Apollo Recovery Operational Procedures Manual

270 Pages·2000·10.29 MB·English

by  Travis Shelton

MSC-01856
REVISION C
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APOLLROEGOVERV
OPERATIONAL
,:o PROOEDURES
MANUAL
DEPARTMENTOF DEFENSE
MANNED SPACECRAFT RECOVERY FORCES
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_ATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACEADMINISTRATION
MANNED SPACECRAFT CENTER
LANDING AND RECOVERY DIVISION
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MSC-01856
REVISION C
APOLLO
RECOVERY OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES MANUAL
Prepared by: NASA-MSC Landing and Recovery Division
and
DOD Manned Spacecraft Recovery Forces
APPROVED BY:
S_iDire]toro_Ff_righiOp_rationsSjO_.rg_
NASA Manned Spacecraft Center
_:__.;on'__°nl_S^_
DOD Manager
Manned Space Flight Support Operations
Record of Publication
Revision C to the Apollo Recovery Operational Procedures Manual,
dated June 21, 1971, constitutes a reissuance of the manual. Sub-
sequent changes may be issued to maintain information current with
the recovery function. This record will reflect the published date
of any released changes.
Original Date: Change No. Change Dates
August 20, 1968 I September 20, 1968
2 October 1, 1968
3 November 25, 1968
Revision A
February 10, 1969 1 April 25, 1969
2 June 30, 1969
3 October 9, 1969
Revision B
March 16, 1970 1 December 1, 1970
Revision C June 21, 1971
CONTENTS
Section Paqe
1.0 GENERAL INFORMATION 1-1
1.1 SCOPE 1-1
1.2 RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZATIONS 1-1
1.3 APPROVAL AND DISTRIBUTION PROCEDURES 1-1
1.3.1 Approval of Chanqes 1-1
1.3.2 Distribution Control 1-3
1.4 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS 1-3
1.4.1 Documents Published by NASA-MSC
Landinq and Recovery Division 1-3
1.4.2 Documents Published by NASA Contractors 1-4
1.4.3 Documents Published by Department of
Defense 1-4
1.5 SPECIAL NOTATIONS 1-5
i.6 THE APOLLO PROGRAM 1-5
1.7 RECOVERY SUPPORT FOR MANNED SPACE FLIGHT
MISSIONS 1-8
1.8 DOD ORGANIZATION FOR RECOVERY 1-I0
1.9 NASA RECOVERY TEAM 1-11
1.9.1 General 1-11
1.9.2 Personnel Aboard Primary Recovery Ship 1-11
1.9.3 Personnel Aboard Secondary Recovery
Ships and Aircraft t-16
1.9.4 Personnel at Recovery Control Centers t-16
1.9.5 Landinq Safinq Team 1-17
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CONTENTS - Continued
Section Paqe
1.10 LANDING AREAS, RECOVERY ZONES, RECOVERY LINES
AND TARGET POINTS 1-18
1o10ol Landinq Areas 1-18
1o10.2 Recovery Zones 1-19
1.10.3 Recovery Lines 1-19
1o10.4 Earth Orbital Tarqet Points 1-19
1°11 APOLLO SPACE VEHICLE DESCRIPTION 1-21
1.11.1 Launch Vehicles 1-21
1.11o2 Spacecraft 1-24
1.11.3 Command Module Systems Information 1-30
2.0 COMMAND MODULE HAZARDS 2-1
2.1 PYROTECHNIC DEVICES 2-1
2.1.1 Hazardous Areas 2-1
2.1.2 Safety 2-1
2.2 RCS PROPELLANTS 2-7
2.2.1 Hazardous Areas 2-7
2.2.2 Propellant Characteristics and Effects 2-7
2_2.3 Safety 2-7
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CONTENTS - Continued
Section Page
3.0 PRIMARY_ SECONDARY_AND CONTINGENCY LANDING AREA
