Space Rocket History Podcast

Space Rocket History #465 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Epilogue

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 20:46:06 +0000

Due to the deterioration of relations between the United States and the Soviet Union in the late 1970s, no follow-on missions to ASTP took place. A backup Apollo spacecraft and Saturn IB rocket were available and there were some discussions … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #464 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Coming Home

Fri, 23 May 2025 21:16:27 +0000

Celebrations erupted in Mission Control, with broad smiles and cigar smoke marking the successful conclusion. But, while Mission control was celebrating, it was not yet known that the crew had been exposed to toxic fumes during descent. The crew was … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #463 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Joint Operations

Fri, 09 May 2025 20:08:34 +0000

“I had thoughts I couldn’t express at the time. It felt like we weren’t just opening a hatch in space, but opening the door to a new era on Earth.” Tom Stafford.

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Space Rocket History #462 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Handshake

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:20:53 +0000

On July 17, 1975, orbiting in space high above the French city of Metz, the American and Russian commanders shook hands. Their conversation, a mix of personal and technical remarks, reflected a casual familiarity, reminiscent of their simulator training sessions. … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #461 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Rendezvous

Fri, 11 Apr 2025 19:12:03 +0000

CapCom Truly radioed at 10:46 with the go-ahead: “I’ve got two messages for you: Moscow is go for docking; Houston is go for docking. It’s up to you guys. Have fun.”

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Space Rocket History #460 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Light the Candles

Fri, 28 Mar 2025 20:21:49 +0000

Reports from Baykonur indicated that the weather was perfect for the launch: clear skies, light winds, and hot July sunshine.

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Space Rocket History #459 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – I Want my Apollo/Soyuz TV

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 20:18:28 +0000

Television coverage involved meticulous planning of specific television transmissions, detailed preparation for an onboard press conference, and careful scheduling of symbolic activities designed to engage and inform the public.

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Space Rocket History #458 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Final Training & Tang Ceremony

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:48:25 +0000

Eight cosmonauts arrived in Washington, D.C. on February 7th, 1975 to start their final training session in the U.S. as the technical specialists argued whether the spacecraft was ready or not.

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Space Rocket History #457 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Soviet Concerns with Apollo

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 17:26:26 +0000

The origin of the Soviet’s concern, regarding the potential impact of the Apollo Command Module’s Reaction Control System (RCS) thrusters on the Soyuz spacecraft during docking maneuvers, can be traced back to a Skylab film.

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Space Rocket History #456 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Soyuz 16

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 19:21:39 +0000

Soyuz 16 served as a comprehensive rehearsal for the Soviet contribution to Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP).

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Space Rocket History #455 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Spacecraft Orientation

Fri, 10 Jan 2025 20:38:37 +0000

The American astronauts acknowledged the necessity of enhancing their Russian language proficiency. They observed that their Russian counterparts, had demonstrated a remarkable commitment to learning English, dedicating 6 to 8 hours each day to individual language instruction.

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Space Rocket History #454 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Astronauts & Cosmonauts

Fri, 20 Dec 2024 20:28:39 +0000

For the first time, the Soviet Union publicly announced the crew assignments for a Soyuz mission before the flight. Previously, cosmonaut identities were kept secret until after their flights.

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Space Rocket History #453 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Mid-term Review

Fri, 06 Dec 2024 22:02:41 +0000

According to George Low, the Soviet mission operations control room was quite large – it contained 16 two-man consoles, thus allowing them 32 flight controllers. In addition, there was a back row of consoles which were used for personnel such … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #452 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Full Speed Ahead

Fri, 22 Nov 2024 18:51:12 +0000

In April of 1972, George Low returned to Washington from Moscow and briefed Henry Kissinger. He conveyed NASA’s assessment that a joint space mission in 1975 was feasible.

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Space Rocket History #451 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – No More Salyut?

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 18:47:39 +0000

In a re-evaluation of the proposed test mission, the Soviets concluded that utilizing the Salyut spacecraft would not be technically and economically viable.

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Space Rocket History #450 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Round 3 with the Soviets

Fri, 25 Oct 2024 23:19:55 +0000

Finally Kraft and Gilruth told the Soviets that if they were unwilling to agree to the telephone conversations then the NASA delegation might as well pack up and go back to Houston. After some hesitation, the Soviets decided to try … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #449 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Apollo-Salyut Test Mission Planning

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 19:35:54 +0000

The spacecraft designers led by Caldwell Johnson faced a demanding task. Director Gilruth urged them to accelerate the development of the docking adapter design, aiming to have a functional model ready for the upcoming November meeting with the Soviets.

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Space Rocket History #448 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Soyuz/Skylab & Apollo/Salyut

Sat, 28 Sep 2024 14:41:59 +0000

Two options were presented: Apollo docking with Salyut/Soyuz or Soyuz with Skylab/Apollo. Caldwell Johnson was taken aback by the Soviets’ eagerness to immediately pursue the development of a universal docking mechanism.

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Space Rocket History #447 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Creating a Partnership

Sat, 14 Sep 2024 16:28:48 +0000

On January 20th, 1971 in private negotiation, Low and Frutkin met with Keldysh and Feoktistov to discuss rendezvous and docking. NASA proposed developing compatible systems for Apollo and Soyuz rather than future spacecraft, aiming to give specialists something concrete on … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #446 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Tell Us All Your Secrets

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 20:02:08 +0000

A critical problem emerged during the separation and ignition of the third stage approximately five minutes into the flight.
A failure in the electrical system responsible for releasing the locks securing the core stage of the booster to the third stage resulted in only one side of the locks disengaging. Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #445 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – A Kind Invitation

Fri, 16 Aug 2024 19:34:34 +0000

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Space Rocket History #444 – Apollo-Soyuz Test Project – Competition and Cooperation

Fri, 02 Aug 2024 17:52:25 +0000

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Space Rocket History #443 – Salyut 4 – The April 5th Anomaly & Soyuz 18 with Lazarev, Makarov, Klimuk, & Sevastyanov

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 20:27:59 +0000

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Space Rocket History #442 – Salyut 4 – Soyuz 17 with Gubarev & Grechko

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 16:16:18 +0000

The crew of Soyuz 17 embarked on a historic 29-day mission, surpassing the previous Soviet mission-duration record of 23 days set by the Soyuz 11 crew aboard Salyut 1 in 1971.

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Space Rocket History #441 – Salyut 4

Sat, 15 Jun 2024 19:14:19 +0000

The Salyut 4 space station, designated DOS-4, marked the second phase of the Soviet Union’s civilian space station program. It was an improved version of the failed Salyut 2 station, with several notable enhancements.

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Space Rocket History #440 – Salyut 3 – Soyuz 14 & Soyuz 15 Part 2

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 17:08:00 +0000

Initially, the rendezvous with Salyut 3 proceeded smoothly. However, as the Soyuz spacecraft approached the station, a critical problem arose. The Igla rendezvous system, designed to guide the spacecraft to the station, malfunctioned.

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Space Rocket History #439 – Salyut 3 – Soyuz 14 Part 1

Fri, 17 May 2024 20:16:18 +0000

Salyut 3 featured a “self-defense” gun purportedly designed by Alexander Nudelman for station use. Some reports suggest it was outfitted with a Nudelman-Rikhter “Vulkan” gun, a modified version of the 23mm Nudelman aircraft cannon, or conceivably a Nudelman NR-30 30mm … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #438 – Explorer 50, Westar 1, & NOAA 4

Fri, 03 May 2024 19:37:21 +0000

NASA’s Explorer 50, also known as Interplanetary Monitoring Platform-8 or IMP-8, stands as a testament to humanity’s relentless pursuit of knowledge and exploration beyond the confines of Earth.

