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Post by bazbear on Nov 1, 2007 5:24:17 GMT -4
I've wondered for several years, was the Apollo 13 commo blackout during re-entry outside of the expected "normal" extremes? (I certainly can understand, given the circumstances, why those on the ground would be sweating bullets, given the long duration, even if within expected limits), and if it was signifigantly longer than the expected time frame, has it ever been determined why ?
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Post by LunarOrbit on Nov 1, 2007 10:58:52 GMT -4
I think the entry was shallower than expected and that extended the blackout period. I don't know if a blackout that long had happened before or not, but I'm sure they were worried about it at the time even if 4 minutes wasn't all that unusual.
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Bob B.
Bob the Excel Guru?
Posts: 3,072
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Post by Bob B. on Nov 1, 2007 13:44:22 GMT -4
I've heard the Apollo 13 ionization blackout was on the long end of the expected range. So even through the duration wasn't abnormally long, once it starts stretching out toward the end of the range, one has to start getting nervous.
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Post by Czero 101 on Nov 1, 2007 16:17:16 GMT -4
Gven that Mission Control had no way of knowing whether or not the CM's heat shield had been damaged by the explosion, I think they'd've been nervous enough no matter how long or short the LOS was.
Cz
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Post by ajv on Nov 1, 2007 16:50:16 GMT -4
In the latest Conversations With Apollo, Gerry Griffin says that he thinks a possible cause of the delay was misconfiguration of the comm either in the cockpit or somewhere on the ground.
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Post by Obviousman on Nov 2, 2007 1:19:34 GMT -4
Wow!
Fantastic website of which I had never heard of.
Thanks ajv!
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Post by ajv on Nov 2, 2007 5:39:58 GMT -4
Actually, I was going to suggest that you give the Mike Dinn and John Saxon interviews from Conversations to that guy on The Education Forum that asked about Australian involvement.
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Post by Bing Gordon on Dec 2, 2007 22:07:02 GMT -4
ajv..... thank you so much for the heads up on the conversations site... looking forward to exploring it in depth...
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