MOL

[Boxman]

Boeing with McDonnell Gemini B ?!

is not the Douglas Aircraft Company major contractor for MOL ?

A number of companies competed for the MOL contract.

These have been posted for a while (since October 2012), but I just came across them over at the San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) photostream at Flickr. Over 20 photos of the Convair / General Dynamics Manned Orbiting Laboratory proposal mock-ups (link to taggedConvair / GD MOL mock-up photos at SDASM). Note a sign that appears in a number of the contact sheet photos reads (when viewed in full resolution) "GD A Project MOL ♂[/size]".


Here are a couple from the collection.


Apparently a Gemini/MOL model:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/8126195949/

One of the contact sheets with the legible "GD A Project MOL ♂[/size]" sign (link to full resolution version of photo below - note sign in upper right frame)[size=small]
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives/8126222784/in/photostream/

 

[Jemiba]

Found in "Der Flieger", June 1963, a concept drawn by General Electric for a modular MOL. Construction begins
with a single module for four astronauts, later a second module can be added and both connected by a tunnel
housing docking module for up to eight Gemini capsules. The complete MOL could then rotate around the docking,
for artificial gravity.

 

[Michel Van]

here links to three part PDF about evolution of the MOL space suit
with rare picture of suit test and SPCA suit for human.


http://agentdc.uah.edu/homepages/dcfiles/USSRC/Mannedorbitinglab01_050508103755.pdf


http://agentdc.uah.edu/homepages/dcfiles/USSRC/Mannedorbitinglab02_050508103813.pdf


http://agentdc.uah.edu/homepages/dcfiles/USSRC/Mannedorbitinglab03_050508103832.pdf


source:
Tute spaziali MOL: Grosso colpaccio!!!

 

[carmelo]

Found in "Der Flieger", June 1963, a concept drawn by General Electric for a modular MOL. Construction begins
with a single module for four astronauts, later a second module can be added and both connected by a tunnel
housing docking module for up to eight Gemini capsules. The complete MOL could then rotate around the docking,
for artificial gravity.

A lot of Gemini Ferry!

 

[carmelo]

here links to three part PDF about evolution of the MOL space suit
with rare picture of suit test and SPCA suit for human.


http://agentdc.uah.edu/homepages/dcfiles/USSRC/Mannedorbitinglab01_050508103755.pdf


http://agentdc.uah.edu/homepages/dcfiles/USSRC/Mannedorbitinglab02_050508103813.pdf


http://agentdc.uah.edu/homepages/dcfiles/USSRC/Mannedorbitinglab03_050508103832.pdf


source:
Tute spaziali MOL: Grosso colpaccio!!!

MOL suit was briefly considered for Skylab missions,but then was decided use modified Apollo A7LB for save money.

 

[Michel Van]

MOL suit was briefly considered for Skylab missions,but then was decided use modified Apollo A7LB for save money.

another reasons were, that USAF MOL was cancels in 1968 and that Skylab run under Marshall Space Flight center, who runs Apollo program.

 

[Byeman]

another reasons were, that USAF MOL was cancels in 1968 and that Skylab run under Marshall Space Flight center, who runs Apollo program.

Johnson Space Center, at the time was called the Manned Space Center (MSC), ran Apollo. Marshall (MSFC) only supplied the Saturn V, LRV and Skylab,

 

[blackstar]

MOL suit was briefly considered for Skylab missions,but then was decided use modified Apollo A7LB for save money.

another reasons were, that USAF MOL was cancels in 1968 and that Skylab run under Marshall Space Flight center, who runs Apollo program.

MOL was canceled in 1969.

 

[Michel Van]

another reasons were, that USAF MOL was cancels in 1968 and that Skylab run under Marshall Space Flight center, who runs Apollo program.

Johnson Space Center, at the time was called the Manned Space Center (MSC), ran Apollo. Marshall (MSFC) only supplied the Saturn V, LRV and Skylab,

Thank for the correction, byeman
i losing the overview on the numberless NASA center and what is there competence...