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Space Rocket History #437 – Mariner 10 – Venus & Mercury

Fri, 19 Apr 2024 19:27:54 +0000

Scientists had long been intrigued by Mercury, the innermost planet of our solar system. Despite its proximity to the Sun, Mercury remained largely unexplored, with many questions remaining about its surface features, geological composition, and magnetic field. The scientific community … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #436 – Pioneer 11

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 23:56:07 +0000

Pioneer 11 detected Saturn’s bow shock on Aug. 31, 1979, about 932,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) out from the planet, thus providing the first conclusive evidence of the existence of Saturn’s magnetic field.

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Space Rocket History #435 – Soyuz 12 & 13

Sat, 16 Mar 2024 01:04:04 +0000

This second generation of the Soyuz spacecraft, the Soyuz 7k-T was flown on Soyuz 12 through Soyuz 40 missions from 1973–1981. The new 7K-T spacecraft was designed to accommodate only two cosmonauts who would wear pressure suits at all times … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #434 – Salyut 2, Mars 4, 5, 6, 7 & Tang Ceremony

Sat, 02 Mar 2024 01:55:48 +0000

At this point in 1973, the Soviets were attempting to fly 2 types of space station, the long duration orbital station scientific version called DOS. The other station was a military spy space station equipped with a machine gun, called … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #433 – Skylab – Crashdown

Sun, 18 Feb 2024 19:51:36 +0000

Despite predictions, events seldom occur precisely as expected. The calculated breakup altitude of Skylab was based on its intended structural strength specifications. However, the actual vehicle was stronger than the specified strength requirements.

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Space Rocket History #432 – Skylab – Reboost

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 18:29:24 +0000

The official decision to proceed with the Skylab reboost mission was made on September 1st 1977, initiating a two-year preparation period for the development and production of the required hardware and systems.

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Space Rocket History #431 – Skylab – Skylab 5 & Skylab B

Fri, 19 Jan 2024 20:38:04 +0000

Early in the planning stages of the Skylab flight, there was a desire to keep it in orbit long enough to use it as the core of a larger station.

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Space Rocket History #430 – Skylab – Skylab 4 – Leaving Skylab

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 19:43:39 +0000

Activating the station upon arrival was a challenge, but packing up to return home was also a major event that took several days. For Carr and his crew, this was the last planned visit, but they left open the possibility … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #429 – Skylab – Skylab 4 – Solar Observations and the Last EVA

Fri, 15 Dec 2023 15:51:21 +0000

The next time an American would venture outside of a spacecraft would be on a Space Shuttle flight and that was nine years later. In less than a decade, from June 1965 to February 1974, American astronauts had learned to … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #428 – Skylab – Skylab 4 – Kohoutek in all its Glory

Sat, 02 Dec 2023 00:12:01 +0000

This crew was the first to celebrate a new year in space 17 times as they orbited the earth and moved through the time zones.

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Space Rocket History #427 – Skylab – Skylab 4 – Christmas in Space

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 19:49:13 +0000

“We and everybody on the ground thought that it was going to be a beautiful, brilliant comet. It turned out to be beautiful all right, but it was so faint that we really had to work to find it. Once … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #426 – Skylab – Skylab 4 – The First EVA

Fri, 03 Nov 2023 15:49:14 +0000

“Nothing was outside, three times I went out that hatch into the ‘truly great outdoors.’ When I was out there, it was a silent world, except for the whispers of my own breath. Sometimes I felt totally alone, like the … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #425 – Skylab – Skylab 4 – The Strike (Fake News)

Thu, 19 Oct 2023 23:39:25 +0000

“There was no strike in space by any stretch of the imagination. What could we threaten to do, go live on the moon? If any of these writers had gotten their information from just one of us, the crew or … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #424 – Skylab – Skylab 4 – Stowaways & We Lost Gibson

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 18:13:53 +0000

One stowaway was on the bicycle ergometer, another was in the LBNP (lower body negative pressure device), and the third was sitting on the toilet in the waste management compartment.

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Space Rocket History #423 – Skylab – Skylab 4 – Launch & The Vomit Bag Scandal

Fri, 22 Sep 2023 20:01:41 +0000

“As we rode, the big blue eyes of Al Shepard bored into each of us looking for any sign of weakness, any indication that one of these rookies was not ready to go. I looked back with a defiant smile, … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #422 – Skylab – Skylab 4 – Kohoutek, Experiments, Flight Prep & Training

Fri, 08 Sep 2023 00:29:12 +0000

In space, on the day the second crew left Skylab, which was September 25, 1973, the orbital workshop began it’s third unmanned period.

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Space Rocket History #421 – Skylab – Skylab 3 – Recovery & Re-acclimation

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 16:48:32 +0000

“I felt like that mission was from my viewpoint the highlight of my career, as being the best astronaut that I could be. I felt like our crew was the best crew we could be because we had done the … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #420 – Skylab – Skylab 3 – De-orbit, Re-entry, & Splashdown

Thu, 10 Aug 2023 16:56:51 +0000

“The thing I remember about reentry was not positioning some RCS switches correctly. We got behind and Owen could not read my notes in the checklist because of the limited space (and my ‘unique’ penmanship). I said, ‘Give me the … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #419 – Skylab – Skylab 3 – Those Tricky Garriotts

Wed, 26 Jul 2023 23:45:35 +0000

“Hello Houston. Roger. Well I, haven’t talked with you for a while. Isn’t that you down there. Bob? This is Helen, here in Skylab. The boys hadn’t had a good home cooked meal in so long, I thought I’d bring … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #418 – Skylab – Skylab 3 – AMU, EVA 2, Space Physics, Solar Physics and Mission Extension

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 16:33:58 +0000

On mission day 28, August 24th 1973, it was time to perform the 2nd EVA. Garriott and Lousma once again stepped outside the orbital workshop for a 4 and ½ hour spacewalk.

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Space Rocket History #417 – Skylab – Skylab 3 – Maximum Effort, Determination, Efficiency, and Accomplishment

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 21:23:25 +0000

Finally, the crew became efficient enough to get all of the work done that was scheduled for a given day. But, that did not make up for the time lost at the beginning of the mission. Reaching 100 percent efficiency … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #416 – Skylab – Skylab 3 – Wives, Spiders, Minnows and a Spacewalk

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 19:50:13 +0000

“I had to connect eleven five-foot sections of aluminum poles, twice, forming two long poles. These were then extended to Jack some forty or fifty feet away, where the poles were mounted in a ‘V’, and a large ‘sail’ pulled … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #415 – Skylab – Skylab 3 – Rescue Mission Part 2

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 18:33:12 +0000

“Near the end of our preparation period, management said; Well, we believe, we can do this, now let’s set about to see how we can get them down without expending the resources for a rescue mission. So just overnight we … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #414 – Skylab – Skylab 3 – Rescue Mission Part 1

Wed, 17 May 2023 19:53:14 +0000

“I think for me that was probably the low point of the mission because it threatened our ability to get our job done, and I wasn’t willing to come home. I’ve never been afraid of space, but that was a … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #413 – Skylab – Skylab 3-Rendezvous, Docking & Vomit

Wed, 03 May 2023 19:00:11 +0000

Garriott was in the center couch and Lousma was on his right with a small window near his seat, Suddenly Jack announced, “Owen, there goes one of our thrusters floating by the window!”

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Space Rocket History #412 – Skylab – The Launch of Skylab 3

Wed, 19 Apr 2023 19:32:50 +0000

The crew complement for the Skylab 3 mission was 783 life forms (52 fish, 720 flies, 6 mice, 2 spiders and 3 humans), by far the largest crew yet.

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Space Rocket History #411 – Skylab – Skylab 2 – Splashdown

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 20:12:19 +0000

Before the astronauts could leave there was one final problem to solve. Skylab’s refrigeration system began warming up. Houston immediately went to work on finding a solution. Now, there was some concern that the crews return would be delayed.

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Space Rocket History #410 – Skylab – Skylab 2 – Days 24-28

Thu, 16 Mar 2023 15:56:59 +0000

On Mission day 25, the crew was informed that they had surpassed the Russian space endurance record set by Soyuz 11 on Salyut 1 in 1971.

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Space Rocket History #409 – Skylab – Skylab 2 – Days 8-23

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 01:21:51 +0000

“Houston, Skylab. I’d like you to be the first to know that the PLT is the proud father of a genuine flare.” Joe Kerwin

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Space Rocket History #408 – Skylab – Skylab 2 – Days 2-7 & 10th Anniversary Celebration

Wed, 15 Feb 2023 18:35:34 +0000

NASA’s first priority was to get Skylab back into solar inertial attitude. This was both the coolest attitude and would point the Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) solar arrays directly at the sun. Thus the crew would have the most electrical … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #407 – Skylab – “We Can Fix Anything”

Wed, 01 Feb 2023 18:01:49 +0000

During the stand up EVA, Kerwin held Weitz while he pulled at the debris several times which disturbed the stability of the Skylab station and caused the Skylabs gyros to compensate. This was a big problem because it nearly pulled … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #406 – Skylab – The Launch of Skylab 2

Thu, 19 Jan 2023 00:07:42 +0000

At 07:00 hours Houston time, Skylab 2 roared off its Milk Stool from LC-39B; the first Saturn IB launch in almost five years and only the second launch from Pad 39B.

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Space Rocket History #405 – Skylab – What Went Wrong and How Do We Fix It?

Wed, 04 Jan 2023 21:53:11 +0000

Nasa concluded that the failure of the micrometeoroid shield 63 seconds into the flight caused the breaking of the solar array system. Furthermore, at 593 seconds into the flight the second stage retro rocket plume exhaust resulted in the ripping … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #404 – Skylab – The Launch of Skylab 1

Wed, 14 Dec 2022 20:05:45 +0000

Having two rockets stacked on pads 39A and 39B at the same time made for quite a sight at the Kennedy Space Center. There were also two firing rooms at KSC’s Launch Control Center that would control the countdowns for … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #403 – Skylab – S.M.E.A.T. – Skylab Mission 0

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 15:27:15 +0000

This SMEAT crew would test out various elements of the Skylab equipment and procedures in a series of trials, ending in a full-scale simulation that was set at 56 days.

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Space Rocket History #402 – Skylab – Training Part 2

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 00:21:58 +0000

The backup crew and some support crew participated in an interesting rescue scenario with 2 astronauts flying to Skylab to take back the crew of 3 onboard Skylab. This would mean 5 astronauts returning to earth in the command module.

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Space Rocket History #401 – Skylab – Training Part 1

Wed, 02 Nov 2022 20:44:44 +0000

Aside from physically training for the longest crewed missions that the United States had ever attempted, the actual training program was developed simultaneously with the hardware and experiments for the mission.

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Space Rocket History #400 – Skylab – The Astronauts Part 5 – Pogue & Weitz

Wed, 19 Oct 2022 20:42:01 +0000

Bill Pogue served with the Thunderbirds as an aerobatics pilot from 1955 to 1957.

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Space Rocket History #399 – Skylab – The Astronauts Part 4 – Lousma & Carr

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 16:56:20 +0000

Carr was in the likely crew rotation position to serve as lunar module pilot for Apollo 19 and walk on the Moon before the mission was canceled by NASA in 1970.

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Space Rocket History #398 – Skylab – The Astronauts Part 3 – Kerwin & Lousma

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 00:05:30 +0000

“Farewell, Aquarius, and we thank you.” Joe Kerwin

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Space Rocket History #397 – Skylab – The Astronauts Part 2 – Garriott & Gibson

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 19:18:28 +0000

“I started out being president of my first grade class, two years in a row.” Ed Gibson

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Space Rocket History #396 – Skylab – The Astronauts Part 1

Thu, 25 Aug 2022 00:37:58 +0000

“Pete wanted to do Skylab and we both felt that we did not want the moon program to get crowded, other people deserved chances too.” Al Bean

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Space Rocket History #395 – Skylab – The Tour Part 2

Wed, 10 Aug 2022 16:15:18 +0000

Skylab had three bedrooms or sleep compartments, one for each astronaut aboard. To save space, the beds were arranged vertically in the quarters.

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Space Rocket History #394 – Skylab – The Tour Part 1

Wed, 27 Jul 2022 19:08:58 +0000

As a crew would approach Skylab in their Apollo Command Module, they would see its docking port that was called the Multiple Docking Adapter or MDA.

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Space Rocket History #393 – Skylab – Soyuz Mission

Wed, 13 Jul 2022 14:53:15 +0000

During 1970-1972, a possible fourth “new” docking mission with Skylab was considered. This new mission would not be just another Apollo docking, instead it was a radically different idea.

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Space Rocket History #392 – Skylab – Let’s Call it Skylab

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 17:51:28 +0000

On February 1970, Nasa announced that the AAP had been renamed. America’s first space station would enter the history books as Skylab.

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Space Rocket History #391 – Skylab – Pre-history – Apollo Applications Program

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 16:30:06 +0000

The Apollo Applications Program (AAP) was created in 1966 by NASA headquarters to develop science-based human spaceflight missions using hardware developed for the Apollo program.

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Space Rocket History #390 – Skylab – Pre-history – MOL Part 4 & Extending Apollo

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 19:27:38 +0000

On June 7th 1969, General Stewart ordered all work on Gemini B, the Titan IIIM and the MOL spacesuit, to cease and to cancel or curtail all other contracts. The official announcement that the MOL had been canceled was made … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #389 – Skylab – Pre-history – MOL Part 3

Wed, 18 May 2022 16:55:16 +0000

A planning document depicted 12-man and 40-man stations, both with self-defense capability. It described the 40-man, Y-shaped station as a “spaceborne command post” in synchronous orbit. The key requirement was “post attack survivability”, the station would be capable of “Strategic/tactical … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #388 – Skylab – Pre-history – MOL Part 2

Wed, 04 May 2022 18:49:23 +0000

Strangely enough the MOL astronauts only knew of the cover story that the program would be a space laboratory for military experiments and did not learn of the reconnaissance role until after selection.

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Space Rocket History #387 – Skylab – Pre-history – Dyna-Soar & MOL

Wed, 20 Apr 2022 15:35:36 +0000

NASA feasibility studies determined that a research space laboratory could be placed in orbit by 1967. However, to fund such a project it had to be justified by achieving a national goal, or an important science goal, or test of … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #386 – Skylab – Pre-history

Wed, 06 Apr 2022 16:15:22 +0000

A scant five months after Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean in December of 1972, NASA launched Skylab to begin a new phase of American manned spaceflight – space station operations.

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Space Rocket History #385 – Copernicus (OAO-3), SAS-2, Venera 8, Luna 20 & 21, and Explorer 49

Wed, 23 Mar 2022 16:08:02 +0000

Once its antennas were deployed, Explorer 49 was the largest human-made object to orbit the Moon as of 2022.

