Space Spies - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

ObieX · 06-02-2005, 06:15 PM

LOL i was visiting www.nasa.gov as i do on a some-what regular basis (i like to look at what the rovers are doing.. and cassini.. and the sun projects.. and well.. im interested in pretty much anything about space) and i noticed this interesting article.

http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/fea...pacesuits.html

Quote:

Suits for Space Spies

06.02.05

Space suit found at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station A recent venture into a long-locked room at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida uncovered interesting artifacts of a by-gone era: retired spacesuits from Americans who trained in the 1960s to be space spies.

Two security officers were doing a check of a facility known as the Launch Complex 5/6 museum. NASA Special Agent Dann E. Oakland and Security Manager Henry Butler, of the company that oversees the museum, Delaware North Parks and Resorts, discovered a locked room -- and they had no key.

They eventually were able to unlock the door using a master key. With no power, the room had evidently not been accessed by people in many years. The officers used flashlights to explore the room and make their noteworthy find.

But Oakland and Butler weren't the first visitors. Rodents had clearly explored the room over the years. Still, two blue spacesuits were "complete and in remarkable shape," according to the suits' manufacturer, who examined them.

Investigators started looking into who owned the spacesuits. A NASA technician initially thought they were training suits from the end of the Gemini or beginning of the Apollo space programs. The manufacturer, however, determined that they were MH-7 training suits from a short-lived Cold War-era military program to put a manned reconnaissance station in space.

Begun in 1964, the Manned Orbiting Laboratory program was an Air Force initiative that would have sent Air Force astronauts to a space station in a Gemini capsule. After spending a few weeks in orbit, the crew would undock and return to Earth. The Air Force abandoned the program in 1969, but the program produced a great deal of technological development, and three groups of military officers trained to be MOL astronauts.

The spacesuit with identifying number 008 had the name "LAWYER" on the left sleeve. The suit was traced to Lt. Col. Richard E. Lawyer, a member of the first group recruited to be MOL astronauts in 1965. Records show that official ownership of this suit was transferred by NASA to the Smithsonian Institution in 1983. The suit itself has now been returned to the Smithsonian.

No records were found for the other suit, with the intriguing identifying number 007. It still belongs to NASA, and the agency's plans for the suit are still being determined.

Other historical treasures found in the room include old film canisters, one flown shuttle main landing tire, electrical equipment, and various miscellaneous boxes.

The MOL program left other legacies to NASA, as well. When the program was cancelled, seven of the younger astronauts were transferred to the agency's human space flight program and went on to have standout careers. Among them were Robert Crippen, pilot of the first Space Shuttle mission, and Richard H. "Dick" Truly, who later became NASA Administrator.

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Image left: Spacesuits from the Air Force's planned Manned Orbiting Laboratory program (top) were found in a locked room at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (bottom). Credit: NASA/Dann Oakland

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Image above: A 1960 conceptual drawing of the Manned Orbitng Laboratory. Click for larger image. Credit: NASA

Kinda makes you wonder what other stuff we were cooking up back then. What kinda stuff is still going on?..

ObieX · 06-03-2005, 05:54 AM

Hmm.. didnt notice this earlier. But an odd thing in the large picture. Granted it is just an artist's conception but i notied that little capsule to the left of the station seems to be firing something (missiles?) into what appears to be a hurricane off the southern coast of florida. They sure had some strange ideas back then.

eh?

macmanmike6100 · 06-03-2005, 12:28 PM

re: the capsule going into the hurricane...could it be a reference to the idea of "weather modification" and implanting hurricanes with various things (over the years) to make them disintegrate?

Zeraph · 06-03-2005, 12:32 PM

Our government (and most others who have the budget) have tried and looked into nearly every crazy idea one can imagine. Of course, very few pan out, but it makes you wonder what might have been so successful we still havnt heard of it.

archer2371 · 06-03-2005, 11:30 PM

Space spies are still up there, it's just that they're mechanical and not human. If satellites could read the license plate of a car from space in the 70s, think what they can do now.

06-03-2005, 05:54 AM	#2 (permalink)
ObieX Pickles Location: Shirt and Pants (NJ)	Hmm.. didnt notice this earlier. But an odd thing in the large picture. Granted it is just an artist's conception but i notied that little capsule to the left of the station seems to be firing something (missiles?) into what appears to be a hurricane off the southern coast of florida. They sure had some strange ideas back then. eh? __________________ We Must Dissent.

06-03-2005, 11:30 PM	#5 (permalink)
archer2371 Sarge of Blood Gulch Red Outpost Number One Location: On the front lines against our very enemy	Space spies are still up there, it's just that they're mechanical and not human. If satellites could read the license plate of a car from space in the 70s, think what they can do now. __________________ "This ain't no Ice Cream Social!" "Hey Grif, Chupathingy...how bout that? I like it...got a ring to it." "I have no earthly idea what it is I just saw, or what this place is, or where in the hell O'Malley is! My only choice is to blame Grif for coming up with such a flawed plan. Stupid, stupid Grif."

06-03-2005, 12:28 PM	#3 (permalink)
macmanmike6100 High Honorary Junkie Location: Tri-state.	re: the capsule going into the hurricane...could it be a reference to the idea of "weather modification" and implanting hurricanes with various things (over the years) to make them disintegrate?

06-03-2005, 12:32 PM	#4 (permalink)
Zeraph Banned Location: The Cosmos	Our government (and most others who have the budget) have tried and looked into nearly every crazy idea one can imagine. Of course, very few pan out, but it makes you wonder what might have been so successful we still havnt heard of it.