Carpenter was the first astronaut I ever met. His calm demeanor made an impression on me. He also tested an electric "shark repeller," which he reported "agitated sharks in both the on and off conditions." He got into the shark testing because he admitted that they scared him and he wanted to confront his fears directly.
A great tribute. I have a copy of We Seven, a compiled version of the personal stories originally published in Life Magazine that my aunt gave me when I was a boy.
I always thought that astronauts were picked from a pool of jet jockeys. Carpenter started off flying PB4Y-2's and P-2's, multi-engine prop patrol planes. He must have been radiating the Right Stuff to get selected.
Yeah, the early guys had to be test pilots. Still, I figured they were all doing it going higher and faster (like the F-104 jocks or Neil Armstrong in the X-15), not lower and slower in the prop planes. Picking a guy that was flying lower/slower prop planes tells me that the system was actually merit-based.
I read a book written by an airline pilot. In the early 1960s, he started in prop airliners. He loved moving to jets in the early 70s because they were so much easier to fly. There were so many more things that you had to watch in the prop planes, the prop engines had to be babied all the time and there were a lot more things that would get you in trouble. For pre-flight, the prop planes had 10 times the number of checklist steps just to get you to engine start than the jetliners.
My dad joined the USAAF in 1939 as a clerk. In 1943 he went to flight school. Being just a high school graduate he stayed in props until 1959. That's the year they tried to transition him in to helicopters. He was 38 years old and not keen on flying a helo which dad said were pretty intense and demanding (both feet, both hands, thumbs and a big toe?). Pretty sure his asking for something else kiboshed his chances to be an astronaut. They put him in the Jupiter-C program. He retired in 1961, stayed with the Jupiter-C for a while and then the Saturn V.
Jim Lovell (Gemini VII, Commander of Gemini XII, Command Module Pilot on Apollo 8 and Commander of Apollo 13) was a fighter pilot but his experience as a test pilot was in electronic test. Not sexy and not what test pilots wanted but that's what he did and went on to make history. Gene Cernan flew FJ-4s and A-4s before fight test, so he was an attack guy, not a fighter pilot. So yeah, selection was merit based.
Thanks to John Glenn's second spaceflight Scott Carpenter holds a NASA spaceflight record. He is the US Astronaut who actually flew in space that spent the least amount of time in space. (The two suborbital mission astronauts each flew an orbital mission.) Glenn's three orbits were one minute shorter than Carpenter's. But his Shuttle mission blew him well past Carpenter.
Carpenter was busy sightseeing and used up his RCS fuel in the process. He didn't do what the Flight Director told him, and the Flight Directors are - as the title implies - in charge. Not the astronaut. That was reason enough for Carpenter to be grounded. Following orders, procedures and the flight plan is one big reason why we've had so much success in spaceflight.
As for Chris Kraft, he was instrumental in developing the manned spaceflight program. He was the father of the Mission Control Center and was NASA's first Flight Director. Prior to his work in spaceflight, he did important work for NACA as an aerodynamicist. Prior to that during World War II, he tried to join the Navy as an aviation cadet but was medically rejected. So...not physically fit to fly in combat OR space.
Kraft was a very accomplished man, a true 'steely-eyed missile man' if there ever was one and someone who should not be dissed.
I met Scott some years later at a Naval Aviation Museum function in Pensacola FL. He was a great guy and a pleasure to be around.
Right Stuff. full stop.
Carpenter was the first astronaut I ever met. His calm demeanor made an impression on me. He also tested an electric "shark repeller," which he reported "agitated sharks in both the on and off conditions." He got into the shark testing because he admitted that they scared him and he wanted to confront his fears directly.
A great tribute. I have a copy of We Seven, a compiled version of the personal stories originally published in Life Magazine that my aunt gave me when I was a boy.
I also have this book, originally bought by my grandfather
Loved the "Right Stuff" even if not 100% accurate. But what still gives me chills is the launch scene from Apollo 13. Those guys had big brass ones.
another movie that wasn't 90% accurate, but captured the spirit and was a great movie
Commander Carpenter was a brave man, as was Mr. Gagarin. They actually boldly went, where no man had gone before.
Well done! Fullbore is always a gem and a great way to round out the work week!
I always thought that astronauts were picked from a pool of jet jockeys. Carpenter started off flying PB4Y-2's and P-2's, multi-engine prop patrol planes. He must have been radiating the Right Stuff to get selected.
likely it was the Test Pilot tour
Yeah, the early guys had to be test pilots. Still, I figured they were all doing it going higher and faster (like the F-104 jocks or Neil Armstrong in the X-15), not lower and slower in the prop planes. Picking a guy that was flying lower/slower prop planes tells me that the system was actually merit-based.
I read a book written by an airline pilot. In the early 1960s, he started in prop airliners. He loved moving to jets in the early 70s because they were so much easier to fly. There were so many more things that you had to watch in the prop planes, the prop engines had to be babied all the time and there were a lot more things that would get you in trouble. For pre-flight, the prop planes had 10 times the number of checklist steps just to get you to engine start than the jetliners.
My dad joined the USAAF in 1939 as a clerk. In 1943 he went to flight school. Being just a high school graduate he stayed in props until 1959. That's the year they tried to transition him in to helicopters. He was 38 years old and not keen on flying a helo which dad said were pretty intense and demanding (both feet, both hands, thumbs and a big toe?). Pretty sure his asking for something else kiboshed his chances to be an astronaut. They put him in the Jupiter-C program. He retired in 1961, stayed with the Jupiter-C for a while and then the Saturn V.
Jim Lovell (Gemini VII, Commander of Gemini XII, Command Module Pilot on Apollo 8 and Commander of Apollo 13) was a fighter pilot but his experience as a test pilot was in electronic test. Not sexy and not what test pilots wanted but that's what he did and went on to make history. Gene Cernan flew FJ-4s and A-4s before fight test, so he was an attack guy, not a fighter pilot. So yeah, selection was merit based.
He was the only one of the Seven not to come from jets
Thanks to John Glenn's second spaceflight Scott Carpenter holds a NASA spaceflight record. He is the US Astronaut who actually flew in space that spent the least amount of time in space. (The two suborbital mission astronauts each flew an orbital mission.) Glenn's three orbits were one minute shorter than Carpenter's. But his Shuttle mission blew him well past Carpenter.
A record briefly held by Nick Hague, who was on the Soyuz MS-10 when it aborted late in the boost phase. He later flew a successful mission
Fair winds and Following Seas!
Well remembered in Boulder CO where there is a park named after him.
Well...... I feel inadequate!
Often, wrt fbf
Mr. Contrarian here:
Carpenter was busy sightseeing and used up his RCS fuel in the process. He didn't do what the Flight Director told him, and the Flight Directors are - as the title implies - in charge. Not the astronaut. That was reason enough for Carpenter to be grounded. Following orders, procedures and the flight plan is one big reason why we've had so much success in spaceflight.
As for Chris Kraft, he was instrumental in developing the manned spaceflight program. He was the father of the Mission Control Center and was NASA's first Flight Director. Prior to his work in spaceflight, he did important work for NACA as an aerodynamicist. Prior to that during World War II, he tried to join the Navy as an aviation cadet but was medically rejected. So...not physically fit to fly in combat OR space.
Kraft was a very accomplished man, a true 'steely-eyed missile man' if there ever was one and someone who should not be dissed.
fair enough. I wonder if Billy Bob Thornton's character in the ludicrous yet entertaining Armageddon (1998) was knowingly based on Kraft to a degree.