Apollo in Real Time Forum

Message Boards => Apollo 13 Moments of Interest => Topic started by: countrygirljo on April 12, 2020, 03:40:10 pm

Title: 011:22:26 Booster phones Douglas who pick up with "McDonnell Douglas..."
Post by: countrygirljo on April 12, 2020, 03:40:10 pm

https://apolloinrealtime.org/13/?t=011:22:27&ch=47

You'd think they'd have a permanently open/direct line (!), but they have to find the right guy. Sounds like quite a big party in the background.

Title: Re: 011:22:26 Booster phones Douglas who pick up with "McDonnell Douglas..."
Post by: MadDogBV on April 13, 2020, 11:26:37 am

That does surprise me! The book "Apollo: The Race To The Moon" implies that the MOCR has several direct lines to the major plants (McDonnell Douglas, North American, Grumman, etc.) with staffed engineers who will pick up around the clock. Perhaps those lines are closed or they're only available to the FOD personnel.

Title: Re: 011:22:26 Booster phones Douglas who pick up with "McDonnell Douglas..."
Post by: countrygirljo on April 14, 2020, 04:38:42 am

Yeah it's a little unclear. The phone rings a few times, someone picks it and answers with the company name. The room is the background is noisy and the guy on the Booster console (Bill?) needs to ask for the person he needs. Found that surprising too. Perhaps the person who picked up the phone was just passing that desk at that instant and picked up? They are focussing at this stage on planning the S-IVB lunar impact.