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Author
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Topic: Gemini and Apollo astronaut sleep cycles
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perineau
Member Posts: 244
From: FRANCE
Registered: Jul 2007
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posted 12-10-2016 12:45 PM
   
Just wondering: How did Gemini and Apollo crews organize their sleep periods? Was someone always awake? Thanks! |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2458
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 12-13-2016 01:09 AM
The short answer is "no." Following Gemini 4 the crew of Gemini 5 took it upon themselves to sleep together. Thereafter succeeding crews slept at the same time, their day based on Houston time.As a sideline - there is an interesting collection of music used to wake them up. A list can be found here (you might like this also). |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 43576
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-13-2016 06:26 AM
Donn Eisele describes in his memoir how the Apollo 7 crew slept in shifts: Walt Cunningham and Wally Schirra slept while Eisele worked. |
schnappsicle
Member Posts: 396
From: Houston, TX, USA
Registered: Jan 2012
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posted 12-13-2016 07:02 AM
The Apollo 8 transcript shows that Borman slept for a few hours while Lovell and Anders stayed up and manned the cameras and communicated with Mission Control. Shortly after Borman woke up, he ordered Lovell and Anders to get some sleep so they could be fresh for the burn home. Borman knew the magnitude of the situation. He didn't want anyone to make a mistake.Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think most of the Apollo crews slept at the same time with crewmembers taking turns manning the headphones during sleep periods. The person wearing the headphones slept with them on so he could be woken up in case Mission Control needed something, which always seemed to be the case. |
Jim Behling
Member Posts: 1488
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 12-13-2016 07:54 AM
After Apollo 8, all crews slept at the same time. Apollo 7 and 8 had at least one person awake at all times. Gemini 4 and 5 slept at different times and Gemini 7 went to same sleep shifts. |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2458
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 12-13-2016 12:15 PM
There is a hint in contemporary reports that the crew of Gemini 5 towards the end of their flight did, in fact, sleep at the same time.During the post flight briefing, both Cooper and Conrad agreed that concurrent sleep periods were essential. They said that there was sufficient evidence that the systems were reliable enough to allow this. Then there is a rather cryptic newspaper report stating that following a jazz session beamed up to them the "...crew caught up on some of their missed sleep." |
perineau
Member Posts: 244
From: FRANCE
Registered: Jul 2007
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posted 12-14-2016 03:22 PM
Thanks for the input one and all; as far as music goes, "Fly Me to the Moon" really does makes sense! |
John Charles
Member Posts: 342
From: Houston, Texas, USA
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 01-05-2017 07:29 AM
A late contribution: if I recall correctly, before Apollo 7, Schirra said he and Cunningham would sleep at the same time, but wouldn't "sleep together."Not that there is anything wrong with that. |
AlanC
Member Posts: 153
From: Scotland
Registered: Nov 2014
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posted 01-05-2017 06:10 PM
Wally always had a good sense of humour! |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3324
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 01-06-2017 07:08 AM
The normal sleep cycle on Apollo 13 was disrupted after the oxygen tank explosion. At least one crewman was awake at all times. From the Mission Report on page 9-3:
The total sleep obtained by each crewman during the remainder of the mission after the incident is estimated to have been 11, 12, and 19 hours for the Commander, Command Module Pilot, and Lunar Module Pilot, respectively. |
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