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

318
First Steps into Space: Projects Mercury and Gemini
White
I felt that this wasn’t quite the thing to grab onto; this was at the time when I wanted
to get out at about 10 or 12 feet directly in front of the spacecraft. I certainly
had the urge to hang onto the antenna and push myself out. But I didn’t and
there really wasn’t anything to hold onto. You really need something to stabilize
yourself. I worked around the open hatch.
McDivitt
Let me ask you a question. How about putting the hand-hold inside the nose
cone? A fairing is up there for launch, just the fairing. We could mount a handhold
right inside.
White
I think we could have really made some money if we had had an attachment for
the tether out there right on the nose of the spacecraft.
McDivitt
Strung the tether out there and then attached there?
White
Right. Have a second attach point and put it right out there. It would give you
something to hold onto out there.
McDivitt
Yes.
White
There wasn’t anything to hold onto on the R and R Section.
McDivitt
I know it.
White
It had smooth corner and the only thing I could have grabbed was the antenna,
and I didn’t want to grasp that. We thought [4-40] one time of holding on out
there and thrusting, but --.
McDivitt
There isn’t anything to hold onto. I think you probably could have gotten a hold
on the antenna and held onto it without hurting it. I examined it pretty closely
before the launch, and it looked pretty sturdy.
White
I thought this was something we needed and I didn’t want to fool with it.
McDivitt
As it turned out we finally needed that antenna because that was the antenna that
we used the whole flight – that stub antenna in the nose.