This challenge closed on 11/12/2019. See below for the correct answers.
Trying hard
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Correct Answer
Harry I put together a team of women from the computing division here at Kennedy and we have spent most of the last eighteen months combing through mission files and computer print outs, looking for more clues to the source of the oxygen tank explosion on board Apollo XIII, and I think we have finally worked out what happened. The tank containing the source of the explosion was originally installed in Apollo X but removed for modification. During that process it got dropped so it was held back for further tests and a replacement fitted for that flight. Once it had passed inspection the tank was returned to service and earmarked for Odyssey. Further upgrades were carried out to allow it to run off ground power during fit out, at twice the spaceship voltage, and the higher power was used to boil off excess oxygen during ground tests. Unfortunately, it looks like the thermostatic switches in the tank were overlooked during the voltage upgrade, and our best guess is that they fused closed during the boil off, allowing the temperature to rise to over a thousand degrees. You might think the test engineers would have noticed that, but since the tank operating temperature was supposed to be somewhere well below zero the dial only went as far as plus eighty, so no-one would have noticed. Operating that far out of normal range it is a miracle the tank lasted as long as it did, and that adds to the impression that this was a simple accident, a chain of events that could not have been foreseen, but the computer files tell a different story. We found two versions of the upgrade report, which was written to detail the procedures for modifying the electrical system on the tank. The first gives a comprehensive list of the cabling, switch gear and control systems that needed to be hardened for the ground-based voltage. It lists every critical component except the thermostatic valves. This document was filed in the service record so we know it was the official record, but the chief systems engineer who signed it off says the signature on it is a bad copy of his own. We found identical copies in several mission files, both in the manufacturer’s records and at Kennedy where some of the tests were carried out, so it is clear that this was the official version used in the upgrade. The second version appeared to be the same document, but it included the thermostatic valves on the list of components to be changed, and the temperature gauge limits were circled several times, with an exclamation mark next to the eighty-degree ceiling. It looks like our saboteur deliberately arranged for the tank to be misconfigured in an effort to cause trouble for the mission. Although we can’t be sure they realised how dangerous this was, when we put it together with all the other accidents it is pretty clear this was another deliberate attack on the program. We found the second version of the report in a box under the floor boards in Mike’s place. I suppose it is possible that Mike had stumbled across the document himself and was investigating it as part of his campaign to prove that the Russians were behind this string of problems, but at the very least he is guilty of a major misjudgement, and if the astronauts had died he would have been tried for manslaughter. As it is, together with the leak charges, he will be going to prison for a very long time. Of course, the evidence is still largely circumstantial. We can definitely tie him to the leak to the newspaper. Forensics matched the typewriter ribbon and type characteristics on his typewriter with the ink and impressions on the letter to the editor, but we still cannot show conclusively that he directed or carried out any of the sabotage attempts, and we have not been able to find anyone else who had both motive and opportunity, so he is our best suspect. I am not sure we can entirely relax, but with no significant incidents on Apollo XIV to XVI and with Mike in custody, I feel slightly less worried about the remaining Apollo flight. We are still trying to crack that other enciphered document we found in Mike’s place. It has a very strange alphabet, which I think must be significant, but I can’t quite see how to break it yet. Now that the NASA computing experts have more time, I am hoping that we should be able to decipher it, and that it will shed some more light on Mike’s thinking. More importantly, it might tell us what else, if anything, he had planned. MegA manifesto
FBGAI AGCFE KEFEK CIAGC FCGAF CIBHD HEFCF AFBFA GDFCH DFEKC IAKCI BGBGC IAHAF EKCFA KAIAG CFBFA GBFBI AFBHE IAGCK CIAFC IBHDF EGAGA FCHDI AHEIA FCKDF CFAIA KCFBF AIAGC FEHEF CICFB FEIAH EFDKA HBHDF CIEKA IDKCH DHEFB HEKEF CFCHA FEKEK CHEHA KAGEF CKCIA GCFBF AGBFC GAIAG CFEHE FCICF BFEIA FEHAH BFBHD FEIDK CHEHE IAFCG DFEKE FDKAG CFBHE KEFEK CIAGC IAGCF EIBHE HEHDG AFEFE KEHEF CFAIA GCFEK CFAGB FEHDI AGCKC IAIDF EHEIA FBHDI BHBID FBIAG CFEKC KDGCI DKCHD IDFEG AFBGB GCIAF BFAFB IAHEH BIBHB HBFEI AHEIA KCIAF EHEID FEGCK CICFE IAHDF BFEKE IAFCK DFCFA IAKCF BFAFB IAFDI BIAFB FAFCI DHDFE KCGEF BHEFE IAGCK CIAID FEKDK CFAFC FAGEK AKEFE GAFEK CIAFB IAIAG CFEID KCKAI DFEGA FCIBG BGCIA GAKCH EKDFB HEHAF DKAIA KCGDF BFAGB FCFAF BIAHE HAFBG BGCIA FBFAF CHBFE FAIDK CHDFC IBHDH BFCGE FBIAF BKDFB KCFAH EGCKC ICFEH EGCHD IBFAG DGAHD FCHAI AGCFE KDFCF AGAGE FBKDI AKCFA KEIAG CFEKA FAFEF EKEKC HDFEK CHEFC FAIAF CKDFC FAGAH DFCFA IAIAG CFEFE ICFBG EFEIC FEFAI AGCFE IAGCH DFEKC IAFCG AFAIB KDGEF EKCHD HAFBH EHEFB GEFEH EFDKC HEFEK EFBFA KDIBF DKCKE FBKEF AFCIA GBFBI CFEIA GCFEH AIAGC FEHAF EIAIA GEFEI AFCGA FBGBG CIAFB FAHEI AFEKC KEIAG CFEKA GCKCI CFEKD FCFAI CFBFA KDFEK EIAGC FEHAH EFEGE ICFEH EIAGC KCIAI AGCFE HAKCK EKEFC KDIAH DFBFA FEFCG AHAIB IAIBK CGEGE KAKCH EHEIB HDFEK EKEFE HEIAH DIBKD IAFBF CFAID FBGEG EHBHD FCIAF EKDIA IBHEK CFAKE IAGCK CIAHB FEKCK DFEKD KCFAF DFEHA KCFBF AIAKC FBFAF EKEIB FAKEF EHDIA GCFEH EGCFE GEIAF EHDFC GAIAG CFEFA IBKDG EFEKC HDIBH AFDHD FEGEG EKCIA GCFEK AKEFC FAFCI AHEFE FEHAI AFCHE FEFEI AGCKC IAIAG CFEGE FCFAG BFEHD IDFEK DFCID FEHDF BFAIA GCFBH EHEGC KCKEF CIDIA GCFEH AFCHD FEIAG