NASA – A Human Adventure exhibition, Queensland Museum, 15 March to 9 October 2019.

[Dennis]

Oh boy – what a walk down memory lane.:)

I visited the Queensland Museum today to have a look at the "NASA – A Human Adventure" exhibition which runs from 15 March to 9 October 2019.

The entry fee is $21.00 for adults. It appears that to manage numbers and avoid overcrowding, entry is set at 20 min intervals (e.g. 10:00am, 10:20am, 10:40am, 11:00am, etc.) so you purchase a ticket for a specific entry time. However, you can stay all day if you want to.:)

The exhibition spans Floors 3 and 2 of the museum and you enter on Floor 3, work your way through that level before exiting and then descending to Floor 2 to continue your journey. Be warned that once you leave Floor 3, I understand that you cannot return on the same ticket after completing Floor 2.

Generally, the exhibition is quite dark and spotlights, etc. make it challenging to get good photos. I used a Canon EOS R with the RF 35mm F1.8 lens and had to take a couple of pano’s to fit some of the exhibits in.

Also, be aware of the shallow depth of focus when shooting wide open and make sure you focus on the object of interest and avoid letting a less important part of the scene that is closer to the camera from grabbing the AF point. No flash is allowed, so expect to be shooting at ISO800 to ISO6400 depending on the location and lighting.


#1 is towards the main entrance on Floor3.
#2 and #3 are of a Saturn V rocket, some 12-15 metres in total length.
#4 is a full-size copy of the Lunar Roving Vehicle first deployed on Apollo 15.
#5 is a full-size copy of a Gemini Capsule.
#6 is a full-size copy of an Apollo Command Module and it is much larger than I had expected.
#7 is a 1:1 cut away view of the interior of the Lunar Crew Module (the bit that landed on the moon).
#8 is a view of the flight deck of the Space Shuttle.

Well worth a visit – I was lucky and managed to get in before the parties of school children arrived.

https://space.qm.qld.gov.au/

Cheers

Dennis

[multiweb]

Fantastic photos Dennis. :thumbsup: The exhibition looks great. Geez that Gemini capsule looks pretty tiny. Just enough room to get in. They pretty much wear the capsule.

[gary]

Hi Denis,

Thanks for the heads-up and fabulous photos!



Even more remarkable Marc when you consider Borman and Lovell sat
in it for 14 days.

If you look inside through the open hatch of an Apollo Command module,
they aren't exactly roomy either and the wide-angled lens they used on
the TV cameras made it look much bigger than it is.

[multiweb]

Going to astrofest again this year so I'll definitely go visit one of the days I'm up there. Shame they don't come down to Sydney.

[multiweb]

One of the russian guys at the same time, I forgot his name, said he nearly didn't make it back in. During the EVA something happened with the pressurisation of his suit and he couldn't fit through the hatch. His mate had to pull and shove him in the capsule before they could close the door again. Took over half hour and they were on track for re-entry.

[gary]

Alexei Leonov on the first-ever spacewalk.

He had to bleed some of the air out of his spacesuit through a valve in order to be thin enough to get back in.

[Dennis]

Hah - if you think that Gemini was a little cramped...here is the single seater Mercury capsule...:)

And, compare this to the luxury of the Shuttle flight deck.:)

Cheers

Dennis

[gary]

Thanks for the pictures Dennis.

But would you rather be 5 hours on your own in Friendship 7 or
14 days breathing the air in Gemini 7 whilst your crew mate does
his daily waste dump in a plastic bag in the seat next to you? :lol:

[Dennis]

Hmm, I've spent 48 hours continuously in a 1-man tent, without going outside, sheltering from bad weather and I know what was involved with that episode of being "imprisoned" in a small area. But I was alone at the time.:)

Here are a few more from the exhibition.:)

Cheers


Dennis

[multiweb]

Thanks for all that info Dennis. Is there secure parking on site at the museum? I booked for Friday 26th of July at 9:40am on my way up. I'll branch of my usual route from Warwick. I checked Google map and it says it's about a 2h drive to the museum. From there to Linville there are two ways to get to Kilcoy. Via Dayboro or Caboolture. Which one do your reckon is the better drive to get out of Brisbane?

PS: or maybe back track via Ipswich?

[Shark6]

Thanks Dennis for the great pics, I need to see this myself, looking into flights now!

[brisen]

Hi Marc

There is parking at Southbank in the Convention centre which is close to the museum.

Best route from there to astrofest will be via Caboolture as this is less windy road then going up through Dayboro. Would be much shorter then having to back track through to Blacksoil and then up the highway.

