PA/Manager, Apollo Spacecraft Program OfficeJUN 14 196868-PA-T-125APA/Chief, Apollo Data Priority CoordinationApollo Crew Safety Review – Action Item No. 12
This memo is in reply to PA/GA-M172, dated May 13, 1968, in which you requested that I evaluate action item No. 12 and submit recommendations for review and implementation. Specifically, the item was:
“An evaluation of the acceptability of pre-retro fire procedures considering eliminating any excess crew activity just prior to retro fire.”
I have discussed this item with the Chairman of the Apollo Crew Safety Review Board, Mr. John D. Hodge, on several occasions and it is my under- standing that they no longer consider this an area of concern. In fact, Mr. Hodge informs me that they deleted this action item prior to their presentation to General Phillips on May 28. The specific thing they were concerted about was that crew procedures required one of the crew to be in the lower equipment bay shortly before retrofire for final IMU alignment and spacecraft attitude checks. This activity is not mandatory and is left to the spacecraft Commander's discretion as to what will be done. It is anticipated that substantial experience will be available to the crew prior to the retrofire maneuver, which will permit them to determine time required for crew movement and task completion. If there is any question at all of running out of time, the activity will, of course, be deleted or terminated. This has been discussed with those responsible for developing crew procedures as well as the “C” mission flight controllers and I believe is understood by all.