Part 1 (B)
Preparation for Flight, the Accident, and Investigation
April through June 1966
1966
April
1966
May
1966
June
April 4
MSC sent proposed organizational changes to NASA Hq. for
approval by the Administrator. The two basic changes to be made were:
- establishment of a Space Medicine Directorate and
- establishment of a Space Science Division within the Engineering and
Development (E&D) Directorate.
Both proposals, it was pointed out
to Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight George E. Mueller, had been
discussed with him and other key members of the Headquarters staff. The proposed
Space Medicine Directorate would combine the functions of the Chief of Center
Medical Programs and the Center Medical Office, along with biomedical research
functions currently performed in the Crew Systems Division of the E&D
Directorate. The Offices of Chief of Center Medical Programs and Center Medical
Office would be abolished by the change.
The Space Science Division had been discussed with NASA Associate
Administrator for Space Science and Applications Homer E. Newell and would
consolidate into a single organization several of the space science activities
of MSC, including those under the Assistant Chief for Space Environment in
Advanced Spacecraft Technology Division as well as the planned Lunar Sample
Receiving Laboratory. The four basic functions of the Division, reflecting the
increased scientific program emphasis, would be
- interpretation of environmental data for spacecraft design and operations
criteria,
- experiments,
- obtaining lunar samples, and
- astronaut training.
In addition a name change was proposed for
heads of the five major operating elements of MSC, from "Assistant Director for"
to "Director of"; e.g., from Assistant Director for Flight Operations to
Director of Flight Operations. This change was suggested to eliminate frequent
and continuing misunderstandings in dealing with persons outside the
organization who assumed that the "Assistant Director for Flight Operations,"
etc., was the number two man in that organization, rather than the number one.
Ltr., MSC Director Robert R. Gilruth to Mueller, "Changes in MSC Basic
Organization," April 4, 1966.
April 6
In response to an April 1 query from George E. Mueller, NASA
OMSF, asking, "Could GE or Boeing help on GAEC [Grumman Aircraft Engineering
Corp.] GSE?" Apollo Program Director Samuel C. Phillips replied that on several
occasions in the recent past he had made known to both Center and industry
representatives that a highly capable, quick-response ground support equipment
(GSE) organization had been built by and through General Electric, which the
Centers and other companies should take advantage of whenever it could help with
schedules or costs. He also recalled that "in one of our last two meetings with
Grumman" he had reminded them of this capability and had suggested they consider
it.
Notes, Mueller to Phillips, April 1, 1966; Phillips to Mueller, April 6,
1966.
April 7
In response to the March 30 memo from NASA Deputy Administrator
Robert C. Seamans, Jr., regarding potential uses of TV on Apollo, Associate
Administrator for Manned Space Flight George E. Mueller replied that ". . . we
have been making a progressive review of the Apollo electronic systems.
Performance and application of the Apollo TV system are being looked at as part
of the review." He added that he expected to be in position by mid-May to
discuss plans with Seamans in some detail.
Memo, Mueller to Seamans, "Potential TV Coverage on Apollo," April 7, 1966.
April 8
Deputy Administrator Robert C. Seamans, Jr., received a letter
from John S. Foster, Jr., Director of Defense Research and Engineering,
expressing pleasure that the agreement between the Department of Defense and
NASA on extraterrestrial mapping, charting, and geodesy support had been
consummated. He was returning a copy of the agreement for the NASA files.
Ltr., Foster to Seamans, April 8, 1966.
April 12
A Bellcomm, Inc., memo to Apollo Program Director Samuel C.
Phillips presented the status of the Apollo Block I spacesuit assembly. A
modified Gemini suit manufactured by the David Clark Manufacturing Co., the
overall assembly consisted of a constant-wear garment and a pressure garment
assembly. Crew members would also be provided with coveralls to wear in a
pressurized cabin as desired. The primary functional requirement of the Block I
suit was to provide environmental protection in a depressurized CSM cabin.
Therefore, it did not incorporate a thermal and micrometeoroid-protection
garment or the helmet visor assembly, which were required for extravehicular
operation. The memo listed seven major modifications required to adapt the
Gemini suit to make it acceptable for use as an Apollo Block I item.
Memo, Bellcomm, Inc., to distr., "Status of Block I Space Suit Assembly (SSA)
Development - Case 330," sgd. T. A. Bottomley, Jr., April 12, 1966, with
Bellcomm routing slip to Phillips from J. Z. Menard, April 13, 1966.