Brian

[multiweb]

Thanks Brian, you're talking about the South Bank Parklands car park in little Stanley St? What's the city traffic like into Brisbane from Ipswich around 9:00am on a Friday. Should I factor time in for traffic jams?
PS: ok I see the one in George Croft Lane just next door. :thumbsup:

[brisen]

Yes, that this one of them close by. Been a while since I did the morning commute from Ipswich to the city, but it should be getting towards the tail end of the morning nightmare by that time of the morning. I always allow extra time though just in case.

Brian

[multiweb]

No worries. I'l leave Warwick early. Looks like there's plenty to do around the museum, coffee shops, etc... Better come in early and wait while having a cuppa. :) Thanks again. :thumbsup:

[Dennis]

Marc

There is undercover parking below the museum / art gallery complex.

https://www.qm.qld.gov.au/Visit+Us/Museum+Location

Access is via boom gates but anyone can walk through - you need a ticket to leave.

I have seen this car park FULL in the morning so no guarantees I'm afraid and Brisbane traffic between 7:00am and 9:00am can be heavy, especially if there is an accident or roadworks.

I see others have also chipped in with additional information.:)

It has been a while since I attended Astrofest and I used to either go via the Bruce Highway to Caboolture and then turn off for Woodford, or via the Ipswich Motorway then via Esk which is more scenic.

Both routes took me the same time, but I cannot vouch for current traffic conditions as I was last at Astrofest around 2006!

Cheers

Dennis

[multiweb]

Thanks Dennis. I found an entrance for the convention centre in the corner of Grey st and Russel st. That looks like walking distance to the museum and there's a nice cafe next to it ;)
Thanks for the tip on the carpark below the museum. Will try that one first.

I know Esk way as I go through coming from Gatton on my usual way up so I might back track via Ipswich. Google seems to say it's a simlar time whether I got through Caboolture or Ipswich.

If traffic is anything like Sydney I'll provide a buffer of at least 2 hours to come into Brisbane. :lol:

[Dennis]

If you are dropping in for the day, just make sure you book a ticket on-line for a particular entry time slot.

Entry time-slots are at 20 min intervals, such as 9:40am, 10:00am, 10:20am, etc. and you can stay in the exhibition as long as you want.

If you just rock up to the ticket office on Level 2 there is the risk that some time slots may be fully allocated and may not fit in with your arrival/departure times.

You can't miss the Museum - just look for the friendly NASA Astronaut on top!

Cheers

Dennis

[Dennis]

Hi Marc

There is a café just outside the museum (rear) and also at the adjacent State Library, just down some steps at the back. So plenty of venues to people-watch the locals scurrying along to their places of work.:)

Cheers

Dennis

[Suzy]

Hi Dennis, the photos are just amazing! And thank you so much for all those super helpful tips on taking pics, it’s very much appreciated. I can’t wait to share the link to this thread on our fb page, it’ll be very helpful to many. Thank you again :)

[Suzy]

Hi Marc, it can get really chockers on Ipswich Rd even after 9am, particularly between Annerley and Woolloongabba. Lots of trucks as well. So yes, I'd leave a bit earlier.


There's a restaurant at the bottom level, yummy menu but very pricey for everything. Starbucks is a very short walk down the road.


It frustrated me no end being there for the Science Festival with the family and not being able to do the NASA exhibition (well there's a good part of the day just to be spent there isn't it). There's huge panoramas of the Moon landing outside the walls of the exhibit, so I had to make do with pics pretending I was on the Moon (good at selfies?!) :lol:. Also next to one of those panoramas there's a glass frame, step inside get someone to take a pic, it puts you on a space magazine cover, that was fun.

Anyhow, I'm yet to go inside, but I snuck my head in and omg there was the space shuttle right in front of me to the side! Tease.....!



Why Brisbane?
The exhibition opened a week ahead of the World Science Festival held here in Brisbane. So perhaps that's an added factor ?
Also thanks to funding from the government the museum was renovated so was able to accommodate it, was it done especially I don't know, I thought so :question:. I read somewhere an extra floor was added :question:.



“We had to bring a number of them in through the normal way, we’ve got a fairly big goods lift, but we also had to crane objects to the outside and pull the wall off the museum just to get them in.”


Queensland Science Minister Leeanne Enoch said the exhibition was the first to be staged in the newly refurbished exhibition space in the museum.
“A $3.25 million investment from the Palaszczuk government to see that expansion which means not only is this now the largest exhibition the museum has ever hosted, but it gives us the opportunity to host large events in the future,” Ms Enoch said.
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/queensland-museum-finds-the-space-to-celebrate-space-exploration-20190221-p50zct.html

[GodsPetMonkey]

Thankfully we aren’t as bad as Sydney! (Yet). I’d recommend you book a car spot online, cheaper and it means you know where to go straight up. Of course, being a week day, don’t expect to arrive and have pick of the parking lot!

