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

Exploring the Unknown 179
1. The development of an aerodynamically stable reentry vehicle,
parachutes, reliable telemetry, control systems, life support system,
escape mechanism, etc.
2. The adaptation of a booster to the capsule and escape systems.
3. The establishment of a world-wide net of tracking stations for voice,
telemetry, and command communications with the capsule, and
for communication with a control center which is in contact with
computers to help digest the information received.
4. The selection and training of pilots (Astronauts) to fly the capsule
and to back up the automatic devices.
5. The development of suitable test procedures to achieve the necessary
reliability of all of the preceding.
6. The development of recovery methods and the organization of
recovery and rescue operations over a large part of the globe.
The primary responsibility for the project rests with the Space Task Group
of NASA under the direction of R. R. Gilruth, Director, C. J. Donlan, Associate
Director for Research and Development, and W. C. Williams, Associate Director of
Operations. It is being assisted by the Department of Defense in testing, tracking,
recovery, transportations, medical and other supporting activities. All indications
are that the various agencies are well [3] integrated into a working relationship to
give the project the necessary support. It is essential, however, with such a complex
organization that along with the responsibility, the NASA Space Task Group must
have full authority over the entire operation at all times.
The program is behind its original schedule but each of its component parts
has come along sufficiently well so that we did not ascertain particular bottlenecks
which will eventually dominate the schedule. General comments are:
1. Complete capsules are just now being delivered from McDonnell.
One of them (No. 5) was flown on Redstone (MR-2) with the chimpanzee. Two
environmental test chambers, simulating high altitudes, have been put into
operation and extended tests on the capsules are just beginning. There are still
a number of problems to be worked out. For example, the impact bag which
absorbs the landing shock and stabilizes the capsule in the water needs further
development. There has been a limited amount of testing of the escape system
in flight tests. The complete capsule was tested under maximum heating and
acceleration on the MA-2 shot (2/21/61). (MA – Mercury Atlas).
Although failure of the Atlas-to-capsule interface occurred on
MA-1 (7/29/60), stiffening the Atlas with a “belly-band” resulted in a completely
successful test on MA-2 (2/21/61). Future shots will use an Atlas with a thicker
upper skin.