April 15
MSC Director Robert R. Gilruth told Associate Administrator for
Manned Space Flight George E. Mueller he felt it was necessary either to proceed
with the Apollo Experiment Pallet program or to cancel the program, reaching a
decision not later than April 22. Gilruth pointed out that four contracts had
been initiated in December 1965 for Phase C of the program, that the contracts
were completed on April 6, that full-scale mockups had been delivered, and that
documentation with cost proposals were due April 22. The four contractors were
McDonnell Aircraft, Martin-Denver, Northrop, and Lockheed Aircraft-Sunnyvale.
Gilruth said it was apparent that all contractors had done an exceptionally good
job during the Phase C effort. Low cost had been emphasized in every phase of
the program, with contractors responding with a very economical device and at
the same time a straightforward design that offered every chance of early
availability and successful operation.
Of equal significance, he said, "the Pallet offers the opportunity to
minimize the interface with both North American and the Apollo program. It
provides a single interface to Apollo and NAA, allowing the multiple-experiment
interfaces to be handled by a contractor whose specific interest is in
experiments. If experiments are to be carried in the Service Module, the Pallet
both by concept and experience offers the most economical approach." Gilruth
said the following plan had been developed:
- April 22 - receive documentation and cost proposals.
- April 22-May 22 - evaluate four proposals and negotiate four acceptable
contracts in the same manner as for ALSEP.
- May 23-24 - Source Evaluation Board Review.
- May 25-June 1 - Center and Headquarters Review.
- June 1 - date of cost incurrence for selected contractor.
Gilruth
strongly recommended that the pallet program be implemented as planned. On April
22, Mueller gave his approval to proceed as planned. (See August 22.)
Ltrs., Gilruth to Mueller, April 15, 1966; Mueller to Gilruth, April 22,
1966.
April 18
Spacecraft 007 and 011 were delivered to NASA by North American
Aviation. Spacecraft 007 was delivered to Houston to be used for water impact
and flotation tests in the Gulf of Mexico and in an environmental tank at
Ellington AFB. It contained all recovery systems required during actual flight
and the total configuration was that of a flight CM.
The CM of spacecraft 011 was similar to those in which astronauts would ride
in later flights and the SM contained support systems including environmental
control and fuel cell systems and the main service propulsion system. Spacecraft
011 was scheduled to be launched during the third quarter of 1966.
TWX, NAA Space and Information Systems Div. to MSC, April 18, 1966.
April 18
ASPO Manager Joseph F. Shea and members of his organization
were invited to attend the formal presentation by the Aeronutronic Division of
Philco Corp. on a "Study of Lunar Worm Planetary Roving Vehicle Concept," at
LaRC on May 3. The exploratory study to determine the feasibility of a
bellows-concept mobile vehicle included a mobility and traction analysis for
several kinds of bellows motion and several soil surfaces; analysis of both
metallic and nonmetallic construction to provide the bellows structure; brief
design studies of the concept as applied to a small unmanned vehicle, a supply
vehicle, a small lunar shelter, a large lunar shelter; and an overall evaluation
of the suitability of the concept for carrying out various missions as compared
with other vehicles.
Ltr., Floyd L. Thompson, LaRC, to Shea, "Final Briefing, Contract NAS-1-5709,
'Study of Lunar Worm Planetary Roving Vehicle Concept,' by the Aeronutronic
Division of the Philco Corp.," April 18, 1966.
April 21
MSC announced the establishment of a Flight Experiment Board.
The Board would select and recommend to the Director space flight experiments
proposed from within the Center and judged by the Board to be in the best
interest of the Center and the NASA space flight program. MSC-originated flight
experiments were expected normally to be designated as one of two general
classifications: Type I - Medical, Space Science, Flight Operations or
Engineering that would yield new knowledge or improve the state of the art; Type
II - Operational, which would be required in direct support of major manned
flight programs such as Apollo.
Members appointed to the Board were George M. Low, chairman; Warren
Gillespie, Jr., executive secretary; Maxime A. Faget; Robert O. Piland; Charles
A. Berry; Christopher C. Kraft, Jr.; Donald K. Slayton; Kenneth S. Kleinknecht;
and Joseph N. Kotanchik. The Board would meet bimonthly on the first Friday of
every even month, with called meetings at the direction of the chairman when
necessary to expedite experiments.
MSC Announcement 66-47, MSC Flight Experiments Selection Board, April 21,
1966.
