Author Topic: Apollo-Soyuz mission video (Read 67618 times)

jacqmans · « **on:** 02/01/2007 01:19 pm »

I hope this works....

A nice film of the Apollo Soyuz mission with some very rare and probably never seen before material:

The film is about 1 1/2 hours long (656 mb) and as a bonus you will see some rare STS-1 material also... I have this film on DVD and converted it to avi, windows media player will play that....For the first few minutes of the film there is no audio, audio starts with the Soyuz launch !!

Please, only use this film for your personal use, do NOT sell it...

Please thank Ed Hengeveld (heng44) for this film, I got the video from him a few years back and just 2 weeks ago made a dvd of it...

APOLLO-SOYUZ CANDID CAMERA
by Ed Hengeveld

An interesting few minutes of television were aired in Europe on the evening of 16 July 1975, showing the ASTP crew inside their spacecraft during the transposition and docking maneuver. This maneuver was initiated about an hour after launch on 15 July to extract the docking module from its housing inside the spacecraft/launch vehicle adapter (SLA) on top of the spent S-IVB second stage. It was the same location where the LM was stored for launch during lunar missions.

Apollo carried four TV-cameras and an onboard videotape recorder on this flight, which permitted delayed relay to the ground of up to 30 minutes of TV. As the transposition and docking occured partially out of radio contact with mission control, it was videotaped and transmitted to earth later via the ATS-6 communications satellite. Apparently the astronauts thought they were videotaping the view out the window. However, what was actually recorded showed some tense moments inside the spacecraft, as seen by the same TV-camera that had transmitted live views of the crew during launch.

What made the pictures unusual was the unrestrained language that the astronauts used. The episode was reminiscent of Apollo-10, when during a particularly hairy moment in lunar orbit LM-pilot Gene Cernan had yelled “Son of a bitch!”. This was broadcast live to millions of listeners around the world and had caused quite a flap after the flight. Many people objected to astronauts using “language you see written on a restroom wall”, as one critic called it. The fact that these astronauts were a quarter of a million miles from home and in serious danger seemed to make no difference. Cernan was forced to apologise.

The Apollo-Soyuz crew was a lot closer to home and the problems they encountered during the transposition and docking were not nearly as critical as those on Apollo-10, but the frustration in their voices was evident. In the video they were still wearing their spacesuits, but had removed their helmets and gloves. Commander Tom Stafford could be seen in the background in his left-hand couch, looking out through the rendezvous window in front of him. His hand was on the hand-controller, maneuvering the Apollo CSM by short bursts of the reaction control jets. In the foreground occupying the center couch was command module pilot Vance Brand, who was watching the instrument panel and holding a Hasselblad 70mm camera. He couldn’t see the S-IVB out his hatch window, because it pointed in the wrong direction. Docking module pilot Deke Slayton was off-camera to the left.

After the CSM was separated from the S-IVB stage at 21:04, it moved away from the adapter which housed the docking module. Then the four panels of the SLA were explosively jettisoned. Stafford then turned the spacecraft around to face the exposed docking module, looking through the crew optical alignment sight mounted in his window, like the viewfinder on a camera. When he looked through his COAS at the S-IVB and docking module, he discovered to his horror that all he could see was the glare from the sunlit earth behind it.

“I can’t… goddamn…” he muttered. “How did we ever get… I can’t see my COAS! I can’t see the… It’s so bright I can’t see the COAS. Son of a bitch!”

It was impossible to line the two vehicles up for docking this way and Stafford reported the problem to CapCom Dick Truly in mission control: “Dick, we got a problem. It’s so bright in that background, I can’t see my COAS”. He knew that he would just have to wait until the two craft had drifted to a different position. He was worried about it and said: “Oh, we’re really blowing this. COAS! Oh, shit!”

Stafford moved the CSM toward the S-IVB and docking module until only about 10 meters separated them. Watching the T-shaped docking target on the DM-truss in the S-IVB stage, the Apollo then assumed a stationkeeping status. Slowly the target vehicle appeared to drift upwards toward the earth’s horizon. With the black of space behind the S-IVB, Stafford could at last clearly see the docking target. Finally he was able to line the CSM up for docking and slowly moved in.

Then, as Truly reported that Houston was about to lose signal, Stafford reported: “And I finally got the COAS back in. Finally!” When Brand asked him if he wanted the Hasselblad camera, Stafford replied: “No, I’m too busy. Oh, that scared the hell out of me.”

As Stafford approached his target, Brand was floating up to try and see it out the hatch window, but he couldn’t. Slayton was trying to capture the scene outside with a second TV-camera, apparently not aware that the other camera was videotaping the scene inside the spacecraft. Through his window he could see the S-IVB, but not the docking target because that was over on Stafford’s side. He said: “All I’m gonna do is keep the TV pointed at him [the S-IVB], so if you need me to do anything else, holler.”

As the lighting conditions slowly improved, Stafford said: “Aha, now we’re going to get it.”
Brand: “Okay, good.”
Stafford: “So much better in the simulator.”
Brand: “Yeah.”
Slayton: “I’ll tell you, this TV is just as lousy to handle up here as…”
Stafford: “Okay, stand by. Let me just concentrate on this mother.”

By the time Stafford had lined up his target, Apollo had passed out of radio contact with the ground. Stafford worked the hand-controller to thrust forward and said: “We should be right about there.”

