Author Topic: Possible Ed White quotation  (Read 16928 times)

Offline gdcwork

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Possible Ed White quotation
« on: May 25, 2012, 07:30:12 PM »
I hope this is okay for me to ask this question here.  I have a recollection from the first EVA but I cannot find any trace of it via Google, so I thought I would ask some space-interested people.  What I remember is that when Astronaut White was asked how he was doing while on the first spacewalk, he responded to the effect of "happy, hungry, horny, and all those good things."  I also recall that he didn't seem to want to come back into the vehicle when first asked to.  Can anyone direct me to any documentation that would verify or disprove either of these two recollections?  Thanks.

Offline ChrLz

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Re: Possible Ed White quotation
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2012, 12:41:18 AM »
Gene Cernan, Apollo 10, I think - check here from the old board...

http://apollohoax.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=gotopost&board=apollo&thread=1221&post=69871

Offline LunarOrbit

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Re: Possible Ed White quotation
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2012, 10:48:30 AM »
I also recall that he didn't seem to want to come back into the vehicle when first asked to.

I have heard that Ed White was a little bit slow returning to the capsule at the end of his spacewalk, but I think it has been exaggerated over the years.

From NASA:

Quote
Ed's final view during his space walk was of the state of Florida. "I could see all the lower part of the state, the island chain of Cuba and Puerto Rico." (39) All too soon, the flight director ordered White back inside Gemini 4 and America's first walk in space came to a close. No one was sorrier to see it end than Ed White. "It's the saddest moment of my life," (40) he commented as he slowly maneuvered his way back. Without the benefit of the self propulsion unit, Ed needed extra time to return to the hatch. Some contended that the delay was an indication that he had suffered from a kind of narcosis of the deep or euphoria. However, Ed insisted that this was not the case. "I can say in all sincerity and honesty that I enjoyed the EVA very much, and I was sorry to see it draw to a close, and I was indeed reluctant to come in. But when the word came that the EVA phase was over, I knew it was time to come in and I did. There was no euphoria, but getting back into the cabin took just as much time as getting out; I had to do the same things, only in reverse order, handing my gear in to Jim, and so on." (41) White had achieved his goal of becoming the first man to propel himself in space. In addition, his space walk had lasted twice as long as Leonov's ten minute excursion. Ed had felt many things during those twenty minutes, but "the biggest thing was a feeling of accomplishment".
« Last Edit: May 26, 2012, 10:53:35 AM by LunarOrbit »
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Offline slang

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Re: Possible Ed White quotation
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2012, 03:05:06 PM »
Gene Cernan, Apollo 10, I think - check here from the old board...

http://apollohoax.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=gotopost&board=apollo&thread=1221&post=69871

From that page:

Quote
The photographs of the lunar surface continued, and preparations were made for a return to Earth. On the 26th orbit, after the spacecraft had passed behind the Moon, Apollo 10 came back with an interesting report. They saw a star they couldn't identify. They then realised it was in orbit with them. Eventually, they passed close enough to see it through sextant monocular and saw... the descent stage of Snoopy, left behind after staging. It would eventually crash into the lunar surface, but for the moment it was in orbit around the Moon.

Wait... what!? But I thought these astronauts were exceptionally well trained in observing, and would never misidentify some known object!

Offline gdcwork

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Re: Possible Ed White quotation
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2012, 04:46:07 PM »
Thank you for the prompt and germane replies; that is what I was after.

Offline ka9q

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Re: Possible Ed White quotation
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2012, 08:27:41 PM »
Wait... what!? But I thought these astronauts were exceptionally well trained in observing, and would never misidentify some known object!
Even the best-trained observers sometimes make mistakes. Look at all the people who see the planet Venus and are at least momentarily fooled into thinking they're seeing a UFO follow them.

This has happened to many who certainly should have known better; there's a story about it happening to some of the scientists on the Manhattan Project shortly before the test detonation in New Mexico.


Offline gdcwork

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Re: Possible Ed White quotation
« Reply #6 on: May 27, 2012, 12:20:18 AM »
OP again.  The questions I asked were based on my recollections at the time, not lore that grew up over the years.  Granted that I apparently had attributed one quotation wrong (to White rather than Cernan).  As to the question of whether the slowness of the astronaut's return to the vehicle was exaggerated, I do recall (not precisely, of course) the conversation as it was broadcast soon after the fact, and it was clear that he was resisting (perhaps playfully) the order to return to the vehicle and had to be told at least one additional time.  Printed science fiction of the day had previously speculated on a potential malady such as "spacing out" and such sf terms were applied by a few commentators to the apparent reluctance to terminate the space walk.