Mystery Of Sinking of LIBERTY BELL 7, July 21, 1961 resolved

LIBERTY BELL 7, piloted by Virgil I "GUS" Grissom, completed a suborbital hop on July 21, 1961. The apparently successful mission almost ended in disaster when after splashdown in the Atlantic the spacecraft hatch blew off The Spacecraft named LIBERTY BELL 7 by Grissom filled with water and sank to bottom of Atlantic, some 16,000 ft below,

Grissom's reputation has suffered for almost 60 years as media and even some in NASA blamed him for panicking and prematurely blowing hatch

Watching TV last night had a story concerning Grissom near fatal mission and uncovering new evidence why the hatch blew.

LIBERTY BELL 7 was recovered in 1999, some 38 years after it sank. It now resides in a Kansas museum

For 60 years people have speculated why the hatch suddenly blew off, Now the mystery has apparently been solved - A space researcher reviewing reports from the recovery helicopter, HUNT CLUB 1, found report by pilots mentioning seeing an arc as helicopter connected hoist to capsule

Grissom had just removed the safety and armed the explosive hatch in preparation for egress when it unexpectedly blew and capsule filled with water. Grissom had to quickly swim for his life almost drowning from th prop wash of the helicopters which kept pushing him underwater

The helicopter was forced to cut capsule loose and watch it sink. The researchers believe that the arc, an electro static discharge fired the explosive hatch Had Grissom manually blown the hatch, would have required considerable pressure on firing plunger leaving deep bruises and lacerations as what happened to Wally Schirra a year on SIGMA 7

Grissom had no injuries to his hands as what would had resulted had manually fired the hatch.

Navy and Coast Guard pilots know that the rapidly whirling rotor blades can generate a considerable electro static charge .

The pilot reporting seeing an arc as the helicopter hooked the capsule up to the hoist.

The electrostatic discharge was apparently sufficient to fire the explosive hatch

Grissom recitation has been restored after being blemished for nearly 60 years

That was interesting.
TY for posting.

Astronauts don't panic.

a reply to: firerescue

originally posted by: IAMTAT
That was interesting.
TY for posting.

Agreed! Star & Flagged.

I remember seeing a movie about Grissom and the hell he went through after the capsule sank.

a reply to: CharlesT


True Grissom was the commander on Gemini 3, the first manned flight of Gemini program . Grissom was commander for the first Apollo mission, Apollo 1. He was killed in a fire along with crew mates, Ed White and Roger Chaffee during a practice countdown in January 1967

the first flights of a new manned spacecraft are always fraught with tension as don't known if some hidden flaw will be revealed . It demands a tough cool head to evaluate the situation and take action

If NASA didn't have confidence in Grissom ability would not have selected him for such a demanding mission