CFEIA IDFCH EFBKE FEHEI DFBGE GEFBF AICFE HEIAF BFAIA GCFEH EFEKC IDGAI BGEID FEKCH BFCFA HEFDF EGAFC HDFEG EFCFA GBFBI AIDFB GEGEF DFEFB HAHBF CHEHE FBFDG EFEIA FCGAF BGBGC IAKCI AKCGE GEIDF BIAGC FCIBI AIAGC FEIAG CHDFE KCIAF CGAIA FCIAK CGEKC FAFAF BGCFB GEKCI AFBFC FAKCF AKEID GCFEF AIAGC KCIAK EKCKA KDFCH AFEHE IDFEI DFBGE GEKCG EGEFD FEFEF AHEGE KCICF EKEFD KAIDG CFCFE ICFEH DFBHE HAFCH DFEHD IBIAG CGEFE HEHEG EFCHE FEKCF AKEID FEIDF BGEGE FDFEI AGCFE HEGEK CICFE HEIAG CFEHB HDFBK DFEFC GAIDF BFAFA FBFAG BHAFB GBGCI AFDFE IDFCH DHEFE KCIAG AFBHD HEIAF BGCFC HBFEK EIAGC KCIAI AGCFE HEHBK CKDFE HDKCK DFEID FCIBG EKEGC FEGEH BIBHE IAIBH DFAFB FAGBI AGCFE HAFBH EHEFB GEFEH EGAHD FCHAI DFEKC HBFCF AHEFC GAIDK CHDIA FCKDK CHDHD FBFEH DHEFC GAHBF EKCKD FEKCF AKEGD FEFAF AFEKE KAHEF EFEHA FEKEI AFCGC KCICF EIAGC KCIAF BFAHA FBFAK EIDGC FEFAG CFEHE FEIAG CFBHE HBHDF CGBHD KCHAI AFCGE KCFAK EFCFA IAGCF EHAFC FCFAF DKAID FBFAF AFBFA GBIAG CFEHE HBKCK DFEHD KCKDF EIAGC FEKCK EHAFB FAFBH EIAHD KCIAF BFCFA GCFCH BFEKE IAFCF EHEIA KCFDG EFBHE GCIAG CFEHE IBHBH DFEHA KCKDK AFCGA IAGCF EKDKC HBFBI AKCGE FBHEI AHEKA HEIAF EHAFC ICFEH DKDFC HAHAI BFAFB HEHAK DFCID FBFAG BFCIB HDFEF AFEHA FBFEH EKCFA KEHEF EIAIA FBFAG BFCIB HDGCF EKCHD IAHEK CFAKE HAFBF AKEHE FCFAI AGCFE KDFCF AHCIB FEHEI AFCGA KCFAF EIDGA HDFCF AIAFB FEHDF DIBIA FDHDF EKBGC FAFEI CHEFE FEHAH EIBFA KEFEI AFEHD HDFEK EKCFA KEFEI CFEFA FDFEG AFCHD FEIAG CFEGE KCIBF AKDGC FCGAK CHBFC GEGEF CIEFB IAGCF EKCHA FEHDF BKDKC FAHBI BFDGE FBKDF BHEFD FEGBF BFAFA FBFAG BIAFC GBFEI AFDFC HDFEK EIAGC FEIAG CHDFE KCIAF CGAFA IBKDG EFEKC HDIDK CHDFB HEHDF BHEFB FAGBK CFAKE IAGCF EHBFE KCKDF EHBHD FCIAF EHEIA HEIDG CFBKD GCKCH DFEFB FAIAF EFAKE FEKEI AFCHB HDFEI CFEFA IAFBI AKCHD FEFEF AKDFC IBHDK CGBFB FAGBF CIBHD FEFAF EHAFB FEHEI AFCFD FEGEF BFEIC FEIAG CKCIA IAGCF EKAKD KCFAI DFBFA IDKCH DFBHE IBFAK CICFC FBKEK CFDGE FEIAF CHEIB HDICF BICFE FBIAI DFEHA IBHEI AGAFB GBGCI AFBIA FAFCI DFCFA FCIBH DFCID FAIAF EHDHA HEFDF EGAFC HDFEI AGCFE FAIBK DGEFE KCHDK CHDHE FEFAK CGEHE GBHDF CIDIA FCFCH BFCID FEHDG AIBGE FBGAF CIBHD GEFEK CKEFE HDHEI DFBGE GEFAF CIAKC KDIAF CGAIA GCFEF BHDFC IDFAI CFCGE FBIAF BFCFA IAGCF EFAFB IDFBG EGEHB HDFCI CFCGD FEIAG CFEHD FEHCI BFBHD FEKEK DFCFA GAHDF CFAIA KCIAF BFCFA FBIDF BGEGE KDFCF AICFB FAKDF EIAGC FEHAI AGCKC IAIAG CFEHD IBHEH EFBKC FAHEG CKCIC FEHEK CFDFC IAKCG BFEKE IAGCF EGEIB FAKCH DHBHD FCGBH DKCHA KCFAK EGDFB GEGEF EKEFC HDKCI AIAFE HAHBI AFEKE IAFCG DFBGE GEFCI BHDKC HEIAH DFCFA KCIBI AHEIA GCFEH DIBHE HEFBK CFAHE IDFBG EGEFA FEICF EHDFD FEKCF DGEFE IAFCH BHDFC ICFEI AGCKC IAIAG CFEKA KCHDF EFBFA FAFCK DFEFA IAKCF AKEFC IBHDH BFCGE FBIAF BKDFB KCFAH EKCFA KEGBF EFAFE HDKCG EHEID FBGEG EFDFE GAFCH DKDFE KEIAF CHEIA HDFBG DFEFD KCKDG DIAGC FEHDI BHEHE FBKCF AHEID FBGEG EFEHE KDKCG EKCIA FEFBF AFCHD KEFEH DIAFC FAFCI AGEFC FCGDI DFEKC GDKCF AKEFC FAKDF EIAGC FEKAG CKCIC FEKDF CHAHA FBIAI AFEKE IAGCF EHAHE FEGEI CFEHE IAGCF EHDFE IDFBG EGEFD FEFAF CIAIB HDFAF BFAGB FDKCK DGDIA GCFEI BFAKC ICFCF BKEKC FDGEF EIDKC HDIDF BGEGE GCKCI CFEIA FCFDF EGAFC IBGBG CIAIA FCFBI AHEKD FCFAK DGEIB HEFBF CFA