Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!emx.utexas.edu!clyde From: clyde@emx.utexas.edu (Clyde W. Hoover) Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle Subject: Re: Lost Apollo 12? Keywords: What happens when you fly into thunderheads? Message-ID: <36975@ut-emx> Date: 7 Sep 90 14:48:32 GMT References: Sender: news@ut-emx Reply-To: clyde@emx.utexas.edu Distribution: sci.space.shuttle Organization: Moose and Squirrel Software, Inc. Lines: 24 In article , 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 struck by lightning at least 3 times within the first 30 seconds of flight. A 365-foot metal spike with a nice ground "wire" of ionized gas makes a great lightning rod. Most of the breakers in the Command Module tripped, and there was fear that the guidance system was fried. No damage was done to the vechile, but NASA tightened their launch rules after that. Shouter-To-Dead-Parrots @ Univ. of Texas Computation Center; Austin, Texas clyde@emx.utexas.edu; ...!cs.utexas.edu!ut-emx!clyde Tip #268: Don't feel insecure or inferior! Remember, you're ORGANIC!! You could win an argument with almost any rock!