Wake-up for EVA-3

Loading the Rover for the EVA-3 Traverse

 

Preparations for EVA-3

Corrected Transcript and Commentary Copyright © 1996 by Eric M. Jones.
All rights reserved.
Scan credits in the Image Library.
Video credits in the Video Library.
Except where noted, audio clips by Roland Speth.
Last revised 27 September 2012.

[In Houston, EVA Flight Director Pete Frank and the Orange Team are relieving Gerry Griffin and the Gold Team.]

164:16:12 Duke: Okay, Houston, six(teen)...Orion. Over. (Pause)

164:16:25 England: Orion, Houston. Go ahead.

164:16:30 Duke: Okay. I'm in my suit, Tony; and we're putting John's suit on.

164:16:35 England: Okay. (Long Pause)

[Wake-up was at 162:38:32 and they had planned to start the LMP suit donning about 1 hour 25 minutes later and the CDR suit donning about 25 minutes after that. See checklist pages Surface 5-7, 5-8, and 5-9. It has actually been 1 hour 38 minutes since wake-up and they are about 10 minutes ahead of the timeline.]

164:17:30 Duke: Feels good once you get it on, but they sure are filthy.

164:17:35 England: I bet they are.

164:17:36 Duke: Get your hands really dirty.

164:17:38 England: Ah.

[Very Long Comm Break]

164:32:43 Duke: Okay, Tony. I'm ready for the battery management (on Surface 5-10).

164:32:49 England: Okay. Stand by one. (Long Pause) Okay. Charlie, we'd like you to read your ED (Explosive Device) Volts.

164:33:50 Duke: If you...(Stops to listen) Those beauties are hanging in there at 37 (volts).

[Earlier, Houston had told Charlie that they would like to do the Battery Management at 164:45 and Charlie was probably about to ask if Houston wanted to wait until that time.]

164:34:11 Duke: Okay. That's done.

164:34:13 England: Okay. That's it.

164:34:16 Duke: You got that...(Hears Tony) Okay, Batts 1, 2, 3, and 4 are On. Luny Batt is Off.

164:34:21 England: Rog.

164:34:24 Duke: And our PRD (Personal Radiation Dosimeter)...(Stops to listen) Okay, our passive dosimers (sic; this is Charlie's version of 'dosimeters') are reading 22059 for John and 21123 for me.

164:34:35 England: Okay, we copy.

[These are the handwritten values in the on-board Surface Checklist and these were probably entered as John and Charlie got into their suits.]

[Comm Break]

164:37:49 Duke: Okay. Thank you. Tony, this jett bag must weigh 100 pounds.

164:37:56 England: (Laughs). Well, you'll just take off faster without it. (Long Pause) Besides, you're gonna replace all that with rocks. (Long Pause) Incidentally, you have about 123 pounds of rocks, which means you can get about another 100 pounds.

164:39:00 Young: We do, huh?

[Very Long Comm Break. During this Comm Break, they do the Cabin Prep on Surface 6-1 and the Equipment Prep and PLSS Donning on Surface 6-2. NASA's Public Affairs commentator estimates the expected egress time between 166:10 and 166:25 but, as we shall see, John and Charlie are well ahead of that pace.]

[The times used in the Journal differ from the Mission Time being kept in Houston by 11 minute 48 seconds due to a clock update that was done at about 118 hours to simplify operations at the new lift-off time. See the discussion at 115:55:23.]

MP3 Audio Clip at 164:56 ( 9 min 32 sec )
(This clip begins with a 4 minute 15 second interval with no comm.)

165:00:24 Duke: Houston, how do you read? Over.

165:00:27 England: 5 by, Charlie.

[The comm is noisy but readable]

165:00:36 England: Okay. Go ahead.

[Charlie has just done the "Verify Voice Comm with Houston" step.]

[Comm Break]

[They had planned to start the PLSS Comm Check 3 hours 6 minutes after wake-up. It is now 2 hours 22 minutes after wake-up and they are about 44 minutes ahead of the timeline. John's next transmission corresponds to the last two steps on Surface 6-3. While they are on PLSS comm in the cabin, the audio quality is not very good.]

165:03:31 Duke: Thank you. (Long Pause)

165:03:48 Young: Okay. (Long Pause)

165:04:07 Young: Okay. "A, wheel CCW (counter-clockwise)."

