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A bit of Apollo 13 trivia
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Grizzled Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2005
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"When the Apollo 13 Command Module was examined after its return, it was found that the crew had tried to wire up a manual deployment switch for the recovery parachutes. However - they had in fact wired the switch to the parachute jettison control. If they had decided to use their jury-rigged manual override they would have in reality released the parachutes from the command module and plunged to their deaths in the ocean below."
http://www.astronautix.com/flights/apollo13.htm
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: BFE
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I'm a bird. I am the 1% (of pets).
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Los Angeles, CA
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"Finally, the failure of the Apollo 13 mission meant that the Lunar Module reentered the atmosphere carrying an RTG and burnt up over Fiji. The RTG itself survived reentry of the Earth's atmosphere intact, and plunged into the Tonga trench in the Pacific Ocean. The US Department of Energy has conducted seawater tests and determined that the graphite casing, which was designed to withstand reentry, is stable and no release of plutonium should occur. Subsequent investigations have found no increase in the natural background radiation in the area. The Apollo 13 accident represents an extreme scenario due to the high re-entry velocities of the craft returning from cislunar space. This accident has served to validate the design of later-generation RTGs as highly safe."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RTG
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Fyre4ce
Let it burn.
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Apr 2001
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Apollo 13 is a great example of bad luck and how intelligence, improvisation and guts can turn it into good luck.
My dad's friend H. David Reed was the flight dynamics officer for the Apollo missions. Incredibly interesting man to talk to.
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[ sig removed - image host changed it to a big ad picture ]
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Netherlands
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astronauts are superhumans
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{Animated sigs are not allowed.}
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Apr 2001
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Originally Posted by PB2K
astronauts are superhumans
As are the people who put them into space and bring them back safely.
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[ sig removed - image host changed it to a big ad picture ]
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Bless you
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Amazes me the sheer precision and focus all of these people have. It's a world above mine.
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A Jew with a view.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Washington state
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Their "accident" had nothing to do with bad luck. It was sheer stupidity on the part of several engineers. Using a 56 volt power supply to feed a 28 volt heater over a long distance can and did lead to damaged wiring. sam
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Clinically Insane
Join Date: Dec 1999
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Kills me inside every time someone claims we never went to the moon, much less space. Fortunately I can take comfort in John Glenn kicking the **** out of someone who said that.
Gods bless that man. 
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"…I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than
you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods,
you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F. Roberts
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Senior User
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Arizona Wasteland
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Which begs the question...Why wasn't a manual deployment switch for the recovery parachutes pre-installed? I would think a space craft from the 1960's would manual switches as an backup for every critical automated system.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Westside Island
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Originally Posted by Ganesha
Which begs the question...Why wasn't a manual deployment switch for the recovery parachutes pre-installed? I would think a space craft from the 1960's would manual switches as an backup for every critical automated system.
I dunno... that would probably be a lot of switches!
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Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: NY
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Switched 7/7/05
12'' PowerBook G4 with AirPort Express, still goin' strong
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Dedicated MacNNer
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: NY
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Originally Posted by olePigeon
Kills me inside every time someone claims we never went to the moon, much less space. Fortunately I can take comfort in John Glenn kicking the **** out of someone who said that.
Gods bless that man.
I feel the same...
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Switched 7/7/05
12'' PowerBook G4 with AirPort Express, still goin' strong
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Seaford, Virginia
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We went to the MOON??? Holy ****!!!!!!!!!
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