On this day in 1968, the crew of Apollo 7 transmitted the first live television broadcast from space. The Apollo 7 crews mission was to show that space missions could be safely extended, paving the way for the subsequent lunar missions. The crew consisted of Commander Walter M. Schirra, Command Module Pilot Donn F. Eisele, and Lunar Module Pilot R. Walter Cunningham. While the broadcast was historic, the strict timeline led to tensions between the crew and ground control. When on the air, the crew demonstrated floating in the spacecraft, eating the first hot food in space, and they also held up signs asking Deke Slayton and Paul Haney of mission control if they were turtles.* Over their nearly 11 day mission, the crew completed 6 broadcasts from space. More info on the Apollo 7 mission: bit.ly/1fxIlZO View the footage here: bit.ly/1657qbq Photo via: NASA *The Turtle Club is a drinking fraternity started by fighter pilots in World War II. When asked “Are you a turtle?” the very specific answer must immediately be given. Failure to respond correctly results in having to buy the next round of drinks.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Jan 2014 11:40:08 +0000
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