Apollo 8
Day 4: Final Orbit and Trans-Earth Injection
Corrected Transcript and Commentary Copyright © 2004-2022 by W. David Woods and Frank O'Brien. All rights reserved.
Last updated 2022-08-01
086:52:51 Lovell (onboard): [Singing.]
086:53:00 Lovell (onboard): - What did you say? 89. However, we have - we're checking, an 87 one, because it's going to be almost similar, to see what our attitude's going to be like.
086:53:16 Lovell (onboard): Yes.
086:53:20 Lovell (onboard): Where are you going to put the food after you make it?
086:53:23 Lovell (onboard): I'm not going to make mine until after the burn.
086:53:34 Lovell (onboard): ... Oh.
This is Apollo Control at 86 hours, 54 minutes as the spacecraft went over the horizon and we lost the signal. Capsule Communicator Ken Mattingly passed up to the crew a all systems Go report. ...
086:54:52 Borman (onboard): Did you get everybody out a meal, Bill?
086:54:55 Anders (onboard): I'm going to.
We expect to reacquire Apollo 8 in 43 minutes, 52 seconds. This is Apollo Control at 86 hours, 55 minutes into the flight.
086:55:06 Lovell (onboard): Here - Boy, there's some things in my pocket they don't know about.
086:56:20 Lovell (onboard): I wouldn't say this was too good, would you?
086:56:40 Lovell (onboard): Anybody care to brush their teeth?
086:57:01 Lovell (onboard): We are maneuvering now, aren't we?I mean, you know, with respect to the...
086:57:08 Lovell (onboard): I say, our spacecraft is maneuvering with respect to the ...
086:57:14 Lovell (onboard): What did I say that TEI 9 time was?
086:58:03 Lovell (onboard): 87:19; that's - 22 minutes from now, 21 minutes from now. That's a TI 9 burn, which is the - one REV before this one - I want to see what our attitude is going to be. Here, you want some toothpaste? Huh?
086:58:55 Lovell (onboard): I'll get them; I'll get them. You might hit the IMU switch.
086:59:09 Lovell (onboard): Here you go, Bill.
086:59:25 Lovell (onboard): 87:19.
086:59:34 Lovell (onboard): We're just - Hold on just a second.
087:00:58 Lovell (onboard): Take a look at this - at your window position. We're at about - Let's see, T
IG - was it T
IG minus 2, that other one? 87:17? 87:17, your T
IG position, your window position? Okay, it's in the - it's in the update book. Right up there. Yes?
087:02:57 Lovell (onboard): What's that?
087:03:07 Lovell (onboard): Let me see.
087:03:20 Lovell (onboard): Which is which? The Moon is darker than the sky.
087:03:42 Lovell (onboard): So, who turned on the light?
087:03:55 Lovell (onboard): Well, I think we're in the proper position, though.
087:04:00 Borman (onboard): Why don't you check to make sure we're still posigrade?
087:04:32 Lovell (onboard): Supposed to be stars there.
087:04:44 Lovell (onboard): Man, I've got to get that star check early. I'll never get it this way. I have to get that star check early to - you know - I mean I - It can't be too early because the Moon will be in the way, but it's got to be early enough so I can see.
087:05:00 Lovell (onboard): Okay. Hey, the DAP load ought to be pretty good, huh? You see if the DAP load changed any.
087:05:17 Lovell (onboard): Huh. load the DAP. Huh? You want this display in the position? Okay. Want to turn up your display just a little bit? Okay.
087:05:53 Borman (onboard): How are the boilers working, Bill?
087:05:57 Lovell (onboard): Okay, that's good for four quads. That's C is DAP; A, B, C, D. Right. Okay. Proceed. Zero is - Oh, the second one? The second one is the roll quad [garble]. Okay, 45821, 45597. 45597. Alright, well, it went up two digits. I'll try it here now. That's already been done. 42 is Peacock.
087:08:29 Lovell (onboard): [Singing.]
087:08:37 Lovell (onboard): Where are you?
087:08:54 Lovell (onboard): (yawn) 87 - 9 - 19. 87 - 9 - Wait a second, that's - For this time, it's 87:19. Do you have a good horizon? I see horizon right here.
087:09:28 Lovell (onboard): Well, I mean, where - Do you see the horizon at all?
087:09:36 Lovell (onboard): Hey, I don't want to burn into it.
087:09:43 Lovell (onboard): Well, I see something down there. I see something down there.
087:09:49 Borman (onboard): That's the - You're seeing the terminator, not the horizon. Well - okay, that's the one we're going to burn on; you've got to get clear before we burn.
087:10:19 Lovell (onboard): What do you mean?
087:10:24 Lovell (onboard): Oh. Well, how far up are we - Oh, we've still got 9 minutes to go - 3 degrees per minute. What's the attitude here? 180? Pitch is - Let me read pitch off and then sec ... yaw.
087:10:47 Lovell (onboard): You want a 180, though. You want a 180.
087:10:54 Lovell (onboard): Oh, it's - it's - Get - Wait a second. Well, it says 180.
087:11:00 Anders (onboard): Roll 180.
087:11:01 Lovell (onboard): Oh, oh, oh, pitch 7, yes. Okay. You know what amazed me is that you can see in those shadows.
087:12:01 Anders (onboard): Yaw zero then?
087:12:05 Lovell (onboard): Yaw is zero. She calls 7 more minutes. And - Let me see here, 1 degree at T
IG minus 3. 1 degree What's this? Is that - is that it? 87:19, that would be 87:19, that would be 87:16 - in 4 minutes.
087:13:07 Lovell (onboard): Okay, I see the horizon. Yes.
087:13:14 Lovell (onboard): Right on the edge here - here - We're swinging in like this to it.
087:13:20 Lovell (onboard): It's like doing a loop.
087:13:34 Lovell (onboard): Look at down there, Bill: all those lines in a straight row like sand dunes.
087:14:27 Lovell (onboard): Okay, 2 minutes - minute and a half. about.
087:14:37 Lovell (onboard): I think you're about right.
087:14:45 Lovell (onboard): 1.2 degrees? You're wide after T
IG - At T
IG minus 3, at 16. Yes. Should probably be - it's probably going to be the horizon right here, because you're upside down.
087:15:43 Lovell (onboard): Got your checklist, Bill? Okay. No, I just wondered.
087:16:06 Lovell (onboard): That's your logbook.
087:16:16 Lovell (onboard): Now. Let's see. No, wait a second- In 18 seconds. Okay, how's it now?
087:16:26 Anders (onboard): [Garble].
087:16:28 Lovell (onboard): Well, you can say it's 1.2 degrees, with - at T
IG minus 3 .
087:16:34 Lovell (onboard): I think that's kind of hard to spot in there; don't you think, Bill? Oh, you're 39; you're just a couple seconds early.
087:16:51 Anders (onboard): We're going the right way now.
087:16:53 Lovell (onboard): Yes, we're upside down going that way. And we re going with the orbit.
087:17:29 Lovell (onboard): [Singing.] Well, you still might be pitched down. It might be that you burn like this. You might be burning before you get to the top.
087:18:20 Lovell (onboard): I don't know, but I'll find out.
This is Apollo Control at 87 hours, 18 minutes into the flight. Our spacecraft is currently nearing the end of its ninth revolution and the beginning of the 10th. We'll have about 21 minutes before we acquire. I would like to pass along some preliminary figures on the Acquisition Of Signal and Loss Of Signal times that we'll have on either side of that Trans-Earth Injection maneuver. These were passed up to the crew previously. The Loss Of Signal time on the 10th revolution will be about 88 hours, 51 minutes, and this will be about 28 minutes, 5 seconds prior to the Trans-Earth Injection maneuver. Following the maneuver, the signal will be reacquired at 89 hours, 28 minutes, 39 seconds. This will be about 9 minutes, 24 seconds after the maneuver. At this time we have 19 minutes, 42 seconds prior to reacquisition of Apollo 8 at 87 hours, 29 minutes into the flight. This is Apollo Control, Houston.
087:18:42 Lovell (onboard): I don't think this is a good place for this, Bill. I'm going to put this - in here or some place. Huh? No, this - Did you find it?
087:19:16 Anders (onboard): Is that yours?
087:19:19 Lovell (onboard): No, I think that's mine; open it up and find out.
087:19:25 Borman (onboard): That's Jim's there.
087:19:49 Lovell (onboard): Now is burn time We got - little bit about 10 - 15 seconds after burn time.
087:20:23 Anders (onboard): Where's your checklist?
087:20:24 Borman (onboard): I don't know.
087:20:26 Lovell (onboard): You didn't put it in my seat, did you?
087:20:55 Anders (onboard): There's part of it - there's volume 1.
087:21:08 Lovell (onboard): Why don't you put that in your mailbox?
087:21:32 Lovell (onboard): I'm going to put this volume 2away, too.
087:21:44 Anders (onboard): Why don't you keep up this...
087:22:50 Lovell (onboard): That's the chart book.
087:23:09 Lovell (onboard): Got any emergency procedures to go over here? What are you going to do? Okay.
087:23:32 Lovell (onboard): Just a minute, Bill; I'll give you a hand. Now, we don't need these two things, right?
087:23:43 Anders (onboard): No, I got the Flight Plan out.
087:24:50 Lovell (onboard): I don't think it's down there. That's just full of junk.
087:25:20 Lovell (onboard): Is that it?
087:26:46 Lovell (onboard): (Whistling)
087:27:36 Lovell (onboard): Well, who's got who's got the Pentels? Anybody got a Pentel? (Pentels were a popular felt-tip marker pen)
087:27:42 Borman (onboard): Here's one.
087:27:43 Lovell (onboard): Okay, we've got two. Okay, I want to - No, wait a minute - I just don't want to ...
087:27:50 Borman (onboard): Oh, I'm sorry.