At that moment the spacecraft made contact with the docking module as the docking probe mounted on the top of the CM slid into the drogue on the DM. The mild jolt caused Brand to float up from his seat. Three capture latches on the docking probe now held the two modules together.
Stafford: “Contact!”
Brand: “Capture. CMC [command module computer] free.”
Slayton: “Super, super.”
Brand: “CMC free.”
Stafford: “CMC free.”
Brand: “Okay, good.”
Stafford: “Whooo. Stand by to retract it.”
Brand” “Give her ten seconds.”
Stafford: “Roll looks beautiful, roll was right on.”
Slayton: “Looks super.”
Brand: “Okay, when you’re ready, I’ll retract.”
Stafford: “Okay, retract her.”
Brand: “Retract. Do you see him coming in?”
Stafford: “Yeah, he’s coming in.”

Brand activated the probe retraction device, a nitrogen pressure system located in the probe, which pulled the CM and DM together. When the probe was completely retracted, a loud banging noise could be heard as the twelve docking latches snapped shut, forming a pressure-tight seal between the two modules.
Slayton: “Crunch!”
Stafford: “And we got a hard dock!”
Brand: “Oh man!”
Stafford: “Good deal!”
Slayton (laughing): “That is hard alright: crunch!”
Brand: “Okay, we got talkbacks grey. It’s beautiful.”
Stafford: “Man, this thing is zero. Right on!”

Hard dock occured at 21:28. As Brand read the checklist, a visibly relieved Stafford turned off the equipment that was used for the docking.
Brand: “We’re going great. Man, am I glad we passed this!”
Stafford: “Son of a bitch!”

This last comment caused the astronauts to laugh like naughty little boys and Brand said: “Ssshhh!”

As Brand handed Stafford the Hasselblad camera to shoot some pictures of the docking module, Slayton said: “Little nervous there, right?” Stafford explained what his problem had been: “It was slowly pitching up and there the sun was right behind us and the earth and I couldn’t see the COAS. It completely wiped it out. Shades of Gemini-9.”

Stafford’s reference was to his second spaceflight in June 1966, during which he was unable to dock his spacecraft to the Augmented Target Docking Adapter (ATDA) because the shroud covering that vehicle’s docking system had not been jettisoned.

Despite the problems on ASTP, Stafford’s docking was perfect. He had aligned the two spacecraft to within a hundreth of a degree, the best alignment ever achieved with the Apollo docking system. When Apollo re-established communications over Rosman, North Carolina, Stafford told CapCom Truly that they had achieved a hard docking with the DM. At 22:24 the bolts that held the docking module attached to the S-IVB were severed and Apollo pulled it away from the spent rocket stage. The chase for Soyuz could begin.

jacqmans · « **Reply #1 on:** 02/01/2007 01:19 pm »

screenshots

jacqmans · « **Reply #2 on:** 02/01/2007 01:20 pm »

jacqmans · « **Reply #3 on:** 02/01/2007 01:21 pm »

jacqmans · « **Reply #4 on:** 02/01/2007 01:21 pm »

jacqmans · « **Reply #5 on:** 02/01/2007 01:22 pm »

jacqmans · « **Reply #6 on:** 02/01/2007 01:23 pm »

jacqmans · « **Reply #7 on:** 02/01/2007 01:23 pm »

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=6420&posts=12&start=1

jacqmans · « **Reply #8 on:** 02/01/2007 01:24 pm »

jacqmans · « **Reply #9 on:** 02/01/2007 01:24 pm »

jacqmans · « **Reply #10 on:** 02/01/2007 01:25 pm »

jacqmans · « **Reply #11 on:** 02/01/2007 01:25 pm »

zerm · « **Reply #12 on:** 02/01/2007 02:33 pm »

This looks like s SUPER TERRIFIC file! Only I cannot open it. I have a super fast cable connection and two ultra fast computers, but both Windows 2000 and XP refuse to open the file for some reason- they just bogg down in the "connecting" step. Is there any way you can break this up into 2 or 3 smaller files? I'm really itching to view this- and THANKS so much for posting it! I'm sure it is terrific!

This is the kind of stuff I signed onto this web site to see. This is such a terrific site!

lsullivan411 · « **Reply #13 on:** 02/01/2007 05:21 pm »

Fantastic video - thank you Jacques for posting, and thanks to Ed Hengeveld for the original film, only scanned through it just now - will watch the entire thing this evening, but it really is well worth the huge download.
zerm - it played just fine for me on Real Player and Windows Media Player, perhaps you don't have the latest codecs?

zerm · « **Reply #14 on:** 02/01/2007 06:27 pm »

Just checked for updats- got them all for windows media player 9- also tried turning off my Norton... I'm gonna keep messing with this until I get it to play.

jacqmans · « **Reply #15 on:** 02/01/2007 07:39 pm »

maybe you should download media player 11...

zerm · « **Reply #16 on:** 02/01/2007 08:34 pm »

I have that on one computer- I managed to get the file to download after disconnecting my network and wiring directly to the cable to connect to the internet- then when I went to play the file on Media Player 11, it had a codec error... so it looks as if this one is not going to work for me. I had a similar problem with another file posted on this site until Chris broke the file into 3 pieces- seems to be a local issue with my provider rather than a site issue, however. Such is life on the Internet. Thanks anyhow for the stills, it looks like a great file.

EirikV · « **Reply #17 on:** 02/01/2007 09:17 pm »

I also experienced errors in WMP 11, but I tried to open it using VLC media player (it always works..) and it worked perfectly. Great footage, especially enjoyed the Apollo Saturn 1B launch part with the onboard cam!

zerm · « **Reply #18 on:** 02/02/2007 01:31 am »

VLC media player? Please explain... I live in a cave.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #19 on:** 02/02/2007 01:36 am »

Quote

zerm - 2/2/2007 2:31 AM

VLC media player? Please explain... I live in a cave.

http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ - It's like WMP etc, but kinda works all formats, and all caves