posted 06-11-2007 08:14 PM               

A new Apollo 2 (Block II CSM, first manned LM, mission AS-205/208, often referred to as AS-258 inside the astronaut office) was put in its place, with McDivitt, Scott and Schweickart as prime crew and Stafford, Young and Cernan as backups.

Schirra, Eisele and Cunningham were moved to the backup spot for Apollo 1 (Block I, AS-204), formerly occupied by the McDivitt crew.

posted 06-20-2007 03:33 PM               

In his autobiography "Deke!", he had picked Grissom, Eisele, and Chaffee to fly Apollo 1, with their back-ups being McDivitt, Scott, and Schweickhart.

His choice for Apollo 2 was Schirra, White, and Cunningham.

In late 1965, Eisele injured his shoulder in training before the official crew assignments could be announced. Realizing Eisele wouldn't recover in time for Apollo 1, Slayton swapped him with Apollo 2's senior pilot, White.

Schirra's Apollo 2 mission was cancelled in November 1966 when NASA realized there would be no point in duplicating Apollo 1's flight.

posted 08-25-2010 05:12 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by rasorenson:
Is that correct, or were they expecting to have the Saturn V at that time?

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The CSM LM flight had to wait for a Block 2 CSM since the block 1s didn't have a docking tunnel installed. That was one of the reasons for Schirra's vocal protests of the flight since the Block 1 was a dead end craft anyway and a second test flight of such a craft wouldn't accomplish much. It had a lot of systems that were different from the Block 2 craft (even before the fire) and all the flight would have ended up being is somewhat the equivalent of make busy work for NASA to keep flying until the Block 2 craft was ready.

The flight utilizing two Saturn 1Bs was likely due to the unproven nature of the Saturn V by early 1967 as Apollo 4 didn't fly until late that year and Apollo 6 in mid-1968. The CSM equipped Saturn 1B would likely have launched from Pad 34 with the LM launching from Pad 37. Of course, as it happened, the Apollo fire pushed back the plans for the first LM manned flight and the LM was running behind schedule anyway with the first unmanned flight of a LM not taking place until January of 1968 on Apollo 5. As such, the schedule was highly optimistic at best.

posted 08-28-2010 04:13 PM               

Release No: 66-67 March 21, 1966

12 Selected For Coming NASA Missions

Twelve astronauts were named to flight crews today -- including the first manned Apollo mission -- and two others assigned earlier were shifted to a different mission.

Prime crewman for the Apollo Earth-orbital mission, tentatively scheduled in the first quarter of 1967, are Lt. Col. Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, USAF; Lt. Col. Edward H. White II, USAF; and Navy Lt. Roger B. Chaffee. Their backups are Lt. Col. James A. McDivitt, USAF; Maj. David R. Scott, USAF; and Russell L. Schweickart, a civilian employee of NASA.

Assigned as prime crewman for the Gemini II mission scheduled in the last quarter of this year, are Navy Cmdr. Charles "Pete" Conrad, Jr., command pilot; and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Richard F. Gordon, Jr., pilot. Backups are Neil A. Armstrong, command pilot; and USAF Capt. William A. Anders, pilot.

Backup crewman for the Gemini 10 flight, Navy Capt. James A. Lovell, Jr., and USAF Maj. Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr., were reassigned as backup crew for Gemini 9. The original Gemini 9 backups, USAF Lt. Col. Thomas P. Stafford and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Eugene A. Cernan, became prime crewman for that mission after the deaths of civilian astronaut Elliot M. See, Jr., and USAF Maj. Charles A. Bassett II, last Feb. 28.

Replacing Lovell and Aldrin as the backup crew for Gemini 10 are Navy Lt. Cmdr. Alan L. Bean, and Marine Maj. Clifton C. Williams, Jr.

The first manned Apollo mission could come as early as the fourth flight of Saturn IB. The first Saturn IB flew successfully on Feb. 26.

Duration of the first manned Apollo mission, as presently conceived, will be determined on an orbit-by-orbit basis for the first six orbits, then on a day-by-day basis for up to 14 days maximum. Its orbit is to carry as high as 265 statute miles with a perigee of 100 statute miles. Prime goal of the flight will be to verify spacecraft, crew and ground support compatibility.

As presently planned, Gemini 11 will be a rendezvous and docking flight of up to three days duration. Rendezvous is scheduled in the first revolution, with the flight crew using onboard systems to compute their own trajectories and maneuvers. Ground systems will be used as a backup.

Plans call for the spacecraft to re-rendezvous with the Gemini 11 Agena vehicle, which procedurally will be a passive target the second time. The re-rendezvous also will be accomplished with the use of onboard systems.

Extravehicular activity is planned, using a hand-held maneuvering unit similar to the one which was to have been used on Gemini 8. Duration of extravehicular activity and tasks to be performed will be based on experience in Gemini 9 and Gemini 10.

Approximately eight experiments are tentatively scheduled for Gemini 11. All will be repeats of experiments flown previously but a list of specific experiments will not be available until a re-evaluation is completed. The Gemini 11 Agena will be parked in a high orbit for possible use during Gemini 12.

The launch profile and orbital parameters will be essentially the same in Gemini 11 as those in Gemini 8. The Agena will be launched into a 185-statute-mile orbit and rendezvous will be accomplished at that altitude.

Navy Cmdr. John W. Young, command pilot, and USAF Michael Collins, pilot, remain as the previously announced prime crew of Gemini 10.

posted 08-29-2010 09:20 AM               

When can a crew be considered to be the crew of a flight? Is it when there is an official announcement, e.g. March 1966 for Apollo 1? Or are the tentative assignments made in the Astronaut Office to be taken as official assignments?

posted 08-30-2010 03:41 AM               

November 25
MSC was requested by NASA Hq. to take the following actions:

• Delete all experiments assigned to AS-205.
  
• Assign experiment M005 (Bioassays Body Fluid, modified version) to AS-205/208.
  
• Assign experiment M006 (Bone Demineralization) to AS-205/208.
  
• Assign experiment M011 (Cytogenic Blood Studies) to AS-205/208.
  
• Assign experiment M023 (Lower-Body Negative Pressure) to AS-205/208.
  
• Redesignate experiments assigned to AS-207/208 to AS-205/208.

TWX, NASA Hq. to MSC (APO-CCB Directive No. 80), Nov. 25, 1966.

Finally, returning to the possibility of a dual launch to test the CSM and LM, the Chronology has this to say -

On February 4, John D. Hodge, Chief of the Flight Control Division, listed for the Technical Assistant for Apollo some problem areas that could arise in the operational aspects of the proposed mission with AS-207 carrying a manned CSM and AS-208 carrying only a LEM. Hodge recommended that the two launches not be attempted simultaneously, saying that some time between the launches should be determined, which would eliminate most of the problems anticipated.

Howard W. Tindall, Jr., Assistant Chief, Mission Planning and Analysis Division, in a memo documented some design criteria and philosophy on which the AS-207/208 rendezvous mission plan was being developed by the Rendezvous Analysis Branch. Tindall pointed out that, from the Gemini program experience, the plan was felt to be relatively firm. Tindall named some of the basic features recommended by the study:

1. The CSM should be launched before the LEM.
   
2. The first CSM orbit should be 482 km and the LEM orbit should be 203 km high, both circular. The inclination should be about 29 degrees.
   
3. There should be two "on-time" launch opportunities each day of about three minutes each, during which a LEM launch would provide ideal in-plane and phasing conditions.
   
4. It was anticipated that the basic rendezvous could be completed within four-and-a-half hours after LEM liftoff.
   
5. It was estimated that about 1,317 km per hr of spacecraft in-orbit propulsion would be required to carry out the rendezvous, with about seven service propulsion system maneuvers including terminal phase initiation.

MSC Memos, Mayer to Assistant Director for Flight Operations, "Dual Apollo Missions," Feb. 2, 1966; Hodge to Technical Assistant for Apollo, "Simultaneous Launch for AS-207 and AS-208," Feb. 4, 1967: Tindall to distribution, "Apollo AS-207/208 rendezvous mission planning," Feb. 24, 1966.

posted 08-31-2010 02:10 AM               

The public record is quite clear. The Apollo 1 crew were named on 21st March 1966; the Apollo 2 crew on 29th September 1966.

posted 08-31-2010 08:39 AM               

On edit - just found this which may shed some light on the situation. It would seem that all available astronauts were undertaking generalised Apollo training unless specifically engaged elsewhere.

NASA Administrator James E. Webb, Deputy Administrator Hugh L. Dryden, and Associate Administrator Robert C. Seamans, Jr., decided that the announcement of any Apollo crew should be delayed as long as feasible without jeopardizing training schedules. They reasoned that as long as the entire astronaut group was undergoing generalized Apollo training, and until individual mission planning was complete, there should be no need to make even tentative crew selections.

Memorandum, Seamans to Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight George E. Mueller, "Apollo Crew Selection," April 28, 1965.

posted 08-31-2010 10:03 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by moorouge:
Also, apart from Deke's book, is there any other evidence that the S-E-C crew were nominated as back-up to Apollo 1?

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I'm trying to understand the mystery here. The crew selection process under Slayton worked like this:

Slayton laid out a projected series of Gemini and Apollo crews in early 1964, began naming Gemini teams based on that -- and immediately began changing it in response to astronaut health (Shepard's disqualification) and other events.

He usually gave the potential commander advance notice of an assignment, and in some cases -- not all -- veto power over other crew members. Eventually the other crew members would learn of the potential assignment. (White on Apollo 1, for example.)

These crews were entirely un-official -- they still needed to be approved by Gilruth and NASA HQ.

At some point prior to the public news release, there would be an internal astronaut office announcement. Usually this was on the order of a week ahead of the press release, but in the case of, say, Skylab, it was MONTHS ahead.

posted 08-31-2010 10:52 AM            

quote:

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Originally posted by Michael Cassutt:
Eventually the other crew members would learn of the potential assignment. (White on Apollo 1, for example.)

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Or, as Gene Cernan noted in his book, he deduced his pending assignment as Gemini 9 backup when he was told to go up to Massachusetts to get fitted for a suit but didn't actually get told about it until several weeks later.

posted 08-31-2010 02:10 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Michael Cassutt:
Try the official NASA news release dated 22 December 1966.

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One can assume by inference that S-E-C were assigned as back-up sometime around here. But I have been unable to find any press release (official?) announcement that this was so.

posted 08-31-2010 02:34 PM               

Schirra, Eisele and Cunningham are "officially" identified as the 204 backups in MSC release 67-5 dated January 23, 1967.

posted 08-31-2010 04:53 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Michael Cassutt:
Schirra, Eisele and Cunningham are "officially" identified as the 204 backups in MSC release 67-5 dated January 23, 1967.

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posted 08-31-2010 04:58 PM               

The crew members are Command Pilot Virgil I. Grissom, Senior Pilot Edward H. White II, and Pilot Roger B. Chaffee. Backup crew is Walter Schirra, Donn F. Eisele, and Walter Cunningham.