165:04:12 Duke: Okay.

165:04:13 Young: "Tone, on. Vent flag, P. Press flag, O. O2, momentary."

165:04:18 Duke: Got it.

165:04:19 Young: Okay. "PLSS O2 pressure gauge greater than 85."

165:04:23 Duke: It is.

165:04:24 Young: "Check comm with me and Houston."

165:04:25 Duke: Houston, how do you read? Over.

165:04:28 England: Okay. You're 5 by. You've got that hash in the background.

165:04:34 Duke: I thought so!

165:04:35 Young: Okay. "Panel 11, Audio circuit breakers to Open."

[Comm Break as they get John connected to PLSS comm.]

165:05:41 Duke: VHF A, Off and B, Off. (Pause) Okay, "verify Maintain". Okay, go to B. (High pitched tone audible) You should have a tone, a vent flag, a press flag, O2 momentary. (Pause) And an ear full of orange juice.

165:06:07 Young: And an ear full of orange juice. Yeah.

165:06:12 Duke: It's always the case.

[When John moves his head forward and down so he can read the indicators on the top of the RCU, he either catches his drink bag valve on the right side of his head or puts pressure on the bag with his neck and squirts himself with the potassium-laced contents.]

165:06:20 England: Okay. 5 by, Charlie.

165:06:26 Duke: Okay, John. You go to B, and I go to A.

165:06:29 Young: Okay.

165:06:33 Duke: I mean, I go to B and...

165:06:36 Young: Okay. I'm in A.

165:06:37 Duke: Okay.

165:06:40 Young: Okay, Houston. How do you read us? Over.

165:06:42 England: Okay. Still 5 by.

165:06:47 Young: Okay. Fine. Okay, Charlie. AR.

165:06:51 Duke: Okay. I'm in AR.

165:06:56 Young: Okay. (Lower pitched tone audible) Getting a tone. "Wheel to Houston, blade to EVA." Houston, how's the comm and the TM (telemetry) look?

165:07:06 England: Okay. We've got good TM.

165:07:13 Young: Okay. Looks like I got a little better than 90 percent on the O2.

165:07:17 Duke: And I got 94 percent.

165:07:20 England: Okay. We copy.

165:07:21 Duke: Okay. "Final Systems Prep (at the bottom of Surface 6-4)." Gonna give us a shot of cold water.

165:07:27 Young: All righty.

165:07:28 Duke: Instant cold. (Pause) (Garbled) doing this "Suit Fan Delta-P is open."

165:07:36 Young: Okay.

165:07:37 Duke: Suit Fan 2 is open.

[Here, Charlie is verifying that these two circuit breakers are already open. Next, he will turn to face the ECS controls and will change the settings while John reads the steps. In his next transmission, John notices a step Charlie forgot or, at least, didn't call out.]

165:07:42 Duke: It is.

165:07:43 Young: Suit Fan Delta-P, open; Suit Fan 2, open.

165:07:44 Duke: It is.

165:07:45 Young: ECS caution and Water Sep component lights are on, about a minute.

165:07:48 Duke: They will be. But we don't have the lights turned up (garbled).

165:07:52 Young: (Reading Surface 6-5) "Suit Gas Diverter (Valve), Pull to Egress, verify."

165:07:54 Duke: Okay. That's got to be done right now. (Pause) Go ahead.

165:07:59 Young: "Cabin Gas Return (Valve) to Egress, verify."

165:08:01 Duke: Okay. Go ahead.

165:08:03 Young: "Suit Circuit Relief (Valve) to Auto, verify."

165:08:04 Duke: Go ahead.

165:08:05 Young: Okay. "OPS connect." (Pause) "Suit Isolat(ion Valve), Activate (sic) Override, Suit Disconnect."

165:08:13 Duke: They are.

165:08:15 Young: "Disconnect O2 hoses"; they're already gone. And "connect OPS O2 hose." (Long Pause)

165:08:34 Duke: (Garbled; Pause)

165:08:39 Young: Okay. The OPS O2 hose is on and locked.

165:08:42 Duke: Okay.

165:08:44 Young: Need a purge valve. (Long Pause)

MP3 Audio Clip at 165:09 ( 0 min 48 sec )

[The times used in the Journal differ from the Mission Time being kept in Houston by 11 minute 48 seconds due to a clock update that was done at about 118 hours to simplify operations at the new lift-off time. See the discussion at 115:55:23.]

