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  Mystery Apollo Boilerplate

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Author Topic:   Mystery Apollo Boilerplate
Sy Liebergot
Member

Posts: 501
From: Pearland, Texas USA
Registered: May 2003

posted 11-06-2004 04:17 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Sy Liebergot   Click Here to Email Sy Liebergot     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I took these photos of what appears to be a very hefty boilerplate Apollo CSM, and Folks, I'm talking iron, here. The SM cylinder continues is under the flooring. I viewed it while touring the magnet school of my high school alma mater, Northeast High School in Philadelphia in the late '90s. I have yet to find someone that knows for what it was used. Any experts on the panel?

John Charles
Member

Posts: 342
From: Houston, Texas, USA
Registered: Jun 2004

posted 11-06-2004 05:38 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for John Charles     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Sy, this looks like the other boilerplates still in the vicinity of JSC (across NASA Road 1 out the front gate, and at the boys' school) based on its fixtures. I will wager that it was built for post-Apollo 204 in-cabin fire testing. More details as I come across them.

nasamad
Member

Posts: 2141
From: Essex, UK
Registered: Jul 2001

posted 11-06-2004 07:12 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for nasamad   Click Here to Email nasamad     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
It looks like it was built to withstand fire, if there was ever a "boilerplate" that is it!

Just had a quick look through some paperwork and according to the (1968, post fire) CSM contact there were 2 boilerplates built for flammability tests. One was meant for the Manned Spacecraft Center (Serial no BP-1224-1) and one was meant for Downey (Serial no BP-1250-C).

The Downey one was also meant to be used for Cabin Pressure Vent Valve tests, the one in your pictures Sy, has strange additions around the general areas where the vent valves were situated.

Sy Liebergot
Member

Posts: 501
From: Pearland, Texas USA
Registered: May 2003

posted 11-08-2004 09:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Sy Liebergot   Click Here to Email Sy Liebergot     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hmm, I hadn't thought that this boilerplate would have been used for fire testing — looks/looked pretty clean to me. If memory serves me, there were crew couches inside.

spaceuk
Member

Posts: 2113
From: Staffs, UK
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 11-09-2004 07:17 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaceuk     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Could it have been used for gas pressure tests?

spaceuk
Member

Posts: 2113
From: Staffs, UK
Registered: Aug 2002

posted 11-09-2004 07:20 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for spaceuk     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Other suggestions: Was it used as a 'former' for producing parts moulds or even as a CNC tool 'master'?

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