Getting out from the city I’d recommend the Caboolture route, though it isn’t going to be a huge difference either way. Via Caboolture offers much better surfaced roads. Either way, plan to head off by 2pm - traffic starts to build from 2:30pm for the school run, and straight after the kids have been secured peak hour kicks off.

The other option, if you are comfortable with public transport on unfamiliar cities, is to park well out of the city and catch the train in. Coming in on the Ipswich line is one ticket with a single change over at Roma Street station for a the next train to cross the river to South Brisbane station. Do the reverse to get back. Our rail network is pretty straightforward and this would mean traffic is a non-issue. You would need to share the train with commuters though :P

[Dennis]

No worries Susie, I'm still chugging my way through all the photos I managed to take before the selfie snappers arrived and hogged the exhibits!:)

Cheers

Dennis

Some more snaps:

Space Shuttle
Skylab
Rocket engine
Section of Saturn V
LEM stored in Saturn V
Another engine
An actual Shuttle tyre with landing abrasions
Comparison between Soviet wire frame Lunokhod and NASA Mesh Lunar Rover tyres

[Dennis]

Still time to visit...the exhibition runs until Oct 2019.

Here are some more of the exhibits to whet your appetite if you are still undecided.

Some of them have been on the Moon.

Cheers

Dennis


Some HW items
A brief description of the HW items
Cameras flown to and around the Moon.
Camera details.
Magnetic Core Memory Frame.
Close up of Magnetic Cores.
Kennedy's 1961 "We choose to go to the Moon..." speech on B&W TV.
Agena Target Vehicle.

[multiweb]

Very cool, can't wait to see it. Can we "touch" stuff or it's all under glass?

[Dennis]

Hi Marc

Most of the smaller exhibits are under glass and the larger ones (e.g. Lunar Rover, Lunokhod, etc.) behind metal safety railings.

I have visited on 2 occasions and on the 2nd visit, noticed the appearance of "Do Not Climb" signs placed on several of the metal safety railings.:shrug:

To me, it was plainly obvious that the railings were not to be climbed upon, or over, but it seems that some folks are unable to assess the environment and ask the question..."hmm, I wonder why those waist height metal railings are there"....:confused2::screwy::rolleyes:

Sigh. The eternal quest for the perfect selfie...:(

Cheers

Dennis

[multiweb]

Thanks Dennis. I'll behave... :evil:

[Dennis]

Hi Marc

Here are some photos of the Lunar Module (LM) at the exhibition showing various views of the LM and its instrument panels.

The close-up of the Rendezvous Radar Panel shows the Switch that led to the near abort of the Apollo 11 moon landing during the descent phase of the Eagle – be sure to take a look at this switch.

Reources:
https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/a11/a11.1201-pa.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Garman
https://www.abc.net.au/science/moon/computer.htm
https://www.doneyles.com/LM/Tales.html

During the descent and landing phases, Neil Armstrong, (Commander) stood on the left side of the LM cockpit whereas Buzz Aldrin, (Lunar Module Pilot/Systems Engineer) stood on the right.

Most folks may have read about the 1201 and 1202 program alarms that occurred whilst Neil and Buzz were descending to the lunar surface in the Lunar Module during the Apollo 11 moon landing, leaving the Command/Service Module (CSM) behind with Michael Collins in lunar orbit.

During the LM descent phase, the LM's Rendezvous Radar (RR) was powered up, a safety step designed to lessen the crew's workload in case of an abort during the descent. The RR tracks the still orbiting CSM, so it knows where to direct the LM in the event of an abort. The RR switch settings on the Apollo 11 LM “should” not have caused any problem during the descent of the Eagle.

The Rendezvous Radar switch has 3 settings: SLEW, AUTO and LGC as can be seen in the close up I took at the NASA Exhibition.

In SLEW and AUTO modes the Rendezvous Radar operated under the control of the crew, independently of the LM Guidance Computer (LGC). This was the method that would be used during ascent and rendezvous if the primary guidance system failed. In SLEW mode the rendezvous radar antenna could be steered manually, but otherwise was stationary. Once the antenna was pointed near the target, the AUTO (automatic tracking) mode could be used to acquire and track the target (CSM).

During the descent, the LM crew left the Rendezvous Radar on in SLEW mode meaning it had to be manually positioned by an astronaut and meant that it wasn’t (shouldn’t be) sending data to the Guidance Computer. However, neither the astronauts nor the people in Mission Control knew that radar Coupling Data Units were flooding the Guidance Computer with counter interrupt signals, (the result of an uncorrected problem in the Rendezvous Radar interface) resulting in an unexpected flow of signals concerning Rendezvous Radar data (that were not really there).