April 22
NASA Office of Manned Space Flight policy for Design
certification Reviews (DCRs) was defined for application to manned Apollo
missions by a NASA directive. The concept stressed was that design evaluation by
NASA management should begin with design reviews and inspections of subsystems
and culminate in a DCR before selected flights. Documentation presented at DCRs
were to reflect this sequence of progressive assessment of subsystems.
Ltr., Samuel C. Phillips to R. A. Petrone, KSC; J. F. Shea, MSC; and E. F.
O'Connor, MSFC: "Program Directive No. 7 - Apollo Design Certification Review,"
April 22, 1966.
April 28
J. K. Holcomb, Director of Apollo Flight Operations, NASA OMSF,
reported to Apollo Program Director Samuel C. Phillips that the NASA flight
scoring system was considered satisfactory in its present form. NASA Associate
Administrator for Manned Space Flight George E. Mueller had taken exception to
including a statement of primary and secondary objectives in the AS-202 Mission
Rules Guidelines. The scoring system, established by the Office of Program
Reports, labeled each flight a success or a failure in a report to the
Administrator and Deputy Administrator and was used in briefing Congress and the
press. Flights were categorized only as "successful" or "unsuccessful." Criteria
for judging success of a mission were based on the statement of primary
objectives in the Mission Operations Report. If one primary objective was missed
the flight was classified as "unsuccessful."
Memo, Holcomb to Phillips, "NASA Scoring System," April 28, 1966.
MSC Director Robert R. Gilruth wrote George
E. Mueller, NASA OMSF, that plans were being completed for MSC in-house,
full-scale parachute tests at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), N. Mex. The
tests would be part of the effort to develop a gliding parachute system suitable
for land landing with manned spacecraft. Tests were expected to begin in July
1966, with about six tests a year for two or three years. Gilruth pointed out
that although full-scale tests were planned for WSMR it would not be possible to
find suitable terrain at that site, at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., or at El
Centro, Calif., to determine operational and system requirements for land
landing in unplanned areas. Unplanned-area landing tests were cited as not a
major part of the program but a necessary part. He pointed out that the U.S.
Army Reservation at Fort Hood, Tex., was the only area which had the required
variety of landing obstacle sizes and concentrations suitable for the
unplanned-area tests. Scale-model tests had been made and would be continued at
Fort Hood without interference to training, and MSC had completed a local
agreement that would permit occasional use of the reservation but required no
fiscal reimbursement or administrative responsibility by MSC. This action was in
response to a letter from Mueller July 8, 1965, directing that MSC give careful
consideration to transfer of parachute test activities to WSMR.
Ltr., Gilruth to Mueller, "Parachute landing test areas for MSC land landing
development tests," May 3, 1966.
May 5
NASA Hq. requested the MSC Apollo Spacecraft Program Office to
reassess the spacecraft control weights and delta-V budget and prepare
recommendations for the first lunar landing mission weight and performance
budgets. The ASPO spacecraft Weight Report for April indicated that the Block II
CSM, when loaded for an 8.3-day mission, would exceed its control weights by
more than 180 kilograms and the projected value would exceed the control weight
by more than 630 kilograms. At the same time the LEM was reported at 495
kilograms under its control weight. Credit for LEM weight reduction had been
attributed to Grumman's Super Weight Improvement Program.
Memo, Apollo Program Director to Manager, ASPO, "Lunar Landing Mission
Weights and Performance," May 5, 1966.
May 5
Engine testing at the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC)
had been the subject of discussions during recent months with representatives
from MSC, Apollo Program Quality and Test groups, AEDC, Air Force Systems
Command and ARO, Inc., participating. While AEDC had not been able to implement
formal NASA requirements, the situation had improved and MSC was receiving
acceptable data.
In a letter to ASPO Manager Joseph F. Shea, Apollo Program Director Samuel C.
Phillips said, ". . . I do not think further pressure is in order. However, in a
separate letter to Lee Gossick, I have asked that he give his personal attention
to the strict adherence to test procedures, up-to-date certification of
instrumentation, and care and cleanliness in handling of test hardware."
Ltr., Phillips to Shea, May 5, 1966.
May 9
The Grumman-directed Apollo Mission Planning Task Force reported
on studies of abort sequences for translunar coast situations and the LEM
capability to support an abort if the SM had to be jettisoned. The LEM could be
powered down in drifting flight except for five one-hour periods, and a
three-man crew could be supported for 57 hours 30 minutes. It was assumed that
all crewmen would be unsuited in the LEM or tunnel area and that the LEM cabin
air, circulated by cabin fans, would provide adequate environment.
