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Author
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Topic: Photo of the week 545 (April 4, 2015)
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heng44
Member Posts: 3387
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 04-03-2015 12:03 PM
   
 Astronauts Charlie Duke and Stu Roosa are seen inside Apollo command module CM-007A as it floats in the Gulf of Mexico in April 1968. Duke, Roosa and Jim Lovell (who took this photo) spent 48 hours aboard the 'lousy boat' to perform a series of post landing verification tests and check the general seaworthiness of the spacecraft. |
onesmallstep
Member Posts: 1310
From: Staten Island, New York USA
Registered: Nov 2007
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posted 04-03-2015 12:45 PM
What brave men are these! I wonder, with even the increase in size and the addition of floatation devices, if Apollo was at least marginally better than a Mercury or Gemini capsule in riding out the swells in high seas if a delay in recovery was necessary (as happened with Aurora 7 and Gemini 8). Maybe the same test will be done with the new Orion spacecraft (volunteers from a recent ascan class, raise your hands  ) |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2454
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 04-03-2015 03:43 PM
Quite an appropriate timing for this photo Ed. This test took place on 5th to 7th April 1968.On edit - this test was good practice for Lovell as Apollo 8 landed Stable 2 which meant that the recovery units had to wait until the buoyancy bags righted the capsule before the light beacons became visible. Then there came an enforced 45 minute delay as they waited for sunrise as Mission Rules forbade recovery in darkness. |
mach3valkyrie
Member Posts: 719
From: Albany, Oregon
Registered: Jul 2006
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posted 04-03-2015 06:21 PM
48 hours?!! Can't imagine that. |
Wehaveliftoff
Member Posts: 2343
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 04-03-2015 07:39 PM
48 hours?! How'd you go the bathroom in such a tiny vessel?It must've smelled to high holy hell! |
moorouge
Member Posts: 2454
From: U.K.
Registered: Jul 2009
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posted 04-04-2015 12:21 AM
It is alleged that the guys who opened the hatch on all the Apollo flights had the worst job in the programme — so bad they were asked to do it only once.
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Philip
Member Posts: 5952
From: Brussels, Belgium
Registered: Jan 2001
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posted 04-04-2015 02:57 AM
This is the kind of rarely seen stuff we like! |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 04-04-2015 06:28 AM
A friendship forged out of adversity. Charlie Duke told me that of all the Apollo astronauts he considred Stu Roosa his closest friend.I agree with Phil. The more unusual the photo the better. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 3208
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 04-04-2015 09:54 PM
Jim Lovell was on the third manned Apollo ("E" Mission) backup crew at the time, was he not? |
Tom
Member Posts: 1597
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 04-05-2015 07:35 AM
Yes he was...Third manned flight - Saturn V - Prime crew: Borman, Collins, and Anders
- Backup crew: Armstrong, Lovell and Aldrin
- Support crew: Mattingly, Carr and Bull
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LM-12
Member Posts: 3208
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 04-05-2015 12:04 PM
Thanks for that, Tom. Charlie Duke talks about the water survival exercise in Moonwalker on page 188. |
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