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Space Rocket History #384 – Pioneer 10

Wed, 09 Mar 2022 17:34:50 +0000

Launched in 1972 and weighing 258 kilograms (569 pounds), Pioneer 10 completed the first mission to the planet Jupiter and became the first of five artificial objects to achieve the escape velocity needed to leave the Solar System.

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Space Rocket History #383 – Ariel 4, Prospero X-3, Shinsei, Isis-2, And Our 9th Anniversary

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 20:23:49 +0000

“The UK 4 (United Kingdom Research Satellite 4), a.k.a. Ariel 4, was a small observatory designed to investigate the interactions between electromagnetic waves, plasmas, and energetic particles present in the upper ionosphere.” Wikipedia

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Space Rocket History #382 – Mars 2 & 3 and Luna 18 & 19

Wed, 09 Feb 2022 17:06:32 +0000

This is how Deputy Chief Designer for OKB-1, Boris Chertok described the launch of Mars 3. “The red disk of the Sun was just touching the horizon and dramatically illuminated the rocket as it lifted off with a roar. Separation … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #381 – Mariner 8 & 9

Wed, 26 Jan 2022 17:08:30 +0000

Mariner 8 and 9 were virtually identical and designed to continue the atmospheric studies begun by Mariner 6 and 7, and to hopefully map over 70% of the Martian surface.

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Space Rocket History #380 – Apollo 17 – The Finale

Wed, 12 Jan 2022 19:57:24 +0000

The Apollo 17 mission was the most productive and trouble-free piloted mission to the moon and represented the culmination of continual advancements in hardware, procedures, training, planning, operations, and scientific experiments.

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Space Rocket History #379 – Apollo 17 – Lunar Lift off, Docking & Orbital Science

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 23:34:55 +0000

At 4:56 Houston time, Gene rested the tip of his left index finger on the yellow ignition button.

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Space Rocket History #378 – Apollo 17 – Moonwalk 3 – The Last Steps on the Moon

Wed, 08 Dec 2021 18:52:14 +0000

“As we leave the Moon and Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came, and God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. Godspeed the crew of Apollo Seventeen.” – Gene Cernan’s final words from the surface of … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #377 – Apollo 17 – Moonwalk 1 & 2 – Orange Soil

Wed, 24 Nov 2021 16:19:43 +0000

“How can there be orange soil on the Moon?! (Pause) Jack, that is really orange.” Gene Cernan

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Space Rocket History #376 – Apollo 17 – Moonwalk 1

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 20:00:51 +0000

Gene Cernan’s first words were “As I step off at the surface of Taurus-Littrow, I’d like to dedicate the first steps of Apollo Seventeen to all those who made it possible.”

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Space Rocket History #375 – Apollo 17 – The Last Manned Landing

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 18:50:37 +0000

Gene had a deadlock visual on the landing site. He knew exactly where he was, and the LM had become part of him, responding to his wishes as well as his touch on the controls as they lowered closer to … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #374 – Apollo 17 – To the Moon

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 17:40:42 +0000

For the next two days, Jack Schmitt would do a running account of Earth’s weather patterns. One Capcom even called Schmitt the human weather satellite.

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Space Rocket History #373 – Apollo 17 – The Launch

Wed, 29 Sep 2021 18:10:52 +0000

At 12:33 A.M. Dec. 7th 1972, “the hold-down arms released and the mighty Saturn V stirred, balanced on a dazzling fireball that grew to the size of an atomic bomb. As a show-stopping spectacular, nothing in the entire space program … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #372 – Apollo 17 – Glitches

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 15:25:57 +0000

By the time they reached the elevator, Cernan felt absolutely charmed, and was grinning from ear to ear. His Saturn V sparkled like a 363-foot-high jewel rampant against the night sky, center stage and draped in spotlights.

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Space Rocket History #371 – Apollo 17 – Commander Eugene Cernan

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 18:30:23 +0000

Flight director Gene Kranz wrote that Cernan was his favorite because of his carefree and jovial attitude, unabashed patriotism, and his close personal relationship with the flight controllers.

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Space Rocket History #370 – Apollo 17 – Lunar Module Pilot Harrison Schmitt

Wed, 18 Aug 2021 22:01:29 +0000

Harrison Schmitt played a key role in training Apollo crews to be geologic observers when they were in lunar orbit and competent geologic field workers when they were on the lunar surface. After each of the landing missions, he participated … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #369 – Apollo 17 – Mankind’s Last Giant Leap

Wed, 04 Aug 2021 13:55:46 +0000

Apollo 17 would break several crewed spaceflight records: 1) longest moon mission duration: 12 days 13 hours 52 minutes (just a day and a third shorter than the 14 days set in 1965 by Gemini 7), 2) longest total lunar … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #368 – Apollo 16 – Splashdown

Wed, 21 Jul 2021 17:21:54 +0000

On re-entry Casper hit the atmosphere at an altitude of about 400,000 feet above the earth and at a velocity of nearly 25,000 miles per hour.

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Space Rocket History #367 – Apollo 16 – Rendezvous, Docking, Ascent Stage Dump, Ken’s EVA and Lord of the Wedding Rings

Wed, 23 Jun 2021 16:44:23 +0000

The LM eventually crashed due to lunar gravity anomalies. Since Houston didn’t know exactly where it landed, it was not useful to calibrate seismic experiments on the surface.

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Space Rocket History #366 – Apollo 16 – Moonwalk 3, Lunar Olympics & Lift-off From the Moon

Wed, 09 Jun 2021 15:54:28 +0000

It was the only time in their whole lunar stay that Charlie had a real moment of panic and thought he had killed himself.

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Space Rocket History #365 – Apollo 16 – Moonwalk 2 & 3 – “The Big Sneak”

Wed, 26 May 2021 15:27:54 +0000

The crew nicknamed this operation “The Big Sneak.” They figured the only way to do this was to approach from behind a big rock, then reach over and collect the sample.

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Space Rocket History #364 – Apollo 16 – Moonwalk 2 – Evidence of Water

Wed, 12 May 2021 15:42:50 +0000

John and Charlie also collected several rusty-looking rocks with brown stains on their surfaces. These were exciting finds because the rusty appearance suggested the presence of hydrated oxides of iron. “Hydrated” meant water and the scientists had a serious interest … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #363 – Apollo 16 – Moonwalk 1 – Part 3 – Grand Prix

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 15:43:46 +0000

Flag Crater was so steep that if either one of them fell in, it would have been fatal! There was no rescue from the bottom of a big crater.

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Space Rocket History #362 – Apollo 16 – Moonwalk 1 – Part 2

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 16:23:57 +0000

Charlie and John were startled by their landing spot. Much of the landing area was covered with rocks or had a steep slope. Fortunately, they had managed to land on the only level and smooth spot around.

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Space Rocket History #361 – Apollo 16 – Post Landing & Moonwalk 1

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 22:06:33 +0000

“There you are, our mysterious and unknown Descartes Highlands Plains. Apollo 16 is gonna change your image.” John Young

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Space Rocket History #360 – Apollo 16 – Lunar Landing

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 23:15:11 +0000

Due to the change in their flight plan caused by the six-hour delay, the crew had to reprogram a great deal of their onboard data, and this had to be done before they had LOS.

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Space Rocket History #359 – Apollo 16 – Lunar Orbit & No Go for Landing – Big Reveal & Tang Ceremony

Wed, 03 Mar 2021 16:38:06 +0000

In the event of a secondary control system failure in the engine, the mission rules stated the entire landing phase of the mission would have to be terminated.

