HABITAT REFITTING 



Refitting of the TEKTITE habitat was accomplished at the Philadelphia Naval 

 Shipyard. This work included routine chipping, painting, and replacement of 

 corroded parts which had been exposed to sea water in the previous program. 

 Structural modifications were made to the habitat base to permit an alternative 

 emplacement method. Lifting lugs were also added to permit the habitat to be 

 more rapidly positioned inside the LSD. These lifting lugs are shown in 

 Figure 19- 



Figure 19. TEKTITE Habitat Being Lifted into the LSD 



In addition, several improvements and changes were required based upon 

 recommendations from the preceding program. Among these were the slight 

 changes required to accommodate a fifth crew member and the considerable changes 

 necessary to increase the efficiency of the carbon dioxide (CO2) removal system. 

 During TEKTITE I, it was demonstrated that the chemical absorbents in this sys- 

 tem required replacement every four hours. For TEKTITE II, a minimum replace- 

 ment interval of 12 hours was specified. In addition, new gas monitoring equip- 

 ment was installed replacing equipment previously supplied by other participants. 



Refitting activities both inside and outside the habitat were hampered by inclem- 

 ent weather. Subfreezing temperatures caused concern for the integrity of pipes, 

 ducts, and seals. All lines containing water or moisture were carefully dried 

 after each period of use and no problems were encountered. Every operating part 

 of the habitat was thoroughly checked and reconditioned or replaced as needed. 

 Reference 6 describes manufacturing problems encountered during TEKTITE I and 



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