RECOVERY OPERATIONS 3-1
3.1 PRIMARY LANDING AREA 3-2
3,1.1 Helicopter Operations 3-3
3,1.2 UDT Procedures 3-22
3.1.3 Primary Recovery Ship Operations 3-61
3.1.4 ARRS Aircraft Operations 3-75
3.2 SECONDARY AND LAUNCH ABORT LANDING AREAS 3-76
3.2.1 Land-Based Air Search Operations 3-76
3.2.2 Pararescue Team Procedures 3-93
3.2.3 Secondary Recovery Ship Operations 3-100
3.3 CONTINGENCY LANDING AREA 3-129
3.3.1 Water Landinq 3-135
3.3.2 Land Landinq 4-1
4.0 LAUNCH SITE RECOVERY OPERATIONS 4-3
4,1. RECOVERY SEOUENCE 4-3
4.1,1 Command Module Location 4-8
4olo2 Flight Crew and CM Retrieval 4_9
4.1.3 Command Module Postretrieval Safinq 4-10
and Deactivation
4.1.4 Postretrievai Salvage Operations 4-10
4°2 HELICOPTER OPERATIONS
4.2.1 Personnel and Equipment
iv
CONTENTS - Continued
Section Paqe
4.2.2 Helicopter/Tanker Deployment 4-10
4.2.3 Deployment of Pararescuemen, Fire
Fiqhters and Equipment 4-li
4.2.4 Summary Report 4-16
4.3 PERSONNEL PROCEDURES 4-17
4.3.1 Special Equipment 4-17
4.3.2 Safety Precautions 4-17
4.3.3 In-Water Procedures 4-17
4.3.4 Land Procedures 4-20
4.3.5 Summary Report 4-37
4.4 LCU OPERATIONS 4-38
4.4.1 Vessel Description 4-38
4.4.2 Personnel and Equipment 4-38
4.4.3 Safety Precautions 4-40
4.4.4 Retrieval Procedures 4-40
4.5 SALVAGE OPERATIONS 4-41
4.5.1 LCU Salvage Personnel and Equipment 4-41
4.5.2 Backup Salvaqe Vessels 4-41
4.5.3 U.S. Coast Guard Cutters 4-42
4.5.4 Safety Precautions 4-42
4.5.5 Salvaqe Procedures 4-42
4.6 PRE-LAUNCH LAUNCH SITE LANDING PREDICTIONS 4-43
CONTENTS - Continued
Section Pa_e
4.7 LAUNCH SITE RECOVERY COMMUNICATIONS 4-43
4.8 MAN-RATED CARGO HOOK SYSTEM CHECK-OUT PROCEDURES 4-45
5.0 TRAINING AND SIMULATIONS 5-1
5.1 TRAINING 5-1
5.1.1 General 5-1
5.1.2 Special Equipment 5-I
5.1.3 Types of Trainin 9 5-5
5.1.4 Trainin_ Standards 5-8
5.2 SIMULATIONS 5-8
5,2.1 General 5-8
5.2.2 Guidelines 5-8
5.2.3 Recovery Vehicle Posture for
Simulations 5-9
5.2.4 Special Recovery Force Simulations 5-10
5.3 RECOMMENDED SIMULATIONS 5-10
5.3.1 Launch Site 5- 0
5.3.2 Secondary Recovery Ship/HC-130 5- 0
5.3.3 Primary Recovery Ship 5- 1
5.3.4 RCC and Sub-RCC 5_ 1
6.0 PREPARATION OF RECOVERY FORCE REPORTS 6-
6.1 CALL SIGNS 6-
6.2 DATA PRIORITY 6-
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CONTENTS - Concluded
Section Page
6.3 REPORTS ORIGINATED IN THE MCC 6-2
6.3.1 LAUNCH REPORT (VOICE) 6-2
6.3.2 GROUND TRACK UPDATE (VOICE/TELETYPE) 6-3
6.3.3 TARGET POINT UPDATE (VOICE/TELETYPE) 6-3
6.3.4 TRANSLUNAR ABORT SUMMARY (VOICE/TELETYPE) 6-4
6.3.5 ENTRY SEQUENCE REPORT (VOICE/TELETYPE) 6-5
6.3.6 AIRCRAFT POSITION UPDATE (VOICE/TELETYPE) 6-6
6.3.7 DATUM REPORT (VOICE/TELETYPE) 6-7
6.4 REPORTS ORIGINATED BY THE RECOVERY UNIT 6-8
6.4.1 DEPARTURE REPORT (VOICE/TELETYPE) 6-8
6.4.2 ARRIVAL REPORT (VOICE/TELETYPE) 6-9
6.4.3 SHIP APOLLO WEATHER REPORT (VOICE/
TELETYPE) 6-10
6.4.4 S-BAND ANNOUNCEMENT (VOICE) 6-11
6.4.5 RECOVERY BEACON ANNOUNCEMENT (VOICE) 6-11
6.4.6 CONTACT REPORT (VOICE) 6-11
6.4.7 SUMMARY REPORTS (TELETYPE) 6-12
7.0 CITED REFERENCES 7-1
8.0 DISTRIBUTION LIST 8-1
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