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Author
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Topic: Apollo 15 transearth EVA: Al Worden's helmet
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heng44
Member Posts: 3812
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 09-26-2011 07:38 AM
   
Did Al Worden wear Dave Scott's helmet visor with the red stripe during his transearth EVA? I found conflicting reports and I could not see it in the video. Can anyone confirm this? |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4181
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 09-26-2011 11:03 AM
The Apollo 15 Flight Summary in The Apollo 15 Flight Journal mentions that Worden used Scott's lunar surface visor assembly during the transearth EVA. |
FFrench
Member Posts: 3314
From: San Diego
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 09-26-2011 01:29 PM
Here is a photo of Al next to that lunar surface visor. |
alanh_7
Member Posts: 1271
From: Ajax, Ontario, Canada
Registered: Apr 2008
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posted 09-27-2011 08:12 PM
I asked Gene Cernan a couple of years ago a about the helmet and PLSS backpacks. He advised me that the oxygen purge system (OPS) and the commander's visor and sunshield were saved and were used by the CM pilot during the spacewalk to retrieve the film canisters. The OPS had an oxygen supply and a regulator system. I never thought to ask if the second OPS was saved also for he LM stand up EVA at the same time. But photos of Apollo 17's discarded PLSS packs show there was no OPS attached. I think it was the same for all the J missions. The commanders sunshade/visor was saved with the OPS system. I think the OPS was discarded after the spacewalk. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4181
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 09-27-2011 09:04 PM
- Worden wore Scott's LEVA and OPS on the Apollo 15 transearth EVA.
- Mattingly wore Young's LEVA and Duke's OPS on the Apollo 16 transearth EVA.
- Evans wore Cernan's LEVA and OPS on the Apollo 17 transearth EVA.
I don't think the LMP, who was positioned at the open hatch, wore an OPS on the transearth EVAs. After the moonwalks, both OPS were saved in case there was a CM-LM docking problem in lunar orbit that would require the CDR and LMP to perform an EVA to get back into the Command Module. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4181
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 09-29-2011 07:18 PM
NASA photo S72-50271 shows Apollo 17 back-up CMP Stuart Roosa wearing the red CDR helmut and OPS during EVA training.
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carmelo
Member Posts: 1110
From: Messina, Sicilia, Italia
Registered: Jun 2004
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posted 11-20-2011 10:12 AM
Why for the Apollo J mission transearth EVAs was the command module pilot not equipped with the same A7L-B suit like the commander and lunar module pilot?During the Skylab missions, all the crew had the same A7L-B suits. Editor's note: Threads merged. |
Lou Chinal
Member Posts: 1390
From: Staten Island, NY
Registered: Jun 2007
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posted 11-21-2011 09:27 AM
Everything was done on a 'what was needed for the next flight mentality'. It was just easier to change the procedure than to change the equipment.Don't forget a lot of people wanted to end the lunar exploration after Apollo 14. |
Paul78zephyr
Member Posts: 818
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 08-18-2025 08:02 PM
quote:
Originally posted by LM-12:
- Worden wore Scott's LEVA and OPS on the Apollo 15 transearth EVA.
- Mattingly wore Young's LEVA and Duke's OPS on the Apollo 16 transearth EVA.
- Evans wore Cernan's LEVA and OPS on the Apollo 17 transearth EVA.
I don't think the LMP, who was positioned at the open hatch, wore an OPS on the transearth EVAs.
Do you know if the commanders, inside the command module during the EVA, wore any visor or just the bubble helmet? |
DG27
Member Posts: 281
From: USA
Registered: Nov 2010
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posted 08-19-2025 06:51 PM
quote:
Originally posted by carmelo:
Why for the Apollo J mission transearth EVAs was the command module pilot not equipped with the same A7L-B suit like the commander and lunar module pilot?
The CMP did not need the extra mobility (neck joint and waist joint) of the A7LB for his CMP duties. The CDR and LMP needed the mobility of the A7LB to be able to sit in the lunar rover. quote:
During the Skylab missions, all the crew had the same A7L-B suits.
The Skylab crew all needed the most mobile suit (A7LB) to perform planned and contingency EVAs. So they all used the Skylab version of the A7LB. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4181
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-19-2025 07:54 PM
AS15-96-13102 (shown) seems to be the best transearth EVA photo of Worden's helmet. Maybe adjusting the brightness of the image will show a red stripe. And in the EVA video, you can briefly see a reflection of Worden's helmet in the CM thermal tape. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4181
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-20-2025 08:42 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Paul78zephyr:
Do you know if the commanders, inside the command module during the EVA, wore any visor or just the bubble helmet?
There were only two LEVAs onboard, so the CDR did not wear one during the transearth EVAs. Scott can be seen in the CM with the bubble helmet. |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3869
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 08-20-2025 04:00 PM
The famous painting by artist Pierre Mion shows Jim Irwin against the backdrop of the Moon. He is clearly wearing a helmet and visor assembly with no red stripe. Al Worden, reflected in Irwin's helmet, appears to have a dark stripe on his helmet. Although this is a painting rather than a photograph, I think we can be confident than Irwin and Worden would NOT have allowed Mion to get the helmets mixed up. In 2015, the Air and Space Museum in Washington DC had an excellent exhibition of original EVA equipment, including Gene Cernan's OPS cover and his visor assembly, complete with red stripe, last seen on live TV worn by Ron Evans on his deep-space EVA.  |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4181
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-20-2025 04:41 PM
The Apollo 15 Maurer 16mm Magazine F is supposed to have some transearth EVA footage on it. Has anyone seen that footage? |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3869
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 08-20-2025 05:11 PM
Sadly, that 16mm film cartridge jammed and exposed only a single frame, showing a rear view of Worden as he floats away from the hatch. I remember hearing him commenting wryly about the movie frame "showing his best feature." Actually he may have used a different expression. |
MartinAir
Member Posts: 475
From:
Registered: Oct 2020
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posted 08-20-2025 05:14 PM
Is Pierre Mion's painting accurate and was the Apollo 15 spacecraft/CSM oriented towards the Moon during this (trans-earth) phase of flight? |
LM-12
Member Posts: 4181
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 08-20-2025 05:36 PM
What is that bright rectangular object above Worden in AS15-96-13102 (as shown above)? I can't make it out. I thought it might be a light reflection on the camera lens, but it appears to be behind Worden's umbilical line. |
Headshot
Member Posts: 1423
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 08-20-2025 07:30 PM
I found this quote from Al Worden on the internet: I had to go get Pierre Mion to paint the picture. Ed Hengeveld also did a great picture — I love his picture that he painted. But those are only paintings of what I did. As to the accuracy of Mion's painting, notice the paint blisters under the quad's nozzles. If he put those in, I am pretty certain the rest of the painting is accurate. |
MartinAir
Member Posts: 475
From:
Registered: Oct 2020
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posted 08-20-2025 09:12 PM
Ok, thanks. In some trans-lunar animations, the complete Apollo spacecraft stack is travelling "backwards" with the SPS engine pointing towards the Moon and in this case it's the other way around, why? |
Blackarrow
Member Posts: 3869
From: Belfast, United Kingdom
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted 08-21-2025 11:18 AM
To quote Al Worden, in 'Falling to Earth:' "Jim was perfectly framed by the enormous moon right behind him. It looked as big as the spacecraft..." |
randyc
Member Posts: 952
From: Highlands Ranch, CO USA
Registered: May 2003
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posted 08-21-2025 11:40 AM
As already mentioned, both LEVAs and OPSs from the commander and lunar module pilot were retained after the lunar EVAs in case there was a problem with achieving a hard dock with the command module or removing the probe or drogue that would have prevented the CDR and LMP from reentering the CM through the tunnel. In these cases both crewmen would have to perform an EVA to transfer back to the CM from the LM and would need the LEVAs and OPSs.There were three scenarios that were planned and practiced as shown in the Contingency EVT Cue Card that was flown in the Apollo 15 LM shown below. Note the reference to the LEVA and OPS under the ****** in the middle column.  |
DG27
Member Posts: 281
From: USA
Registered: Nov 2010
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posted 08-21-2025 02:44 PM
The info on the EVTs is interesting. Thanks for posting it. The third scenario (Undocked, Unstable) sounds a bit sporty. Are there any photos of the crew practicing this EVT? |
TLIGuy
Member Posts: 259
From: Virginia
Registered: Jul 2013
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posted 08-21-2025 06:15 PM
With a little help a few years ago I was fortunate enough to add this piece to my collection from Apollo 15 Command Module Pilot Al Worden. With no great still images of the historic event this is my vision of what it looked like from Al's point of view as he emerged from Endeavour's hatch looking back at Earth as he began his transearth EVA. The Earth image is from the Apollo 15 image archives and the glove is Scott's training glove.  |
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