087:27:51 Lovell (onboard): I just want to get it when we -tape here.
087:27:58 Borman (onboard): 87:38:42.
087:28:46 Lovell (onboard): Yes.
087:28:49 Borman (onboard): For God's sake, shift the right thing there, Jim, when we go to arm the thing.
087:28:54 Lovell (onboard): Right. Proceed.
087:28:55 Borman (onboard): We got a - we've got to ullage. Don't let me forget that: 15-second ullage.
087:28:59 Lovell (onboard): Right.
087:29:06 Lovell (onboard): That's true.
087:29:07 Borman (onboard): Alright, we're going to get another one.
087:29:33 Lovell (onboard): Do you want to do a gimbal drive test?
087:29:36 Borman (onboard): Yes, I think we might as well. Don't you?
087:29:40 Lovell (onboard): Okay, I'll.... Just the way we had planned it!
087:29:45 Lovell (onboard): Aren't you going to talk to the world?
087:29:50 Lovell (onboard): I don't know. That's the one, but it's not the final one.
087:29:57 Borman (onboard): This is our retro burn, young man.
087:30:16 Borman (onboard): Huh?
087:30:17 Lovell (onboard): What do you mean? 213 - 215 seconds, that turned out to be.
087:30:33 Borman (onboard): Minus 40 feet on the Delta-V in 2seconds.
087:31:09 Borman (onboard): When are you going to stop the water boiling - after the burn?
087:31:12 Anders (onboard): Yes, I think we ought to get away from the ....
087:31:14 Borman (onboard): Okay.
087:31:15 Anders (onboard): We can stop it
087:31:19 Borman (onboard): Well, let's just start it after the burn, then, huh?
087:31:22 Anders (onboard): Huh?
087:31:23 Borman (onboard): Stop it after the burn and not before it. Is that right?
087:31:25 Anders (onboard): Yes.
087:31:32 Lovell (onboard): [Singing, yawn]
087:32:14 Borman (onboard): That TV camera worked pretty well.
087:32:20 Lovell (onboard): There's one thing that I'm amazed at, and that is that the communications here are a lot better
087:32:25 Borman (onboard): Geeze, they're great; knock, knock, knock. Let's not say anything until we're on the carrier, what do you say (laughter)?
087:33:58 Anders (onboard): ... Delta-V ...
087:34:02 Borman (onboard): Huh? I didn't hear you.
087:34:04 Lovell (onboard): 29 something - 25...
087:34:08 Borman (onboard): Delta-V nominal is....
087:34:10 Lovell (onboard): Just make sure you can get the right one. Go ahead.
087:34:13 Borman (onboard): 3532.
087:34:15 Lovell (onboard): You mean 3522.3.
087:34:20 Borman (onboard): That's a big kick in the pants, you know it? 2000 miles an hour - You can look at it that way about - more than that. We should be getting there in 4 minutes.
087:34:58 Lovell (onboard): [Singing.]
087:35:23 Borman (onboard): 2 minutes and 18 seconds, and we're going home? Is that what you said?
087:35:28 Lovell (onboard): Yes.
087:35:30 Borman (onboard): 01:38. Takes a long time though, doesn't it?
087:35:52 Borman (onboard): How does the SPS look, Bill?
087:36:34 Borman (onboard): Maybe that's what we're doing.
087:36:38 Lovell (onboard): Yes.
087:36:42 Lovell (onboard): Let's see, I probably could use...
087:36:47 Borman (onboard): You couldn't here.
087:36:48 Lovell (onboard): Huh?
087:36:50 Borman (onboard): I don't think you could here; you could roll there, though.
087:36:59 Borman (onboard): How does that look? Huh? Huh? Can you get them on an omni with that?
This is Apollo Control at 87 hours, 38 minutes into the flight. At the present time our spacecraft is in its tenth revolution and we are standing by for Acquisition Of Signal as Apollo 8 comes over the horizon. That should be in about 15 seconds. The current velocity is 5,352 feet per second. And at this point we are at the time when we should be acquiring the spacecraft. We will stand by for a call to the crew or for a message from the spacecraft.
087:38:25 Lovell (onboard): (Whistling)
087:38:55 Borman (onboard): We're supposed to have him, Bill.
087:38:58 Lovell (onboard): Think you Just did.
087:39:01 Borman (onboard): Houston, Apollo 8. How do you read? We got signal strength, Bill?
087:39:12 Anders (onboard): Yes, it just probably takes them awhile to get squared away down there.
087:39:33 Anders (onboard): Wonder what good it is to have that engine pointing at the moon that way?
087:39:37 Lovell (onboard): Pardon.
087:39:40 Anders (onboard): We going to get it too hot?
087:39:43 Lovell (onboard): No.
087:39:47 Borman: Houston. Apollo 8.
087:39:49 Mattingly: Loud and clear, Apollo 8.
087:39:53 Borman: Okay. You want the computer? [Long pause.]
