Flight Worthiness

By 1964, NASA was well under way with the Saturn/Apollo program and different elements were being developed and manufactured all across the USA; the first stage in New Orleans, the second and third stages in Los Angeles, and the Instrument Unit in Huntsville, AL; each by a different contractor.  In addition to those major elements all sorts of mechanical and electronic items were being supplied from every part of the country.  All these elements would eventually come together at the launch site as Saturn I , Saturn I-B, and  Saturn V launch vehicles capped with manned Apollo capsules.  In the mean time each component and each major element would go through numerous handovers as it was assembled, tested, and mated with other elements.

NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, Dr. George E. Mueller,  asked each of the NASA centers involved in the Apollo program to propose a protocol that would both track these handovers and provide confidence and assurance that each element had been correctly produced, had passed all tests and inspections and was ready for launch and space flight.  At the time I was a part of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) team that was testing the early versions of the Saturn I and Saturn I-B.  It was planned for that team to eventually transition into the group that would oversee the testing of the Saturn propulsive stages and instrument units at the contractor facilities.  Along with several other test and quality assurance types, I was assigned to the team that was tasked with the preparation of the MSFC’s protocol proposal.  

At this point, I can not remember how long it took us to finish the proposal, but I do remember some long meetings, animated discussions, and working through several weekends.  After a through review by MSFC  management, I was asked to make a Flip Chart presentation of the proposal to Dr. Mueller. 

Yes, Techies, this was back before we had view foil projections and certainly before computer aided graphics and Power Point.  If the term “Flip Chart” leaves you wondering,  google it,  or better still, ask a gray-headed engineer to explain it to you.  Luckily, I had the aid of a good illustrator to prepare the charts.

Dr. Mueller came to MSFC for the presentation and I flipped my charts and explained our proposal to him.   He had a few comments and fewer questions.  He thanked us, took the printed copy of the proposal and went on his way without giving us any hint of what he thought about it.   Several weeks later, NASA published the official CERTIFICATE OF FLIGHT WORTHINESS PROTOCOL (COFW).   That was not the title that we had for it and much of the nomenclature in it differed from our proposal but in essence it was the same thing that MSFC had proposed.

  HELP FROM ABOVE

In 1963 President Kennedy had set NASA the goal of placing a man on the moon before the end of the decade.  We were in the process of converting our test facility from the testing of Redstone and Jupiter military missiles to the testing elements of the Saturn space vehicles.  I was sitting on the floor of the Recorder Room with my feet in a cable trench.  Members of my crew were in the basement feeding long black data cables up from the basement into the trench.  

    As the cables were poked through, I was pulling them up and pushing them across the floor.  The cables were stiff and heavy.  I really needed someone to help with this end of the task.  As I started to pull up another cable, I was aware of someone entering  the room and taking hold of the end of the cable and pulling it along the floor behind me.  

    The next cable seemed to be stuck.  Without looking around, I assumed that my helper was one of my crew,  so I told him to get down in the trench and help.  He dutifully complied.  We broke the cable loose and he pulled it across the floor as my crewman from below told me that was the last cable.  

    Still sitting in the trench trying to catch my breath, I heard my helper ask with a distinct German accent, “Well, Mr. Weaver, what is the purpose of these cables?”  I jumped out of the trench and faced the Center Director.  As I searched for words, Dr. von Braun extended a hand, now very soiled by our task.  

   As we shook hands, he quickly put me at ease and again inquired about the use of these cables and  other equipment in the room.  We walked about the room as I described the equipment and told how it would be used in the testing of the Saturn vehicles.  

   Looking past Dr. von Braun, I saw an assistant to the Laboratory Chief looking into the room.  He quickly disappeared.  Within minutes he returned with the Laboratory Chief and several other minions of lab management.  Much to my dismay, they took away my new helper, dirty hands and all.