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Author
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Topic: Website Help
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collshubby
Member Posts: 591
From: Madisonville, Louisiana
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-10-2000 11:37 PM
   
I am making a website on the history of U.S. spaceflight. I have just started and I am doing work on the test flights of the Mercury program (Little Joe and Big Joe, etc.) My question is this: what exactly is a "boilerplate spacecraft"? I just want to make sure so I can make this website accurate. |
astronut
Member Posts: 969
From: South Fork, CO
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 09-11-2000 12:00 AM
My understanding is that it was just a steel mockup with no flight instrumentation.------------------
q:-)
Wayne Edelman
(The Texican) |
Ed Krutulis
Member Posts: 145
From: Plainfield, IL USA
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 09-11-2000 12:20 AM
I agree with Wayne's description of a boilerplate capsule. It looked and weighed the same as an actual capsule(including what flight instrumentation and Astronaut) during rocket test flights of both Mercury Redstone and Mercury Atlas rockets.Ed |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-11-2000 07:29 AM
If I am remembering correctly, than I think some (if not all) the boilerplate Mercury capsules included instrumentation to measure flight performance (i.e. forces of gravity, acceleration, altitude, etc.).I remember reading that in several cases the boilerplates did not follow their intended flight path and would ultimately crash to the the Earth, seemingly indicating a mission failure. However, the instrumentation inside had worked successfully, measuring the conditions the test was sought to provide, so the engineers would mark the flight a success. This is probably too simple an explanation, so if anyone has additional details, please feel free to add. [This message has been edited by Robert Pearlman (edited September 11, 2000).] |
mark plas
Member Posts: 385
From: the Netherlands
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 09-11-2000 08:28 AM
They where also used for water recovery training.
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