Highways Into Space: A first-hand account of the beginnings of the human space program (48 page)

WG1 represented by Timchenko had four major work areas – flight operations, training, experiments, and spacecraft compatibility. The planning was increased because they developed multiple plans, with lighting at launch and recovery being different over time. Some of the experiments also required certain lighting conditions. They were completed and flight ready with no open issues.

Flight operations were to be directed by a Flight Director in each MCC, responsible for his own crew and spacecraft. There were teams of experts to consult if necessary, from each country and located in the other’s MCC. Low probed further in the area of command and control.

The discussions can be summarized in a few simple principles. The Flight Director in each MCC is in charge of his own spacecraft and crews. Likewise, Commanders can also be in charge of their own spacecraft and crew when there is no time to consult with MCC. If the crew is in danger, the respective Flight Director or crew can act unilaterally. The examined contingencies had been studied and documented onboard. Solutions to unexamined contingencies depend on the training of the crews and MCC teams. Victor Legostayev reported for WG2. The docking target was mounted and alignment verified with target fixtures. For Apollo control while docked, only two of four roll jets would be used, forward firing – X thrusters are shut off within two seconds of capture. Bob White spoke for the WG3 and described the basic functions of the docking systems. Since the mid-term review, three-and-a-half months of mating and dynamic development testing were completed in 1973. Two months of mating and dynamics qualification test over a temperature range of seventy degrees Celsius to minus forty degrees Celsius and a wide range of contact conditions were conducted.

One more possible docking system problem had been identified late in 1974. This led us to make a late change to the pin/socket alignment aids. The mating of two U.S. docking systems to two of the Soviet docking systems confirmed they were ready.

In WG 4, Nikitin presented the results on the radios and the drag through cable communication equipment. They verified these in place on the Soyuz to assure that any electromagnetic interference would be acceptable and it was. Nikitin also reported on the positive results of the testing of the Soyuz pyrotechnics in the spacecraft RF environment, which was of concern because Apollo was using the high gain antenna to communicate with the ATS-F satellite. The ATS-F provided coverage over a little more than half of the orbit. The pyrotechnics were safe.

Since the mid-term, Working Group 5 had completed an altitude chamber test of Soyuz including the procedural changes to decrease and later increase the cabin pressure. They also evaluated flight coverall material to satisfy our flammability requirements. Both sides participated in the manned and unmanned vacuum chamber test of the DM. The Soviets also subjected all of their equipment being brought into Apollo against our flammability requirement.

After the working group reports, the Technical Directors reported all the schedule items were complete, except for a few, that were planned for later completion. These included the next MCC simulation, the final versions of onboard documentation, the final checklist for joint experiments, a failure report on an experiment sensor, finalizing the PAO Part Two document and eventually the post flight report.

George Low was still worried about decision in unexamined or urgent contingencies situation. George also acknowledged that the teams had done all that they could and he thanked them for that. Low and Kotelnikov signed the FRR readiness statement and the project continued towards July 15, 1975.

Back in Washington, Fletcher and Low continued to deal with questions of Soyuz safety from Senator Proxmire. They had plenty of material to answer questions including those related to the April fifth Soyuz launch vehicle failure that triggered an abort sequence in the Soyuz. Two cosmonauts were safely recovered some eleven hundred miles downrange in deep snow. There were further questions from Senator Proxmire regarding the command and control system capacity to could accommodate Soyuz 18, Salyut 4 and the ASTP Soyuz at the same time. Professor Bushuyev clarified that, should the missions overlap, the Soviets would use separate control centers and teams. Further, ASTP had the higher priority in case of a conflict over resources.

NASA held its traditional in-house FRR later back in the U.S. NASA was ready to proceed to launch. Visiting specialists from Moscow arrived on July eighth, Chuck Lewis led our delegation to Moscow. Marilyn and the Lunney family traveled to KSC for the launch. My parents joined the gathering and all were focused on cheering (and praying) the launch vehicle into orbit. They enjoyed the beach also. All personnel and systems were ready to join the countdown for July fifteenth.

FRR SIgning From left: Prof Bushuyev, Academician Kotelnikov, George Low, Glynn Lunney

The morning of July 15, 1975, arrived and I entered the MCC control room at about 6 a.m. and Alex Tatischeff followed me in. We sat together in this place and, for a moment, the past and the future tried to merge. In a short while, the reality of the Soyuz launch complex was displayed on the large TV screens. The weather at Baykonur was good and the countdown was proceeding normally. Moscow was eight hours ahead in time zones from Houston. The TV picture of the launch pad was augmented with some public affairs commentary. I had a chance to check in with Professor Busheyev, who was in his position in Mission Control and ready for the liftoff, probably feeling the same way I was. We got to liftoff time and the launch vehicle flew from the pad just as advertised. After sequentially firing the three Soyuz stages, the Soyuz 19 spacecraft with Leonov and Kubasov was now in orbit. Another call to Professor Busheyev brought assurance that he was smiling and happy with the progress so far.

