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Author
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Topic: Apollo helmets for orbital and landing missions
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JasonB
Member Posts: 1091
From:
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 07-09-2014 02:32 PM
   
Did the Apollo missions pre-Apollo 11 only use bubble helmets and then start using visored white helmets for the moonwalkers? Is that why the command module pilot had to borrow a helmet for EVAs? Or did the pre-Apollo 11 missions (and post 11 CMPs) also have a helmet besides the bubble one? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. |
onesmallstep
Member Posts: 1313
From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007
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posted 07-09-2014 03:39 PM
As far as I know, you are correct on both counts in your first paragraph. The 'white helmet' is actually a visor assembly that fits over the crewmembers' regular 'bubble' helmet and has the white thermal covering and gold sun visor. Most were discarded, along with the PLSS backpacks, after the last lunar EVAs. But one was always retained during the J missions for the deep space EVAs by the CMPs. |
JasonB
Member Posts: 1091
From:
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 07-09-2014 04:22 PM
Cool that's exactly what I was wondering. Thanks for the info. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-09-2014 04:44 PM
The visor overlay to the bubble helmet (formally, Pressure Helmet Assembly) was called the Lunar Extravehicular Visor Assembly (LEVA): The LEVA is a light-and-heat attenuating assembly which fits over the clamps around the base of the Pressure Helmet Assembly (PHA). It provides additional protection from micrometeoroids and accidental damage to the PHA. |
JasonB
Member Posts: 1091
From:
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 07-09-2014 07:51 PM
Thanks Robert. I thought it was a separate, different helmet. I had no idea it was an attachment to the other helmet. |
Captain Apollo
Member Posts: 260
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 07-10-2014 09:51 AM
What of the red assembly worn on Apollo 9? That is a different set of visors? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-10-2014 09:59 AM
A discussion of the red helmets can be found here. By mid 1969 (and possibly earlier) the red helmet was referred to as the EVVA helmet (Extravehicular Visor Assembly), to distinguish it from the LEVA (Lunar Extravehicular Visor Assembly). ...the EVVA comprised five main sub-assemblies; the shell assembly (the red bit), the protective visor, the sun visor, the hinge assemblies and the latching mechanism. |
carmelo
Member Posts: 1051
From: Messina, Sicilia, Italia
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 07-10-2014 01:06 PM
quote:
Originally posted by onesmallstep:
Most were discarded, along with the PLSS backpacks, after the last lunar EVAs.
Discarded?And if a contingency EVA for transfer from LEM to CM had been required? They could not performing a contingency EVA only with the "naked" bubble helmets. |
Mike Dixon
Member Posts: 1428
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003
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posted 07-10-2014 05:28 PM
My thoughts as well. I thought they were retained. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 07-10-2014 05:55 PM
I don't see any why the LEVA would be necessary, let alone required, for a contingency EVA to transfer to the command module. By definition, the spacewalk would be brief in duration, and the LEVA was designed to add extended thermal protection. What am I missing? As for the LEVA being returned, in addition to Scott's, Young's and Cernan's used for the trans-Earth spacewalks, the Smithsonian lists Armstrong's, Aldrin's, Irwin's and Schmitt's in the National Air and Space Museum collection. |
Headshot
Member Posts: 891
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 07-10-2014 06:13 PM
I would have thought that the LEVA would have been needed for a contingency EVA to protect the LM crew's eyes from solar UV damage. Ed White had a gold visor for his Gemini IV EVA, which was supposed to be only 10 minutes long. Maybe I am missing something as well.Does anyone know how long a contingency EVA might have lasted? |
mikej
Member Posts: 481
From: Germantown, WI USA
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 07-10-2014 06:45 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Headshot:
Does anyone know how long a contingency EVA might have lasted?