Grumman LEM Engineering Memo to distribution, "LEM Consumable Capability for
Abort to Earth from Translunar Coast," May 9, 1966.
May 11
MSC Deputy Director George M. Low recommended to Maxime A. Faget,
MSC, that, in light of Air Force and Aerospace Corp. studies on space rescue,
MSC plans for a general study on space rescue be discontinued and a formal
request be made to OMSF to cancel the request for proposals, which had not yet
been released. As an alternative, Low suggested that MSC should cooperate with
the Air Force to maximize gains from the USAF task on space rescue requirements.
Memo, Low to Faget, "Space rescue," May 11, 1966.
May 12
A memo to KSC, MSC, and MSFC from the NASA Office of Manned Space
Flight reported that the NASA Project Designation Committee had concurred in
changes in Saturn/Apollo nomenclature recommended by Robert C. Seamans, Jr.,
George E. Mueller, and Julian Scheer:
- lunar excursion module to be called lunar module.
- Saturn IB to become the "uprated Saturn I."
The memo instructed
that the new nomenclature be used in all future news releases and announcements.
Memo, NASA Hq. to Center Public Affairs Officers, May 12, 1966.
May 19
George E. Mueller, NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space
Flight, forwarded views and recommendations of the Interagency Committee on Back
Contamination to MSC Director Robert R. Gilruth for information and necessary
action. The Committee had met at MSC to discuss the status of the Lunar
Receiving Laboratory (LRL) on April 13.
The committee agreed in general philosophy and preliminary specific detail
with the overall design plan, schedule, size containment provisions, and
functional areas of the LRL; it approved the plan to secure Baylor Medical
School or an equally qualified institution to head a development for the
bioanalysis protocol; it expressed its concern with the possibility of
uncontrolled outventing of CM atmosphere following splashdown; and it
recommended that MSC investigate alternate means of treatment and isolation of
Apollo space crews and associated physicians and technicians. MSC replied on
June 8 that the analytical work in the engineering and biologic areas of the
recommendations had been started and that the date for review and evaluation of
the studies would be June 27.
Ltrs., Mueller to Gilruth, May 19, 1966; Gilruth to Mueller, June 8, 1966;
"Interagency Committee on Back Contamination Views and Recommendations,"
updated.
May 19
E. E. Christensen, NASA OMSF Director of Mission Operations, in a
letter to Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., MSC, said he was certain the problem of
potential mission abort was receiving considerable attention within the Flight
Operations Directorate. The resulting early development of related mission rules
should provide other mission activities with adequate planning information for
design, engineering, procedural, and training decisions. Christensen requested
that development of medical mission rules be given emphasis in planning, to
minimize the necessity for late modification of spacecraft telemetry systems,
on-board instrumentation, ground-based data-processing schemes, and training
schedules.
Ltr., Christensen to Kraft, May 19, 1966.
May 19
As a result of a fire in the environmental control system (ECS)
unit at AiResearch Co., a concerted effort was under way to identify nonmetallic
materials as well as other potential fire problems. MSC told North American
Aviation it appeared that at least some modifications would be required in Block
I spacecraft and that modifications could be considered only as temporary
expedients to correct conditions that could be more readily resolved in the
original design. MSC requested that North American eliminate or restrict as far
as possible combustible materials in the following categories in the Block II
spacecraft:
- materials contained in sufficient quantities to contribute materially to a
fire once started,
- materials present in lengths which could propagate a flame front over 46
centimeters,
- materials used with the electrical system, and
- materials that could be ignited by a spark source.
Additionally,
North American Aviation was requested to review, evaluate, and institute design
measures to eliminate other potential fire hazards, such as hydrogen leakage
from batteries, overheated lamps, and large areas of exposed fabric or foam.
TWX, C. L. Taylor, MSC, to North American Aviation, Attn: J. C. Cozad, May
19, 1966.
May 25
AS-500-F, the first full-scale Apollo Saturn V launch vehicle and
spacecraft combination, was rolled out from Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle
Assembly Building to the launch pad, for use in verifying launch facilities,
training crews, and developing test procedures. The 111-meter, 227,000-kilogram
vehicle was moved by a diesel-powered steel-link-tread crawler-transporter
exactly five years after President John F. Kennedy asked the United States to
commit itself to a manned lunar landing within the decade.