Our crew went through the usual wakeup routine medical exams, and then breakfast. They also watched the replay of the Soyuz launch. Once on the pad, all of the countdown steps proceeded normally and the Apollo liftoff was at 2:50 p.m. CDT. It was a beautiful launch and we were in the proper orbit to begin the space ballet that is rendezvous. Ten years ago, rendezvous had seemed so difficult and now we were old hands at it. Stafford’s docking of the CSM to the docking module was, in fact, excellent. Tom had the most accurate roll alignment that I could remember although he had sunlight in the COAS creating a problem to see the target. Two maneuvers put the Apollo on the proper schedule of catch-up rate with the target Soyuz. The Apollo crew was informed that the Soyuz crew had a problem with their TV camera. After the sleep period started, Tom Stafford reported a problem with the docking probe. Vance Brand could not insert the tool to collapse the arms of the probe, which was necessary in order to remove it from the tunnel. Brand was able to see that some part of the pyro connector was blocking the tool from full insertion. In that condition, the probe could not be removed. At first, Neil Hutchinson, Flight Director, and the Soviet Flight Director decided to just close the hatch and wait until morning. But they had to leave the hatch open because the probe still blocked the hatch closing. That problem was left to morning so the sleep period could begin.

The Soyuz crew woke up first and they were trying to fix the TV camera that would be used to photograph the Apollo as it approached Soyuz. Once our crew was awake, they got the probe collapsed and out of the tunnel. During the day, Brand was able to spot Soyuz with the tracking sextant and soon thereafter Apollo got radio communications with the Soyuz. The Apollo was maneuvered into its co-elliptic orbit and was on the way to intercept the Soyuz. At 11:10 a.m. in Houston, the crew reported capture. Stafford went through the planned steps, especially those required to assure no firings from the –X thrusters. Leonov had reminded him about that earlier and Stafford had asked Leonov to tell Professor Busheyev that all the –X thrusters were off. Stafford and Slayton started to open up the docking module, but there was a strong smell in the docking module. They decided to wait as it seemed to be getting better and within minutes it cleared sufficiently for Stafford and Slayton to enter the docking module. Then all that remained was to equalize the tunnel pressure, open the Soyuz hatch and then the most forward docking module hatch. This was done and we watched two of our old friends say hello to our two new friends in the Soyuz module. They exchanged flags as gifts to both countries. The cosmonauts brought a United Nations flag up in the Soyuz, and gave it to the U.S. crew to bring back to earth on Apollo. They also signed some papers of certification for the Federation Aeronautique Internationale commemorating this joint flight.

The crews heard from each of their national leaders: Premier Brezhnev, through a well-known announcer before the first handshake, and President Ford, afterwards in a conversation with all five crewmembers. The crew then had time for a quiet lunch together, with the whole world joined in on television. After these ceremonial events, Stafford and Slayton made their goodbyes and were back in the command module. After the hatches were all secured, there was a rise in pressure in the tunnel between the Soyuz hatch and the docking module hatch. The pressure rise in the tunnel could be an indicator that either of the two vehicles was leaking cabin gas into the tunnel. However, with time to analyze, there was a pressure increase but due to the warming of the air. Neil Hutchinson worked on this problem with the Soviet Flight Director Vadim Kravets. They had never worked together but found common ground in solving this problem and Neil was quite pleased with how easily the resolution occurred. Understanding was quick and the analysis was accurate.

On the next day, we had visits back and forth between both vehicles. Brand and Kubasov visited together in Soyuz, Stafford and Slayton hosted Leonov in the command module. Kubasov had taken an interest in the science demos especially the work with the gyroscope and he had a good time with the demos, with Brand narrating for the camera. Brand and Kubasov assembled two halves of a medallion representing their mission and they exchanged native tree seeds. Stafford and Leonov entered the Soyuz and Brand and Kubasov went back to the command module. There was a joint press conference with all of the crewmembers. When asked to comment on the food, Leonov made the point, ”It’s not the food you eat but who you eat the food with that makes it special.” The crews then moved to a farewell about 3:50 in the afternoon and closed the hatches. There were over fifteen hours of U.S. crewman in the Soyuz and ten-and-a-half hours of Soviet crewmembers in Apollo.

After a long day – and a very successful one – the crews moved to their sleep periods, but then again they were soon awakened by a master alarm that oxygen pressure in the docking module had decreased a little. It was soon pumped up and okay. On day five, after undocking, there would be a re-docking by Slayton and some complicated flying procedures for the joint UVA experiment. Plus, the U.S. crew backed the Apollo vehicle away such that its circular shape matched that of the sun and allowed measurements to be taken from Soyuz of the corona of the sun. There was another experiment called ultraviolet absorption (UVA), which was intended to measure atomic Oxygen and atomic Nitrogen at these altitudes.

Soyuz Launch