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Space Rocket History #358 – Apollo 16 – Trans-Lunar Coast

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 17:19:34 +0000

“Unlike the roller-coaster ride of Earth orbit, we are entering a slow-motion domain where time and distance seem to have more meaning than speed.” Mike Collins

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Space Rocket History #357 – Apollo 16 – TLI, Transposition & the LM Fuel Leak?

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 22:28:52 +0000

It looked like they had a leak from one of the propellant tanks on the Lunar Module. If so, that meant abort!

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Space Rocket History #356 – Apollo 16 – Climb to Orbit

Wed, 20 Jan 2021 15:34:42 +0000

Duke was startled. Why was it shaking so hard? What in the world was happening? There had to be something wrong with this rocket. He didn’t recall any briefing to expect this violent vibration as they sat on the launch … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #355 – Apollo 16 – The Launch

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 20:58:06 +0000

T-90 seconds and all Charlie Duke could think about was let’s go! There was no fear, no reluctance, no second thoughts. He was consumed with the desire to hear the words Lift-off. He felt this was his one and only … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #354 – Apollo 16 – CMDR John W. Young

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 19:36:46 +0000

John Watts Young was an astronaut, naval officer and aviator, test pilot, and aeronautical engineer. He became the ninth person to walk on the Moon as commander of the Apollo 16 mission in 1972. He flew on four different classes … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #353 – Apollo 16 – LMP Charlie Duke

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 16:31:43 +0000

“Roger, Twank…Tranquility, we copy you on the ground. You got a bunch of guys about to turn blue. We’re breathing again. Thanks a lot!,” Capcom Charlie Duke, Apollo 11 landing.

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Space Rocket History #352 – Apollo 16 – Introduction, Crew Selection & CMP Ken Mattingly

Wed, 18 Nov 2020 20:58:55 +0000

“cogito, ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am). Rene Descartes.

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Space Rocket History #351 – Apollo 15 – First Deep Space EVA and Splashdown

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 16:54:45 +0000

As the red smoke cleared, Al saw widening holes in one of their parachutes, collapsing it into a useless strip of cloth. “We’ve got a streamer on one,” Al reported.

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Space Rocket History #350 – Apollo 15 – Lunar Liftoff, Rendezvous and Docking – Tang Ceremony

Wed, 21 Oct 2020 18:27:49 +0000

On Hadley Plain, at 171:37 GET, right on schedule, Falcon’s engine lit, hurling the ascent stage upward in an impressive flurry of dust and debris, captured for the first time on camera and transmitted live to a world-wide audience.

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Space Rocket History #349 – Apollo 15 – Meanwhile on Endeavour

Wed, 07 Oct 2020 15:10:59 +0000

After being cooped up together so closely with his fellow astronauts inside Endeavor, Worden enjoyed stretching out for his solo flight. Now he really got to fly.

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Space Rocket History #348 – Apollo 15 – Traverse 3

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 15:31:22 +0000

“We pray for one last landingOn the globe that gave us birth;Let us rest our eyes on the fleecy skiesAnd the cool, green hills of Earth.” Robert A. Heinlein

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Space Rocket History #347 – Apollo 15 – Traverse 2-Part 2 – The Genesis Rock

Wed, 09 Sep 2020 17:40:39 +0000

Both men realized what they had discovered. The rock was almost entirely plagioclase. This was surely a chunk of anorthosite, a piece of the primordial crust, the Genesis Rock.

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Space Rocket History #346 – Apollo 15 – Traverse 2-Part 1

Wed, 26 Aug 2020 14:41:51 +0000

Suddenly, Scott called out that the Rover was beginning to slide down the hill. As the back wheels came off the ground, Scott quickly got back on to hold the rover down.

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Space Rocket History #345 – Apollo 15 – The Lunar Rover & Traverse 1

Wed, 12 Aug 2020 16:06:30 +0000

The whole stripped-down rover weighed about 455 pounds on Earth but only 76 pounds on the moon and was built to carry 2 1/2 times its weight at a maximum speed of about 10 miles per hour.

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Space Rocket History #344 – Apollo 15 – Oxygen Leak, Glass Ball, First Steps & The Lunar Rover

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 15:38:07 +0000

After a good nights sleep, Houston woke the astronauts up an hour early the next morning because of a slight oxygen leak.

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Space Rocket History #343 – Apollo 15 – Falcon on the Moon

Wed, 15 Jul 2020 15:04:17 +0000

It was immediately clear that Falcon had landed on uneven ground, right on the rim of a small crater; the LM was tipped backward at a slight angle. It turned out that one of the rear feet had landed in … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #342 – Apollo 15 – Lunar Orbit & Landing

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 14:49:47 +0000

Craning to look through the triangular window for a glimpse of the land ahead, Scott saw no sign of Hadley Rille.

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Space Rocket History #341 – Apollo 15 – Serious Problems

Wed, 17 Jun 2020 16:28:05 +0000

The SPS engine was used for all the future burns. It was the astronauts ticket home. Any doubt as to whether it could fire raised the question as to whether the mission could continue.

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Space Rocket History #340 – Apollo 15 – Climb to Orbit

Wed, 03 Jun 2020 15:31:52 +0000

For Scott all feelings were forgotten. All senses except sight were subordinated. All Scott’s concentration was focused on hearing information from Irwin, Worden and Mission Control about the status of the spacecraft and the Saturn V.

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Space Rocket History #339 – Apollo 15 – The Launch

Wed, 20 May 2020 16:19:10 +0000

The last face they saw was Guenter’s, smiling and waving an enormous crescent wrench. Then the heavy hatch closed with a deep thunk.

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Space Rocket History #338 – Apollo 15 – CDR Dave Scott Part 2 & The Postal Covers Incident

Wed, 06 May 2020 23:23:20 +0000

As Command Module Pilot for Apollo 9, Scott’s responsibilities were heavy. The Lunar Module was to separate from the Command and Service Module during the mission; if it failed to return, Scott would have to run the entire spacecraft for … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #337 – Apollo 15 – LMP Jim Irwin & CDR Dave Scott

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 16:14:10 +0000

Dave Scott showed incredible presence of mind during the unexpected events of the Gemini 8 mission. Even in the middle of an emergency, out of contact with Mission Control, he had thought to reenable ground control of the Agena before … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #336 – Apollo 15 – Introduction, Crew Selection & CMP Al Worden

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 18:15:36 +0000

The twelve day Apollo 15 mission was scheduled to launch on July 26, 1971. It would be the fourth United States human exploration of the Moon. As compared with earlier missions, Apollo 15 would double the time and extend by … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #335 – Impacts of Soyuz 11 on Future Soyuz, Salyut-1 & Apollo

Wed, 25 Mar 2020 18:01:51 +0000

It was decided that henceforth, cosmonauts would wear pressure suits for launch and the return to Earth. Also, a system was installed to automatically pump air into the descent module in the event of decompression. Additionally, the ventilation valves were … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #334 – Soyuz 11 – Death in Space

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 16:15:09 +0000

The recovery team quickly opened the hatch and were shocked to find the men motionless, as if asleep or unconscious.

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Space Rocket History #333 – Soyuz 11 – Downfall & N1 Update

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 19:32:15 +0000

Volkov transmitted to Flight Control: “The hatch is not hermetically sealed! … What can we do? … What can we do?”

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Space Rocket History #332 – Soyuz 11/Salyut 1 – The Fire & SRH 7th Year Celebration

Wed, 12 Feb 2020 19:23:46 +0000

Just before the start of another communication session, Volkov noticed a smell of smoke from somewhere at the rear of the station. As soon as communication with the ground was established, he reported: “Aboard the station is ‘the curtain’!”