Marshall Space Flight Center News Release 66-114; MSFC, Marshall
Star, June 1, 1966.
May 27
ASPO Manager Joseph F. Shea informed Rocco A. Petrone, KSC, that
structural problems in the CSM fuel and oxidizer tanks required standpipe
modifications and that they were mandatory for Block I and Block II spacecraft.
Retrofit was to be effective on CSM 011 at KSC and other vehicles at North
American's plant in Downey, Calif.
TWX, Shea to Petrone, May 27, 1966.
Apollo Program Director Samuel C. Phillips
asked NASA Procurement Director George J. Vecchietti to help ensure there would
be no gap in the Philco Corp. Aeronutronic Division's development of
penetrometers to assess the lunar surface. Originally the penetrometers were to
be deployed from a lunar survey probe, but the Apollo Program Office had
concluded that they should be further developed on an urgent basis for possible
deployment from the LEM just before the first lunar landing. Phillips sought to
prevent development gaps that could critically delay the landing program.
Memo, Phillips to Vecchietti, "Lunar Penetrometer Development," June 1, 1966.
June 2
Surveyor I, launched May 30 from Cape Kennedy on an
Atlas-Centaur, softlanded on the moon in the Ocean of Storms and began
transmitting the first of more than 10,000 clear, detailed television pictures
to Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Deep Space Facility, Goldstone, Calif. The
landing sequence began 3,200 kilometers above the moon with the spacecraft
traveling at a speed of 9,700 kilometers per hour. The spacecraft was
successfully slowed to 5.6 kilometers per hour by the time it reached 4-meter
altitude and then free-fell to the surface at 13 kilometers per hour. The
landing was so precise that the three footpads touched the surface within 19
milliseconds of each other, and it confirmed that the lunar surface could
support the LM. It was the first U.S. attempt to softland on the moon.
Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1966 (NASA SP-4007, 1967), pp.
203-204.
June 2
MSC top management had agreed with Headquarters on early Center
participation in discussions of scientific experiments for manned flights,
Deputy Director George M. Low informed MSC Experiments Program Manager Robert O.
Piland. NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications Homer E.
Newell had asked, during a recent OSSA Senior Council meeting at MSC, that the
Center and astronauts comment on technical and operational feasibility of
experiments before OSSA divisions and subcommittees acted on proposals. Low and
Director Robert R. Gilruth had agreed. Because of manpower requirements MSC
refused a request to be represented on all the subcommittees, but MSC would send
representatives to all meetings devoted primarily to manned flight experiments
and would contribute to other meetings by phone.
Memo, Low to Piland, "Feasibility review of manned space science
experiments," June 2, 1966.
June 2
Headquarters informed MSC that MSFC had been assigned development
responsibility for the S027 X-ray Astronomy experiment for integration with the
Saturn S-IVB/instrument unit. Should development be found not feasible, a
modified version of the equipment was planned. MSC was requested to study:
- the practicality of modifying the equipment to perform the scientific
objectives and
- the feasibility of integrating the modified experiment hardware in a Block
II SM on an early Apollo Applications flight.
Study results were
requested no later than July 1, 1966, including cost, schedule, and technical
data.
Ltr., John H. Disher, NASA Hq., to George M. Low, MSC, June 2, 1966.
June 6
In response to a query on needs for or objections to an Apollo
spacecraft TV system, MSC Assistant Director for Flight Crew Operations Donald
K. Slayton informed the Flight Control Division that FCOD had no operational
requirements for a TV capability in either the Block I or the Block II CSM or
LM. He added that his Directorate would object to interference caused by
checkout, crew training, and inflight time requirements.
Memo, Slayton to Chief, Flight Control Div., MSC, "Apollo Spacecraft
Television System," June 6, 1966.
June 7
A series of actions on the LM rendezvous sensor was summarized in
a memo to the MSC Apollo Procurement Branch. A competition between LM rendezvous
radar and the optical tracker had been initiated in January 1966 after
discussion by ASPO Manager Joseph F. Shea, NASA Associate Administrator for
Manned Space Flight George E. Mueller, and MSC Guidance and Control Division
Chief Robert C. Duncan. On May 13, RCA and Hughes Aircraft Go. made
presentations on the rendezvous radar optical tracker. The NASA board that heard
the presentations met for two days to evaluate the two programs and presented
the following conclusions:
- both sensors could meet the difficult environmental requirements of the
lunar mission with near specification performance,
- the tracker had several possible specification deviations,
- optical production training represented a difficult schedule problem at
Hughes, and
- either sensor could be produced in time to meet LM and program
schedules.
The board's evaluation, an analytical presentation by Donald
Cheatham, a weight-and-power comparison by R. W. Williams, and a cost
presentation by the two contractors were given MSC management May 19. Management
recommended that RCA's radar be continued as the main effort and that a backup
optical tracker program be continued by Hughes on a greatly reduced level. The
recommendations were made to Apollo Program Director Samuel C. Phillips and NASA
Associate Administrator George E. Mueller at KSC on May 25. Phillips and Mueller
concurred but stipulated that the optical tracker program was to be completed on
a fixed-price basis and that MSC would qualify the optical tracker using the
facilities of the MSC laboratories. Mueller expressed concern about
developmental difficulties and possible production problems in the radar
program. RCA representatives visited MSC May 27 and reviewed all developmental
difficulties and their potential effect on production.
Memo, Robert C. Duncan, MSC, to Henry P. Yschek, MSC, "LEM Rendezvous Sensor
Evaluation," June 7, 1966.
June 9
MSC informed the NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space
Flight that it had established a Lunar Receiving Laboratory Program Office with
Joseph V. Piland as Program Manager. The office included the functions of
program control, procurement, requirements, engineering, and construction.
Ltr., MSC Director Robert R. Gilruth to George E. Mueller, NASA OMSF, June 9,
1966.
June 16
The MSC Flight Experiments Selection Board reviewed and endorsed
three proposals for analysis of lunar samples and forwarded them to NASA Hq. for
consideration. Titles of the proposals and principal investigators were:
- Cataloging and Preliminary Examination of Lunar Samples - E. A. King, MSC.
- Study of Alpha Particle Activity of Returned Lunar Samples - K.A.
Richardson, MSC.
- Analysis of Lunar Sample Effluent Gases for Organic Components - G. G.
Meisells, University of Houston, and D. A. Flory, MSC.
Ltrs., MSC
Director to NASA Hq., Attn: Homer E. Newell, "Proposals for analysis of lunar
samples," June 16, 1966.
June 16
Joseph N. Kotanchik, MSC, told H. E. McCoy of KSC that his April
4 letter discussing problems and solutions in packing parachutes at KSC by
Northrop-Ventura Co. had been studied. To effect economies in the program and
move forward delivery of a complete spacecraft to KSC, the upper-deck buildup
would be done at North American Aviation's plant in Downey, Calif., and
therefore parachutes would be packed at Northrop-Ventura beginning with
spacecraft 017. Kotanchik requested KSC to support the parachute packing at
Northrup-Ventura by assigning two experienced inspectors for the period required
(estimated at two to four weeks for each spacecraft).
Ltr., Kotanchik to McCoy, "Apollo Spacecraft parachute packing," June 16,
1966.
June 23
A memorandum for the file, prepared by J. S. Dudek of Bellcomm,
Inc., proposed a two-burn deboost technique that required establishing an
initial lunar parking orbit and, after a coast phase, performing an added plane
change to attain the final lunar parking orbit. The two-burn deboost technique
would make a much larger lunar area accessible than that provided by the
existing Apollo mission profile, which used a single burn to place the CSM and
LM directly in a circular lunar parking orbit over the landing site and would
permit accessibility to only a bow-tie shaped area approximately centered about
the lunar equator. On August 1, the memo was forwarded to Apollo Program
Director Samuel C. Phillips, stating that the trajectory modification would
increase the accessible lunar area about threefold. The note to Phillips from R.
L. Wagner stated that discussions had been held with MSC and it appeared that
the flight programs as planned at the time could handle the modified mission.
Memo for file, Bellcomm, Inc, "A Generalized Two Burn Deboost Technique which
Increases Apollo Lunar Accessibility - Case 310," June 23, 1966; note, Wagner to
Phillips, "Working Note," Aug. 1, 1966.
June 30
Grumman LM thermodynamics studies showed the LM thermal shield
would have to be modified because fire-in-the-hole pressures and temperatures
had increased. Portions of the LM descent stage would be redesigned, but
modification of the descent stage blast deflector was unlikely.
Apollo Spacecraft Program Quarterly Report No. 16, for Period Ending June 30,
1966.
June 30
Crew procedures in the LM during lunar stay were reported
completed and documented for presentation to NASA Hq. personnel.
Apollo Spacecraft Program Quarterly Status Report No. 16, for Period Ending
June 30, 1966.