I have the book, WE SEVEN (published in 1962 by Simon & Schuster), in which each of the Mercury astronauts write briefly about their early careers, their feelings about the missions to space, etc. Grissom recounted his early experience as a young Air Force pilot, his degree in engineering at Purdue, and his coolness under fire as he fought against Soviet MIGS in Korea. He indicates that he wasn't seeking glory, but just the chance to help out in the development of the Space Program. Obviously, he was selected as one of the SEVEN out of hundreds of candidates! I'm convinced, he did it right!
The movie The Right Stuff did him dirty, a dead man who couldn't defend himself. If he was a "squirming hatch blower" on this flight NASA would not have put him in command of Apollo 1.
The irony of this flight is that it had a hand in the eventual death of Gus Grissom in Apollo 1. They did away with explosive bolt hatches and came up with something that could not be opened quickly. It was also a "plug type hatch" which means higher inside PSI equals better seal. The fire made the pressure so high that it could not be opened.
It's so unfortunate that it takes failures to make things better , but even that isn't full proof. The communications seemed to be guess work at best. Later on , it took 3 men to lose their life including Gus that prompted improvements that undoubtedly saved others.
To clarify, MR-4 didn’t have a hand in the Apollo 1 fire. The explosive bolts were removed following MR-4, so there were the remaining Mercury flights and Project Gemini flights all without explosive bolts. The problem with the Apollo 1 hatch was the design of the inside hatch. There was an inward opening hatch, an outside hatch and a an outside hatch cover. As you say, PSI inside was higher for a better seal, but pressure inside the command module was already 2psi higher than outside before the fire, so no way to get out quickly. The fire didn’t cause the pressure to be higher, the already high internal PSI meant they couldn’t quickly open the inside opening door. Along with lowering the o2 from pure o2 to a mixture so it was less combustible and improving wiring shielding, they switched to an outward opening inside hatch.
I love the joke by Alan Shepard to Gus at liftoff, "loud and clear Jose, don't cry too much", which was in reference to the character Jose Jimenez created by the comedian Bill Dana who was officially made an honorary Mercury astronaut.
Thanks for the comment Steve and for the add on Mixcloud - hope you like some of the shows there. regards LM5
10 лет назад
Footnote: Dana was made an honorary Mercury astronaut for creating a racist caricature, which Dana later apologized for and "killed" in 1970. This space mission was great, but it is an unfortunate fact of history that these astronauts gained popularity in part because of Dana's horrible characterization of Latina/os. See Raul Perez, "Brownface Minstrelsey: "Jose Jimenez," the Civil Rights Movement, and the legacy of racist comedy," in Ethnicities, 2014, for an in-depth discussion of the character.
Gus loved his capsule, it was his domain when he went to space for the first time. If he ever saw it again he would be really pleased to see it again...
Tom Wolfe made him to appear undisciplined, so the movie portrayal does not fit the man that piloted the first Gemini mission, who was picked to pilot the first Apollo mission in which he lost his life. In all probability he probably would have been in another Apollo flight to the moon, possibly the first man to step foot on the moon. Gus was one hell of a pilot.
Quite possibly, yes. Grissom was the only astronaut, if I recall correctly, who was going to be a "three-fer" up to Apollo - Mercury, Gemini, Apollo (Alan Shepard was passed over for flight during Gemini because of an inner ear disorder but his flight status was restored after he had surgery to correct it and he flew on Apollo 14 ; John Young was a three-fer with Gemini, Apollo, and Shuttle; John Glenn skipped from Mercury over Gemini and Apollo to fly on Shuttle).
LunarModule5 I assume there is no onboard footage I heard the onboard film was ruined when they recovered Liberty Bell 7, I see you have the onboard film for Freedom 7 (Alan Shepard)
Hi there! I can't find the mission transcript other than the published report, have you found them? If so, please let me know. I would like to read them as sometimes I can't make out what they're saying.
Buddy Cox Hi Buddy - this recording was made in mission control and not in the spacecraft. I do believe there was a recorder on-board Liberty Bell but Gus definitely did not take it with him before the capsule sank. regards LM5
Buddy CoxI am pretty certain there was no blackout period for MR3 or MR4 because they were suborbital. The retros were fired as a test but not actually needed. Its definitely from the ground recordings - I took out Shorty Powers commentary that was side by side on this recording. Perhaps MCC can be heard on that loop - I would need to go back and check. Maybe there is another reason why MCC cant be heard. Perhaps the recording was made at a different ground station. There will be a reason. Its an interesting question - I will endeavour to find out! regards LM5
I understand the need to test the retro pack, but why bother firing them retrograde? Doing so would just increase the angle of re-entry and firing them prograde would decrease re-entry loads and still test the retro rockets.
+Jonah Beale It looks like it actually helped. He says his maximum _g_ was 10.8 - Shepard got 11.6 on his flight. On a Mercury-Redstone flight the angle of re-entry was going to be steep no matter what. Slowing down using the retro pack made it a little bit gentler.
