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Author
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Topic: Mercury, Gemini, Apollo: Free time activities
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stsmithva
Member Posts: 1940
From: Fairfax, VA, USA
Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 03-03-2012 07:33 PM
   
My wife and were discussing the fact that most of the Gemini missions lasted days (even two weeks in the case of Gemini 7). She asked what the astronauts did during their free time.That got me thinking about specific examples of things the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo astronauts did (besides, of course, enjoy the view) when they weren't having to fulfill mission requirements. I've started a list; perhaps you could add to it things mentioned in books (by astronauts or others), or remember items from space auctions. - Gemini 6: 8-note Hohner "Little Lady" harmonica.
- Gemini 7: Borman read Roughing It by Mark Twain and Lovell Drums along the Mohawk by Walter D. Edmonds.
- Apollo 9: Schweickart brought and presumably read inspiring quotes.
- Apollo 14: Mitchell brought several albums on audio cassettes.
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space1
Member Posts: 861
From: Danville, Ohio
Registered: Dec 2002
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posted 03-03-2012 08:36 PM
I recall a filmed interview with Pete Conrad remarking how bored he was on Gemini 5. He said he wished he had brought a book along. |
Jay Chladek
Member Posts: 2272
From: Bellevue, NE, USA
Registered: Aug 2007
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posted 03-03-2012 09:33 PM
Gemini 5 was sort of on low power anyway after the fuel cell started acting up. So if they had anything else planned, it got pruned in favor of just drifting flight.Maybe what Gordo and Pete should have done to really have a little fun though was to say over the radio just before getting out of range of a tracking station... "Oh crap what is that thing?!" then scream and cut their mikes.  (And yes, I ad-libbed that from From the Earth to the Moon).  |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2458
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 03-04-2012 07:24 AM
Gemini 5 – Cooper, when asked what they were doing for exercise replied, "I hold Pete's hand once in a while... then a couple of days we chewed gum." Also, Cooper spent some time composing ditties. An example, read out by Conrad, went, We were drifting along by the CSQ
When the radio suddenly said 'Here's words for you.
Your controls are dead, but you're not through.'
So here we are for three days more with the end quite far. McDivitt's comment was that the last line needed some work, which Conrad promised to do. They listened to music that included tunes from Oklahoma, 'Tiger Rag', 'I've been working on the railroad', 'Hold that tiger', 'The tender trap', 'Thinking of you', and 'Never on Sunday'.On Skylab 2 the crew played games in the upper deck area. Weitz bounced a ball 111 times round the lockers before it died away; Velcro tipped darts were not successful until they learned to aim directly at the target; paper aircraft were the best of all. Gymnastic contests were held to see how many somersaults they could do and they usually did a flip or tumble on their way from place to place just for the fun of it. | |
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