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Author
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Topic: Most important Apollo astronaut
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Fra Mauro
Member Posts: 1587
From: Bethpage, N.Y.
Registered: Jul 2002
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posted 09-21-2011 08:54 AM
   
One reason that Young was named CMP on Charlie Brown was Slayton wanted CMPs at that stage on the program to have flight experience. It is interesting perhaps to note that he is the only Gemini CDR to be "demoted" on Apollo. |
Michael Cassutt
Member Posts: 358
From: Studio City CA USA
Registered: Mar 2005
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posted 09-21-2011 09:21 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Blackarrow:
...although it suggests that allocation of a flight which doesn't happen is more important than an actual flight in terms of priority (?)
It certainly does, if "priority" equates to an individual's perceived capability or popularity with managers. I don't think there's any question that Stafford's original assignment as pilot on the GT-III crew shows that he was more highly regarded than some of his fellow 1962 astronauts.To add to what the next posted noted, Stafford was also assigned as a CMP, on the Borman-Stafford-Collins crew, originally backing up Schirra's team for AS-205. |
Jay Chladek
Member Posts: 2272
From: Bellevue, NE, USA
Registered: Aug 2007
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posted 09-21-2011 09:26 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Fra Mauro:
It is interesting perhaps to note that he is the only Gemini CDR to be "demoted" on Apollo.
I wouldn't call being a CMP a demotion necessarily. The CMP if anything is potentially one of the most difficult jobs in Apollo as if something goes wrong with the LM in lunar orbit and it is recoverable, it comes down to the CMP to fly the rendezvous profile to get to it. And of course if the LM has a problem and can't come back, the CMP has to fly home solo. Apollo 10 was the first test of a LM in lunar orbit, so being "demoted" to fly that specific mission in my opinion means Slayton and Stafford had a good deal of respect for Young's abilities as a test pilot and a person who was level headed enough not to try anything crazy.Besides, if we are talking about Gemini CDRs being demoted to CMPs during Apollo, we are forgetting Jim Lovell, who took a back seat to Frank Borman on Apollo 8. Of course, that mission had a lot of things for the CMP to do as navigation was his primary responsibility. I am also curious as to if Jim would have flown the return and reentry as mission tasking on the LM flights had the CDR essentially swapping roles with the CMP for the flight home as it was figured the CDR would need a rest. Getting back to the question at hand though, I still nominate Stafford for the reasons mentioned. | |
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