Gus Grissom is a hero in every sense of the word. He worked hand-in-hand through the development of Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo, and gave his life for the business and endeavor that he loved. In a press interview before the tragic accident, Gus had this to say: "The conquest of space is worth the risk of life. Our God-given curiosity will force us to go there ourselves; because, in the final analysis, only man can truly examine the moon in ways understandable to other men"
Many folks thought Gus did something wrong and the result was that door blew off. You gotta remember the systems in that day were all brand new and glitchy as hell. Old Gus did all right!
@@Sootaroot it was a different hatch system from shepherd’s flight. But he did remove the cover to the switch and then pulled out the pin, but I don’t believe he pushed it. I believe him on that one.
After his Mercury flight, Wally Shirra intentionally blew his hatch on the boat, and had the distinct burn marks associated with hatch emergency jettison. Gus Grissom had none. Shirra proved once and for all his friend was correct. Grissom did not “accidentally” blow his hatch.
That capsule is very small. Those astronauts had to have guts to not only get in one but go into orbit.They truly had the right stuff. 👍🇺🇸👏Gus R.I.P a true hero.
Watched the coverage of this when it happened. It was amazing then and it is still amazing to me now. Grissom was a great pilot and a brave man. As were they all.
I don't think I've ever actually heard Gus Grissom's voice before. It's so strange to think you're hearing and watching someone who died 30 years before you were born. These guys helped make science fiction every-day life.
I was literally just thinking that. I was born in late '80s, well into STS, but I've loved space since I was a kid. It makes me mourn the loss of the Apollo 1 crew over again. That calm voice and iron nerve, lost before their time.
Unfortunately I first heard his voice in the recording just before he died while he was inside the Apollo 1 Crew Module. It's linked to or hosted on Wikipedia. The poor bugger...
They made Grissom a scapegoat for the hatch blowing. That feature was a glitch in the first place. First, It took considerable force on the actuator to get it to fire. And when it did, it recoiled, injuring the user's hand. John Glenn's hand was cut and bruised from it when it blew his hatch off on the NOA.
It's amazing how he talks it's like he's just driving a bus there's no doubt my mind that has it was a malfunction Mr Grissom was too cool to let that happen
Wow. Those early mercury astronauts were made of steel. If anyone deserved the right to fly up in a penis shaped rocket a la Blue Origin / Bezos, it was Grissom. Right up into the unknown, and lived to tell about it and inform future engineers and astronauts. Part of advancing space flight is figuring out what doesn't work, not just figuring out what does work.
I'm so happy that they were able to recover Liberty Bell 7 from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean back in 1999. I was fortunate to download the entire documentary about the recovery off of RU-vid back in 2020 before it was removed in its entirety. We will always remember the brave men and women who've given their lives for the Exploration of Outer Space. GOD Bless Them All!!!!!
'Gus' Grissom was a helluva pilot and astronaut. In the movie, "The Right Stuff', he was portrayed as being somewhat crude but, in fact, he was the type of person that leads in tough situations. If he had a problem... it was his wife who saw him as an avenue to fame and fortune. In memory of Liberty Bell 7 and Apollo 1 - Gus Grissom.
From just about everything I researched of the early astronauts from Mercury into the Apollo program, Gus was of the most intelligent, well liked, and experienced members of all those groups. God bless him for his contribution and sacrifice to the USA's exploration of space.
The consensus seems to be that a static discharge occurred when the helicopter latched onto the spacecraft, thus sending an electrical charge into the ground circuit. Careful analysis of the motion picture footage revealed that the hatch blew at the moment the 'claw' touched the grab bar at the top of the spacecraft. Gus never blew the hatch.
The static electricity jumped to the hook when it was about 6 inches away.The DC voltage ran all over the wiring including the hatch causing it to blow.NASA knew this as soon as Gus got an exam by the doctors on the aircraft carrier.He didn't have a bruise on his leg like they all had when shoving in the steel rod to blow the hatch.If Gus had blown the hatch he would have never flown again just like Scott Carpenter.
So Astronomy magazine just came out with a theory that there was an electrical arc that caused the hatch to blow, I am no electrical expert but it sounds plausible.
WOW! How amazing to hear the entire flight. If you ever watched the movie "The Right Stuff" , Grissom was portrayed as a cowboy who botched the mission by blowing the hatch. Gus was the consummate test pilot. There could have been nothing further from the truth concerning his actions. He notified MC that he could not get one of the safety pins inserted. Helicopters generate tremendous static electricity as the blades stir through the air column. There is no doubt enough electricity shot through the winch cable upon hookup, surged through the ungrounded/unsafe circuit and blew the hatch squibs. He instructed the recovery crew to hold off until he could complete the checklist and note each item. There is no way he blew the hatch. Unfortunately, this experience led to his doom along with Ed White and Roger Chaffee, as the door on the Apollo CM could not be blown. Such a shame! Gus Grissom's footprints should be on the Moon.
