Spacewalk by Carl R. Green

Author:Carl R. Green [Holden, Henry M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4645-0983-4
Publisher: Enslow Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2013-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

Life in Orbit

After a short rest, the Gemini 4 astronauts settled into a regular routine. Both men wore their G4C space suits throughout the mission. The suits protected the astronauts from radiation from the sun, as well as sudden changes in cabin temperature and pressure. With the cabin temperature holding at 75°F (24°C), McDivitt said he felt fine. White’s suit, with its extra EVA layer, kept him a bit too warm. Six hours into the flight, both men complained of a strong odor that made their eyes burn. Mission Control guessed that the climate-control system was releasing the fumes. Later, the astronauts grumbled about their radio headsets. The lightweight headsets worked well enough—except when they floated off their heads at odd moments.3

On shorter flights, astronauts had shown some loss of muscle strength. Worried that the loss might be greater on a longer mission, doctors added a workout program for Gemini 4. The exerciser was a bungee cord with a handle at one end and a foot strap at the other. Nothing else would have worked in the tiny cabin. When the astronauts exercised, data flowed back to Houston from sensors embedded in their suits. The sensors kept track of pulse rates, blood pressure, and other vital signs. By the two-day mark, both men told CapCom they had lost interest in their workouts. They were more faithful in doing the stretching routines that relieved cramped leg and back muscles.4

For this first four-day flight, sleep and meal breaks had been added to the schedule. The plan was for one man to sleep while the other carried on his duties. But when put to the test, the sleep schedule failed on all counts. Each time the on-duty astronaut moved, he disturbed the sleeper. To make matters worse, the cabin was anything but quiet. The radio crackled, thrusters fired with a whoosh, and power circuits hummed and buzzed. On later Gemini missions, the astronauts slept and ate at the same time.5

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