Posted on 01/09/2018 12:13:39 PM PST by pabianice
Last night I watched the excellent Ron Howard again. Apollo XIII takes place in 1970. No internet, no cellphones, mostly B&W TV on three channels. What struck me was showing that back in 1970, news went for the sensational at the price of distortion, fear-mongering, and petty politics. TV crews show-up and set-up camp on the lawns of the astronauts' families. NASA keeps the emergency from the public as long as possible. Big name reporters and "experts" act like complete fools, esp. the incompetent Jules Bergman. The public acts like 5-year-olds before Christmas.
If the movie relates real events, the only honorable people are from NASA and the military.
As I recall the movie was pretty close except the depiction of the Astronauts. Howard turned them into his typical Hollywood piers. In actually they were very conservative and never used any course language not because they were prudes but because they were professionals.
Apollos 11 and 13 had the entire world's eyes and ears directed to the heavens.
April 13, 1970. 4/13.
Landing sequence of Apollo 11 (July 20, 1969):
"Four thirteen is in".
“Shutdown!” called Armstrong, punching the Engine Stop button. Meanwhile, Aldrin began reciting each step of his post-landing checklist and they jointly took the requisite actions to shut down now-unneeded systems – “ACA out of detent – Mode controls: both auto – Descent engine command override: off – Engine arm: off.” And then Aldrin added, “413 is in”, which told Eagle’s Abort Guidance System to remember the attitude of the vehicle on the surface.
Just thought I'd toss that in. There's more to these moon missions than what bounces along on the surface.
I soloed in a sailplane when I was 15, and got my private sailplane rating at 16. I often look around at kids that age today, asking myself the question of whether I think the kids I see at those ages or even a little older are mature enough to be able to do something like that, and the answer is almost always, “not even close.” There are, of course, some great kids out there, usually raised by two parents (and yes, a male and a female), who have been given a solid upbringing in a “traditional” and nurturing family. We need to encourage those kids, because unless we can figure out how to keep them between the guardrails, and hopefully create more like them, we will never be able to embark on something as ambitious as Apollo ever again.
Same here. I watched many space missions on ABC with Frank Reynolds and Jules Bergman and built lots of models from Mercury through Apollo.
If you like that movie you might like a TV series from a few years ago entitled, “The Astronaut’s Wives Club”. It is fairly close overall and a great perspective from the people who waited at home.
I was amazed to later find out how lightly constructed the LEM was, you could probably shove a screwdriver through the hull.
Of course, there was also an unwritten, unofficial disposal method once particular models had reached the end of their lifespan (when they were no longer interesting). It usually coincided with 4th of July and involved stuffing them full of firecrackers, imagining some scenario in which they were engaged in battle or something, and blowing them up.
At least, not in the presence and hearing of ladies. Amongst themselves ...
Are you a Turtle?
And then, of course, there's that great paragon of conservatism in the Senate, John Glenn.
Yep, I’ve heard the skin was only as thick as several sheets of aluminum foil. Amazing.
I did too!
I was disappointed that there was no way to buy gold foil to complete the outside of the LEM properly. I did not want to use gold Testors paint. It would have looked awful.
My patience was rewarded when my Dad took us to McDonald's one day. We ordered burgers and fries. To my surprise (and delight) McDonald's had recently begun wrapping their burgers in a semi wax-type paper that had a gold finish on the outside. This paper could carefully be separated from the outer gold finish to produce a very thin layer of gold foil! I was in business! My LEM looked magnificent after I crinkled the foil and applied it to the sides of the craft.
Model airplane glue made an excellent fuel for igniting the combustible materials inside the models!! Hurt like hell if you got it on your fingers and it caught fire!!
Those who worked at NASA then were also critical of Ron Howard for trying to put blame on firms working with NASA.
I was amazed to later find out how lightly constructed the LEM was, you could probably shove a screwdriver through the hull.
I used to work with a stress engineer who said he had worked on the LEM. Some portions of skin(where no one could reach or contact and thereby damage) were chem milled down to .005. Paper is usually around .0035 thick.
“I soloed in a sailplane when I was 15, and got my private sailplane rating at 16.”
Lucky! (Although luck had nothing to do with it). Me envious.
I know I've got a model P-51 at home that's never been started. Time to have the oldest dust it off.
That’s what I found odd about the Apollo 13 mission. On the way back, they famously used the LM descent engine to speed up and position the whole Apollo assembly. That meant you had the massive service module and command module on one end (yes, zero gravity, but with lots of mass) and an engine at the bottom of the LM at the other. In between was a light tin can, the LM ascent stage. How did they do that without the LM in between being crushed, or at least distorted?
Ha! Great story!
Yes, I also built Aurora's classic monster models, and I seem to remember some knights in armor and ships - both Age of Sail & modern (WW2). Most of my friends built at least some kits. I doubt that kids build kits any more. I was a member for a time in the IPMS (International Plastic Modeler Society). All the guys at the IPMS meetings were adults like me. The good thing was that all the modelers had honed their skills since childhood and their efforts were very impressive. Many of these guys entered models in contests for judging. the bad thing was there simply were not many young people involved in it or interested in it.
In my adult modeling days, I built and painted Napoleonic figures, mainly 54 mm. However, I got burned out on it when I started taking commissions, and my hobby became more of a chore. I also had problems with my eyes necessitating several surgeries which forced me to give it up. My eyes are doing pretty well now, and I keep telling myself I'll take up my brush again when I find the time. I still have lots of unbuilt kits to do.
I think the descent stage used the stuff now used for emergency blankets for it’s outer “hull”, reflectively protecting the fuel tanks.
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