[The NASA Public Affairs commentator reports that the crew is about a half hour ahead of the timeline and will be starting the egress in about 35 minutes.]

165:09:18 Young: Get the purge valve for you.

165:09:19 Duke: Okay. You better get all that string back in that purse, John, so you won't drag it out with you. There you go. Now. No. Yeah. ...

MP3 Audio Clip ( 0 min 08 sec )

165:09:32 Duke: Okay, you're in Lo, locked, now put the pin up. Now you got it straight. Okay?

MP3 Audio Clip ( 0 min 36 sec )

[The times used in the Journal differ from the Mission Time being kept in Houston by 11 minute 48 seconds due to a clock update that was done at about 118 hours to simplify operations at the new lift-off time. See the discussion at 115:55:23.]

165:10:03 Duke: Okay, you're in and locked. Okay, got it. Connect OPS hose.

165:10:13 Young: I can't.

MP3 Audio Clip ( 6 min 40 sec )

165:10:17 Duke: Stand up?

165:10:20 Young: I'm standing up, Charlie. I'm short. (Pause) Thought you were leaning (garbled).

165:10:32 Duke: Okay, that's in and locked. (Pause)

165:10:41 Duke: Okay. I'm freezing.

165:10:44 Young: (Garbled) the water open.

165:10:46 Duke: Okay. Want a drink of water?

165:10:47 Young: Yeah.

165:10:49 Duke: Okay. Here you go. (Pause)

165:10:59 England: And, Charlie, would you verify...

165:11:01 Young: (Lost under Tony)

165:11:01 England: ...you put the polarizer on your camera?

165:11:06 Duke: I will absolutely verify that.

165:11:09 England: Okay. Good show.

165:11:16 Young: Must be nervous down there.

165:11:17 Duke: (Chuckling) Yeah.

165:11:18 Young: You guys nervous? (Pause)

165:11:29 Duke: Okay. Drink's complete. H(2O)...Descent pot wat (meaning "potable water") is off. And we install the gun in the old bracket. Look at the dust.

[They had planned to reach this point - on Surface 6-5 - 3 hours 21 minutes after wake-up. Wake-up was at 162:38:32, so they are only 2 hours 33 minutes into the day and an amazing 48 minutes ahead of the timeline.]

165:11:45 Young: That's done.

165:11:46 Duke: In position. "PLSS Fan, On."

165:11:49 Young: (Garbled) wipe some of this dirt off my hands, here.

165:11:52 Duke: Okay.

165:11:57 Young: Got my little gloves (probably means a pair of nylon liners) on, so that'll help.

165:12:03 Duke: Okay. Did you get your PLSS Fan On, John?

165:12:05 Young: PLSS Fan is On.

165:12:07 Duke: Okay. "Don helmets with LEVAs, check drink bag position, lower LEVA protective visor, secure the tool harness." Okay. We'll put yours on first. (Pause) Protective visor coming down.

165:12:23 Young: (Garbled)

165:12:25 Duke: Yeah, I know it. (Get the) back (thermal covering) up. Get it out of the neck ring. Put your old beanie ("bean" is a slang word for "head") right in there. Okay, (garbled) (Pause) Okay, it's lining up. (Pause) Nope; didn't quite get it.

165:13:00 Young: What is it?

165:13:01 Duke: I don't know.

165:13:05 Duke: Okay. Let's start over again, (Garbled) Okay, there's a patch of Velcro back there. (Pause) Okay. (John chuckles)

165:13:20 Young: Uh-oh. Uh-oh

165:13:40 Duke: Ah, I got that orange juice on it (Pause) Okay. (Pause) There you go. (Pause) Did it click?

165:13:52 Young: No. Click.

165:13:57 Duke: Looks in to me, now.

165:13:59 Young: It's in.

165:14:00 Duke: It's on. Okay. There you go.

165:14:02 Young: It is on?

165:14:03 Duke: Yeah. It's on

165:14:05 Young: (Garbled)

165:14:08 Duke: (Giggling; Garbled) Okay. Turn around and let me get the Velcro (fastener)s down in the back, John.

165:14:17 Young: Okay.

