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

Exploring the Unknown 321
White
I think so, trying to get the pictures.
McDivitt
And at that time I got a little irritated and hollered at Ed, too. Then he started
back in.
White
But when I came back I had things to do.
McDivitt
Yes. I know it. That’s what I’m trying to say to get this thing in its proper
perspective.
White
Yes.
McDivitt
We were 3 minutes 40 seconds late getting started back in because we just lost
track of the time. I couldn’t see Ed any longer. I was trying to keep track of what
he was doing without being able to see, and I lost track of time. Then I think he
delayed probably a minute or a minute and a half before he started back in.
White
That’s right.
McDivitt
So, those are the two delays. We’d agreed on that he’d start back in after 12
minutes, From then on all the time was spent just trying to get back in.
White
I had certain things to do. I had to disassemble the camera that was on the
spacecraft. I did this very slowly. I had to disconnect the electrical connection to it
and hand the camera back in to Jim. Then I had to go out and disconnect [4-43]
the umbilical, and this really went pretty well. The little tether that I had them put
on the ring, a pull ring, to disconnect the pin worked pretty well. I disconnected
the umbilical and discarded the umbilical cord.
McDivitt
That was the last thing Ed put into orbit.
White
Right. I put that in orbit. Earlier, it was really quite a sensation to see the glove
floating off. I asked Jim a few minutes before about the glove, or Jim had asked
me, “Hey, do you want this other glove?” About a minute later, I saw it go floating
out of the hatch.
McDivitt
All I can say, Ed, was about a half hour later I was sure thankful that we had gotten
rid of something. We had so much other junk that we didn’t want.