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Author
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Topic: Apollo 14 lunar spacesuits: A7L or A7LB?
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carmelo
Member Posts: 1075
From: Messina, Sicilia, Italia
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 02-28-2022 02:50 PM
   
I have read in this 2017 article about the history of deep space EVAs that: ...the then-new A7LB space suit first introduced for the Apollo 14 lunar surface EVAs. The main improvement of the A7LB suits from the A7L space suits employed during the earlier Apollo missions was the inclusion of a waist joint to provide greater mobility when the suit was pressurized. So the Apollo 14 suits were A7LB as the Apollo J missions suits but with the connectors arranged in the same way of A7L? |
DG27
Member Posts: 212
From: USA
Registered: Nov 2010
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posted 02-28-2022 03:57 PM
Apollo 14 used A7L suits. A7LB suits were first used on Apollo 15. The A7LB CMP suits had the same connector configuration as the A7L, while the A7LB EV suits used by the CDR and LMP were the new configuration with the waist joint and revised connector configuration. Worden wore the A7LB CMP suit during his deep space EVA. |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3417
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 02-28-2022 04:26 PM
I seem to remember seeing pictures of Worden "modelling" the new Apollo 15 EVA suits some time before the mission. |
Headshot
Member Posts: 1052
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 02-28-2022 04:57 PM
Such a picture can be found on page 46 of the 29 March 1971 issue of Aviation Week & Space Technology. |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3417
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 02-28-2022 08:37 PM
That's not where I saw it, but it's certainly the picture I remember. |
carmelo
Member Posts: 1075
From: Messina, Sicilia, Italia
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 03-01-2022 09:39 AM
quote:
Originally posted by DG27:
Worden wore the A7LB CMP suit during his deep space EVA.
So Worden (and Mattingly and Evans) suit was barely an A7L suit (as those of commander and LMP on Apollo 11, 12, 14)? |
DG27
Member Posts: 212
From: USA
Registered: Nov 2010
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posted 03-01-2022 03:34 PM
Yes, basically an A7L EV configuration but with some changes. The changes included deletion of the water connector since the LCG was not needed, and use of the larger diameter A7LB wrist rings. TMG changes included using teflon fabric instead of Beta cloth as the outer most layer. The NASA vector patch was relocated to the wearers left shoulder, and the inner nylon liner was blue instead of white. |
carmelo
Member Posts: 1075
From: Messina, Sicilia, Italia
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 03-01-2022 08:06 PM
Why for Skylab NASA use the A7LB Cmdr/LMP configuration, and not the CMP configuration? The Skylab EVAs were not different by trans earth EVAs. |
Paul78zephyr
Member Posts: 758
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 03-03-2022 02:45 PM
quote:
Originally posted by DG27:
Apollo 14 used A7L suits. A7LB suits were first used on Apollo 15.
So just to be clear — the linked 2017 article is incorrect? |
DG27
Member Posts: 212
From: USA
Registered: Nov 2010
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posted 03-04-2022 08:08 PM
Yes, the linked 2017 article is incorrect relative to the first usage of the A7LB suits. quote:
Originally posted by carmelo:
Why for Skylab NASA use the A7LB Cmdr/LMP configuration...
The Skylab suit offered improved mobility over the CMP suit, which results in less fatigue for the crew. |
carmelo
Member Posts: 1075
From: Messina, Sicilia, Italia
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 03-05-2022 10:39 PM
This leads to another question. Why in the Apollo J missions all member of the crew did not have the same A7LB? |
DG27
Member Posts: 212
From: USA
Registered: Nov 2010
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posted 03-07-2022 03:24 AM
Good question. The J Mission CMP suit did not need the capabilities of the A7LB EV CDR/LMP suit with its additional waist mobility to perform its mission functions. The A7LB CMP suit met the requirements for the J Mission (provide fire and low-pressure protection and protection for deep space EVA) so no need to have any extra capabilities with their associated increase in mass. The CMP suit was slightly lighter and less bulky than the A7LB EV CDR/LMP suit due to not having the waist and neck joints as well as having fewer layers in the TMG. The A7LB CMP suit was an improvement over the A7L CMP suit since it had better arm mobility with the change from a link net restrained convolute to a cable restrained convolute with upper arm rotational bearings which was needed for the deep space EVA. However, by the time of the Skylab mission, all three crew were to perform multiple planned EVAs with the possible need for unplanned EVAs during the long Skylab missions, so the best overall mobility was needed equally for all Skylab crew members. Conversely for the ASTP, all crew wore a CMP suit since there were no EVAs. The suit usage was driven by mission needs.
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