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  • 1.  Memories and Safety Lessons learned of an Apollo Electrical Engineer.

    Posted 08 May, 2020 14:37

    This message is on behalf of the author Gary Johnson: 

    You can download for free my article in the Journal of Space Safety Engineering, Memories and Safety Lessons learned of an Apollo Electrical Engineer. I would like to hear what you think of the article. This month it has been 50 years since Apollo 13, this articles covers my involvement during Apollo 13.

    You can use this link:
    https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1apP2_u8jxCpSn

    Take care and keep safe,

    Gary



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    Svetlana Hanson
    sr. software engineer
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  • 2.  RE: Memories and Safety Lessons learned of an Apollo Electrical Engineer.

    Posted 11 May, 2020 15:52
    This message is for Gary Johnson:  Sorry I could not attend the AIAA meeting last Saturday.  I wanted to explain to you that there were many investigations with respect to the Apollo 13 (1970) Oxygen Tank Explosion.  I investigated many years later, after the Apollo program was over one of the vendors that supplied the heater/fan assembly.  The issue was the wiring insulation was applied via low voltage 'continuity test', a proprietary process (<28 volts DC) and only test, which was reversible.  The NASA/DOD vendor would not admit the process was reversible (especially at 65 volts) creating the potential in arcing or sparking in an Oxygen atmosphere.  Only later did DOD make the admission.  Also, when I moved to Houston in 1995, I volunteered at Space Center Houston and a fellow NASA scientist told me he believed it was a crack in the Oxygen tank, which you already covered.  Anyway, getting back o the vendor, I told them to stop using minor change authority, especially on critical component part classification.  Now the vendor was working on the Space Shuttle program (STS).  Also, I was involved in the STS-51L explosion (Challenger) investigation.

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    John DiIorio
    Sales
    KHOV
    Houston TX
    713-468-8606
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