According to the Apollo 9 Press Kit [direct link to 4.7M PDF], the planned extravehicular transfer (EVT) would have been about 20 minutes: Egress, EVT to CM, and ingress CM -- 20 min. |
Headshot
Member Posts: 891
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 07-10-2014 07:46 PM
That gets us in the ballpark.But for an actual lunar contingency EVA there are two astronauts (not one as for Apollo IX) and, big assumption here, two rock boxes. So I am going to guess 30 minutes. I sure would not want to be out there that long without a LEVA. |
JasonB
Member Posts: 1091
From:
Registered: Sep 2003
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posted 07-10-2014 09:29 PM
Were Stafford and Cernan given anything besides the "bubble helmet" for Apollo 10? If not I would assume that they figured an EVA from the LM to the CM was highly unlikely and the need for anything else unnecessary. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 07-10-2014 09:42 PM
The LMP also wore a LEVA helmet during the transearth EVA.Photo S72-37001 shows both Ken Mattingly and Charlie Duke during the Apollo 16 transearth EVA. Both are wearing the LEVA helmets. Mattingly was wearing Duke's OPS during the transearth EVA. So that means all three crewmembers wore Duke's OPS at some point in the mission: - Charlie Duke on EVA-1 and EVA-2
- John Young on EVA-3
- Ken Mattingly on the transearth EVA
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LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 07-11-2014 01:52 AM
quote:
Originally posted by JasonB:
Were Stafford and Cernan given anything besides the "bubble helmet" for Apollo 10?
The stowage list for the Apollo 10 LM includes these items: |
carmelo
Member Posts: 1051
From: Messina, Sicilia, Italia
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 07-11-2014 08:17 AM
I think that 30 minutes of EVA only with the bubble helmet is not suitable and safe. Crews from Apollo 11 to Apollo 17 had EVVA? |
Space Cadet Carl
Member Posts: 225
From: Lake Orion, Michigan
Registered: Feb 2006
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posted 07-11-2014 10:10 AM
Jim Lovell's unused LEVA from Apollo 13 is on display at the Alder Planetarium in Chicago. Lovell customized it with naval aviator logos before the flight and as far as I know he was the only astronaut to ever customize his LEVA with special graphics. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 07-11-2014 10:43 AM
Photo AS17-152-23376 was taken during the Apollo 17 transearth EVA. Is that Ron Evans or Jack Schmitt?The astronaut does not seem to be wearing an OPS in the photo, and he is facing the Sun, so I would say that is Jack Schmitt. |
Captain Apollo
Member Posts: 260
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 07-11-2014 02:34 PM
One PLSS and an EVVA for Apollo 10... I suppose there is a fantasy in which this happens:  |
ozspace
Member Posts: 234
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2009
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posted 09-07-2014 11:11 PM
quote:
Originally posted by LM-12:
John Young on EVA-3
Why did John wear Charlie's OPS on EVA-3? Did only one have a camera bracket?
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David C
Member Posts: 1039
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 09-07-2014 11:20 PM
Not aware of any camera bracket on the OPS, do you mean the RCU? |
ozspace
Member Posts: 234
From: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2009
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posted 09-07-2014 11:38 PM
Yes, I was thinking the RCU was all part of OPS, but they are referred to separately, thanks. Found the answer on Working on the Moon: "The OPSs are identical but, because the antenna on John's broke during post-EVA-2 ingress and his PLSS is the only one with comm electronics for relaying to the LM or LCRU, they will swap OPSs for EVA-3." |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 09-08-2014 09:47 PM
Young can be seen wearing Duke's OPS in AS16-116-18577 taken on EVA-3. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 09-23-2014 01:34 AM
In this Skylab 3 EVA photo, it looks like Owen Garriott has his gold sun visor and his protective visor up on his SEVA helmet.So I would say that he is looking through his pressure helmet assembly only. |
Captain Apollo
Member Posts: 260
From: UK
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 09-23-2014 12:45 PM
That photo of John Young is dreadfully damaged. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 09-24-2014 08:21 AM
John Young changed film magazines on his CDR camera at Station 9. All the EVA photos taken with the CDR camera after that are smudged. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 12-02-2016 11:52 AM
quote:
Originally posted by LM-12:
Young can be seen wearing Duke's OPS...
Duke can be seen wearing Young's OPS in this clip from the rover camera. |
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