What would you say if I told you I found a video on youtube that shows the people who were doing the mockup of the lander and ascent module showing a Reporter from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) the inside of the LEM, and when he gets to the ascent tunnel where the astronauts are going to climb through to get from the command module to the LEM (and vice versa), and you actually SEE him open the door on the LEM, which would go to the command modules and get this...
This mockup is designed to allow the Astronauts to practice in full gear and backpack going in, fitting, climbing ascending up the 'tunnel' between the LEM and the command module so it is a perfect copy to the millimeter (or something).
...AND as the spokesperson is showing the MIT reporter the INSIDE of the LEM he says something to the effect:
"this is the tunnel which the astronauts will use to climb back into the command module after docking...'
AND remember this is a perfect copy of the LEM and lander...
He pulls down the tunnel cover hatch about 1/3 of the way open and it actually goes clank/thud against the piece of hardware under it where the astronauts will be filling their backpacks.
IOW, he is opening this hatch cover which has to open completely and it hits the housing and goes CLANK/THUD into the equipment below it after pulling it down about 1/3 of the way.
When I first saw this I thought 'wow that looks like it hit the housing, that's weird...' But then I put it on the big TV with better speakers and it not only looks like it hit you HEAR it go thud.
So, if the mockup is accurate, then they didn't design a workable method of 'fit' testing or this thing is a big 'toy' and just a facade.
The other OBVIOUS conclusion is that there is not enough room for the hatch and they didn't design it to open, because nobody is 'climbing' anywhere. I'm surprised when the NASA folks saw that they had to cringe and hope nobody saw that, or they would have edited it out.
If this seems relevant, I'll go ahead and give the link and the YT video time count.
But if everyone thinks it's just a prototype and not all the parts have to work, then I'll just drop it.
I will repeat the spokesperson says explicitly the whole purpose of this is for suited up astronauts to practice on and make sure it all fits.
This is a video in B&W from 1966.
from 1966? well I guess they had 3 years to 'fix' it? Right? :o ::)