165:14:18 Duke: I can't quite reach it from here. The OPS O2 hose. Okay. Okay. (Garbled) on your thermal (garbled) back there. All right. It's in. Okay, I've got to get your tool harness.

165:14:36 Young: That thing okay, Charlie?

165:14:38 Duke: What thing?

165:14:39 Young: Tool harness.

165:14:40 Duke: Yeah, it's fine. Well, it slipped off the bottom, but we'll fix it when we get outside, okay? (Pause)

165:14:51 Young: Okay.

165:14:53 Duke: Now, let me check your Velcro. Wait a minute. Let me get (garbled) up in there. (Pause) I can do it better from this side, John.

165:15:07 Young: Sure.

165:15:10 Duke: (Tone audible) Alarm. (Pause)

165:15:20 Young: (Tone ends) Okay; I knocked my microphone switch out. (Pause)

[Now, John will get Charlie into his helmet.]

165:15:37 Duke: It felt like it clicked. It felt like it locked to me. (Pause)

165:15:50 Young: No, it's not locked. (Pause)

165:16:00 Duke: You want me to stand up, or you stand up?

165:16:02 Young: Well, you stand up, Charlie. I can't see under your chin.

165:16:04 Duke: Okay. (Long Pause)

165:16:22 Young: (Joking) The top of your head is keeping it from going down, Charlie.

165:16:26 Duke: Shouldn't (garbled) the top of my head.

[The top of the helmet should clear the top of Charlie's head by several centimeters.]

165:16:31 Young: Ah; I see what it is. The Velc(ro).

165:16:36 Duke: I tell you, this thing...If you Velcro this...

165:16:41 Young: Yeah, I Velcroed it up, Charlie.

165:16:43 Duke: Okay, now. There we go. (Pause)

165:16:59 Young: Got it, Charlie.

MP3 Audio Clip at 165:17 ( 2 min 52 sec )

[The times used in the Journal differ from the Mission Time being kept in Houston by 11 minute 48 seconds due to a clock update that was done at about 118 hours to simplify operations at the new lift-off time. See the discussion at 115:55:23.]

165:17:03 Young: Let's try it this way. It didn't lock up though.

165:17:10 Duke: Hardest part of (the) prep

165:17:14 Young: One of the hardest parts, Charlie.

165:17:16 Duke: (Garbled) for this glove donning; I can't do that even.

165:17:24 Young: Okay, you're in.

165:17:27 Duke: (Garbled)?

165:17:38 Young: Okay.

165:17:42 Duke: Hey, John, (I) think I'm going to be (garbled) in a minute. Terrible. Turn around, John.

165:17:55 Duke: (Garbled) Can you reach those tissues over there, John?

165:17:59 Young: I don't think you're going to get it by (garbled), Charlie.

165:18:11 Young: Okay. It's hooked.

165:18:13 Duke: Get my LEVA strap?

165:18:16 Young: Okay.

165:18:26 Young: Okay. Can you come this way?

165:18:28 Duke: Okay.

165:18:32 Young: LEVA straps are in.

165:18:34 Duke: Okay.

165:18:35 Young: And the bottom is secured.

165:18:36 Duke: Okay.

165:18:37 Young: LCG (garbled)

165:18:38 Duke: Cold. Yeah. ECS LCG Pump (circuit breaker) is Open. And let me disconnect the (garbled).

165:18:41 Young: (Garbled) water. We've got about 20 minutes here. ...

165:18:54 Young: Now, my visor got ...

165:19:10 Duke: Okay. That's enough, don't you think?

165:19:14 Young: Yeah.

165:19:21 Duke: Okay, LCG Pump, Open.

165:19:25 Young: Disconnect the LM O2 hose.

165:19:31 Duke: Gonna do mine?

165:19:33 Young: Yep.

MP3 Audio Clip at 165:19 ( 0 min 24 sec )

165:19:43 Young: In and locked.

165:19:45 Duke: Okay.

165:19:46 Young: And the cover's installed

165:19:48 Duke: Okay. (Pause) You already unplugged yours, huh? (Pause)

165:20:00 Duke: Okay, that's in and locked, and you're covered.

MP3 Audio Clip ( 1 min 08 sec )

165:20:03 Young: Okay, I'm going to get these off the floor before (garbled).

165:20:09 Duke: Turn around. That's okay. (Garbled) let me get that...Oh.

165:20:30 Duke: Okay?

