LIBERTY BELL 7, piloted by Virgil I "GUS" Grissom, completed a suborbital hop on July 21, 1961. The apparently successful mission almost ended in disaster when after splashdown in the Atlantic the spacecraft hatch blew off The Spacecraft named LIBERTY BELL 7 by Grissom filled with water and sank to bottom of Atlantic, some 16,000 ft below,
Grissom's reputation has suffered for almost 60 years as media and even some in NASA blamed him for panicking and prematurely blowing hatch
Watching TV last night had a story concerning Grissom near fatal mission and uncovering new evidence why the hatch blew.
LIBERTY BELL 7 was recovered in 1999, some 38 years after it sank. It now resides in a Kansas museum
For 69 years people have speculated why the hatch suddenly blew off, Now the mystery has apparently been solved - A space researcher reviewing reports from the recovery helicopter, HUNT CLUB 1, found report by pilots mentioning seeing an arc as helicopter connected host to capsule
Grissom had just removed the safety and armed the explosive hatch in preparation for egress when it unexpectedly blew and capsule filled with water. Grissom had to quickly swim for his life almost drowning from th prop wash of the helicopters which kept pushing him underwater
The helicopter was forced to cut capsule loose and watch it sink. The researchers believe that the arc, an electro static discharge fired the explosive hatch / Had Grissom manually blown the hatch, would have required considerable pressure on firing plunger leaving deep bruises and lacerations as what happed to Wally Schirra a year on SIGMA 7
Grissom had no injuries to his hands as what would had resulted had manually fired the hatch.
Navy and Coast Guard pilots know that the rapidly whirling rotor blades can generate a considerable electro static charge .
The pilot reporting seeing an arc as the helicopter hooked the capsule up to the hoist.
The electrostatic discharge was apparently sufficient to fire the explosive hatch
Grissom recitation has been restored after being blemished for nearly 60 years
Grissom's reputation has suffered for almost 60 years as media and even some in NASA blamed him for panicking and prematurely blowing hatch
Watching TV last night had a story concerning Grissom near fatal mission and uncovering new evidence why the hatch blew.
LIBERTY BELL 7 was recovered in 1999, some 38 years after it sank. It now resides in a Kansas museum
For 69 years people have speculated why the hatch suddenly blew off, Now the mystery has apparently been solved - A space researcher reviewing reports from the recovery helicopter, HUNT CLUB 1, found report by pilots mentioning seeing an arc as helicopter connected host to capsule
Grissom had just removed the safety and armed the explosive hatch in preparation for egress when it unexpectedly blew and capsule filled with water. Grissom had to quickly swim for his life almost drowning from th prop wash of the helicopters which kept pushing him underwater
The helicopter was forced to cut capsule loose and watch it sink. The researchers believe that the arc, an electro static discharge fired the explosive hatch / Had Grissom manually blown the hatch, would have required considerable pressure on firing plunger leaving deep bruises and lacerations as what happed to Wally Schirra a year on SIGMA 7
Grissom had no injuries to his hands as what would had resulted had manually fired the hatch.
Navy and Coast Guard pilots know that the rapidly whirling rotor blades can generate a considerable electro static charge .
The pilot reporting seeing an arc as the helicopter hooked the capsule up to the hoist.
The electrostatic discharge was apparently sufficient to fire the explosive hatch
Grissom recitation has been restored after being blemished for nearly 60 years
