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Author
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Topic: Project Mercury primary/secondary assignments
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KC Stoever
Member Posts: 1023
From: Denver, CO USA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 06-15-2007 01:33 PM
   
A good question came up about astronaut capcom assignments. I thought this would be an interesting way to look at individual assignments for all the early guys.Here for the record is my best information on Scott Carpenter. My thought was that others could submit the same for the other six guys (and fill out gaps in my own account). Scott Carpenter: Project Mercury flights - MR-3 — Scott (USN) and Wally Schirra (USN) flew chase aircraft for Al Shepard (USN) at Walt Williams's suggestion (flight test tradition). Couldn't quite chase Al, though, who went straight up!
- MR-4 — Scott acted as LIFE magazine liaison. In this capacity, Scott had breakfast with Gus Grissom and supplied first-person reportage for LIFE coverage. (LIFE was contractually prevented from immediate pre- and post-flight contact with astronauts).
- MA-4 (unmanned mission) — September 1961, Scott at Muchea, Australia.
- MA-6 — Scott, alternate MA-6 pilot, was in the block house ("Godspeed, John Glenn") for the launch.
- MA-7 — Scott, primary pilot.
- MA-8 — Scott, capcom, Guaymas, Mexico
- MA-9 — Scott, capcom, Hawaii. Took his son, Jay (b. Hawaii, 1952), who learned how to surf with the assistance of a distinguished Hawaiian surfer, by the way. I have a picture somewhere.
Finally, here, thanks to 413 is In, is a good French link with additional information. Thanks, Bill! |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1766
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 06-15-2007 05:17 PM
Neat info Kris! Where you list Scott as working an unmanned mission in Australia, it couldn't have been MR-1 or MR-2 because the Redstones couldn't loft a capsule that far. MA-1 and MA-2 were suborbital Atlas shots to test the heat shield, so probably nobody manning the Australian tracking stations then either. He must have been out there for MA-3 (planned to orbit but failed), MA-4 (successful one-orbit), or MA-5 (Chimp Enos flight). Do you have a time hack on when he was there? That could help home in on the exact flight. |
art540
Member Posts: 432
From: Orange, California USA
Registered: Sep 2006
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posted 06-15-2007 05:56 PM
Did you mean to leave out Big Joe (MA-0) Sept. 9, 1959 - the first Atlas use in Mercury? Or perhaps the tracking network wasn't ready that date... |
KC Stoever
Member Posts: 1023
From: Denver, CO USA
Registered: Oct 2002
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posted 06-15-2007 06:25 PM
quote:
Originally posted by micropooz:
...Redstones couldn't loft a capsule that far.
Hah! Right you are.As it happens, I have an excellent, recently purchased reference work that may have information about this unmanned flight. Yep. Here it is: An assignment to Muchea in September 1961 brought [Carpenter] to the vast spaces of western Australia... As a member of NASA's team of technicians and scientists, Carpenter was present to assist in the global tracking effort [for MA-4]. Source: Francis French and Colin Burgess, "Into that Silent Sea," p. 128.So Carpenter, capcom at Muchea for MA-4. Correction duly noted. Thank you! Off the top of my head, I can place the other astronaut capcoms/secondary duties for MA-7: Glenn was on Grand Turk, I think waiting with the medical debriefing team. Cooper was Guaymas capcom. Shepard was California capcom. Gus was Mercury Control. Schirra must've been in the blockhouse. Slayton was in Muchea. |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1766
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 06-15-2007 08:14 PM
That nails it Kris!Art, Big Joe 1 was also a suborbital heat shield test, so even if the Australia tracking station was built then, it would not have been needed. |
art540
Member Posts: 432
From: Orange, California USA
Registered: Sep 2006
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posted 06-15-2007 11:07 PM
Correct. I was just thinking of a reason Big Joe was not included with MA-1 and MA-2 and I went off on a tangent.My perpetual shame... |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3808
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 06-16-2007 01:38 PM
Having a record of astronaut participation with all the Mercury (and possibly Gemini/Apollo) missions is a good idea. As time permits I'll recheck my paper files, but meanwhile, here is what I have for MA-6/Glenn: - Carpenter--Backup pilot (inside Cape's MCC)
- Shepard--technical advisor (inside Cape-MCC)
- Schirra--at Pt. Arguello, CA, tracking site
- Cooper--at Muchea, Australia, tracking sta.
- Grissom--monitored launch, insertion, landing and recovery from Mercury's Bermuda station
- Slayton--performed spacecraft checkout prior to insertion of the mission pilot (was inside MCC during launch)
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Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1389
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 06-16-2007 04:52 PM
I just happen to have a booklet on Schirra's flight (MA-8) near the computer. - Schirra- Pilot
- Cooper -Back-up Pilot
- Slayton- capsule communicator, MCC
- Carpenter- capsule communicator, Guaymas, Mexico
- Glenn- capsule communicator,Pt.Arguello, Calif.
- Grissom- capsule communicator,Kauai Island, Hawaii
- Shepard- capsule communicator, Pacific Command Ship
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Philip
Member Posts: 6258
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 04-19-2024 06:01 AM
Revisiting this topic from 2007, in hopes of of finding a list of the Mercury 7 secondary assignments as each got a specific follow-up task within the Mercury program: - Cooper: Follow-up Redstone launch vehicle
- Carpenter: Communications & Navigation
- Glenn: cockpit lay-out
- Grissom: manual & automatic control system
- Schirra: Environmental & Life support system
- Shepard: SAR, Parachutes, Recovery
- Slayton: Follow-up Atlas launch vehicle
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kyra
Member Posts: 612
From: Louisville CO US
Registered: Aug 2003
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posted 04-23-2024 03:13 PM
The documentation for this would probably be something titled "Network Assignments" or similar. Later on when there was a Flight Crew Operations Directorate, the lead of that Branch would publish a list. | |
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