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Author
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Topic: Apollo 15: USS Okinawa (LPH-3) photograph
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David C
Member Posts: 1039
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 07-16-2016 03:44 AM
  
The following picture appears on the Apollo 15 Retro Space Images disc. It shows the recovery ship USS Okinawa. Does anyone know when and where it was taken? Judging from the state of the hull and situation on deck it was not taken at the time of the recovery on Aug. 7, 1971.  |
J.L
Member Posts: 681
From: Bloomington, Illinois, USA
Registered: May 2005
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posted 07-16-2016 10:37 AM
The Okinawa photo has a NASA HQ photo ID of 71HC-1015 and is dated August 7, 1971. The following photo in sequence (71HC-1016) shows the Russian trawler that was spotted in the recovery area the morning of splashdown. It is also dated August 7, 1971. Based on that, I always assumed the photo of the Okinawa was from early in the morning of August 7, 1971. — J.L. Pickering, Retro Space Images |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 07-16-2016 11:11 AM
At the Apollo 15 recovery, there was a banner on the deck of the Okinawa that read U.S.S. Okinawa LPH3 Proud to assist your "Endeavour" Apollo 15. It looks like the banner can be seen in the photo. |
David C
Member Posts: 1039
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 07-16-2016 03:03 PM
Thanks guys, I guess my doubts were unfounded. Good eyes LM-12, that's the "Endeavour" banner, no doubt. I guess the morning of August 7th must be right.JL, going forward, would it be practical to add a word document identifying the images on each of your discs? |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 07-16-2016 08:16 PM
In a photo dated August 16, the banner is seen on the starboard side of the Okinawa. That is when the ship arrived in San Diego with the CM onboard. So maybe there were two banners. |
yrralrellim
New Member Posts: 1
From: Staunton, Virginia, USA
Registered: Jun 2018
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posted 06-01-2018 11:19 AM
The CM was off-loaded in Hawaii, not in San Diego — FACT because I was aboard the USS Okinawa for the entire Recovery mission. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 06-01-2018 11:49 AM
The Apollo 15 Mission Report has these dates: - August 7 ... CM splashdown
- August 8 ... CM arrived Hawaii
- August 11 ... CM departed Hawaii
- August 17 ... CM arrived North Island, San Diego, California
- August 20 ... CM departed San Diego
- August 20 ... CM arrived Downey
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moorouge
Member Posts: 2458
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 06-02-2018 02:27 AM
I wonder if it was a boilerplate capsule used to rehearse recovery procedures that was off-loaded in Hawaii while the actual CM remained onboard until San Diego? |
David C
Member Posts: 1039
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 06-02-2018 04:12 AM
I think a guy that was on board can tell the difference. quote:
Originally posted by yrralrellim:
The CM was off-loaded in Hawaii, not in San Diego — FACT because I was aboard the USS Okinawa for the entire Recovery mission.
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LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 06-02-2018 07:50 AM
Perhaps the Apollo 15 CM was off-loaded in Hawaii to do some safing of the vehicle there.Here is what was done to the CM in San Diego, according to the Mission Report:
- pyrotechnic safing complete
- fuel portion of RCS deactivated
- oxidizer portion of RCS deactivated
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cmj1964
Member Posts: 11
From: Broomfield, Colorado, USA
Registered: Mar 2013
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posted 06-02-2018 08:45 AM
As a NASA member of the Apollo 15 CM postlanding safing team in San Diego, I can verify that the CM was offloaded from the PRS in San Diego, safed in a North Island hangar, and trucked to the Downey plant. |
David C
Member Posts: 1039
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 06-02-2018 06:56 PM
Thanks, that clears it up. |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2458
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 06-03-2018 02:30 AM
Just to clarify matters further — there were, it seems, four boilerplate capsules allocated to Hawaii: BP-1218, BP-1221, BP-1225, this allocated to task force 130, and BP-1230. This being the case, it is highly likely that I was correct with my assumption in my earlier post. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 06-03-2018 05:54 AM
The Apollo 16 CM (like the Apollo 15 CM) was taken by the prime recovery ship to Hawaii, and then transported (on the PRS) to San Diego, where it was deactivated. The Apollo 16 CM arrived in Hawaii on April 30, and departed on May 1. So it doesn't seem like there was much time to off-load that CM in Hawaii. |
David C
Member Posts: 1039
From: Lausanne
Registered: Apr 2012
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posted 06-03-2018 02:54 PM
quote:
Originally posted by moorouge:
...it is highly likely that I was correct with my assumption in my earlier post.
Does seem likely. Please accept my apology. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 06-03-2018 06:25 PM
I think the Apollo 17 CM bypassed Hawaii entirely and was taken on the prime recovery ship directly to San Diego. Is that correct? |
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