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Author
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Topic: Apollo crew walkout (to launch) imagery
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LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-12-2015 10:23 AM
  
The Gemini crew "walkouts" from the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building were a bit different. They exited the north end of the building, and the crews were not suited. Here is some British Pathe footage of the Gemini 10 crew leaving the MSOB and heading to the suiting-up trailer at Pad 16 on launch day. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-24-2015 01:06 PM
KSC-68P-332 is another Apollo 7 crew walkout photo taken before the ramp was installed. Image is dated June 24, 1968. They got the crew names mixed up in the caption. |
golddog
Member Posts: 210
From: australia
Registered: Feb 2008
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posted 08-24-2015 10:23 PM
Interestingly (well to me anyway) with that last photo of Apollo 7, none of the crew appear to be wearing the yellow protective rubber outer shoes to protect the soles of the space suit boots. I guess that's because it was an egress test and those suits were training suits. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-24-2015 10:57 PM
Compare with this 68-H-926 launch day walkout photo of Schirra. |
golddog
Member Posts: 210
From: australia
Registered: Feb 2008
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posted 08-25-2015 02:27 AM
Interesting. Still no outer shoes worn. Must have been a later Apollo thing. |
heng44
Member Posts: 3701
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 08-25-2015 04:35 AM
quote:
Originally posted by LM-12:
They got the crew names mixed up in the caption.
That is not the only thing they have mixed up. The date is wrong [sigh]. The emergency egress test was on September 9. In June the Apollo spacecraft was still in the altitude chamber. |
heng44
Member Posts: 3701
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 08-25-2015 04:39 AM
quote:
Originally posted by golddog:
Still no outer shoes worn. Must have been a later Apollo thing.
The yellow boot protectors first show up in photos of the Apollo 8 crew walkout for their emergency egress training on October 23, 1968. They even have extra protection over their yellow plastic ones. |
golddog
Member Posts: 210
From: australia
Registered: Feb 2008
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posted 08-25-2015 05:39 AM
Thanks. Fascinating the little details that still turn up every now and then! Lovell almost looks about to lose an outer shoe outer shoe! |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-25-2015 08:17 AM
quote:
Originally posted by golddog:
Still no outer shoes worn. Must have been a later Apollo thing.
The Gemini crews wore similar yellow overshoes. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-26-2015 02:26 AM
73-HC-416 is a CDDT walkout photo of the Skylab 2 (Conrad) crew a few weeks before the actual launch.Things were different for the Skylab 3 and Skylab 4 crews. Unlike previous missions, the Skylab 3 and Skylab 4 crews did not participate in a "dry" CDDT before launch. From the Skylab 4 press kit: As in the previous Skylab launch, SL-4 launch operations differ from earlier ones in that the Countdown Demonstration Test (CDDT) and the final countdown have been incorporated into a single launch countdown.The early portion of the countdown will include launch vehicle cryogenic fueling and final countdown activities without astronaut participation. Following the simulated T-0, the count will go into an operational hold until T-42 hours, 30 minutes, prior to launch. The final recycled count will then proceed to launch. There will be no "dry" test with crew participation in the early portion of the count as was done on earlier missions. Did the ASTP crew skip the "dry" test also? |
heng44
Member Posts: 3701
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 08-26-2015 03:23 AM
quote:
Originally posted by LM-12:
Did the ASTP crew skip the "dry" test also?
No, the crew had a countdown test on July 3. |
Paul78zephyr
Member Posts: 803
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 09-15-2015 10:17 AM
ASTP walkout. Why did these A7LB suits have 'suspenders'? I see that the Skylab suits had them too. |
Captain Apollo
Member Posts: 353
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 09-15-2015 11:35 AM
Are those A7LBs? The crotch panel makes me think of A7Ls. I thought that was a distinctive difference? |
Paul78zephyr
Member Posts: 803
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 09-15-2015 11:50 AM
Skylab 3 (or '4') walkout. More suspenders.I have read that all the ASTP suits were CMP type A7LBs. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 09-15-2015 02:29 PM
The A Field Guide to American Spacecraft website has "A7LB" suit numbers for Skylab and "A7L" suit numbers for ASTP: - A7L-801 for Stafford
- A7L-806 for Brand
- A7L-803 for Slayton
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Captain Apollo
Member Posts: 353
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 09-15-2015 02:40 PM
Another look at the "suspenders" - they seem to be part of a bib? |
Paul78zephyr
Member Posts: 803
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 09-15-2015 03:10 PM
quote:
Originally posted by LM-12:
"A7L" suit numbers for ASTP
This document says they are A7LBs (pg 53). The document must be in error as they are A7Ls as you have stated. |
PeterO
Member Posts: 454
From: North Carolina
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 09-15-2015 03:52 PM
The straps are holding up the flotation device belt that was worn during launch and reentry. The pouch under his arm, and in his hand, are the "water wings" devices that would inflate to help the astronaut float. Apparently the belts slipped in the past, so the suspenders were added. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 09-15-2015 04:20 PM
The suspenders can be seen in this ASTP water egress training photo. |
Paul78zephyr
Member Posts: 803
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 09-15-2015 06:09 PM
PeterO and LM-12, great info/pics. Thanks. |
DG27
Member Posts: 240
From: USA
Registered: Nov 2010
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posted 09-18-2015 04:05 AM
The ASTP suits were indeed A7LB suits. The A7LB suits for the Lunar, Skylab, and ASTP programs were all slightly different for each program. Also, remember there were two versions of the A7LB suit. The CDR and LMP had one version (A7LB EVA) and the CMP had another version (A7LB IVA). The A7LB suit everyone is most familiar with, is the A7LB EVA version and was the type used by the CDR and LMP for Apollo 15 to 17 lunar activities. The A7LB EVA suit features the relocated entry zipper along with the repositioned gas connectors. The entry zipper was relocated to allow adding a waist joint for sitting in the rover. Since the Apollo 15 to 17 CMP did not sit in the rover his suit resembled the A7L suit (ie without the waist joint). For the Apollo 15 thru 17 missions the A7LB suit for the CMP was very similar to the A7L (CDR and LMP) design, except for the deletion of the water connector for the LCG. However, unlike the A7L CMP suit the A7LB CMP suit featured the dual set of gas connectors (which allowed stand up free space EVA). Since the ASTP mission was an IVA only mission for docking with the Soviets, there was no need for the water connector, no need for the extra set of suit gas hose connectors (since not using a PLSS or OPS), and no need for an EVA type TMG, on any of the suits. So the ASTP A7LB suits were the same design for all the crew (CDR, CMP, DMP), and featured only one set of gas connectors, and a single layer thermal cover for fire protection. The gloves were A7LB IVA gloves. The suit serial numbers were rolled to an 800 series to reflect the unique A7LB suit configuration for the ASTP missions. Hope this helps. |
mach3valkyrie
Member Posts: 748
From: Albany, Oregon
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 09-18-2015 01:10 PM
Very informative. Good detective work. |
Paul78zephyr
Member Posts: 803
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 10-02-2015 09:18 PM
quote:
Originally posted by DG27:
So the ASTP A7LB suits were the same design for all the crew (CDR, CMP, DMP),
What is the DMP designation? |
Tom
Member Posts: 1724
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 10-02-2015 09:52 PM
DMP is Docking Module Pilot. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 10-07-2015 11:18 PM
The Apollo 1 astronauts wore a similar type of suspender as seen in S67-19770. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 03-11-2016 09:13 AM
quote:
Originally posted by heng44:
No, the crew had a countdown test on July 3.
The ASTP crew can be seen at the pad in CDDT photo KSC-75P-342 with this archive.org caption: ASTP asstronauts (sic) Donald slayton (sic), Vance Brand and Thomas Stafford leave the transfer van at Complex 39's Pad B and enter the pad elevator during the Countdown Demonstration Test. The test, a step-by-step dress rehearsal for the July 15 launch, simulates the actual countdown but without the propellants in the Saturn IB launch vehicle's fuel tanks. The fueled portion of the test was conducted yesterday. Does the NASA caption have the same mistakes? |
carmelo
Member Posts: 1109
From: Messina, Sicilia, Italia
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 03-11-2016 10:28 AM
Why the A7LB suits for Skylab missions were not of same type worn by the command module pilot in Apollo 15-17 missions? There was not lunar rover on Skylab. |
DG27
Member Posts: 240
From: USA
Registered: Nov 2010
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posted 03-13-2016 12:43 AM
The addition of the waist joint to allow the astronauts to sit in the lunar rover made the A7LB EVA (CDR and LMP) suit a more mobile suit than the A7L (or A7LB CMP) suit. Thus for putting a crew on the Skylab space station I think you would want the most mobile suit available in case there were problems that came up during EVA. (This is my opinion since I do not have any documentation to support this.)Also the shoulder joints in the A7LB were improved over the A7L design with the addition of pulleys at the entrance of the guide tubes for the shoulder restraint cables. This helped reduce the cable drag friction which improved the shoulder mobility. The A7LB was basically an "improved" suit over the A7L, which you would want for any EVA work. |
schnappsicle
Member Posts: 410
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2012
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posted 03-14-2016 07:27 AM
I can't imagine the astronauts, or anyone else, entering a spacecraft while wearing dirty boots. If they aren't wearing protective boots, is there a chance the boots shown in the photo were cleaned in the white room prior to ingress? If so, how? They could also have been cleaned in the van during the drive out to the pad. Either way, it seems like a huge waste of time.EDIT - After looking at the Apollo 7 suit-up photos, it appears all three are wearing some kind of protective covering over their boots. I can't tell if it's white or clear plastic, but the boots look too wrinkly to me to be anything other than some sort of covering. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 03-14-2016 11:09 PM
In photo 68-H-933, you can see that the soles of Walt Cunningham's boots are black. Maybe he is wearing boot protectors. I don't think the soles of the PGA boots were black. |
DG27
Member Posts: 240
From: USA
Registered: Nov 2010
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posted 03-17-2016 01:50 AM
Yes, those are boot protectors. The soles of the PGA boots are an off white color. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 11-24-2017 12:08 AM
Here is some walkout footage of the Apollo 8 crew during training. The film begins with the crew leaving the transfer van at the MSOB, which you rarely see. The first walkout looks like the backup crew. The second walkout looks like the prime crew. Both crews are wearing the two boot protectors. |
heng44
Member Posts: 3701
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 11-25-2017 08:37 AM
Nice find. The footage is from October 23, 1968. First we see the prime crew returning to the MSOB after emergency egress training at the pad. Then we seen the backup crew leaving for the same emergency egress training.Then a (presumably) pretty lady walking towards the door, which is odd because the MSOB exit lacks the ramp that was installed in September 1968 (see earlier in this thread). And finally we see the prime crew leaving the MSOB for the emergency egress training at the pad, which should have been the first scene. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 11-25-2017 09:35 AM
I like raw footage like this, which is often silent and out of sequence. The backup crew walkout was the Photo of the Week 626.The lady might be walking into the north wing of the MSOB. |
SkyMan1958
Member Posts: 1341
From: CA.
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 11-25-2017 05:06 PM
For all you folks wondering about "suspenders," here is a picture of Skylab 4 water wings. 
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LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 11-25-2017 08:52 PM
quote:
Originally posted by heng44:
The footage is from October 23, 1968.
Here is what the crew training summary has for the Apollo 8 crews on October 23: - Pad Egress Demo - All
- CMS #3 - B/U
- Reentry Proc. Review - Prime
- Landmarks/Targets - All
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LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-20-2018 12:07 PM
Some NASA captions for Apollo 11 walkout photos at the pad on launch day: - 69-HC-768:
Apollo 11 Astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin are shown in this photograph approaching the elevator of the Gantry at Complex 39, which will take them 320 feet to the White Room where they will board the Apollo spacecraft. - 69-HC-798:
Apollo 11 Flight Commander Astronaut Neil Armstrong leads fellow Astronauts Michael Collins and Edwin Aldrin from the transfer van at Launch Complex 39 Pad A nearly three hours before they were launched to the Moon.
- 69-HC-799:
Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Astronaut Edwin Aldrin walks from the transfer van at Launch Complex 39 Pad A prior to being launched on a lunar landing mission. - 69-HC-800:
Apollo 11 Astronauts Michael Collins and Edwin Aldrin are shown in this photograph walking from the transfer van at Launch Complex 39 Pad A at the start of their Manned Lunar Landing Mission.
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LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-20-2018 12:37 PM
Regarding the 798 caption: Armstrong was the first to board the transfer van at the MSOB, so wouldn't he be the last to exit the van at the pad?In photo 768, isn't that Aldrin in the elevator, then Collins in the middle, and Armstrong closest to the camera? |
oly
Member Posts: 1462
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015
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posted 08-20-2018 08:52 PM
While not the best quality images, this film shows the astronauts exiting the van at 2.19 second timestamp. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3853
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-20-2018 09:02 PM
That (exiting the van) is training footage, not launch day. Nice try, though. |
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