He was the mission control team director: so why he never speaks directly to the astronauts? It seemed very odd to me.
By the way, his haircut was horrible.
I'm Winston Wolf, I solve problems
And no dream is ever... just a dream...
Ed Harris played Gene Kranz, who was the lead (White Team) Flight Director for Apollo 13.
The ONLY person in Mission Control who talks directly to the astronauts is the CAPCOM. All the other controllers as well as the flight director relay messages to the crew through the CAPCOM. The CAPCOM position is always filled by an astronaut, not a regular mission control person.
The only exception to this protocol that I know of would be in the event of a medical emergency, when the flight surgeon could be put on the radio directly with the crew, on a "secure" channel.
Ok, thanks for your explanation! I guess the procedure, or, better, the protocol, is as you say.
I'm Winston Wolf, I solve problems
And no dream is ever... just a dream...
By the way, his haircut was horrible.
But historically accurate. The Deke Slayton character had a "flattop" crew cut too. Both Deke and Gene were combat-tested fighter pilots--men of ACTION. They didn't need a hair "style" so much as they needed... a HELMET LINER!
Human hair is FLAMMABLE, and these cool cats needed to be ready to eject/bail out from a burning fighter plane on a second's notice. (You and your ponytail would get snagged on a canopy latch, and burn to death.) Ironically, their no-nonsense Depression-Era generation built the opulent world that supports blow-dried bon vivants such as yourself.
Deke Slayton is no longer with us, but Gene Kranz is alive and well... and still rockin' his flat-top!
Ok, I've just remembered this film:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064639/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
in which Gregory Peck, who plays the same (I guess) Ed Harris' role, speaks directly to the astronauts.
I don't have any ponytail! My hair are very very short and I can't stand (to be kind) men with long hair.
But Ed Harris' haircut, with that sort of aerodynamic crest, is pretty unwatchable. By the way, the colour is also horrible: blonde-red carrot (???).
I'm Winston Wolf, I solve problems
And no dream is ever... just a dream...
The CAPCOM position is always filled by an astronaut, not a regular mission control person.
Thanks for that tidbit. I'd noticed that during the broadcast from space, the CAPCOM guy makes the comment that when he went up, he was going to take his entire Johnny Cash collection along. I wondered about that. Who was that guy supposed to be playing? The credits just say "CAPCOM 1." Did the real life person end up going into space, or had he already been?
You must be the change you seek in the world. -- Gandhi
Not sure which astronaut the film was portraying. Because they needed 24/7 coverage, there were 4 astronauts assigned to the position in rotating shifts. The CAPCOMs for A13 were Vance Brand, Joe Kerwin, Jack Lousma, and John Young.
At the time, only Young had flown, on Geminis 3 and 10, and Apollo 10.
After A13, Young went on to command Apollo 16, as well as 2 shuttle flights, including the very first (STS-1).
Brand, Lousma, and Kerwin all went on to later flights on Skylab, ASTP, and the Shuttle program.
Thanks for the info!
You must be the change you seek in the world. -- Gandhi
I think the actual line is..."When I go up on 18, I'm taking my entire collection of Johnny Cash along."
Apollo 18 was cancelled. But Vance Brand was on the 18 crew prior to cancellation, so I guess it was him.
Mr. Kranz is a Toledo, Ohio native, like myself.