Space Rocket History #160 – Apollo 8 – The Decision Part 1

Posted on May 12, 2016 by spac9750

An ‘A’ type mission would be flown with a Saturn V and be used to test the Launch vehicle, spacecraft, and a high velocity lunar return. Nasa cover the ‘A’ mission with Apollo 4 & 6.
A ‘B’ type mission would be flow with a Saturn IB and test the lunar module development, and propulsion, and launch vehicle staging. This was accomplished with Apollo 5.
A ‘C’ type mission would be flown with a Saturn IB and test the command and service module and evaluate the crew performance in low earth orbit. This was accomplished with Apollo 7…

Owen Maynard’s Seven Step Plan to land on the Moon

Owen Maynard, Chief of LEM engineering office

George Low, Manager of the Apollo Spacecraft Program Office

Apr 13

Space Rocket History #157 – Apollo 7-The Flight Part 2

Posted on April 13, 2016 by spac9750

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CAPCOM Number 1 (Deke Slayton): Okay. I think you ought to clearly understand there is absolutely no experience at all with landing without the helmet on.
SCHIRRA: And there no experience with the helmet either on that one.
CAPCOM: That one we’ve got a lot of experience with, yes.
SCHIRRA: If we had an open visor, I might go along with that.
CAPCOM: Okay. I guess you better be prepared to discuss in some detail when we land why we haven’t got them on. I think you’re too late now to do much about it.
SCHIRRA: That’s affirmative. I don’t think anybody down there has worn the helmets as much as we have.
CAPCOM: Yes.
SCHIRRA: We tried them on this morning.
CAPCOM: Understand that. The only thing we’re concerned about is the landing. We couldn’t care less about the reentry. But it’s your neck, and I hope you don’t break it.
SCHIRRA: Thanks, babe.
CAPCOM: Over and out

Mission Control watches first live TV from Apollo 7

MC watches first live TV from Apollo 7

View of Florida from Apollo 7

Recovery of Apollo 7 Crew

Mission Control celebrates the end of a very successful Apollo 7 mission

Apollo 7 crew is welcomed aboard the USS Essex

Barbara Eden, Bob Hope, Paul Haney, and the crew of Apollo 7

Apr 06

Space Rocket History #156 – Apollo 7-The Flight Part 1

Posted on April 6, 2016 by spac9750

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SCHIRRA: You’ve added two burns to this flight schedule, and you’ve added a urine water dump; and we have a new vehicle up here, and I can tell you at this point TV will be delayed without any further discussion until after the rendezvous.
CAPCOM (Jack Swigert): Roger. Copy.
SCHIRRA: Roger.
CAPCOM 1 (Deke Slayton): Apollo 7, this is CAPCOM number 1.
SCHIRRA: Roger.
CAPCOM 1 (Slayton): All we’ve agreed to do on this is flip it.
SCHIRRA: the first part garbbled then Schirra said… with two commanders, Apollo 7
CAPCOM 1- (Slayton): All we have agreed to on this particular pass is to flip the switch on. No other activity is associated with TV; I think we are still obligated to do that.
SCHIRRA: We do not have the equipment out; we have not had an opportunity to follow setting; we have not eaten at this point. At this point, I have a cold. I refuse to foul up our time lines this way.

Apollo 7 S-IVB rocket stage in Orbit

Distant view of the S-IVB

Schirra looking out the window at the Commander’s station

Mar 30

Space Rocket History #155 – Apollo 7 – Assembly, Testing, Training, and Launch

Posted on March 30, 2016 by spac9750

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Command Service Module-101 started through the manufacturing cycle early in 1966. By July, it had been formed, wired, fitted with subsystems, and made ready for testing. After the Apollo 1 fire in January 1967, changes had to be made, mainly in the wiring, hatch areas, and the forward egress tunnel. It was December before the spacecraft came back into testing. CSM-101 passed through a three-phase customer acceptance review; during the third session, held in Downey on May 7th 1968, no items showed up that might be a “constraint to launch.” North American cleared up what few deficiencies there were (13) and shipped the craft to Kennedy on May 30th 1967…