 

[blackstar]

i losing the overview on the numberless NASA center and what is there competence...

Marshall developed substantial human spaceflight experience while working on Skylab. They maintained this during the shuttle era working on Spacelab and internal payloads. I think they've lost much of it after the transition to ISS, but I was there last year and we saw some of their human spaceflight labs and workshops. Not nearly as extensive as JSC, but they have some. They also have the mission control center that controls the science experiments on ISS and is capable of serving as a backup mission control if Houston is down due to a hurricane.

 

[archipeppe]

i losing the overview on the numberless NASA center and what is there competence...

Marshall developed substantial human spaceflight experience while working on Skylab. They maintained this during the shuttle era working on Spacelab and internal payloads. I think they've lost much of it after the transition to ISS, but I was there last year and we saw some of their human spaceflight labs and workshops. Not nearly as extensive as JSC, but they have some. They also have the mission control center that controls the science experiments on ISS and is capable of serving as a backup mission control if Houston is down due to a hurricane.

MSFC = POIC (Payload Operation and Integration Center), it comes from my daily job experience.

 

[blackstar]

I've got some pictures of their mission control somewhere. We got to see that. Didn't let me push any buttons.

 

[blackstar]

Was going to start looking for my photos of the Marshall mission control when I stumbled across this image, which is way better than mine. Of course, I did not have a ladder to stand on to take my photos.

 

[Michel Van]

Nice picture, Blackstar

What brings me to this question: were had to be the mission control for MOL ?

 

[Byeman]

Nice picture, Blackstar

What brings me to this question: were had to be the mission control for MOL ?

Sunnyvale

 

[Michel Van]

Sunnyvale

sunnyvale ,California. former home of Onizuka Air Force Station* under 50th space wing?
* before 1986 was called the Air Force Satellite Control Facility.

 

[Byeman]

Sunnyvale

sunnyvale ,California. former home of Onizuka Air Force Station* under 50th space wing?
* before 1986 was called the Air Force Satellite Control Facility.

It was Sunnyvale Air Force Station before the base name change to honor Onizuka and Air Force Satellite Test Center for that. The organization at the base had many different names over the years

6594th Test Wing
6594th Aerospace Test Wing
Air Force Satellite Control Facility
Consolidated Space Test Center

2d Space Tracking Group
750th Space Group
21th Space Operations Squadron

 

[Michel Van]

Thx for info, Byeman

 

[jemhouston]

Was going to start looking for my photos of the Marshall mission control when I stumbled across this image, which is way better than mine. Of course, I did not have a ladder to stand on to take my photos.

That looks like the design for the JSC backrooms. I'm not sure if controls are going to that configuration or not.

 

[blackstar]

I suspect that the photo was staged, or at least photographed during a special session. When I was there, I think there were only about five or six people in the room. I think there's also another bank of screens out of frame to the left of this image. Either that, or they reconfigured the room somewhat. I'll have to dig around for my photo.

 

[Grey Havoc]

May be of some interest; the Gemini B Spacecraft Systems Test / Acceptance Test Plan as it was on May 31st, 1968:
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/856897.pdf

 

[blackstar]

I see four spacecraft listed there for testing: AVE-1, 2, 3, 4 (pdf page 28).

Trying to figure out when they expected to start testing. Might give an idea of how many spacecraft were under construction as of April 1969 (revised date of document).

 

[Archibald]

Nice find Grey Havoc !
Now the naive question: are those four AVE ships Gemini Bs and, most importantly, does that mean there were 4*MOLs on the production line ? We know that five (or six, can't remember) missions were planned at the time of cancellation.

 

[blackstar]

Nice find Grey Havoc !
Now the naive question: are those four AVE ships Gemini Bs and, most importantly, does that mean there were 4*MOLs on the production line ? We know that five (or six, can't remember) missions were planned at the time of cancellation.

