Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in ... - The Black Vault

Exploring the Unknown 725
may involve only a slight increase in total mission risk over one two-hour
one-man EVA, yet the scientific return could be increased significantly.
If it is planned to have both crewmen egress, it was suggested that it be
in sequence with one in the LM at all times. This allows the status of the
LM and the EVA crewman to be monitored at all times, one man is always
on the LM life support system and the communications to earth (both
voice and biomedical telemetry) are independent for the two crewmen.
6. If ALSEP and LGI are not carried, several suggestions were made for
other scientific experiments. These included uprating the preliminary
sample to be of greater scientific value, and to examine the possibility of
including the laser ranging retroreflector, a Surveyor seismometer, and
soil mechanics experiments.
OMSF ACTION
The proposal, comments, and recommendations of the Apollo Program Director
were presented to the OMSF Management Council on September 11, 1968. The
Council approved the following:
1. A single EVA period open-ended to three hours will be planned for the
first mission. The surface traverse will be open-ended to a maximum of
300 feet from the LM. Training experience, simulations, timeline verification
studies and failure mode analyses will be used as the basis for a
decision between one-man and two-man EVA’s and two one-man EVA’s
during the period.
2. The ALSEP and LGI will not be carried. A lunar soil sample will be collected
in a manner which will maximize the scientific value, and other
candidate scientific experiments will be identified and submitted for
consideration by October 10, 1968.
3. TV will be carried. Planning will be such as to exploit both its operational
and public information uses. The MSC will identify changes in
mission planning and/or hardware necessary to utilize only the LM
steerable antenna.
4. In order to maximize the scientific return from the second mission, a
Primary Objective of the first mission will be to obtain data to assess the
capabilities and limitations of the astronaut and his equipment in the
lunar surface environment. The MSC will plan and implement Detailed
Test Objectives and experiments for the first lunar landing mission to
achieve this objective.
5. The MSC should study and schedule recommendations, including cost
and schedules, to the Apollo Program Director for any changes in hardware
for future lunar missions which would increase the percentage of
EVA time available for scientific investigations.