Apollo Crew qualifications

[pharoah0110]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum to ask this, but here goes anyways.

I've tried searching various archives and NASA documents, but haven't been able to find anything pointing to how the administration went about deciding who would fly as pilot, right-seater, and CSM pilot on the Apollo missions.

I realize it's a little silly, but sometimes curiosity gets the best of me. I can only guess that the Mission Commander would have the most elaborate flight experience, as well as experience with previous Gemini or Apollo missions, but there's not much out there to tell me if it was one's qualifications...or just a simple coin-toss.

If anyone could point me in the right direction, or enlighten from personal knowledge it would be appreciated.

Happy Orbiting, and Cheers!!

 

[Tycho]

Generally, the individual astronauts are chosen for specific positions based on their strengths in the simulator. Commanders cannot be rookies and I believe that the CMP position required rendezvous experience on a previous mission, leaving the least-experienced crew member to the position of LMP. It was possible for LMP's and CMP's to rotate up to command their own crew.

Happy orbiting to you as well!

 

[Southwell]

Shepard was barely not a rookie, his apollo 14 flight was his 2nd flight after his mercury flight. He had not flown in over 8 years and was out of the simulators for about as long as that. Not talking him down but I dont know if experiance was neccessary to be commander

 

[Tschachim]

I've tried searching various archives and NASA documents, but haven't been able to find anything pointing to how the administration went about deciding who would fly as pilot, right-seater, and CSM pilot on the Apollo missions.

Not "the administration", but Deke Slayton.

Some discussion about that is here: http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=17576.0, you also might want to take a look at his book "Deke!": http://www.amazon.com/Deke-Manned-S...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277981542&sr=1-1

Cheers
Tschachim

 

[Tycho]

If you read any of the autobiographies of the Apollo astronauts, chances are they will brief you on the selection process.

Shepard was barely not a rookie, his apollo 14 flight was his 2nd flight after his mercury flight. He had not flown in over 8 years and was out of the simulators for about as long as that. Not talking him down but I dont know if experiance was neccessary to be commander

And you make a very valid point, there were people, namely other astronauts, who questioned his assignment after returning to flight status after eight years.

 

[Southwell]

I think a big part in Deke giving Shepard the commanders position was the fact that he himself could not fly (at the time) and knew exactly how **** it was for them, so as soon as Shepard was passed by flight surgeons Deke put him at the top of the rotation. But I think I am being too harsh on him he well deserved to fly again, especially walk on the moon.

You guys ever seen 'From the Earth to the Moon' its an HBO short series??? very good to watch i recommend it highly. It goes into alot of stuff in the apollo, gemini and mercury program that alot of people don;t know of