087:40:04 Lovell (onboard): There won't be any
087:40:05 Borman (onboard): Huh?
087:40:36 Mattingly: Apollo 8. We would like to have the High Gain, and when we get that, well, we will start a dump, and we will start your update.
087:40:44 Borman: Okay. How about reading us the PAD, and we will try to get you the High Gain. [Pause.]
Borman (continued, onboard): What do I have to do to get to the High Gain, Bill?
087:40:49 Anders (onboard): Give me a Verb 64, will you?
087:40:57 Borman: Ken, read us off the PAD in case you can't get the dump in; we can still do it. [onboard] Which way now?
087:41:01 Mattingly: Roger. I've got them right here. [Long pause.]
087:41:04 Anders (onboard): Well, let's see; I'm trying to figure it out. Well, roll right for sure.
087:41:08 Borman (onboard): Roll right.
087:41:12 Anders (onboard): That would probably do it, the way you're pointing.
Chuck Deiterich's copy of the Apollo 8 TEI PAD. Note the tick marks beside each item added by Mattingly as he read each one.
087:41:19 Mattingly: Okay, Apollo 8. The first PAD I have is TEI-10.
087:41:26: Go ahead.
087:41:28 Mattingly: Alright. TEI-10; SPS/G&N; 45597; minus 0.40, plus 1.57; 089:19:15.67; plus 3518.6, minus 0151.2...
087:42:20 Anders (onboard): A little yaw...
087:42:21 Lovell (onboard): Hush!
087:42:22 Mattingly: ...minus 0052.0; 180, 007, 000; November Alpha, plus 0018.6; 3522.3, 3:18, 3501.8; 42, 092.4, 25.3; Scorpii, Delta, down 06.9, left 4.5; plus 07.48, minus 165.00; 1299.4, 36300, 146:50:05; primary star, Sirius; secondary, Rigel; 129, 155, 010; four quads, 15 seconds ullage; horizon on 3.2-degree window line at T
IG minus 3. Use high-speed procedure with minus Mike Alpha. Over.
087:44:18 Borman (onboard): (CMP?) How you coming?
087:44:19 Anders (onboard): Just stand by a second, Jim. Just stand by - just stand by.
087:44:23 Lovell: Stand by one second. [Pause.]
087:44:26 Anders (onboard): There you go. Turn the LOCK, UP. Got him locked up yet? Okay, you got it.
087:44:33 Borman: You got the High Gain now, Ken.
087:44:36 Mattingly: Roger.
087:44:38 Lovell: Houston. Apollo 8. How do you read?
087:44:40 Mattingly: Loud and clear.
087:44:43 Lovell: Roger. Maneuver PAD, TEI-10.
087:44:44 Mattingly: Apollo 8. We would like to...
087:44:50 Mattingly: Apollo 8. We would like to have you go to P00 and Accept, and we would like to take the recorder at this time; then I'll copy your PAD. [Pause.]
087:44:59 Borman (onboard): Okay. You got it...
087:45:00 Lovell: You have P00 and Accept.
087:45:02 Anders (onboard): And the recorder.
087:45:03 Lovell: And you have the recorder.
087:45:06 Mattingly: Thank you, Jim. [Pause.]
087:45:13 Lovell: All set for the maneuver?
087:45:14 Mattingly: Go ahead.
087:45:18 Lovell: TEI-10; SPS/G&N; 45597; minus 0.40, plus 1.57; 089:19:15.67; plus 3518.6, minus 0151.2, minus 0052.0; 180, 007, 000; not applicable, plus 0018.6; 3522.3, 3:18, 3501.8; 42, 092.4 25.3; Scorpi Delta, down 06.9, left 4.5; plus 07.48, minus 165.00; 1299.4, 36300, 146:50:05; Sirius, Rigel, 129, 155, 010; four quad ullage, 15 seconds; horizon on the 3.2-degree mark at TIG minus 3; high-speed procedure minus MA.
087:46:46 Mattingly: That is correct, Apollo 8. Would like to confirm the hours on GET
I, 089.
087:46:57 Lovell: Roger. 089.
087:47:03 Mattingly: All right, Apollo 8. I have TEI-11 PAD. [Pause.]
087:47:15 Borman: We are ready; go ahead.
087:47:17 Mattingly: Roger. TEI-11; SPS/G&N; 45597; 0 - correction - that's minus 0.40, plus 1.57; 091:18:12.24, plus 3632.5, minus 0172.7, plus 0142.8; 180, 003, 000; November Alpha, plus 0018.6; 3639.4, 3:23, 3618.6; 42, 099.5, 25.4; Scorpii Delta, down 10.3, left 4.8; plus 07.42, minus 165.00; 1300.5, 36327, 146:51:44; Sirius and Rigel, 129, 155, 010; 4 quads, 15 seconds; horizon on 2.9-degree line at T
IG minus 2; high speed procedure with minus Mike-Alpha. Over. [Pause.]
087:49:47 Lovell: Roger, Houston. TEI minus 11; SPS/G&N; 45597; minus 0.40, plus 1.57; 091:18:12.24; plus 3632.5, minus 0172.7, plus 0142.8; 180, 003, 000; not applicable, plus 0018.6; 3639.4, 3:23, 3618.6; 42, 099.5, 25.4; Scorpi Delta, down 10.3, left 4.8; plus 07.42, minus 165.00; 1300.5, 36327, 146:51:44; Sirius, Rigel, 129, 155, 010; 4 quad, 15 seconds; 2.9-degree window mark at TIG minus 2; high-speed procedure minus MA.
087:51:15 Mattingly: That's correct, Apollo 8. [Pause.]
087:51:25 Anders: And Houston, could you give me the SPS helium tank temperature at about 87:20, please? [Pause.]
087:51:42 Mattingly: Okay. Stand by one.
087:51:47: Roger.
At the present time here in Mission Control, Flight Director Milton Windler has just checked with his key flight controllers, and we got the report that we look very good at this time, as the pace begins to quicken, moving toward this Trans-Earth Injection maneuver. Included in the list of numbers read up to the spacecraft and read back down for verification was the information the crew would use for the maneuver, the updated information. And checking over it, we see very few modifications to the preliminary figures we gave you. One minor change is in the longitude and latitude at ignition. The previous longitude was 174 degrees east. That is now updated to 173 degrees, 51 minutes east, and our latitude was 9 degrees, 17 minutes south; and that has changed to 9 degrees, 20 minutes south. All the other figures appear to have remained the same. We have a weight at the time of ignition; that would be 450, rather 45,597 pounds prior to the maneuver. Following the maneuver predicted weight is 32,124 pounds. The difference there is 13,473 pounds and most of that would represent SPS propellant.
087:54:10 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. Our loads are in and verified; the computer is yours.
087:54:18 Lovell: Roger. [Long pause.]
087:54:35 Lovell: Houston, Apollo 8. [Pause.]
087:54:46 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. At 87:48, we're reading 84 degrees, and at LOS we had 80. We'll take a look at the tape and see if we can find out what we had on the backside.
087:55:03 Anders: Okay. I would kind of like to know what I might expect at ignition here at TEI.
087:55:11 Mattingly: Roger. We'll take that off the tape. [Pause.]
087:55:19 Lovell: Houston, this is 8. I take it you have loaded both state vectors, is that correct?
087:55:24 Mattingly: That's affirmative.
087:55:28 Lovell: Roger.
087:55:33 Mattingly: We loaded your CSM and LM nav and external Delta-V, in that order,
087:55:43 Lovell: Roger.
This is Apollo Control. Currently our spacecraft velocity is 5,354 feet per second, and our orbit measures 58.8 nautical miles at its low point. We've got a high point of 63.2 nautical miles above the Moon's surface. At 87 hours, 59 minutes this is Apollo Control.
088:03:28 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston.
088:03:33 Borman: Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.
088:03:36 Mattingly: Okay, Apollo 8. We've reviewed all your systems. You have a Go for TEI. One of the things we would like to do as soon as you come out on the other side is a P23. We are checking into your helium pressures now. We're going to correlate, not only the last rev, but the previous rev for the same location, and we will have that number for you in a little bit.
088:04:03 Borman: Okay.
This is Apollo Control at 88 hours 5 minutes. The crew has just been given a Go for the Trans-Earth Injection on this revolution. ...
088:09:47 Mattingly: Apollo 8. Houston. The tape recorder is yours. I have your PTC attitude.
088:09:55 Borman: Roger. Go ahead.
088:09:58 Mattingly: Okay. PTC attitude will be pitch, 10; yaw, 45. This begins at 92 hours. Over.
088:10:11 Borman: Is that pitch, 10; and yaw, 45?
088:10:14 Mattingly: Affirmative. And looks like that will go with the entry REFSMMAT. Begins at 92 hours.
088:10:24 Borman: Thank you. [Pause.]
Borman (continued, onboard): We've got a lot of good things going here. Every time I start to do that, somebody interrupts. You know, we've got to get a new REFSMMAT and the whole bloody works right after we [garble].
088:10:31 Mattingly: Apollo 8, would you put your Up Telemetry to Block, please?
088:10:40 Lovell: In Block.
088:11:03 Anders (onboard): Okay, Auto. Time me 10 seconds, somebody -
088:11:08 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
088:11:10 Anders (onboard): When I say hack: 2, 3, 1...
088:11:12 Anders (onboard): Hack.
088:11:22 Lovell (onboard): Mark.
088:11:23 Anders (onboard): Right on the money.
088:11:26 Borman (onboard): What is the Delta-V? Is it in there now? Let's double check each other.
088:11:31 Lovell (onboard): Delta-V
C
088:11:32 Anders (onboard): 3501.
088:12:27 Borman (onboard): Boy, that sun is bright.
088:12:29 Anders (onboard): Hot?
088:12:30 Borman (onboard): Yes. Right in the eye.
088:12:35 Borman (onboard): You want to put down pitch and yaw attitude, gimbal lock (laughter) for, you know, PTC: 10 and 45. Yaw is 45, Jim.
088:12:52 Lovell (onboard): After 92 hours, though.
088:12:59 Borman (onboard): Okay, you've got your burn time now there, Bill?
088:13:04 Anders (onboard): No, I didn't get it. Oh, I got the- I haven't got the updated one yet; what have you got?
088:13:08 Borman (onboard): We got to add 3.7 seconds to what they gave us because this motor hasn't been performing like it should.
088:13:14 Anders (onboard): Yes.
088:13:16 Lovell (onboard): What's the pitch?
088:13:18 Anders (onboard): 4 seconds.
088:13:19 Borman (onboard): 10.
088:13:21 Anders (onboard): So we got a burn time of 322 now?
088:13:29 Borman (onboard): 3.
088:13:41 Lovell (onboard): It's 318
088:13:43 Anders (onboard): Plus 4.
088:13:44 Borman (onboard): 318 plus 4.
088:13:51 Anders (onboard): So, we're going to - You still going to ignite on 19:15?
088:13:55 Borman (onboard): Uh huh.
088:13:57 Anders (onboard): And it would be 322?
088:14:00 Lovell (onboard): That'd be 19:16.
088:14:02 Anders (onboard): A second later?
088:14:05 Lovell (onboard): That's what you gave me, wasn't it?
088:14:06 Anders (onboard): 16, because it's 0.67.
088:14:10 Lovell (onboard): Oh, okay.
088:14:12 Anders (onboard): So it's 67 - 0.57 you mean?
088:14:15 Borman (onboard): 15.67; make it a second.
088:14:16 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
088:14:32 Anders (onboard): Okay, shutdown will be at 40 then, right?
088:14:37 Lovell (onboard): 37; 1 have 21
088:14:42 Anders (onboard): I mean emergency shutdown will beat 40.
088:14:43 Borman (onboard): Yes, oh.
088:14:44 Lovell (onboard): Yes, OK.
088:14:46 Anders (onboard): Starting at 89:19:16, burning 322,shutting down at...
088:14:49 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston.
088:14:51 Borman (onboard): 2 seconds early.
088:14:54 Borman: Go ahead.
088:14:56 Mattingly: Okay. On the helium tank temps: that's not recorded on low bit rate, and looking over our tape dumps, most of this stuff we have on the back side there is low bit rate. So we won't be able to get you an exact number, but looking at what we have every time we go out of sight and come back over the hill, it looks like you can expect about 82 to 84 degrees as a nominal temperature.
088:15:22 Borman: Thank you.
088:15:22 Anders (onboard): Shit, we got a lot to do.
088:15:23 Borman (onboard): Huh?
088:15:24 Anders (onboard): That's the worst one we've had here.
088:15:27 Borman (onboard): That's worse?
088:15:40 Anders (onboard): you know the colder, the better.
088:15:43 Lovell (onboard): They last longer, huh?
088:15:49 Lovell (onboard): Are you going to pull out Pitch 2 and Yaw 2 circuit breakers?
088:15:52 Borman (onboard): Yes.
088:16:05 Borman (onboard): I'm trying to get in place so you can get some sighting going.
088:16:12 Lovell (onboard): Get some sighting going?
088:16:13 Borman (onboard): Sighting - you know, for P52.
088:16:18 Lovell (onboard): Oh, P52 - Yes, we're going into it. North is down.
088:16:24 Lovell (onboard): Are we? Man, look at that. There you go.
088:16:30 Borman (onboard): Huh?
088:16:31 Borman (onboard): Get a P52, will you? Let me have a Flight Plan.
088:16:39 Lovell (onboard): Do you need the book?
088:16:48 Lovell (onboard): Which way is my optics pointing?
088:16:51 Borman (onboard): Pointed at the - pretty - should be -
088:16:53 Anders (onboard): What's our spacecraft weight?
088:16:55 Lovell (onboard): Have you stopped the rate?
088:16:58 Borman (onboard): Bill. Jim's got it Yes.
088:17:00 Anders (onboard): You got it, Jim?
088:17:01 Lovell (onboard): Yes.
088:17:02 Borman (onboard): 45 something, Bill.
088:17:03 Anders (onboard): 45. okay -
088:17:04 Lovell (onboard): 45597. Okay, may I -
088:17:07 Borman (onboard): Yes, Enter that. You didn't get it?
088:17:13 Lovell (onboard): -- Oh. You did Enter it?
088:17:14 Borman (onboard): Yes, I Enter it.
088:17:15 Lovell (onboard): Okay, I'm sorry.
088:17:20 Anders (onboard): Based on helium pressure, I get 46- 50.
088:17:24 Borman (onboard): Based on what?
088:17:26 Anders (onboard): Helium pressure.
088:17:27 Borman (onboard): Oh, good.
088:17:33 Lovell (onboard): (Singing)
088:17:37 Lovell (onboard): 27... 27 is Alkaid.
088:18:31 Lovell (onboard): 33... 33. is Arcturus.
088:18:36 Borman (onboard): Well, you got two good ones, huh?
088:18:37 Lovell (onboard): Yes -
088:18:57 Anders (onboard): We would have enough there to blow it down, wouldn't we?
088:19:00 Borman (onboard): Just a minute, let me add it.
088:19:02 Anders (onboard): Oh.
088:19:18 Lovell (onboard): All balls; want to record that?
088:19:23 Borman (onboard): Yes, I've got it.
088:19:26 Lovell (onboard): Proceed. Gimbal angles: minus three zeros 40, plus four zeros 2, plus three zeros 48.
088:19:39 Borman (onboard): Okay.
088:19:43 Lovell (onboard): Can I torque?
088:19:44 Borman (onboard): You may. Torque that way.
088:19:47 Anders (onboard): I'm not sure we can blow it quite all the way. We can blow it for the time to get - I think we can blow it for over - for about 190 seconds down to 70 psi; if you want to go a little lower, you might as well go to chug; why, you can probably do it all the way.
088:20:05 Borman (onboard): Okay.
This is Apollo Control at 88 hours, 20 minutes. At the present time, we are about 31 minutes, 15 seconds from Loss Of Signal. And the crew, at this time, is involved in aligning the platform on their guidance and navigation system. Here in Mission Control Center, Flight Director Milton Windler has just gone around the room again, pulsing all the flight controllers and in every case the word was Go. We have gotten all the necessary information up to the crew at this point that they will need for the maneuver. And at the present time, the mood here in Mission Control Center could best be described, I believe, as one of relaxed confidence. Flight controllers are continuing to pore over their displays, looking at the systems, getting last minute look at all systems before we lose contact with the spacecraft. And we are again, going back over the figures that have been passed up to the crew, verifying every aspect of this maneuver. And aboard the spacecraft, following the platform alignment, the crew will be pretty much up to date on all the things they need to do for the maneuver. At about 88 hours, 48 minutes into the flight, they are scheduled to transfer - the Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell is scheduled to transfer from the lower equipment bay, where he has been doing the guidance and navigation checkout and preparation, to transfer from there to his couch. We have had very little communication with the crew since our last report. ...
088:20:09 Lovell (onboard): It's finished.
088:20:11 Borman (onboard): Okay -
088:20:12 Anders (onboard): If we do have if we do get one tank stuck. I'm going to shut the other one off, and blow them both off together.
088:20:28 Borman (onboard): What do you mean by that, Bill?
088:20:20 Anders (onboard): If we get - one tank's not getting pressurized, I'll shut off the other one, so you don't get a big DELTA-P between them.
088:20:26 Borman (onboard): Alright, good.
088:20:29 Borman (onboard): Okay, let's so - Start through the checklist. Shall we?
088:20:36 Lovell (onboard): Okay, first of all, the external Delta-V, right?
088:20:39 Borman (onboard): I'm getting my little library squared away here.
088:20:53 Lovell (onboard): Want me to go through P30?
088:20:56 SC (onboard): [Yawn.]
088:20:57 Lovell (onboard): Because then you can start right then with P40. Okay, here's the burn stuff.
088:21:01 Borman (onboard): Alright, go ahead.
088:21:09 Lovell (onboard): 89:19:15.67.
088:21:12 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:21:14 Lovell (onboard): Okay, plus 35186.
088:21:16 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:21:18 Lovell (onboard): Minus - what was that? 01512.
088:21:21 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:21:22 Lovell (onboard): Minus 00520.
088:21:24 Borman (onboard): Right -
088:21:25 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
088:21:31 Lovell (onboard): Okay, 6 11 this is not applicable Bore, okay? (boresight star?)
088:21:37 Borman (onboard): Yes.
088:21:38 Lovell (onboard): Counting down.
088:21:39 Borman (onboard): Alright.
088:21:43 Lovell (onboard): If you set it at three counting up. I think you'd have it, wouldn't you?
088:21:45 Borman (onboard): Yes.
088:21:57 Lovell (onboard): (Singing)
088:22:02 Borman (onboard): We've got to get some of that Murine out; My eyes are --- (Murine is a popular eye drop of the time)
088:22:04 Lovell (onboard): Its - mine have been bothering me, too.
088:22:20 Borman (onboard): Okay, try it again.
088:22:25 Borman (onboard): Okay?
088:22:26 Lovell (onboard): Yes.
088:22:28 Borman (onboard): You alright?
088:22:29 Lovell (onboard): Proceed. 87, 00, Enter.
088:22:34 Anders (onboard): You want to take a look at this, too?
088:22:36 Borman (onboard): No, I don't think so; it just keeps you guys from seeing it, doesn't it?
088:22:39 Anders (onboard): Yes, a little. Let's just - do you ever want it?
088:22:42 Borman (onboard): Ito, I don't ever seem to have ever -
088:22:43 Anders (onboard): It's in my stowage bag if you think you - if you ever want to get it.
