NASA-UAP-D7: Skylab Technical Crew Debriefing 1973

CARR but we did find it very interesting to be able to see other
(CONT'D)
objects up there with us. The fact that one or two of them
appeared to be tumbling was apparently due to the oscillation
of the light flashes that we were getting from them.
POGUE The OWS Heat Exchangers: There's a major design flaw there in
that filters were not installed upstream of the OWS heat exchanger
vanes. When we first arrived, the vanes were so uniformly coated
with lint that I thought there was some kind of anodized surface
on them. I was never fully convinced that I had done the
vacumming job properly; therefore, I fabricated a special tool
that fit flush against those surface vanes so that I could
exert a good vacuum. Though they are not supposed to be con
densive heat exchangers, I sucked quite a bit of condensate water
out of them. I tried the best I could to keep those things
clean, yet I never did get all that lint pulled out of there.
That is why I think we needed a filter in the system.
GIBSON EVA anomalies might also be mentioned here. For example, you
had the water leak outside, and I also got a water leak.
POGUE One thing that was not mentioned on air-to-ground as a possible
cause of the problem was the single-point failure that exists
in the mechanical way that the PCU composite connector is
hooked to the PCU. I was able during EVA, maneuvering through
the clothesline ropes, not only to open the lock but also to
extend the arm which pulls the PCU composite connector off.
7-9