165:20:35 Young: Okay, verify the following: Helmet and visor aligned and adjusted; O2 connectors, three, locked; purge valve, locked; water connectors, one, locked; comm connector, one, locked; PGA diverter valve to vertical.

[As shown in Figure I-23 in the EMU Handbook, the diverter valve is part of the oxygen inflow connector and gives them the option of directing the PLSS oxygen flow entirely into the helmet (the vertical position) or partly into the suit torso (the horizontal position). Generally, the astronauts put the diverter valve to horizontal only when they were in the cabin and were trying to dry the suits out a little. In the hoizontal position, used in the cabin, all the incoming oxygen stream is divided between a duct leading to the helmet vent and a duct leading the vents in the torso. In the vertical position, used outside, all the oxygen goes to the helmet vent. Figure I-10 from the EMU Handbook shows the layout of the ducts.]

165:20:57 Young: My (garbled).

165:20:59 Duke: Okay. Mine is, too. Verify EVA circuit breaker configuration.

165:21:05 Young: Okay. All my white dots show. Decals?

MP3 Audio Clip ( 4 min 21 sec )

165:21:09 Duke: White dots are out here plus the good old S-band.

165:21:19 Duke: Okay, we can don the gloves (as per Surface 6-6). (Long Pause)

165:22:03 Young: Wait a minute, Charlie.

165:22:05 Duke: What?

165:22:06 Young: It's your glove; it moved. (Pause)

[Evidently, John has seen some slippage of Charlie's glove in the wrist ring.]

165:22:31 Young: Okay. There you go. That dust gets in the...(Pause)

165:22:46 Duke: I dropped a glove. (Long Pause)

165:23:13 Duke: Lining up the old watch (on his right arm. Charlie's black watch strap can be seen in AS16-116-18649. (Long Pause) Let me do it, John; and then you can get my right one, too. (Pause)

165:23:57 Young: (You) got it, Charlie.

165:24:00 Duke: Okay. (Long Pause as John works on Charlie's right glove) Nope. (Pause) That sounds right.

165:24:32 Young: Got it.

165:24:33 Duke: Feels right. Whoops. (Turn the locking mechanism) the other way. There we go.

165:24:36 LM Crew: Locked. (Pause)

165:24:43 Young: Wait a minute.

165:24:46 Duke: Not as much trouble as I thought we were going to have (garbled) dirty.

165:24:52 Duke: Okay, we got..."Don EV gloves, wrist locks." Glove straps are tight. "PLSS Diverter, Min, Pump, On."

165:25:06 Young: Okay.

165:25:07 Duke: And I can verify my Diverter's in Min.

165:25:10 Young: Pump coming on?

165:25:11 Duke: My Pump is coming On.

165:25:14 Young: (Garbled)

165:25:15 Duke: Okay. Yeah, I go to Egress on the Press Reg, and would you read me the Pressure Integrity Check.

MP3 Audio Clip ( 0 min 33 sec )

[The times used in the Journal differ from the Mission Time being kept in Houston by 11 minute 48 seconds due to a clock update that was done at about 118 hours to simplify operations at the new lift-off time. See the discussion at 115:55:23.]

165:25:25 Young: Okay. Press Reg A and B to Egress.

[They are about to start the Pressure Integrity Check on Surface 6-6. They had planned to reach this point 3 hours 33 minutes after wake-up. The elapsed time since wake-up has actually been 2 hour 47 minutes and they are now 46 minutes ahead of the timeline. Despite the apparent troubles they had with the LEVA and helmet donning, they have only lost about a minute since 165:11:43. Proper seating, sealing, and locking of the helmets and gloves is, of course, critical to their ability to do the EVA and the crews always exercised due care.]

165:25:28 Young: Okay. (Garbled; Pause)

165:25:40 Young: Turned it off.

165:25:42 Duke: Want me to get it, John?

165:25:43 Young: I got it, Charlie. My ... is coming up.

165:25:45 Duke: Okay. I got a flag. O2's the first flag. And I am actually pressurizing.

MP3 Audio Clip ( 3 min 15 sec )

165:25:58 Young: Okay. "Press flag clears at 3.1 to 3.4; cuff gauge at 3.7 to 4.0; O2 flags will clear."

