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Author
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Topic: Mercury to Gemini transfer
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moorouge
Member Posts: 2458
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 10-30-2010 10:54 AM
   
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
If that wasn't possible, my bet would be they would rule out blowing the hatch from inside and seek the means to open it from outside.
As, in fact, they did on Cooper's flight. The hatch was blown on the command of a ground engineer. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 10-30-2010 11:09 AM
quote:
Originally posted by moorouge:
The hatch was blown on the command of a ground engineer.
My understanding is that Cooper blew the hatch from the inside after permission was granted.And though I do not have a source to cite, I remember reading that Grissom was the only Mercury astronaut not to suffer bruised knuckles and cuts on his palm, as he was the only one not to blow the hatch. |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2458
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 10-30-2010 12:49 PM
Carpenter didn't blow the hatch as he crawled out through the tunnel.There is no mention of any bruising to the hand of Shepard in the post flight mission report. Cooper's hatch was blown at the command of John B. Graham Jnr. Agreed that this is an ambiguous statement. |
Skylon
Member Posts: 277
From:
Registered: Sep 2010
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posted 10-30-2010 04:07 PM
quote:
Originally posted by moorouge:
There is no mention of any bruising to the hand of Shepard in the post flight mission report.
Freedom 7 had no hatch with explosive bolts (Mercury's from Liberty Bell 7 onward had modifications, the hatch included, that were added at the insistence of the Astronauts). Therefore, Shepard had no hatch to blow.
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Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1332
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 10-30-2010 11:45 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Skylon:
Was there anything in a Mercury's cabin an astronaut could use to strike the plunger with, instead of directly with their hand (a checklist, a camera while holding it by the lens)?
There was a thing called a 'swizzle stick'. It was about 18" long and was designed to extended an astronauts reach. quote:
Originally posted by garymilgrom:
I might recover a used S1C stage from the ocean floor, and I might have the engines repaired (any Chrysler mechanic should have a shop manual), and I might find a lake full of RP1 in my yard, and I might be gifted a few thousand gallons of LOX, and I might strap myself to the front of this contraption and trick Gilbert into lighting the thing.
You wouldn't need a CMP by any chance, would you? |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2458
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 10-31-2010 04:27 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Skylon:
Freedom 7 had no hatch with explosive bolts (Mercury's from Liberty Bell 7 onward had modifications, the hatch included, that were added at the insistence of the Astronauts). Therefore, Shepard had no hatch to blow.
Nevertheless, Shepard had the means to release the hatch, as in fact he did. From Shepard's Ride in This New Ocean (SP-4201): While Shepard worked himself into a sitting posture, Koons asked again if he was ready. Not yet, he replied; he was still removing his restraint harness and he could still see water against the ports. So the chopper raised the spacecraft further and Shepard unlocked the hatch. |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2458
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 10-31-2010 11:22 AM
...it actually cut through a glove that was reinforced by metal. Without wishing to in any way doubt Schirra's account, the official mission report makes no mention of damage to the pressure suit and refers to the cuts as - "Two small abrasions were noted over the proximal knuckle of the fifth finger of Astronaut Schirra's right hand. These abrasions were sustained when the plunger of the explosive actuator for the egress hatch recoiled against the pilot's gloved hand, and they occurred in spite of his specific effort to avoid this injury. This ill injury is nearly identical to the one received by Astronaut Glenn during a similar egress from the MA-6 spacecraft."On edit - the mission report for Cooper's flight has no mention of abrasions to his hands. One concludes that blowing the hatch was accomplished without damage. |
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