The Real Story of Apollo 11: UK Channel 5

[Sticks]

This will be shown at 21:00 on the UK's Channel 5 on Monday July 24

(Repeated at 23:00 on 27 July)

Does not look like anything to do with hoax theories, in one of the trailers it mentions how Apollo 11 was saved by a ball point pen. Sounds like the Fisher pen story again.

Is Jay around to illucidate on this for new members? (Possibly in the Russians used a pencil thread)

Am also posting this heads up on BAUT

[PeterB]

Sticks

If you watch the show, can you keep an eye out for a guy called Jack Garman. He's interviewed at some point discussing how data was presented on the screens in Mission Control. Co(s)mic Dave Cosnette had some idea that the data on the screens was just a picture. Apparently Garman felt he was somewhat misrepresented, but the issue is unclear to me.

Cheers

[HeadLikeARock (was postbaguk)]

peterb said:

Sticks

If you watch the show, can you keep an eye out for a guy called Jack Garman. He's interviewed at some point discussing how data was presented on the screens in Mission Control. Co(s)mic Dave Cosnette had some idea that the data on the screens was just a picture. Apparently Garman felt he was somewhat misrepresented, but the issue is unclear to me.

Cheers

Taken completely out of context. Two of the inputs the mission controllers could call up on their TV screens were "opaque televiewers" and "reference slides". The mission controllers could view reference slides which contained known data for certain situations. The screen would then display a live TV image of a particular slide. Certainly NOT a case of having a single acetate over a blank screen in front of the controller...! It was an ingenious electromechanical solution.

More info here

ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19740015284_1974015284.pdf

or read Jack's own words... the following is taken from www.spacecatalog.biz/about6334.html

Not sure how the message got garbled... but Stan Marsh has it close.
The titles and labels were definitely on printed slides which were
automatically moved over CRT screens painted with live data from the
control center mainframes (the "RTCC"). The composite was viewed by
another camera which was actually the "channels" we viewed on the
console display CRT's in the control center. Considering how little
compute power was available in those days, it was an amazing
combination of ingenuity and mechanics that made that and other
elements of mission control work in the late 60's.

Controllers with the capability would select the "displays" to watch
which went on an available channel, and then everyone else in the
building could simply tune to that "TV channel" to see the same
display. This also meant that the consoles could select channels that
had regular CCTV television on them - be it broadcast from a camera
mounted over a display table to see a paper plot or somesuch, or one of
many camera views from KSC or within the MCC.

As to the "documentary" itself... I was a bit disappointed in the
outcome. As usual, it wasn't advertised to be what it turned out to be
for those of us who participated. I do not agreed that it was
inaccurate - but it certainly was much more on the side of
sensationalism an theatrics than I expected for a History Channel or
Science Channel "documentary".

Jack Garman
May 11, 2006, Houston, TX

[PeterB]

I have to say I still don't really understand the business of data presentation.

I can understand the idea of screens of reference information which could be looked at by selecting a particular channel. I also remember reading about a simulation in which a controller's screen was made to blow, so the controller's solution was to get his data projected on the big screen. Apparently the correct solution was that everyone was to shuffle down one seat, with some unlucky soul losing a seat and not getting a replacement. This suggests that any screen could project any controller's data.

I suppose what I'm unsure about is exactly how the data for a particular controller was formatted. For example, EECOM would presumably be interested in the Oxygen and Hydrogen tank pressures and temperatures. This data is telemetered down from the spacecraft, and ends up at Houston. How were these numbers attached to the titles such as "O2 Tank 1 Pressure" for display on EECOM's screens.

Garman's description, especially the first paragraph, seems to be discussing something else.

[PhantomWolf]

The way I understood it, is that the live data would come onto a screen in a preset position. A hand made slide would then be inserted over the top of the screen so that the titles appeared above (below?) those numbers. This set up was then videoed by a CCTV and entered as a 'Channel' for the controllers to view. Thus the EECOM merely had to switch his TV/Monitor to the channel that was transmitting the data he needed. Off-hand it seems a little cumbersum due to the doubling up, ie it'd be easier to just directly transmit the data to the appropriate monitor, but when you think about it, this system would allow anyone in Mission Control, or beyond depending on where the CCTV was being received, to view any set of data at will without a lot of complexity in computer graphics they wouldn't have had in those days.

[Sticks]

It was nice to see a programme about Apollo 11 with out the HB's muscling in and upsetting Buzz.

This era was definitely a seat of the pants one compared to today. One wonders if NASA's plan's to go back will be hampered by the increased consern about health and safety.

[scooter]

Well based on the current American obsession with safety (despite so called reality TV etc), One has to wonder if we have the intestinal fortitude to look beyond the latest TV fads...
I'm not sure today's society can handle the emotional "risk"...
Lord knows how many millions might need counselling should something go wrong.
Maybe we have seen our "glory days". Things were a lot different then....and I am feeling kind of "old"...
Unfortunate...

[robn]

Does anyone have any info on what the 'UFO' actually was?

[PhantomWolf]

The most likely object was one of the Panels that held the CSM to the Saturn Booster. When they CSM separated from the booster after TLI burn to dock with the LM, the panels were jetisoned using explosive bolts. The Saturn Booster did a second burn after the LM docking and extraction, but the panels would have continued on in a similar orbit to the Apollo Stack. They can appear to be a similar shape to the reported object and their rotation would explain the apparent changes in shape.