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  Skylab 2's docking problem and Apollo 14

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Author Topic:   Skylab 2's docking problem and Apollo 14
Headshot
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Posts: 891
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 03-25-2015 04:03 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Headshot   Click Here to Email Headshot     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Skylab 2, with Pete Conrad, Joe Kerwin and Paul Weitz, had problems docking with the Skylab Workshop on May 28, 1973. They made several docking attempts, eventually overcame the difficulty, and successfully docked.

I remember hearing or reading that their docking probe had been used previously on Apollo 14, which also had docking problems.

Did the crew of Apollo 14 return with their docking probe? Was this probe reused on Skylab 2?

Blackarrow
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Posts: 3160
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 03-25-2015 06:14 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Blackarrow     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That would be interesting, if true.

Mike Dixon
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Posts: 1428
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003

posted 03-26-2015 12:01 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Mike Dixon   Click Here to Email Mike Dixon     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The probe was returned, I know that. It was also used again but not sure of the mission.

moorouge
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Posts: 2458
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009

posted 03-26-2015 02:31 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for moorouge   Click Here to Email moorouge     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
According to 'The Partnership', an account of the ASTP mission, the '14' probe was used on this flight.

heng44
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Posts: 3413
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001

posted 03-26-2015 08:09 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for heng44   Click Here to Email heng44     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
That is correct. The ASTP docking probe was the refurbished Apollo 14 probe.

Headshot
Member

Posts: 891
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 03-26-2015 11:32 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Headshot   Click Here to Email Headshot     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks.

David Carey
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posted 03-26-2015 02:04 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for David Carey   Click Here to Email David Carey     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I didn't know about the probe re-use, but this past Bonham's auction, Steve Jurvetson's writeup of same, and an upcoming RR lot provide some good background and reference pointers on the A14 docking issues and components involved.

As I understand it, both pieces of hardware referenced above were ground-test articles (despite the documentation/tagging that might suggest flown), used for trying to duplicate A14's docking problems with the flight-returned probe.

Headshot
Member

Posts: 891
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012

posted 03-31-2015 08:09 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Headshot   Click Here to Email Headshot     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Just as a follow-up. I did not realize that there was a problem with this probe on the ASTP mission as well.

Vance Brand could not remove the probe when the crew was scheduled to access the docking module. In this case some wiring or cable has been routed incorrectly and blocked the tool that Brand was using to collapse the probe. He eventually, after consulting with Houston, moved the wiring/cable off to the side, and the tool collapsed the probe. It seems that this probe might have been jinxed ... if one believe in that sort of thing.

LM-12
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Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010

posted 05-20-2016 11:09 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for LM-12     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
The Apollo 14 docking probe is item 84 on the CSM 111 reuse flight hardware list found in the "ASTP Flight Readiness Review Board" report.

Also on the list: flown panels 1, 2, 3 and 7 from Apollo 16 CSM 113.

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