@eribosot

1B
2A

#Fedefine 157

@eribosot

1C
2C

#Fedefine 153

@eribosot

1B
2B

#Fedefine 145

@eribosot

1A
2C

#Fedefine 143

(Not sure I posted this as a followup, so here it is again. It's possible Mastodon is on the blink again.) 3:O(>

@eribosot

1A
2A

#Fedefine 142

@isaackuo @LanceJZ @archaeohistories

@LanceJZ @isaackuo @archaeohistories

Mission Control were "concerned" that if the air cushion (meant to absorb the shock of landing) had inflated prematurely it would have dislodged the heat shield, and they'd have a total loss of the capsule (with extra-crispy occupant). They elected to re-enter with the thruster pack attached, and it melted with bits going past the window as the descent continued. Thankfully the warning light was due to a wiring fault. (2/last)

@LanceJZ @isaackuo @archaeohistories

Back then they were still in the Mercury or Gemini programmes, and the capsule *did* have thrusters.

I don't have my copy of "The Right Stuff" to hand, but the incident with the "Air Cushion Inflation" warning light and the decision to re-enter with the thruster pack attached was given to the astronaut _without_ telling them why. (So it would have been Mercury.) Continued... (1/2)

@LanceJZ @isaackuo @archaeohistories

That's a piece of Art, and congratulations to the locals for maintaining it.

(Actually the capsule would have had thrusters: there would be Capsule:Flotation Bag:Heat Shield:Thruster Pack, with the thruster pack held on by straps so it could be jettisoned after deceleration but before hitting atmosphere. On one mission they re-entered with the thruster pack attached because the flotation bag light had come on and they were concerned about the heat shield.)

@eribosot

1C
2C

#Fedefine 140