MSC-07631 21. EMU systems

Cernan

PGA Fit and operations - The CDRs suit fit perfectly, including gloves.

Schmitt

The LMRs was an excellent fit.

Cernan

Doffing and donning were just as we expected. The CMP may update this, but as far as we're concerned, he had no gripes or qualms getting his suit on and off.

Schmitt

I think he will have some comments.

Evans

On item 21.0, EMU Systems, everything was normal with the exception of the CMPs prelaunch drink bag. Try and try as I might to get water out of it, I couldn't. After finally getting the suit off in the spacecraft, the drink bag in suit donning had somehow become stuck sideways underneath the neck ring bending the little rubber hose that we drew the water through. It did not allow any water to come through. The drink bag was filled, and it did not expand noticeably from any air that may have been in it. The problem was that it wasn't in vertically. It was kind of wedged in crossways around the neck ring. Everything else from the CMP suit worked adequately.

Cernan

Biomed instrumentation - I think to varying degrees of individuality that we all had sensor skin problems.

Schmitt

Yes, those are documented by the medics. Let me just say that I wore a set of connectors for the whole descent through ascent time frame, and when I took those off in the command module, the electrolyte from a couple had completely disappeared. It obviously reacted with the skin and left sort of a semiscab. It wasn't a bloody scab.

Cernan

The commander had that too. We both had that problem.

Schmitt

If you have the time to change them out each day, it's probably not a bad idea. We just didn't take that kind of time.

Cernan

The LCG operation was nominal. We doffed the LCGs after the EVAs, slept in CWGs, and donned them for the EVAs. It was a very comfortable mode of operation.

Schmitt

I really am surprised that other missions have slept in their LCGs. It just seems to me that this would have been very uncomfortable.

Cernan

Helmet operation - The CDR's was nominal.

Schmitt

The LMP's was fine.

Cernan

You had your visor stuck.

Schmitt

LEVA operation - I did have the sticky visor problem, and it was dust. We could force it closed, once we got it off. We tried once on the surface, and we couldn't get it closed.

Cernan

That was the hard Sun visor.

Lifevest - No comment; nominal. The gloves fit well and tight, and I don't have any gripes.

Shepard

Did you use the extra set?

Cernan

The extra set is brand new and sitting on the surface right outside the descent stage.

Neck seal - We had no problems sealing the LEVAs, helmets, or anything.

UTCA operation - The CDR used his at every opportunity. I always had a bagful.

Schmitt

I suggest that considerable thought be given to the size of condom that you pick. Mine was too small, and it inhibited the operation of the UCTA. It was a very uncomfortable situation on both EVAs, until I was able to force a urination. After the second one, I apparently popped a blood vessel. There was blood, but it disappeared after 24 hours.

Cernan

I ended up with an external scab during the lunar surface EVAs from the sweat, and the condom. It went away.

Shepard

Was it an abrasion problem?

Cernan

I think it was an abrasion problem. I could not have a larger one because I don't think it would serve the purpose. It was just a lot of work and a lot of walking, and that's all there was to it.

Schmitt

For the third EVA, I stretched the condom and it worked fine.

Cernan

The EMU maintenance kits were fine. We used them as required, as planned.

Schmitt

The drink bags were excellent.

Cernan

Let me say something about the drink bags. We rotated that nozzle 90 degrees. We said it would work in training. I didn't know that drink bag was there until I wanted to get a drink of water. It never interfered with the mikes. I wore it on descent to the surface, on the surface, and drained the bag on all three EVAs.

Ron's bag at launch was doubled up. He can talk about that. They just put it in wrong.

Schmitt

Before you leave the drink bag, there's something down here for the food stick. Neither Gene nor I used all our food stick. I think it was a good idea having it there.

Cernan

I used about half of mine most of the time.

Schmitt

I never felt an extreme desire to eat at all. Every once in a while, I would take a little chunk off of it.

Antifog was fine.

Cernan

There was no fog problem.

The PLSS PGA operations were again nominal as planned. Pressurization and ventilation were good. Liquid cooling was excellent. I never worked for any long duration in high cooling, with maybe one or two exceptions. And generally, I used high cooling only when I was hot and wanted a spurt of cold water. Probably 90 percent of the mission, I worked in medium cooling.

Schmitt

I never went to high, not once.

Cernan

Is that right?

Schmitt

I was in intermediate-intermediate, which is a little better than intermediate.

Cernan

Communications on the surface were good even before we got our antennas extended. I didn't notice any difference after the antennas were extended.

Schmitt

I did, just a little bit. It was a little less scratchy.

Cernan

Connectors and controls were good on the PLSS throughout the flight. They are the one thing that did not seem to get affected by the dust. They might have gotten a little stiffer, but I could not tell it.

The RCU was good. The RCU fit and operated well. We did not use the OPS.

Schmitt

Let me comment on mine. After the third EVA, we reset the regulator, and that's why we brought the CDR's PLSS back rather than the LMPs.

Cernan

I think Jack activated his OPS with the hose free for just a moment. I think that reset the regulator. Instead of regulating at 39, it then started regulating at 43.

---

Edits and errors by Eric Hartwell are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 license. The original NASA material is copyright-free.