They were Gemini B's. Without trying to sound snarky, they would not be anything other than Gemini B's, because NASA had retired Gemini by this time.

And there were at least four MOLs in production. I've got photos of flight hardware under construction. And they built at least 7 mirrors, which would have been long-lead time items. It would not surprise me if there were at least four full MOLs in production at cancellation, and parts of at least three more in production as well.

 

[Orionblamblam]

MOL in scale with the Zenith Star space based laser experiment...

 

[Michel Van]

a vimeo Video about the Gemini B mock up


<a href="http://vimeo.com/93499393">Gemini B Mockup</a>

 

[blackstar]

A couple of years ago I was working with Bob Crippen and I asked him about going through that tunnel. "It wasn't easy!" he laughed.

 

[XP67_Moonbat]

From our good friend Blackstar:

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2539/1

 

[blackstar]

Stay tuned. More to come.

 

[carmelo]

During the days of the MOL mission the Gemini-B capsule would be sealed and depressurized?

 

[Michel Van]

During the days of the MOL mission the Gemini-B capsule would be sealed and depressurized?

That would make no sense what so ever
yes in begin with EVA scenario, it was planned to depressurized the Gemini-B and crew makes spacewalk to MOL hatch
but after that unpractical scenario was abandon and design of tunnel true heat shield was taken.
the Gemini-B is simply power down and remained pressurized during the mission.
in case of emergency in Lab section the Crew can get in safety in Gemini-B and close heat shield hatch.

 

[blackstar]

I interviewed Crippen and Truly and asked about this--the Gemini would remain pressurized and powered down, but ready in case they needed to evacuate.

 

[carmelo]

This thing about the depressurization seemed strange to me!
I have found on this blog:

http://astrocryptotriviology.blogspot.it/2012/12/a-jones-for-mol-6-not-quite-vacuum.html

the depressurization is mentioned specifically in only one document (ref. 4), a report produced by Bellcom, Inc., a Washington-based contractor which analyzed Apollo program technical decisions for NASA Headquarters. Early in 1968, Bellcom’s R.K. McFarland met with representatives of McDonnell–Douglas to learn how the Gemini-B capsule was being modified for long-duration quiescence.
The available documents don’t mention the reason or reasons for the prolonged depressurization, but I can suggest a couple. First, as previously mentioned, the pilots would have been the source of substantial humidity. The unpowered Gemini-B capsule would have been a natural cold-trap for that humidity, and would probably have become quite damp quite quickly. This subsequently happened on Apollo 13, whose astronauts actually experience a bit of a rain shower as their damp command module entered the Earth’s atmosphere and the condensation dripped onto them from the control panel and other overhead structures.
Sealing off the Gemini-B would also have reduced the air leakage that was an inevitable feature of any manned spacecraft, especially one with two large crewmember hatches.

 

[Michel Van]

oh that's Bellcom, Inc. study
They made allot of investigation for NASA and USAF, but they were not obliging for the two.

 

[bobbymike]

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/history/molsuits.html

MOL suits

 

[Flyaway]

At long last, should be some interesting reading in the releases.

 

[Archibald]

The more I read about the KH-10 (and the NRO as a whole) the more I like it. The NRO was crazier than anything Ian Flemming or John Le Carré could ever imagine.

 

[Michel Van]

today NRO publish this Artwork of MOL on Twitter


it show Two MOL dockt together with EVA by one of crew, also it feature one station a robotic arm

 

[blackstar]

That's not newly released artwork. It was published in the fall 1995 issue of Quest magazine (here's a lousy photo because I was lazy). It would not surprise me if it was published a decade or more earlier in a different magazine.

This is not the MOL vehicle. This is a possible civilian version that the contractor was trying to sell to NASA.

 

[Michel Van]

This is not the MOL vehicle. This is a possible civilian version that the contractor was trying to sell to NASA.

Douglas proposed that really to NASA as Civilian version of MOL