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Post by Jason Thompson on May 14, 2006 17:58:06 GMT -4
We often see HBs making arguments about things they think should have been done on Apollo, and then saying that the fact they didn't is suspicious. These are what Jay often calls 'if I ran the zoo' arguments, after a Dr Seuss book.
Just for fun, I thought we could put our own 'if I ran the zoo' ideas in a thread. In other words, things you think would make a really cool part of the Apollo record that we just don't have; things you would have included in the plan if you ran the zoo. Never mind the conspiracy angle, just tell us what you would like to see in the Apollo record that isn't there.
Things I'd like to see include:
Film of second stage separation during the ascent to Earth orbit. I love the Apollo 4 film of first stage and interstage separation, and I think it a shame that no such film of the second stage falling away appears to exist. I know that a lot of film cameras were included on the early Saturn V launches and were not recoverable. Does anyone know if any were set up to record this event?
Film or TV footage of the behaviour of liquids in 1/6th gravity. Probably not much different from normal, but just different enough to be interesting to see I think.
A LM ascent stage being sent to crash somewhere where the TV camera left behind could record the impact.
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Al Johnston
"Cheer up!" they said, "It could be worse!" So I did, and it was.
Posts: 1,453
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Post by Al Johnston on May 14, 2006 18:00:40 GMT -4
The separation and docking manoeuvre when the CSM extracted the LM from the S-IVb
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Post by Jason Thompson on May 14, 2006 18:02:58 GMT -4
Yes, would have been nice to see that from some angle other than out the docking window of the CSM.
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Post by twinstead on May 14, 2006 19:26:57 GMT -4
I think some decent domestic craft beer would have been in order for the LM, perhaps Dogfish Head, Sierra Nevada, or Great Lakes.
But that's just me.
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Post by 3onthetree on May 14, 2006 21:16:49 GMT -4
I agree the moon remains unchristened, the flag is only part of it they should have at least let of a cracker or fired a gun in the air as well. Well maybe not the air but up anyway. I believe they should have been armed as well, it sends a bad message to space aliens when humans go somewhere without weapons.
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Post by Count Zero on May 14, 2006 22:35:58 GMT -4
Film or TV footage of the behaviour of liquids in 1/6th gravity. Probably not much different from normal, but just different enough to be interesting to see I think. In episode six of From the Earth to the Moon, after the Eagle lands and Buzz prepares to take communion, he pours the wine from a small vial into a cup. I don't know if they used a different fluid or simply slowed down the camera, but it did not pour like a liquid in 1G. It was reflected good attention to detail, and was a nice touch to an already moving scene. On at least one of the later missions, Ed Fendell tried to capture the AS in its final moments as it headed towards impact a few dozen miles to the west, but he missed it.
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Post by JayUtah on May 15, 2006 18:41:23 GMT -4
Several writers have made mention of the particular fluid behavior of Buzz' communion wine. I don't know if this is simply historical embellishment, deduction from the known principles at work, or a reproduction of something Buzz himself reported. I think the best known source is Andy Chaikin, who conducted extensive interviews with all the surviving crews.
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Post by hplasm on May 15, 2006 19:12:20 GMT -4
If I ran the zoo:- I'd have a low gravity enclosure, several km across, vacuum optional to keep Bart, Jack W and all of our fave HBs in, and they can cavort to their little hearts content, shouting "see-told you it could be done!!" Pity we can't hear them due to the vacuum (don't need oxygen- no living brain cells). Oh- and a Radiation oven, for meals.
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Post by echnaton on May 15, 2006 21:37:54 GMT -4
At the top of my want list would be a wide angle camera in the CM and LM that recorded the normal routine work of the crews. I think the working interactions of these teams would be interesting to watch, especially during the more tense times such as docking and reentry.
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Post by stutefish on May 16, 2006 17:57:32 GMT -4
More missions, plain and simple.
Speaking of which, where can I find good information on Apollo Applications?
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Post by Kiwi on May 16, 2006 23:54:54 GMT -4
Accommodation in the third stage of the Saturn 5 -- for hoax-promoters.
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Post by Count Zero on May 17, 2006 0:53:05 GMT -4
Accommodation in the third stage of the Saturn 5 -- for hoax-promoters. We can't spare the weight. As a consolation, I'd set up a wet bar & meeting area on the pad, where they can marvel at the engine nozzles directly overhead.
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Post by PhantomWolf on Jun 20, 2006 8:39:12 GMT -4
Watching my Apollo 15 footage I realised that I finally found my "If I ran the Zoo."
If I ran the Circus, I'd have sent more cameras, and I'd have kicked those darn Geologists out of the control room so that Ed could have concentrated on something interesting like the Astronauts, rather than craters. I'd have trained the Astronauts better in Camera etiquette too, making sure they didn't park the Rover so that half the junk was between the camera and where they were working, or that it would be directly down sun of them so they were blocked out by the brilliance of the sunlight.
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Jason
Pluto
May all your hits be crits
Posts: 5,579
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Post by Jason on Jun 20, 2006 11:45:02 GMT -4
I would have continued the program to its logical conclusion and we'd have moon bases today.
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Post by Jason Thompson on Jun 20, 2006 12:02:05 GMT -4
I'd have kicked those darn Geologists out of the control room so that Ed could have concentrated on something interesting like the Astronauts, rather than craters.
Well, I'm not sure that would be fair, since that was really what the television was for. However, in view of the need for public support, I'd possibly have had two cameras: one to exclusively watch the astronauts for publicity purposes and one for the geologists to survey the landscape.
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