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Author
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Topic: Pre-flight condition of Apollo LM interior
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Neil Aldrin
Member Posts: 85
From:
Registered: Feb 2010
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posted 10-14-2021 09:25 AM
  
In looking at the pre-flight close-out photos of the Apollo lunar module cabin, the panels, switches, trim pieces and screws look dirty and discolored with paint rubbed off and generally what I would expect to see post-flight.It even looks like many of the screw heads on the panels were touched-up with paint. Is this simply because everything was removed and reinstalled many times during testing and assembly? |
Jim Behling
Member Posts: 1684
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 10-14-2021 09:48 AM
Because the cabin was occupied and controls/switches used by test engineers and astronauts for the hundreds of hours of testing and during assembly.Actual flight time was just a fraction of the total time occupied. |
oly
Member Posts: 1299
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015
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posted 10-14-2021 08:15 PM
If you are referring to images such as this, where the AGC facia screws have had paint touch up, I suspect that some components have been removed and installed several times during assembly and testing.In some cases, like the ACG software for the LM, the memory modules were only installed shortly before launch because the coordinate data had to be set, and some other life limited components and consumables were installed before flight. Note also how most of the screws, rivets, and other fasteners were not painted throughout the LM to save weight, but that the fasteners in front of the crew, withing line of sight, were painted with an anti-glare surface finish to minimize distraction.  |
Andy Anderson
Member Posts: 101
From: Perth, Australia
Registered: Dec 2009
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posted 10-14-2021 08:20 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Neil Aldrin:
...the Apollo lunar module cabin, the panels, switches, trim pieces and screws look dirty and discolored with paint rubbed off
The Apollo unique hardware was certainly not in "show room" presentation by the time the mission was launched for the reasons mentioned in the previous posts.Here are a couple of closeout images of LM-7 (Apollo 13) that also illustrate the condition of the panels, etc.  
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oly
Member Posts: 1299
From: Perth, Western Australia
Registered: Apr 2015
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posted 10-14-2021 08:35 PM
Note in this image of the Apollo 12 LM-6 (Intrepid) cabin close out photo, there is a row of holes below the console that appear to be where some screws or rivets are missing, perhaps whatever went here was made redundant or relocated and a new panel without these holes was never made? | |
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