More Details for 1967-01-03
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
Apollo AS-204 rendezvous with a biosatellite impracticable
B. Kaskey, Bellcomm, Inc., gave NASA Apollo Program Director Samuel C. Phillips three reasons why an AS-204 rescue of or rendezvous with a biosatellite would be impracticable.
- The Block I spacecraft hatch was not designed to open and reseal in space, therefore no extravehicular activity could be planned for AS-204.
- The launch window for 204 was five hours on each day, set by lighting available for launch aborts and normal recovery; rendezvous would reduce the launch window to minutes.
- More than half of the reaction control system propellant was committed because of the requirement that deorbit be possible on every orbit without use of the service propulsion system.
Phillips sent the information to ASPO Manager Joseph F. Shea at MSC.