Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!snorkelwacker!apple!uokmax!jabishop From: jabishop@uokmax.uucp (Jonathan A Bishop) Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle Subject: Re: Lost Apollo 12? Message-ID: <1990Sep7.155605.5367@uokmax.uucp> Date: 7 Sep 90 15:56:05 GMT References: Distribution: sci.space.shuttle Organization: Engineering Computer Network, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK Lines: 25 arnaud@schizo.imposter.samsung.com (Alain Arnaud) writes: > This morning on NPR's Morning Edition, James Beggs, former NASA > administrator was talking about the latest shuttle problems (H leaks), > and compared the shuttle program to Apollo. He said that they almost > lost Apollo 12, and then the explosion on Apollo 13. > What did he mean by almost lost Apollo 12, I don't seem to remember > any incident related to that flight. > No need to flood the net with Apollo 13 details. Apollo 12 was launched during a thunderstorm at night. About 30 sec. after liftoff, it was hit by lightning. Just about everything was affected by the power surge. (I'm not sure if its true or not, but I've heard that the ions in the exhaust trail grounded the stack, enhancing the damage.) Pete Conrad had his hand on the abort handle but was understandably reluctant to abort the mission. Earlier, he had made a comment about the Navy being glad to do the all-weather testing on the vehicle. He probably regretted it. Fortunately, as we know, the mission was continued successfully. -- jabishop@uokmax.ecn.uoknor.edu "I'm President of the United States and I'm NOT going to eat any more broccoli!" -- George Bush