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SnowLeopard
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How do you board an LM?
Aug 6th, 2017 at 11:33am
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I've been wondering about this, since a character in one of my tales gets on board an LM which then (naturally!) misbehaves. I'd like to get this right, or at least feasible.

I had a look at the images provided by our good Librarian here:

http://www.shadolibrary.org/aspects/module.shtml

and there are three possibilities, I think. I don't include the nose inside that cowling, as this is where the re-entry stresses would be greatest. I wondered about the cockpit canopy sliding open as on a WW2 fighter but again this would make it a weak point. There's no sign of a side panel to be opened like one of those gullwing car doors; neither is there any obvious way of reaching a panel like that on the Moonbase launching gantry!

So I had a look at the (NASA!) Space Shuttle:

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/61a-s-0139.jpg

and wondered if that was the entry hatch, below the word 'Challenger'. There is a very similar feature on the underside of the LM (in the image next to Paul and colleague). If it's a hatch, it can be reached from underneath when the lifter is on the runway, or from a transit lift on the Moonbase gantry.

Does this sound reasonable? Or does anyone have any other suggestions?
  
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Moo
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Re: How do you board an LM?
Reply #1 - Aug 6th, 2017 at 3:04pm
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Hi SnowLeopard!

Nice to see someone posting again. It was a long dry spell on the forum. The summer months are so busy for everyone.

I think you are on the right track with where the hatch for passengers is located on the LM. I always suspected that it is on the bottom side since you see the LM perched vertically on its launch gantry at Moon Base. Nobody getting off is in a pressure suit, so it must be like an airlock/docking port of some kind. It doesn't follow the standard Jerry Anderson format where the pilot/crew jumps through a hole and slides down a chute and into their seats. Guess it's harder to do with actors than with marionettes.

Nice to know someone is working on more UFO stories. I have only a couple bunnies in the yard and they're not doing much. I sort of narrowed my options with the last story. I'm even trying to write a comedy screen play (for the fun of it).

Take care and keep in touch!
Moo
  
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SnowLeopard
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Re: How do you board an LM?
Reply #2 - Aug 8th, 2017 at 5:48am
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Hi Moo, good to hear from you! Thanks for your comments re the entry hatch.

ATM I'm working on those 'loose ends' Henderson mentions at the end of 'Brotherhood'. Bunnies were scampering around in all directions and I have to round them up. Think I can see where most of them went...

This will run to two tales - at least - and it will close off most of my own options. I may have to go back to see the visitors in Suffolk UK, but that won't be for quite a while yet.

Have fun!
  
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SnowLeopard
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Re: How do you board an LM?
Reply #3 - Aug 9th, 2017 at 9:45am
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Moo wrote on Aug 6th, 2017 at 3:04pm:
Hi SnowLeopard!

I think you are on the right track with where the hatch for passengers is located on the LM. I always suspected that it is on the bottom side since you see the LM perched vertically on its launch gantry at Moon Base. Nobody getting off is in a pressure suit, so it must be like an airlock/docking port of some kind. It doesn't follow the standard Jerry Anderson format where the pilot/crew jumps through a hole and slides down a chute and into their seats.


This site gives a description of Moonbase (scroll down to 'space and lunar operations'):

http://catacombs.space1999.net/plus/dt/ufo.html

It mentions a 'reception / embarkation area'. I suspect we'll find spacesuit lockers and a lift up the gantry there!

It occurs to me that Moonbase is a 'ship' in 'international waters' (see 'Brotherhood')!
  
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Moo
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Re: How do you board an LM?
Reply #4 - Aug 9th, 2017 at 1:41pm
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SnowLeopard,

Thank you for the link. I enjoyed that greatly. Perhaps some day the Clymer group will offer soft-bound tech manuals for the UFO series vehicles and facilities like they do for Thunderbirds. It would be a great service to 'we the faithful' and help us get more details correct in our fanfic stories.

