Question Apollo Program & EVA : would a "dual-EVA" have been plausible ?

[N_Molson]

Hello, :tiphat:

Someone asked me, so I wanted to be sure. Was it possible for the Apollo crew to have 2 astronauts performing an EVA in the same time while in Earth Orbit ? Especially before Skylab experience, in the context of lunar expeditions flight-tests in Earth Orbit (like Apollo 7 or 9).

That was'nt performed by NASA, and in my opinion it is a really dangerous and unrealistic idea. The advantage of having only one astronaut in EVA is that he can be rescued by another crewmember, should he encounter a serious problem. But I don't imagine the last CSM member letting all the systems manage themselves, and trying to help out the two others if they are both EVAing at the same time and experience the same difficulites.

In that case, I think that his best chance would be to detach the life lines, repressurize and try to reenter alone. This is of course an horrible situation, that nobody wanted to happen.

Just curious to have your opinion on the level of safety of such a "dual EVA".

 

[C3PO]

It's unlikely that both EVA's would simultaneously encounter problems that prevented them entering the craft.

Also, didn't Apollo era EVA suits use umbilicals?

---------- Post added at 12:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:50 AM ----------

This is a Skylab EVA.

It looks the same as the Lunar EVA suit without the backpack.

 

[Hlynkacg]

---------- Post added at 12:59 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:50 AM ----------

[/COLOR]This is a Skylab EVA.

It looks the same as the Lunar EVA suit without the backpack.

It is the same. The Apollo PLSS (Portable Life Support System) simply plugged into the standard A7 umbilical connectors.

As for dual-man EVA's...

Apollos 9, 15, 16, and 17 all featured multi-man EVAs.

Apollo 9's was a test of the afore mention PLSS backpack with Schweickart wearing the pack and Scott on an umbilical, standing by to render assistance.

Photo of Schweickart taken by Scott.

NOTE: This shot also gives ypu a good view of how the PLSS's supply and relief hoses plug into the suit's umbilical ports.

Apollos 15 16 and 17 all required EVA's to retrieve film from the SM's SIM bay. To do this one crewmember would spacewalk to the aft end of the SM to retrive the film while another positioned him self on the transition section.

They would then pass the film canisters "bucket-brigade style" to the CMP who would be waiting in the open hatch.

Photo of Apollo 16's "Deep Space" EVA

 

[boogabooga]

Yes, if you count a stand-up EVA.

In fact, that was Apollo 9.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_9#EVA

Edit:
:ninja:d

 

[4throck]

Wikimedia has good copies of those images such as:

Look in http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Apollo_extra-vehicular_activity

For this type of things, high resolution images are helpful to identify hardware and how it was used.