 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The nonflammable paper used on Apollo is addressed in this thread.

The transfer of the printed manuals from the lunar module to the command module was not something the astronauts decided to do on their own — it was planned for and detailed in the stowage lists among the items to be moved from the LM into the CM.

The LM surface checklist, systems activation checklist, lunar surface maps, timeline book, transfer data card kit, data card kit and rendezvous and abort book, as well as the astronauts' pocket checklists were all listed among the items to be returned to Earth (based on the Apollo 14 stowage list, for example).

quote:
Originally posted by garymilgrom:
Yes, some astronauts brought mementos of their journey — Cernan's boot covers, Bean's camera, Conrad's COAS etc.
Just a side note, but of the three items listed, only Conrad's COAS was a memento; Cernan's (and Schmitt's) overboots and the Apollo 12 color TV camera were returned to Earth on NASA's instruction.

garymilgrom
Member

Posts: 1966
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 12-13-2015 07:51 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for garymilgrom   Click Here to Email garymilgrom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thank you for that information Robert! I should have known who would know.

space1
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Posts: 853
From: Danville, Ohio
Registered: Dec 2002

posted 12-13-2015 11:20 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for space1   Click Here to Email space1     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The LM manuals were needed by the astronauts post-flight for completing detailed mission reports (especially the pages with their in-flight notations).

Lou Chinal
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Posts: 1306
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007

posted 01-08-2016 02:02 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Lou Chinal   Click Here to Email Lou Chinal     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Gary I'm glad you asked that. I wondered about it also.

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