Cet incident la NASA ne lui en a pas tenu rigueur par la suite. Gus était un excellent technicien. Malheureusement pour lui les résultats de cette trappe avec les boulons explosif n'ont été connu peu après sa mort et ces boulons étaient défaillants !!! D'ailleurs malgré cet incident la NASA avait confiance en Gus et il était prévu en interne que se soit lui qui fasse les premiers pas sur la Lune !!!
Jim Lovell has said many times that the Apollo 1 fire not occurred when it did that they don’t think they would have survived reentry and safely landed during the Apollo 13 mission
Gus Grissom spoke of the risk in interviews and in his memoir. He was aware of the risk to his life and yet he continued to move the program forward. The very definition of courage. His memoir was unfinished at the time of his death, but the publisher was able to complete it. (The copyright on my copy is 1968; they must have pushed it out as quickly as possible after the Apollo accident). As I wasn't even alive yet when all of this was happening, I have to seek all of this information, and I see it in it's historical context. Those of you who have actual first-hand memories of all of this happening-- what a thrill it must have been!! What a great period to be alive.
Don’t judge figures of history by the movies they are portrayed in. Grissom had the right stuff and NASA had to blame someone. He wouldn’t of been the commander of Apollo 1 if he were anything but a hero!
I don't believe NASA ever thought Grissom blew the hatch. Schirra *proved* that the jett handle would slam back into your hand when activated (he blew it deliberately on the deck of the recovery ship) and had a bruise to show for it; no such bruise was observed on Grissom's hand during his post-flight exam. NASA did permanently ground some astronauts post-flight (Apollos 7 and 15) but if Grissom were blamed for Liberty Bell 7's hatch blow, he was "punished" with Gemini 3 and an early spot on the Apollo flight rotation.
This simulation seems to show MR4 landing west of the Florida peninsula... which is impossible. All launches from the Cape are eastward... (yeah, yeah, I'm a fucking geek)
I saw the Liberty Bell 7 capsule when it was on tour. I can't imagine how difficult it would have been to get inside that capsule. There was so little room. I remember there was something mentioned about how the seats had to be custom formed for each astronaut.
just found your recreations during a binge on space exploration videos... they are brilliant! the animations really give you the impression of watching the action in real time. it brings to life the reality and bravery of what these people were trying to do, not to mention the sheer terror! yet they are conversing as though they're calling a baseball game. unreal. anyone even remotely curious about space should see these!
At about 15:24 he says he cannot get one of the door pins in. I am assuming that this was a reference to the pin to prevent the explosive bolts from going off. Anyone know why the pins were pulled out initially?
I think he opened the hatch partially (or fully) to check on the parachute? You can hear him talking about a 6"x6" hole that had been ripped in it before saying that he could not get the pin back in.
The news media always gathered outside in the front yards of each of the astronauts homes to talk to the wives before and after each mission. Have you ever seen any videos of any of those front yard interviews?
A shame they couldn't find the hatch when they finally brought LB7 up, but I've never thought Gus fired the charge, either on purpose too early or accidentally. Always felt it was a flaw in the capsule itself.
It seems Gus had the right stuff but ground control sure didn't. He kept feeding the the info even when they did not respond. He said he dumped the fuel 3 times and they did not respond. I did not hear him panic at all which was shown in the movie. Gus said could not replace the door pins on one of the explosive bolts which keeps them from going off. Ejection seats have similar pins that keep the seat from being accidentally ejected. They are usually removed for flight.
My mom woke me up to watch this launch with Gus aboard being a constant springmill camper it was like our next door niebor took off was 5 years old remember it like it was yesterday big reason i joind the airforce
Since some of this was CBS footage, assuming you have the full CBS broadcast of the flight, hopefully you can post it. I have seen a short CBS clip of the launch, but I'd like to see (if you have it) more of that network's broadcast of Liberty Bell m7, including Walter Cronkite's reaction to the spacecraft sinking.
Whatever. Astronaut Chernoff. .Its just a video ...We get it. Get a life and quit being so fucking critical. I forgot, what mission did you fly on? Go back to Taco Bell and get those drive in orders.
it seems that the capsule hit the water on its side and busted the bolts off, they may not have blown at all......gus would have been the first man on the moon if he had not died 2 years before
I think that the capsule was rolling in the sea and water covered the window. Gus thought that the capsule was sinking and bailed out. Only Gus really knew what happened. However, the capsule was a disposable single use spaceship! I cant see why NASA made a big deal about it. The mission was a success and the astronault got home safe. Could have been worse!
Scott Wheeler It was a big deal because it was a test flight. The US hadn't even been to orbit yet. NASA needed the ship to evaluate its performance and improve it. But you're right. No one but Gus really knows what happened.
Shepard's capsule had the old beryllium heat shield that everybody knew was inadequate to reenter from orbital velocity. Grissom's had the new composite heat shield. They would have dearly loved to get a look at it after a suborbital reentry before anybody trusted it for an orbital flight.
@@spacecatboy2962 But also we must keep in mind that the Apollo 1 fire exposed spacecraft flaws that might well have prevented it from EVER reaching the moon successfully..😞😢
