I know many changes were made to the CSM after Apollo 13, but here's one I am pondering: Did they make a change to the CO2 canisters so they would be interchangeable (after having to scramble to make the CM canisters work in the LM)? Or did they keep it the same and design a ready-made adapter for this purpose maybe??
2007-08-11 09:02:40 · 7 answers · asked by Baron_von_Party 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
I don't know the answer but I understand your question.
To help out others who may know, may I expand on your question by mentioning that the "canisters" you are referring to are the lithium hydroxide CO2 scrubbers.
I'd like to know this answer too! I wonder what was done ... I sort of doubt that new, interchangeable canisters were designed, built and certified in time for Apollo 14 (or, for that matter, even before the Apollo program ended)
2007-08-11 09:40:46 · answer #1 · answered by Delta V 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, they did not redesign the lithium hydroxide canisters. That would have necessitated a total redesign of the air purification system, and would have been solving the wrong problem.
The redesign they did carry out was effectively a simple case of moving the oxygen tanks to opposite sides of the service module and adapting the feedlines so that the loss of one tank would not damage the other. On Apollo 13 the explosion of one oxygen tank had damaged the feedlines from the other and allowed it to lose its oxygen to space as well. The oxygen on Apollo not only provided the atmosphere in the capsule it also provided one of the reactants for the fuel cells. These fuel cells combined oxygen and hydrogen to produce water and electricity. When the Apollo 13 CSM lost all its oxygen it also lost the ability to provide its own power. All it had left was the battery, and that would be needed for re-entry, when the service module was cut loose. For that reason it had to be powered down entirely, including the air purification system. The LM air circulation system was then the only system keeping the carbon dioxide levels down.
The idea was that the redesign used from Apollo 14 onwards would prevent the total loss of CSM oxygen that necessitated the shutdown on Apollo 13. If the command module can be kept at least partially operational than the air filtration system can be kept on, so there is no need to jury-rig the LM system to take CSM LiOH canisters.
2007-08-11 12:29:27 · answer #2 · answered by Jason T 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I also wonder if they ever changed the design. You can check the reference, nice pictures of CSM and LM canisters. Also there is a picture of the adapted CSM one used in Apollo 13.
2007-08-11 09:57:11 · answer #3 · answered by Romulo R 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I own an un-flown but flight ready lithium hydroxide scrubber sealed and dated 20th April 1972, four days after the launch of Apollo 16.
It is identical to those used on 13 and weighs around 4kg.
In general fifteen of these scrubbers were carried on each mission, two in use at any given time, and were on the check lists as a daily change item.
2007-08-12 12:08:11 · answer #4 · answered by mike r 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think they changed the design at all.
2007-08-11 16:40:47 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
? ?
2007-08-11 09:05:28 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
I'm almost positive they DID change them to be interchangeable. That would have really made NASA look stupid to have the same thing happen again! At least they knew what to do if it did happen again - get the cardboard and the plastic and the tape, etc!
2007-08-11 10:09:40 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
They did redesign the oxy tank...
2007-08-11 12:15:57 · answer #8 · answered by Holden 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think they made them interchangeble
2007-08-11 11:46:16 · answer #9 · answered by hkyboy96 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