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Space Rocket History #331 – Soyuz 11/Salyut 1 – Life Aboard the First Space Station

Wed, 29 Jan 2020 22:32:33 +0000

Dobrovolsky wrote in his diary, “Some days were a nightmare. There was a general absence of everything: no interesting things, no happiness, the monotonous sound of the ventilators, strong smells, numerous experiments. It seemed to me that Flight Control simply … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #330 – Soyuz 11/Salyut 1 – What’s That Smell?

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 19:59:46 +0000

Volkov radioed “Zarya, wait! Yantar 3 is in Soyuz. Don’t start until Yantar 3 has returned to the Salyut! There is a strong smell in Salyut! He will put on a mask and go in again!”

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Space Rocket History #329 – Soyuz 11 – The Replacement Crew – Dobrovolsky, Volkov, and Patsayev – Part 2

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 22:02:42 +0000

“I am proud to have been involved in the Vostok spacecraft which carried Gagarin on the first manned space flight and in its modification for Voskhod.” Volkov

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Space Rocket History #328 – Soyuz 11 – The Replacement Crew – Dobrovolsky, Volkov, and Patsayev – Part 1

Thu, 19 Dec 2019 16:39:25 +0000

Dobrovolsky was blond, tall, broad-shouldered, and tough. He was kind-hearted and had a contagious belly laugh. At the Air Force school, his friends nicknamed him `Odessa’, and he was proud of it.

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Space Rocket History #327 – Soyuz 11 – The Prime Crew

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 14:57:30 +0000

On May 4th, 1971 the prime crew of Soyuz 11 was confirmed to be Leonov, Commander; Kubusov, Flight Engineer; and Kolodin, Research Engineer. Their assignment was to spend between 30 and 45 days on board Salyut 1.

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Space Rocket History #326 – Soyuz 10 – Undocking and Re-entry

Thu, 05 Dec 2019 16:02:11 +0000

… There was no provision for the possibility of undocking if the entire docking cycle had not been executed …

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Space Rocket History #325 – Soyuz 10 – Docking with Salyut 1

Thu, 28 Nov 2019 16:27:35 +0000

“They can’t approach at that rate,” fretted Mishin. “Why aren’t you doing anything? Tell the crew what to do!” “We don’t need to do anything; deceleration will begin now,” Rauschenbach reassured Mishin.

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Space Rocket History #324 – Soyuz 10 with Shatalov, Yeliseyev and Rukavishnikov

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 19:39:19 +0000

The objective of the Soyuz 10 mission was to deliver and return to earth the first crew of Salyut 1. The Soyuz was to hard dock with Salyut 1 and then the crew was to transfer internally to the station. … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #323 – Salyut 1

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 21:40:24 +0000

In record time, the OKB-1 rebels led by Yuri Semenov developed the space station designated DOS-7K. The station used the body of a vehicle from the Almaz project, but outfitted it with modified systems from the Soyuz spacecraft.

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50th Anniversary Special – An Encore Presentation of Space Rocket History #224 – Apollo 11 – Moonwalk – Part 2 – One Priceless Moment

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 00:27:52 +0000

“For one priceless moment, in the whole history of man, all the people on this earth are truly one. One in their pride in what you have done. And one in our prayers that you will return safely to earth” … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #322 – Apollo 14 – Recovery & Conclusion

Wed, 30 Oct 2019 21:45:45 +0000

Alan Shepard’s wife Louise was elated after watching on TV as Shepard boarded a Navy ship bound for Houston, where he would be safe behind the glass windows of the post-flight quarantine room.

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Space Rocket History #321 – Apollo 14 – Splashdown

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 22:52:20 +0000

Gradually, as Mitchell worked and glanced at the bright crescent, he was filled with a quiet euphoria, great tranquillity, and an overpowering sense of understanding. It was as if he had suddenly begun to hear a new language, one being … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #320 – Apollo 14 – Docking & Alexei Leonov

Wed, 16 Oct 2019 21:01:02 +0000

Would the docking probe that caused so much difficulty a week ago during the first docking work now or would Shepard and Mitchell be forced into a space walk in Lunar orbit?

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Space Rocket History #319 – Apollo 14 – Lunar Lift-off

Wed, 09 Oct 2019 17:39:40 +0000

141:45:30 Shepard: Okay. The abort stage is set. Ascent Engine is Armed. 6, 5, 4… 141:45:38 Mitchell: Proceed with the ignition program 141:45:38 Shepard: …3, 2, 1, 0… 141:45:42 Mitchell: Ignition. 141:45:43 Shepard: We have ignition… 141:45:44 Mitchell: What a … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #318 – Apollo 14 – Moonwalk 2 – Part 2 – How about a round of golf?

Wed, 02 Oct 2019 23:15:38 +0000

“It was terribly, terribly frustrating; coming up over that ridge that we were going up, and thinking, finally, that was it; and it wasn’t – suddenly recognizing that, really, you just don’t know where you are.” Ed Mitchell

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50th Anniversary Special – An Encore Presentation of Space Rocket History #223 – Apollo 11 – Moonwalk – Part 1

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 14:48:45 +0000

Silently and carefully, Armstrong raised his left boot over the lip of the footpad and lowered it to the dust. Immediately he tested his weight, bouncing in the gentle gravity, and when he felt firm ground, he was still, one … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #317 – Apollo 14 – Moonwalk 2 – Part 1 – The Rim of Cone Crater

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 12:29:53 +0000

The majority of the second moonwalk was dedicated to reaching the rim of Cone Crater. The wide, deep geological gold mine, which scientists believed was actually the remains of an ancient volcano.

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Space Rocket History #316 – Apollo 14 – Solo Flight Over the Moon & Lunar Geology

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 18:58:51 +0000

With the Hycon camera down, Roosa would have to step in and use a Hasselblad with a 500 mm lens, to take detailed photos of the Apollo 16 potential landing site. If Roosa did nothing else, he had to return … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #315 – Apollo 14 – Moonwalk 1 – Part 3 – ALSEP Deployment

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 16:10:15 +0000

The mortar package contained a set of grenades which were planned to be fired to distances of 500, 1000, 3000, and 5000 feet to the north of the ALSEP site.

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Space Rocket History #314 – Apollo 14 – Moonwalk 1 – Part 2 – Fueling the Nuke

Wed, 28 Aug 2019 16:15:12 +0000

A small plutonium source was used to power the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) that would provide electric power for the ALSEP experiments. Ed Mitchell performed the delicate maneuver of inserting the fuel capsule into the RTG.

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Space Rocket History #313 – Apollo 14 – Moonwalk 1 – Part 1 – Color TV From the Moon

Wed, 21 Aug 2019 17:56:58 +0000

“Al is on the surface. And it’s been a long way, but we’re here.” Alan Shepard

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Space Rocket History #312 – Apollo 14 – Lunar Landing – Part 2

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 15:55:15 +0000

Suddenly the caution lights went out and the radar signals began to transmit. Within seconds the astronauts could see that its data was good. Seconds later in mission control, a jubilant Will Presley shouted, “Flight, we got radar lockup!”

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Space Rocket History #311 – Apollo 14 – Lunar Landing – Part 1

Wed, 07 Aug 2019 16:26:08 +0000

While checking the lander’s guidance software, during a final practice run for the landing, engineers in mission control detected that the computer was receiving an errant signal from the abort pushbutton.

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Space Rocket History #310 – Apollo 14 – Lunar Orbit

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 18:09:51 +0000

The first extended use of the Service Propulsion System engine on the Command and Service module was for the Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) burn.

