posted 02-12-2016 02:28 PM               

I wanted to add a bit of levity to the party by presenting astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell with "gag" gifts related to their upcoming mission. I had some reservations with what I was about to do as I was not sure Mitchell's sense of humor rivaled that of Shepard's. During EVA crew training exercises I can't recall Mitchell laughing. On the other hand, Shepard was, on most occasions, ready to demonstrate his jovial, witty personality. I figured, worst case scenario was that I would be "protected" by Shepard if I alienated Mitchell!

The first "gift" I gave them was an "Enema Bag" that Mitchell is holding (Figure 2 below) to be used as a backup Urine Collection and Transfer Assembly (UCTA). Both astronauts, as you can see in the photo, laughed and could not stop laughing. Mitchell's laughter was a welcome relief and a confidence builder for continuing my mischief!

Here's some background about my next "gift." As you may or may not know, the In Suit Drinking Device (ISDD) was first used on Apollo 14. The purpose of the ISDD was to provide a source of drinking water during EVA. I can recall on a number of EVA runs, Shepard complained that the ISDD nozzle was uncomfortable (not his exact word, but you get the idea) to use and, as he said, "I'd rather be sucking on a Baby Bottle Nipple." No further explanation needed as Figure 3 below explains it all.

My last "gift" was a backup camera to be used if the crew "misplaced the Hasselblad or had a non functioning Hasselblad." If I recall correctly, the backup camera was a cheap Kodak pocket instamatic. You can see Al holding it from a strap in his left hand.

posted 02-12-2016 02:31 PM               

On several occasions (including a cS thread), I read about the existence of two Beach Houses. However, there was and still is only one Beach House.

The image below shows the brick mantle as it looks today and as it looked when I was there in 1971. As you can see, both brick mantle configurations are identical. Based on these inside photos there is and was only one Beach House.

I thought it would be interesting to compare the map on my Beach House Party Invitation (Figure 1) with a recent satellite map to give you a better visualization of the Beach House location (Figure 6 below). Note that I rotated the invitation map 90 degrees to make the comparison easier.

Insert Photo A in Figure 7 below shows the beach house as it looked when it was purchased in the early 1960s as the Kennedy Space Center expanded along the north side of Cape Canaveral. In earlier days, the astronauts could actually stay overnight, host parties, etc. It was dubbed the "Astronaut Training and Rehabilitation Building!"

The Beach House in insert Photo B shows the house as it looks today. But, it has long since lost its function as a residence with subsequent renovations. The quarters now resemble living rooms and a conference area, which are used for meetings when no astronauts are in town preparing for a mission.

You can see the same number of windows on the east side of both photos, i.e. 7. You can also see a major renovation on the west side of the Beach House in Photo B as a "build out" addition.

I vividly remember the long dirt road exit off cape road to the house as seen in the satellite photo below.

posted 02-12-2016 10:21 PM               

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Originally posted by Jonnyed:
In addition to you, who were the other seven non-astronaut invitees to the pre-launch party?

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As the party was 10 days before Apollo 14 liftoff, those that attended the party were included in the "Flight Crew Health Stabilization Program" that allowed only "essential" personnel to have contact with the crew beginning 14 days before liftoff. Being part of the program and thus being allowed contact with the crew required a complete physical exam to make sure that the contact would not jeopardize the health of the crew to the extent of grounding one or more of them.

Following is a more detailed explanation of the reason for, objectives of and requirements for being involved in the program.

During the conduct of the early manned space flight program, the threat of an infectious disease occurrence in one or more crewmembers was always present. Although this threat is present during all phases of the preflight period, it is more critical, and potentially hazardous, during some phases than during others. Several potential dangers are associated with the occurrence of infectious diseases during a period immediately before launch. One or more crew members could be exposed to an infectious disease agent, become ill and not recuperate sufficiently by launch day; this occurrence could have resulted in launch delays. In addition, a crew member could be exposed to disease during the last days before launch and not exhibit symptoms during the preflight physical examinations. The probability would then exist for symptoms to become apparent during flight, where adequate medical treatment would be unavailable; this would also expose other crew members to infection. Furthermore, the loss of the capabilities of the ill crew member would impact the operations of the mission.

Though the risk of infection during the Gemini and Mercury missions was judged to be very low because of their short durations, some precautions (such as restricted access to the crew living quarters) were still taken to reduce the risk of crew members being exposed to disease. With the increased length of missions during the Apollo program, these health risks increased. Still, this type of plan was not implemented until the Apollo 14 mission. Previous attempts to implement the program were not completed due to operational problems or conflicts with the training schedules of the crew. However, with the exposure of a prime Apollo 13 crew member to rubella, the need for a more meticulously conceived and strictly enforced program was evident.

The Flight Crew Health Stabilization Program was finally implemented starting with the Apollo 14 mission. The objective of this program was to minimize or eliminate the possibility of adverse alterations in the health of the flight crews during the immediate preflight, inflight and post flight periods. The Flight Crew Health Stabilization Program covered four elements: Clinical Medicine, Immunology, Exposure Prevention, and Epidemiological Surveillance.

posted 02-13-2016 12:15 PM               

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Originally posted by golddog:
Because the invite came from the back up commander, did Cernan, Evans or Engle attend? Did you get anything for Roosa?

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posted 02-13-2016 04:31 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Jonnyed:
During the last couple of weeks before flight, did the astronauts' wives and kids have restricted access to the crew for similar reasons or was it looser for family members?

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