This resulted in spurious pulses being sent to the computer, causing unnecessary interrupts which consumed about 15% of the computer's available compute time, whilst the rest of the (important) landing tasks were consuming about 85% of the available computer time.

So, the Guidance Computer ran out of time to process all of its queued jobs in a single cycle, as various programs competed for limited resources; eventually the LM's Guidance Computer began sounding program alarms and resetting.

The Guidance Computer had been programmed to recognize this unexpected flow of radar related data as being of secondary importance and to ignore it whilst executing the more important jobs. The software rebooted and reinitialized the computer, and then restarted selected programs (like steering the descent engine) at a point in their execution flow near to where they had been when the restart occurred.

The system was designed to retain crucial information if it needed to reboot, which allowed important command information to be processed even if the computer crashed. This allowed the computer to maintain critical tasks, such as running the digital autopilot, even if other parts of the software failed or caused problems. Non-essential programs were flushed out in the restart.

In all, it triggered four 1202 alarms and one 1201 alarm.

Subsequently, the MIT IL design team responsible for the Guidance Computer phoned NASA and asked them to call the LM and ask for the Rendezvous Radar switch to be placed in the LGC position before lift-off. This by-passed the problem and the program alarms did not recur.

A happy ending to this remarkable exploit.:)

Cheers

Dennis

[multiweb]

Thanks for the writeup and additional pics Dennis. I'll make sure I have a close look. :thumbsup:
PS: you're torturing me now. I can't wait already as it is.

[Dennis]

Hi Marc - and there's more history for you to track down in the LM, related to Apollo 14.:)

About three hours before Apollo 14 was due to separate from the Command and Service Module (CSM) to start the lunar descent, Ground Control noticed a signal indicating that the Abort Button in the Lunar Module (LM) cockpit appeared to have been pressed.

The abort button was there in case something went badly wrong during the landing phase. With one push the Apollo 14 Astronauts (Shepard and Mitchell) could command a quick return to a safe orbit. At this point in the mission the spurious signal had no effect, but if it happened during the descent, the LM Ascent Engine would fire and take the Ascent Stage back up to lunar orbit before anyone could do anything about it. The astronauts would be safe, but the mission would be ruined.

As the Powered Descent Initiation (PDI) burn time approached, Mission Control noticed that amid the hundreds of bytes of data, a bit had been set tot 1 that should have been a 0. It was the Abort Bit, indicating that somehow, the LM Guidance Computer (LGC) had received an indication to abort the landing. The erroneous bit was harmless at this point, because the LGC in the LM was not running the descent program, so it was not looking for an abort input.

But once PDI was initiated and the braking phase program (P63) began, a faulty Abort Button could instantaneously lead to an uncommanded abort (P70), incorrectly aborting the landing - at best a massive disappointment, at worst a dangerous surprise.

To fix the problem, and about 19 minutes before loss of signal, Houston asked Mitchell to press the problematic ABORT button, and then the STOP button. This caused the faulty indication to go away. Houston then promised they would have further information once Antares reappeared from behind the Moon. About forty-five minutes later, Antares (LM) reappeared and everything looked good. But half an hour later, the Abort Bit set again. A little more than two hours remained before the critical PDI burn.

Ed Mitchell guessed that the intermittent fault may be the result of some loose solder debris in the switch assembly, floating around in zero-gravity, causing an intermittent electrical contact in the switch. (Subsequently, several similar switches were later x-rayed and found to have similar problems).

The workaround (by Don Eyles, the 27-year-old computer programmer who wrote the program) simply changed a few registers, first to fool the Abort Monitor into thinking that an Abort was already in progress, and then to clean up afterward so that the landing could continue unaffected. The amended procedure was radioed up to the LM and manually input by the astronauts using the on-board DSKY.

Although the ground controllers could have uploaded the procedure automatically into the LM AGC via the digital telemetry link, a decision was made to read the complex series of commands out aloud, up to the astronauts who then wrote them down and keyed the data in by hand.

I found this YouTube video playing the Apollo 14 landing from PDI to Touchdown absolutely fascinating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZZe-xXx9_o

I have also attached some photos of the “Abort” and “Abort Stage” Buttons on the LM as seen during the NASA Exhibition at the Qld Museum, sans the yellow protective guards that protect these switches from accidental touches.

Cheers

Dennis

EDIT: Another YouTube video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSSmNUl9Snw

[multiweb]

:lol: Hey mate, if you're free on the day come to give me a guided tour. My shout for breakfast :thumbsup:

Taking notes. I'll have to print all this out so I remember on the day what I'm actually looking at. :)

[Dennis]

Hi Marc

That was my plan from day 1, so no worries. Looking forward to the visit.:)

Cheers

Dennis

[multiweb]

:thumbsup: