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Author
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Topic: Photo of the week 620 (September 10, 2016)
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heng44
Member Posts: 3387
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 09-10-2016 03:02 AM
   
 Vance Brand, command module pilot for the US-Soviet Apollo-Soyuz mission, walks toward swing arm #9 at the 320-foot level of the mobile launcher at Launch pad 39B during the mission's countdown demonstration test on July 3, 1975. Brand is followed by suit tech Al Rochford. |
Rick Mulheirn
Member Posts: 4167
From: England
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted 09-10-2016 04:26 AM
Nice image! |
Mike Dixon
Member Posts: 1397
From: Kew, Victoria, Australia
Registered: May 2003
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posted 09-10-2016 04:59 AM
Feeling like Jimmy Stewart in Vertigo.  |
Ian Limbrey
Member Posts: 124
From: England
Registered: Nov 2012
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posted 09-10-2016 05:09 AM
Lovely shot! Not very pleasant to walk along it on a windy day as apparently the whole structure shakes! |
OV-105
Member Posts: 816
From: Ridgecrest, CA
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 09-10-2016 06:23 AM
Seeing the worm on an Apollo suit just looks fake for some reason. |
carmelo
Member Posts: 1047
From: Messina, Sicilia, Italia
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 09-10-2016 09:48 AM
Agree, the "worm" is weird on a Apollo suit.(The reason of the brown straps and, okay, are the 70s, but why brown?)
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-10-2016 10:51 AM
I believe because the straps were made from polybenzimidazole (PBI) that only came in a golden brown. PBI was originally developed for the United States Air Force after a fire aboard an Apollo spacecraft killed three astronauts in 1967. The Air Force selected PBI because its superior thermal performance provided more burn protection than competitive fibers. NASA used PBI as part of the astronauts' clothing on Apollo, Skylab and numerous space shuttle flights. |
Tom
Member Posts: 1597
From: New York
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted 09-10-2016 04:49 PM
Great photo, Ed... thanks as always for sharing! |
carmelo
Member Posts: 1047
From: Messina, Sicilia, Italia
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 09-10-2016 08:15 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
I believe because the straps were made from polybenzimidazole (PBI) that only came in a golden brown.
I know that the pressure suits of first flights of space shuttle had a overgarnment in PBI (the famous tobacco suits). But back to ASTP, PBI was more fireproof of the beta cloth of Apollo spacesuits? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-10-2016 08:41 PM
I believe PBI was more durable in regular use than Beta cloth (and though not applicable to spacesuit outer layers and straps, PBI was preferred over Beta cloth for clothing due to the latter being itchy). |
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