Re: MOL footage in "Man in Space"

On Dec 26, 5:39 pm, Pat Flannery <flan...@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Dr.Colon.Osc...@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
I wonder it they did some actual unmanned reconnaissance with it  once
it reached orbit?
I'd always pictured it as basically a empty cylinder just ballasted to
simulate the MOL's weight.

Pat

Very little recon or measuring as the first (and only) capsule flight
was sub-orbital.

The capsule was suborbital but the MOL mock-up went into orbit (they
separated the Gemini on the way up.)
The MOL mock-up carried external markings to let us try out the
capabilities of our ground-based optical systems to pick up detail on a
orbiting object. I don't know if they tried satellite-to-satellite
imaging of it also.

  I imagine the MOL portion could have orbited as some
satellites were piggybacked on the upper stage. The inside was wild.
Plywood panels on some bulkheads wriing with swithces dials etc.  This
pretty much reflected what was on every one of the decks that were
shown.  Additionally the piggybacked "satellites" resembled black B17
oxygen bottles (though larger) and were inserted into frames at the
top of MOL  (where Gemini would be attatched)

This is very interesting, I wonder if the sub-satellites did something
related to the MOL mock-up once it was in orbit?
When they showed the innards of the MOL, did the ladders go all the way
to the bottom of the mock-up?
MOL under it's other classified name was KH-10 "Dorian" and would have
had two manned compartments (living upper with working below it) with
the camera system mounted between them or under them:http://pagesperso-orange.fr/max.q/apollo/equipages/images/mol/mol_cut...
Early MOLs would use fuel cells for power, later ones solar arrays.
BTW, when I did a Google search for "MOL" I accidentally typed in mOL
and ended up here:https://tfas.mol.usmc.mil/SSO/DoDConsent.do
I did not go into that website. =-O
Should that really be on Google?
I'm going to drop them a email on that topic.

Pat

Yes the ladders go all the way down (3 levels). What's odd about the
ladders is that you can see where the took commerical grade aluminum
ladders and welded what looks like narrow guage angle iron at a 45
degree angle from the deck up to the ladders and put the whole thing
together with not the cleanest welds. Its not like there is flight
gear on these decks but it certianly does does not look like an empty
Titan tankage. Although not being all that familiar with what an
active Titan booster has running under its skin some of the wires may
be from the standard architecture but much of it looks to "fragile" to
be in an ICBM. The Titan model that MOL body was based on I would
assume was to be hypergolic and not LOX.....Doc
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: MOL footage in "Man in Space"
    ... The capsule was suborbital but the MOL mock-up went into orbit ... The MOL mock-up carried external markings to let us try out the capabilities of our ground-based optical systems to pick up detail on a orbiting object. ... Additionally the piggybacked "satellites" resembled black B17 ...
    (sci.space.history)
  • Re: MOL footage in "Man in Space"
    ... it reached orbit? ... I'd always pictured it as basically a empty cylinder just ballasted to ... The MOL mock-up carried external markings to let us try out the ... Yes the ladders go all the way down. ...
    (sci.space.history)