Prototype Astrovac. (Photo credit: Republic Aviation.)
Painting 38 shows this pilot bathing using the “Astrovac” hygiene glove to contain and collect the soapy water when a shower curtain is not available. Astrovac was a hand-held unit (see photo at right) developed in about 1969 by Republic Aviation, a division of the Fairchild Hiller Corporation specializing in hygiene and waste handling items for spaceflight. Republic also built the toilets for MOL and Skylab.
This is the only painting that does not show the crewmember in a bump hat and tunic. The background is a stylized representation of the module interior, with exaggerated volume.
The onionskin sheet is annotated along the left side with top and side views of the Astrovac device, and in the middle with a set of rectangles possible indicating views for a film.
The cover sheet has several hand-written annotations. One list two revisions to be made to the painting, and is marked "done." The other may refers to a company engineer with an internal phone number.
(1) Astrovac now only has two hoses
(2) Electrode marks on chest
Frank McGuire
x2495
Sources.
- Astrovac video , Republic Aviation Div., Fairchild Hiller Corp, ca. 1969, accessed January 10, 2015.