I look forward to seeing the fruits of your bunny-wrangling efforts. It's fun to watch those little fluffy tails and ears when they stampede...

All the best,
Moo
  
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SnowLeopard
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Re: How do you board an LM?
Reply #5 - Aug 12th, 2017 at 8:49am
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Here's another interesting link. I would love to know how 'official' those diagrams are!

http://shado.wikia.com/wiki/SHADO_Moonbase
  
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Moo
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Re: How do you board an LM?
Reply #6 - Aug 12th, 2017 at 2:30pm
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Very cool link. Official or not, it does offer the most simple format for ingress/egress. A combination of lift and docking port/airlock. I recall the passengers usually carrying a briefcase when they arrive. While that's not much of a clue, you'd think that any loss of atmospheric pressure would (at minimum) make their ink pens explode in the brief case. Of course, the pens could remain inside their pressure suits for the trip... Not much help but amusing to contemplate.

Moo
  
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SnowLeopard
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Re: How do you board an LM?
Reply #7 - Aug 15th, 2017 at 7:20pm
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You'd have to suppose their luggage was in a pressurised transit box, I think. Ed wouldn't be pleased to have to clean ink off his smart beige suit... heads would roll!   Angry

Also, LM occupants probably wouldn't wear their 'street gear' in transit. There must be quite a wardrobe in that 'reception sphere'.
  
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Matt
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Re: How do you board an LM?
Reply #8 - Sep 24th, 2018 at 2:11pm
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At one time, there was a link called; The Art of UFO, which showed the ingress/egress while the LM was landed on the reception sphere. The link is no longer active and I deleted it from my list. I suspect ingress/egress on Earth would be through the upper hatch, in other words, the crew and passengers rode in the LM for the entire flight. I would also speculate, the environment in the LM was shirtsleeve and only the pilot/copilot wore space suits. This would solve a number of problems without contradicting what we saw in the show.

Unless I'm mistaken, Paul Foster wore the silver moonbase commander's uniform in the episode "Conflict" while piloting the LM. It has been so long since I've watched the series, I'm not sure. I vaguely remember Foster wearing an interceptor getup while piloting in "Kill Straker".

Hope this helps.
  

What do you mean, we're out of coffee!
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SnowLeopard
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Re: How do you board an LM?
Reply #9 - Sep 27th, 2018 at 8:37am
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There is a useful link on the Library pages at

https://www.shadolibrary.org/links/index.shtml

Scroll down to 'UFO Frame capture library' for lots of stills from the episodes, or go to.

http://www.framecaplib.com/ufolib.htm

Foster did indeed wear uniform while piloting the shuttle in 'Conflict':

http://www.framecaplib.com/ufolib/html/episodes/images/conflict/confl027.htm

(Ooops - that was Maddox! Here's Paul:

http://www.framecaplib.com/ufolib/html/episodes/images/conflict/confl049.htm

Sorry peeps!)


And he wore an 'interceptor' style helmet in 'Kill Straker' - but no spacesuit.

http://www.framecaplib.com/ufolib/html/episodes/images/killstra/kill013.htm

So yes, the LM was indeed a 'shirtsleeve' environment.

And there is an 'Art of UFO' page on Facebook! Perhaps our Librarian might add it to the 'links' page?

https://www.facebook.com/theartofufo

« Last Edit: Sep 27th, 2018 at 2:23pm by SnowLeopard »  
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Re: How do you board an LM?
Reply #10 - Sep 27th, 2018 at 2:32pm
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SnowLeopard wrote on Sep 27th, 2018 at 8:37am:
And there is an 'Art of UFO' page on Facebook! Perhaps our Librarian might add it to the 'links' page?

https://www.facebook.com/theartofufo


Already done. Thanks guys.
  

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SnowLeopard
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Re: How do you board an LM?
Reply #11 - Sep 27th, 2018 at 8:31pm
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Thanks Librarian! (And welcome back after the recent interruption of service.. Shocked Cool
  
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