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Space Rocket History #309 – Apollo 14 – The Long Coast

Wed, 24 Jul 2019 18:58:42 +0000

Mitchell kept his plan a secret from NASA, knowing that the agency would be completely unreceptive to the idea. He said nothing about it to his crewmates. The test subjects had also agreed to keep quiet.

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50th Anniversary Special – An Encore Presentation of Space Rocket History #221 – Apollo 11 – Lunar Landing – Part 3

Sat, 20 Jul 2019 14:08:18 +0000

“Houston, Tranquillity Base here. The Eagle has landed.”

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50th Anniversary Special – An Encore Presentation of Space Rocket History #220 – Apollo 11 – Lunar Landing – Part 2

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 13:52:52 +0000

Suddenly, Buzz and Neil heard the high-pitched sound of the Master Alarm. On the computer display the “PROG” light glowed amber. “Program alarm,” Armstrong radioed. Quickly, Aldrin queried the computer for the alarm code, and “1202” flashed on the display.

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50th Anniversary Special – An Encore Presentation of Space Rocket History #219 – Apollo 11 – Lunar Landing – Part 1

Thu, 18 Jul 2019 13:54:41 +0000

The machine-like performance of flight crew and ground controllers continued. Each participant was in perfect harmony with the other, moving to a cadence dictated by the laws of physics and the clock.

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Space Rocket History #308 – Apollo 14 – Transposition, Docking & Extraction

Wed, 10 Jul 2019 16:40:53 +0000

Docking was a delicate maneuver, since both ships were traveling at nearly five miles per second, but the docking mechanism itself was one of the simplest on the entire spacecraft, and the docking procedure had been perfected on previous Apollo flights, … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #307 – Apollo 14 – The Climb to Orbit & TLI

Wed, 03 Jul 2019 18:53:38 +0000

“The approaching dusk and the damp mistiness left by the now-departed rainstorm only enhanced the spectacular sight and the sound of the launch. Tentacles of flame erupted on either side of the bottom of the Saturn V, which seemed to … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #306 – Apollo 14 – The Launch

Wed, 26 Jun 2019 18:53:07 +0000

The first launch window for Apollo 14 began at 15:23, Eastern Standard Time, 31 January 1971, and lasted almost four hours.

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Space Rocket History #305 – Apollo 14 – Pre-launch

Wed, 19 Jun 2019 16:22:40 +0000

On November 9, 1970, the Apollo 14/Saturn V assembly, as tall as a 36-story building, rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building on the proportionally huge crawler transporter.

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Space Rocket History #304 – Apollo 14 – Commander Alan B. Shepard Jr. – Part 4

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 16:28:38 +0000

Even with all the problems, Shepard piloted the Lunar Module Antares to the most accurate landing of the entire Apollo program. Shepard became the fifth and, at the age of 47, the oldest man to walk on the Moon, and … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #303 – Apollo 14 – Commander Alan B. Shepard Jr. – Part 3

Wed, 05 Jun 2019 17:05:31 +0000

After the Mercury-Atlas 10 mission was canceled, Shepard was designated as the Commander of the first crewed Gemini mission, with Thomas P. Stafford chosen as his pilot.

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Space Rocket History #302 – Apollo 14 – Commander Alan B. Shepard Jr. – Part 2

Wed, 29 May 2019 18:19:00 +0000

On January 19, 1961, Robert R. Gilruth, the director of NASA’s Space Task Group, informed the seven astronauts that Shepard had been chosen for the first American crewed mission into space.

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Space Rocket History #301 – Apollo 14 – Commander Alan B. Shepard Jr. – Part 1

Wed, 22 May 2019 18:15:45 +0000

Although the Shepards were well off, the children were not coddled. Their father valued work and made sure each child performed their share of domestic chores. Alan’s father was a stern and serious disciplinarian, Alan inherited a stoicism and toughness … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #300 – Apollo 14 – Lunar Module Pilot Edgar Mitchell – Tang Ceremony

Wed, 15 May 2019 18:13:09 +0000

In the Astronaut Office, it was his intellectual bent that set him apart from some of the other pilots, along with a certain hard edge.

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50th Anniversary Special – An Encore Presentation of Space Rocket History #214 – Apollo 11 – The Climb to Orbit

Wed, 08 May 2019 14:35:43 +0000

A Saturn V liftoff is spectacular, and the launch of Apollo 11 was no exception. But it didn’t give the audience any surprises. To the three Gemini-experienced pilots, who likened the sensation to the boost of a Titan II, it was a … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #299 – Apollo 14 – Command Module Pilot Stuart Roosa

Wed, 01 May 2019 17:13:49 +0000

As a Smoke Jumper, Roosa parachuted into at least four active fires in Oregon and California during the 1953 fire season.

The post Space Rocket History #299 – Apollo 14 – Command Module Pilot Stuart Roosa first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.

Space Rocket History #298 – Apollo 14 – Crew Selection

Wed, 24 Apr 2019 18:59:21 +0000

There were some people who wondered why America’s first man in space Alan Shepard, at age forty-seven, having acquired fame, wealth, and status as an American hero, would risk his life to go to the moon.

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Space Rocket History #297 – Apollo 14 – Introduction

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 20:08:15 +0000

The Apollo 14 crew were constantly aware that if their mission failed—if they had to turn back—it was probably the end of the Apollo program.

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Space Rocket History #296 – Space 1970 – Dongfanghong 1 & Zond 8

Wed, 10 Apr 2019 17:47:13 +0000

With the successful launch of Dongfanghong I, China became the fifth country after the Soviet Union, United States, France, and Japan to independently launch a satellite.

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50th Anniversary Special – An Encore Presentation of Space Rocket History #213 – Apollo 11 – The Launch

Wed, 03 Apr 2019 15:47:54 +0000

On July 16th 1969, nearly a million people crowded the Florida highways, byways, and beaches to watch man’s departure from the earth to walk on the moon. Twenty thousand guests looked on from special vantage points.

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Space Rocket History #295 – Space 1970 – Osumi (Japan) & Uhuru (US)

Wed, 27 Mar 2019 19:36:04 +0000

Osumi was the name of the first Japanese satellite placed into orbit. It was named after the Osumi Province in the southern islands of Japan.

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Space Rocket History #294 – Space 1970 – Soyuz 9 – Part 2

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 19:23:54 +0000

At midnight June 1, 1970 Soyuz 9 lifted off from Area 31 at Baikonur and successfully entered low earth orbit with an apogee of 227 km and a perigee of 176 km.

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Space Rocket History #293 – Space 1970 – Soyuz 9 – Part 1

Wed, 13 Mar 2019 20:16:53 +0000

The original Soyuz 9 mission was planned to fly two Soyuz spacecraft in the August to September 1970 time frame for a rendezvous and docking; however, at the end of December 1969 the communist party bosses ordered that the mission … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #292 – Space 1970 – Venera 7

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 22:21:30 +0000

The VENERA 7 lander was the hardiest of the Soviet Venus probes yet built. Its creators wanted the vessel to land on the planet’s surface in working order.

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Space Rocket History #291 – Space 1970 – Luna 16 & 17

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 00:33:08 +0000

Luna 16 was the first robotic probe to land on the Moon and return a sample of lunar soil to Earth after five unsuccessful similar attempts.

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Space Rocket History #290 – Apollo 13 – Welcome Home

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 23:39:56 +0000

“Three brave astronauts are alive and on Earth because of the mission operations teams’ dedication, and because at the critical moments the people of that team were wise enough and self-possessed enough to make the right decisions. Their extraordinary feat … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #289 – Apollo 13 – Splashdown

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 00:32:54 +0000

“During blackout every team member does his own soul searching, reviewing the decisions and the data, knowing they had to be nearly perfect and knowing how tough perfection is.” Gene Kranz

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Space Rocket History #288 – Apollo 13 – Re-entry

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 17:56:10 +0000

To Kranz and his team, this crew was special. They just could not lose them. Failure was not an option.