165:26:06 Duke: Okay. (Long Pause)

165:26:32 Young: Okay. I'm off the peg (meaning that his cuff pressure gauge is starting to register)

165:26:47 Duke: Okay. (Garbled) Press flag is clear and I'm at about 3.8.

165:26:59 Young: Okay, my Press flag is clear and she's holding at 3.85. Okay, let's turn the OPS (means PLSS)...the O2, Off.

165:27:07 Duke: Okay.

165:27:08 Young: For one minute. (Pause) Okay, there goes my Mark, Houston, for pressure integrity.

165:27:21 Duke: Can you get mine, John?

165:27:22 Young: Okay. (Pause) Yours is Off, Charlie.

165:27:29 Duke: Okay. (Pause)

165:27:37 Young: Did you get that mark, Houston, on the integrity check?

165:27:40 England: Yes sir. Sure did. (Long Pause) Okay, that's about a minute.

165:28:37 Young: Okay. I'm down to 3.65. From 3.85 to 3.65.

[A pressure decrease of about 0.2 psi - due to leaks and breathe-down - is normal and anything less than 0.3 psi is acceptable.]

165:28:48 England: Okay.

165:28:50 Duke: Okay. Yours is on. (Can you) get mine? (Pause) Okay, read on.

165:29:03 Young: Okay, turn the page (meaning the Prep and Post Card they are using) to...

165:29:06 Duke: Okay. (Long Pause)

MP3 Audio Clip ( 0 min 17 sec )

MP3 Audio Clip ( 2 min 22 sec )

165:29:27 England: And, when you get there (to the steps corresponding to those at the top of the right-hand column on Surface 6-6), we're Go for depress.

165:29:30 Duke: (Responding to Tony) Okay.

165:29: Young: Okay circuit breaker CB (16) ECS Cabin Repress to Open.

165:29:43 Duke: (Straining, probably as he turns to reach circuit breaker panel 16) Okay.

165:29:47 Young: MESA Heater circuit breaker, Open.

165:29:50 Duke: John, I can't get that one yet. Okay, Repress is Open.

165:29:57 Young: Okay Cabin Repress valve to Close.

165:29:59 Duke: Going closed.

165:30:01 Young: Overhead or forward (dump valve) are Open, then Auto at 3-1/2. (Pause) (Garbled) get, Charlie?

165:30:10 Duke: Got it. (Pause) Okay, going Open. (Pause)

165:30:28 Young: Okay 3-1/2; Mark.

165:30:30 Duke: Okay, Close. (Long Pause)

165:30:45 Young: Okay. It says...(Pause) Cabin at 3-1/2? That's true. Suit circuit is locked up at 4.6 - 4.3; PGA 4.6 and decaying.

165:31:04 Duke: It is; mine is.

165:31:05 Young: Okay. We'll be starting here at 4.6 (garbled)

165:31:09 Duke: (Garbled)

165:31:10 Young: It says...

165:31:11 Duke: Go ahead.

165:31:12 Young: And it says...

165:31:14 Duke: It ought to be open up the valve.

165:31:16 Young: Yeah. Okay. Starting the wrist watch and open the valve.

165:31:20 Duke: Okay, coming open. (Pause) Okay, we're in Open.

[EVA-3 has started.]

165:31:35 Duke: Yeah. (Long Pause)

MP3 Audio Clip ( 0 min 13 sec )

165:31:49 Young: Okay. There's the ...

MP3 Audio Clip ( 1 min 18 sec )

165:31:51 England: You fellows are doing really great. You're about a half hour ahead.

165:32:06 Duke: Thank you. Sort of get this thing memorized on the third time, Tony.

165:32:14 England: Yeah,...

165:32:15 Young: (Lost under Tony)

165:32:15 England: ...you're really getting it down.

165:32:17 Young: (To Charlie) You got it open. (To Tony) You need to do this 10 or 20 times up here and you'd probably would be pretty good at it.

165:32:31 Young: (Garbled) in your way. Okay, I got a water flag. Okay, I'm going to (garbled) my visor. (Pause)

165:32:52 Young: Okay, it's saying...A water flag, yeah.

165:32:55 Duke: Okay. We're coming up on 2 minutes. There's my water flag. (Pause)

165:32:57 Young: (Garbled) give it a minute (garbled).

[They are waiting for the cabin pressure to decrease below 0.2 psi so they can open the hatch.]