Shepard Underwent 15 Sec. Blindness

Press, Volume C, Issue 29554, 1 July 1961, Page 18

Shepard Underwent 15 Sec. Blindness

—Copyright) WASHINGTON. For 15 seconds during his brief flight into space, Commander Alan Shepard’s vision was so blurred by vibrations that he could not see the instruments on which his life depended. But the danger quickly passed. Apart from losing three pounds, according to his medical examiners, the United States’ first astronaut paid “a very small physiological price” for his historic rocket ride.

This was brought out at a conference here on the “medical results of the first United States manned sub-orbital ■pace flight," United Press International said. In contrast to Soviet behaviour since Major Yuri Gagarin orbited around the earth on April 12, the United States reported the scientific results of Shepard’s 15-min-tKe. 22 second trip in complete detail. Shepard's flight provided a mass of information about man’s ability to perform in •pace. It also augured well for America's future man-in-space plans, which include additional sub-orbital flights for the other Mercury astronauts later this year and a flight all the way around the earth late this year or early next year.

‘The reassurance gained from this experience applies directly to our upcoming orbital flights, and we now approach them with greater confidence," Shepard said. He said the moment of peril through which he passed early in his flight could be avoided in future flights by providing more foam rubber in the pilot’s head support. The conference was sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in co-operation with the National Institute of Health and the National Academy of Sciences. Medical evidence said that between pre-flight and postflight examinations over a six-day period, Shepard's weight fell by three pounds from iart 11b 4oz to list 121 b 4oz. Pulse Rate From a countdown rate of 80 beats a minute, his pulse jumped to a peak of 13a during the rocket’s climb toward a peak velocity of 5036 miles an hour. His breathing rate varied from 15 to a maximum of 40 breaths per minute. All his responses to high gravity forces and to five minutes and four seconds of weightlessness were "within the limits of intact function.’’ The psychiatric report based on an examination of Shejjard after arrival at his

post-flight clinic on Grand Bahama Island said he felt cairn and self-possessed. “Some degree of excitement and exhilaration was noted. He was unusually cheerful- and expressed delight that his performance during the flight had actually been better than he had expected,” the report said. "It became apparent that he looked upon the flight as a difficult task about which he was confident, but could not be sure, of success. He was more concerned about performing effectively than about external dangers. "He reported moderate apprehension during the preflight period. . . . After launch, he was preoccupied with his duties and felt concern only when he fell behind on one of his tasks.”