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Space Rocket History #287 – Apollo 13 – Separation Anxiety

Wed, 30 Jan 2019 22:23:02 +0000

Three hours before dawn, Gene Kranz’ White Team took its place next to Windler’s Maroon Team controllers. The eighty hours of uncertainty were now past and mission control was down to Apollo 13’s final shift.

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In Honor of China’s Moon Lander Chang’e-4 – An Encore Presentation of Space Rocket History #18 – Luna 2 and 3

Wed, 23 Jan 2019 18:22:42 +0000

While the Mercury 7 were fulfilling their roles as symbols of space exploration, Korolev was once again offering the real thing. He now prepared to undertake the most demanding mission yet. The mission that would accomplish the next step in … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #286 – Apollo 13 – I Want My Power Up Checklist. Now!

Wed, 16 Jan 2019 23:07:52 +0000

As If there were not enough problems, Houston still had not completed the command module power up checklist.

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Space Rocket History #285 – Apollo 13 – More Problems

Wed, 09 Jan 2019 20:54:08 +0000

From beneath the Lunar Modules floor there was a thud, then a hiss, then another thump that vibrated through the cabin.

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Space Rocket History #284 – Apollo 13 – Mid-course Correction

Thu, 03 Jan 2019 00:52:37 +0000

Swigert counted down five, four, three, two, one.” Lovell pressed the big red engine button set in the bulkhead and once again felt the vibration below his feet. “Ignition,” Lovell said to his crew-mates.

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Space Rocket History #283 – Apollo 13 – Encouragement from the President

Wed, 26 Dec 2018 22:51:13 +0000

In the White House, President Nixon was very concerned for the Apollo 13 crew. Since Apollo 8’s successful lunar orbit, just one month before his inauguration, Nixon had developed a fascination with moon flight and a special admiration for the … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #282 – Apollo 13 – Battery #2

Wed, 19 Dec 2018 17:44:28 +0000

At the manned spacecraft center in Houston, Don Arabian was in Building 45 when battery number two in Aquarius’ descent stage exploded.

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Space Rocket History #281 – Apollo 13 – Homeward Bound

Wed, 12 Dec 2018 23:51:03 +0000

There was now cause for optimism in Mission Control. At the TELMU station, where the Lunar Module’s environmental signs were being continually monitored, the readings of the carbon dioxide concentrations aboard Aquarius were steadily dropping all day long.

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In Honor of NASA Mars Probe “InSight” – An Encore Presentation of Space Rocket History #46 – Mariner 4

Wed, 05 Dec 2018 22:22:08 +0000

Mariner 4’s primary objective was to conduct closeup scientific observations of Mars and to transmit these observations to Earth. Additional goals included performing field and particle measurements in interplanetary space, and providing experience and knowledge of engineering capabilities for interplanetary … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #280 – Apollo 13 – Carbon Dioxide

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 18:55:05 +0000

In a healthy spacecraft, the CO2 meter should climb no higher than 2 or 3 millimeters of mercury. When it rose above 7, the crew was instructed to change their lithium hydroxide canisters. If it was allowed to rise above … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #279 – Apollo 13 – Leaving the Moon – Part 2

Wed, 21 Nov 2018 20:44:20 +0000

In the satellite room of the carrier Iwo Jima, the communications man sat back and removed his headset. He knew, that Apollo 13 was in fact coming their way.

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Space Rocket History #278 – Apollo 13 – Leaving the Moon – Part 1

Wed, 14 Nov 2018 22:04:35 +0000

Lovell’s disappointment with Kranz’s decision to not run another star check was quickly becoming academic since the time to conduct it was running out anyway.

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Space Rocket History #277 – Apollo 13 – Approaching the Moon

Thu, 08 Nov 2018 21:13:07 +0000

“They’re all coming out,” Swigert said, straining for a glimpse through Lovell’s window. “You said it,” Lovell said. “There’s Nunki, there’s Antares. We may have enough here for that confidence check.”

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Space Rocket History #276 – Apollo 13 – Minimizing Power – Part 3

Wed, 31 Oct 2018 20:27:28 +0000

According to the profiles Bill Peters and his electrical specialists calculated, it was possible to power the LEM with just 12 amps. Under normal conditions it needed about 55 amps of current to run.

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Space Rocket History #275 – Apollo 13 – Minimizing Power – Part 2

Thu, 25 Oct 2018 00:02:56 +0000

“The first burn, Griffin explained, would be a long one. Pushing the descent throttle all the way to the full position, Lovell would leave it there for more than six minutes before shutting the engine down. This maneuver, which for … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #274 – Apollo 13 – Minimizing Power – Part 1

Thu, 18 Oct 2018 02:27:36 +0000

Electricity was in short supply. A fully functioning, up-and running LEM required about 55 amps of current to operate.

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Space Rocket History #273 – Apollo 13 – Free Return – Part 3

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 21:24:24 +0000

Lovell toggled the “master arm” switch to On and glanced around to see if everything else was in order. Guidance control was set to “Primary Guidance”; thrust control was on “Auto”; engine gimbals were enabled; the propellant quantity, temperature, and … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #272 – Apollo 13 – Free Return – Part 2

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 23:22:38 +0000

Aquarius, can you see any stars yet?

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Space Rocket History #271 – Apollo 13 – Free Return – Part 1

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 02:46:55 +0000

Kraft wanted to fire the descent engine now, get the ship back on its free-return slingshot course, and when it emerged from behind the moon and reached the PC+2 point, execute any maneuvers that might be required to refine the … Continue reading →

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An Encore Presentation of Space Rocket History #183 – Apollo 9 – Lunar Module Maneuvers Part 4

Thu, 20 Sep 2018 16:13:22 +0000

When Scott tried to release the lunar module, he did not hold the button long enough so the lander got hung on the capture latches.

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Space Rocket History #270 – Apollo 13 – The News Breaks

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 14:32:20 +0000

Cronkite did not look good. He called Schirra over and thrust a sheet of wire-service copy at him. Schirra scanned the text hurriedly, and with each sentence his heart sank. This was bad. This was worse than bad. This was … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #269 – Apollo 13 – “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” – Part 4

Wed, 05 Sep 2018 22:59:14 +0000

EECOM, Sy Liebergot looked away from his monitor; the end, he knew, was at last here. Liebergot, through no fault of his own, was about to become the first flight controller in the history of the manned space program to … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #268 – Apollo 13 – “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” – Part 3

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 19:53:28 +0000

As near as Lovell could tell, it would be a while before the ship’s endgame would play out. He had no way of calculating the leak rate in the tank, but if the moving needle was any indication, he had … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #267 – Apollo 13 – “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” – Part 2

Thu, 23 Aug 2018 16:48:53 +0000

By the time Flight Director Kranz heard Lovell’s report, of “Houston, we’ve had a problem. ” three controllers had reported related problems. Kranz was wondering which problem Lovell was reporting, as he started relaying the long list of warning indications … Continue reading →

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Space Rocket History #266 – Apollo 13 – “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” – Part 1

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 18:05:05 +0000

Swigert: I believe we’ve had a problem here! CapComm: This is Houston. Say again, please. Lovell: Houston, we’ve had a problem.

The post Space Rocket History #266 – Apollo 13 – “Houston, we’ve had a problem.” – Part 1 first appeared on Space Rocket History Podcast.