[ought-six]

I think it was concluded that the space capsule was lost due to his starting to panic while the capsule was still on the surface of the ocean, and he opened the hatch to climb out (fearing the capsule would sink — with him in it) before the recovery crew could get to him, which allowed the capsule to fill with water and sink.

I’m not criticizing Grissom, I’m just saying what the conclusion was after the event.

[Hulka]

Yes. . .that was the ‘story,’ but when the capsule was discovered they found untouched the inside handle that he would have used to blown the hatch, thereby proving “the hatch just blew.” Additionally, “Astronauts who released the hatch in tests had to strike the release mechanism so hard they invariably bruised their hand, Buckingham said. At his post-flight exam, Grissom had no such bruise” . . .further; “In tests of the emergency release, Buckingham said, the door would be blown 25 feet out and 6 feet up. Film of the splashdown shows the door popped out only a few feet.” http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1999-12-09/news/9912090197_1_gus-grissom-astronaut-gus-hatch

Gus was not as depicted in The Right Stuff. He was a true hero.

[Hulka]

Oh, forgot to mention. . .

“I think it was concluded ”

NASA cleared him of any wrong-doing and did not allege he acted in a panic.

[Ditto]

I think it was concluded that the space capsule was lost due to his starting to panic while the capsule was still on the surface of the ocean, and he opened the hatch to climb out (fearing the capsule would sink — with him in it) before the recovery crew could get to him, which allowed the capsule to fill with water and sink.

I think you are confusing that stupid movie "The Right Stuff" with what the investigation actually discovered.

If NASA had least suspicion that he had somehow panicked, he would have been grounded and out of the program.

[Flag_This]

"I’m not criticizing Grissom, I’m just saying what the conclusion was after the event."

See, that's my beef with "The Right Stuff" - if that had truly been the conclusion, then there's no way Grissom would have been involved in Gemini or Apollo. He would have been eased out of the program.

One of the later Mercury astronauts (Carpenter or Schirra), in support of Grissom, made a big point of displaying the bruise he got on his hand from hitting the the button to blow the hatch. Grissom did not have that bruise, but the button apparently required a level of force that just about guaranteed a bruise.