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Author
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Topic: Apollo contingency lunar EVA procedures
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randyc
Member Posts: 779
From: Chandler, AZ USA
Registered: May 2003
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posted 04-29-2009 07:11 PM
   
It's my understanding that, for the astronauts that landed on the moon, if one of them could not leave the lunar module, either because of a malfunction of their spacesuit or one of the portable life support systems (PLSS), that there was a contingency EVA plan that would allow one of them to leave the LM to gather samples. My questions are: - Assuming that it was a malfunction of one of the PLSSs (if it was a malfunction of one of the suits then the one without the problem would be the one who walks on the moon), would the Commander be the one to walk on the moon for all of the scheduled EVAs (either two or three depending on the mission) or would the Commander and LM Pilot alternate?
- Even if multiple EVAs were planned, would only one be allowed because of the circumstances? and
- How far would the one on the surface be allowed to venture from the LM?
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SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 4494
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-29-2009 09:06 PM
quote:
Originally posted by randyc:
...would the Commander be the one to walk on the moon for all of the scheduled EVAs
I don't think the option to select the individual was available (in the case of suit failure) as the A7L's were custom fit... |
MCroft04
Member Posts: 1647
From: Smithfield, Me, USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 04-29-2009 09:11 PM
I agree; no swapping suits. Logic would tell me they were coming home without any EVA. But I'm interested in contingencies for one astronaut to do an EVA. What is your source? |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 4494
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-29-2009 09:15 PM
Apollo: The Forgotten Missions addresses this on p.294 in the context of Apollo 13: EVA-1 contingency plansEVA1 one man: In the event of only one EMU being available to support an EVA (due to system failure on the second unit, forcing the second astronaut to remain on the LM ECS umbilical), there were plans to allow one astronaut to perform an almost normal four-hour or more solo EVA. Should any LM sub-system become degraded enough to require constant monitoring or manual intervention to maintain system integrity, again a one man EVA was planned. Presumably this CONOPS applied to all the Lunar missions. |
randyc
Member Posts: 779
From: Chandler, AZ USA
Registered: May 2003
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posted 04-29-2009 09:15 PM
I understand that they couldn't swap suits. That's why I said whoever is having the suit problem wouldn't be the one who walked on the moon. The real question is what if only one PLSS worked. It appears that the PLSSs were not 'suit specific', so was there a NASA policy regarding who would use it? |
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1332
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 04-30-2009 06:51 PM
I think NASA would have to handle the problems as they arose, much like Apollo 13. Joe Schmitt told me a common problem in development was the wrist-cuff joint. Would you want to depressurize the LM if the fix was only temporary? That leads me to another question. If the ECS umbilical was long enough to go from the LM hatch to the CM hatch. You could in theory go from the LM hatch down the ladder and stand on the moon. There are a lot of what-if's in the contingency plans. I remember one of the big fears was what if one of the crew broke his leg during the EVA? Would a compound fracture puncture the suit? Would one crewman be able to pull the other one up the ladder? Grumman certified the ladder to hold only one crewmans weight. |
SpaceAholic
Member Posts: 4494
From: Sierra Vista, Arizona
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 04-30-2009 08:19 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Lou Chinal:
That leads me to another question. If the ECS umbilical was long enough to go from the LM hatch to the CM hatch. You could in theory go from the LM hatch down the ladder and stand on the moon.
Yea but would you really want to place in jeopardy the ability to conduct a contingency LM to CM transfer (the risk is incurring a cut/compression kink transacting the ladder)? |
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1332
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 04-30-2009 09:40 PM
Scott, notice I said "in theory". I would always have in my mind this was a contingency plan.I know that there was a lot of talk at the time of, "what if one guy breaks his leg". |
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