088:22:46 Borman (onboard): Alright, let's check the DAP.
088:22:48 Lovell (onboard): Well, let's - -
088:22:49 Borman (onboard): Oh, is that in the checklist?
088:22:50 Lovell (onboard): Yes.
088:22:52 Borman (onboard): Alright, then let's go with Bill.
088:22:33 Lovell (onboard): The checklist.
088:22:54 Anders (onboard): Have you completed P30?
088:22:56 Borman (onboard): Yes.
088:22:57 Anders (onboard): Okay, let's go to P40: P30,complete; CMC, On.
088:23:04 Borman (onboard): CMC is On.
088:23:06 Anders (onboard): ISS, On; spacecraft SCS, operating.
088:23:08 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:23:10 Anders (onboard): Test the Caution/Warning lamp; EMS Mode, Standby.
088:23:13 Borman (onboard): Yes,
088:23:14 Anders (onboard): Function, Delta-V set.
088:23:15 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:23:16 Anders (onboard): And have you sat 1586.8?
088:23:18 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:23:20 Anders (onboard): Okay, EMS Mode, Standby; Delta-V set; set Delta-Vc
088:23:25 Borman (onboard): 3501.8.
088:23:27 Lovell (onboard): I'll check: 3501.8.
088:23:30 Borman (onboard): Okay.
088:23:31 Anders (onboard): EMS Function, Delta-V; NonEssential Bus, Main B; cycling cryo fans - good, a time to do it as any.
088:23:48 Anders (onboard): BMAG Mode, three, Rate 2.
088:23:30 Borman (onboard): Rate 2.
088:23:52 Lovell (onboard): Delta-Vcg CSM.
088:23:53 Borman (onboard): CSM
088:23:54 Anders (onboard): CMC Mode, Free
088:23:55 Borman (onboard): Free.
088:23:57 Anders (onboard): Auto RCS select, 16, as required for ullage
088:23:59 Borman (onboard): Okay, we only need 12, I think. Right?
088:24:04 Anders (onboard): 12?
088:24:06 Borman (onboard): We don't need the Y thrusters.
088:24:08 Lovell (onboard): Four-jet ullage?
088:24:14 Lovell (onboard): [Yawn.]
088:24:15 Borman (onboard): You've got all... We got all we need.
088:24:18 Anders (onboard): Okay. Load the DAP
088:24:19 Lovell (onboard): Load the DAP. Okay, four jets: one, two, three, four jets. 0kay?
088:24:29 Borman (onboard): Right
088:24:32 Lovell (onboard): 45601. 45597. Good.
088:24:36 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:24:37 Anders (onboard): Just going over Copernicus.
088:24:41 Lovell (onboard): Minus three balls 40, plus two balls 157, right?
088:24:46 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:24:47 Anders (onboard): I don't know - Is that right?
088:24:48 Lovell (onboard): Yes.
088:24:53 Borman (onboard): Okay, DAP is loaded.
088:24:56 Anders (onboard): Okay. Rotational Controller Normal, both, AC/DC.
088:25:01 Borman (onboard): Normal, AC/DC.
088:25:02 Anders (onboard): Got your DET set? (GET?)
088:25:04 Borman (onboard): Set and counting.
088:25:06 Anders (onboard): Verb 37, Enter; 00, Enter.
088:25:07 Lovell (onboard): Yes, we have that.
088:25:09 Anders (onboard): Spacecraft control, CMC and Auto.
088:25:12 Borman (onboard): CMC and Auto.
088:25:13 Anders (onboard): Verb 62, Enter.
088:25:16 Borman (onboard): Verb 62, Enter;
088:25:17 Anders (onboard): Verb 49, Enter.
088:25:19 Borman (onboard): Verb 49, Enter
088:25:21 Anders (onboard): Load desired maneuver PAD gimbal angle.
088:25:25 Borman (onboard): 180.
088:25:26 Lovell (onboard): Plus 1800.
088:25:27 Anders (onboard): Pitch is plus 7
088:25:28 Lovell (onboard): Zero, zero.
088:25:29 Anders (onboard): 007, right?
088:25:30 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
088:25:31 Anders (onboard): Yaw is all zeros.
088:25:32 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
088:25:33 Anders (onboard): Proceed?
088:25:34 Borman (onboard): Proceed.
088:25:35 Anders (onboard): 50 18: auto maneuver - you want it?
088:25:37 Borman (onboard): Yes.
088:22:38 Anders (onboard): Okay, CMC and Auto.
088:25:40 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:25:41 Anders (onboard): Okay, Rate 2, proceed.
088:25:44 Borman (onboard): Okay.
088:25:50 Borman (onboard): [Singing, yawn.]
088:25:52 Anders (onboard): You know, it might be worth putting out Flight Plans up.
088:25:55 Borman (onboard): I got mine up.
088:25:56 Lovell (onboard): I've got to get down there and take boresight, star, though.
088:26:45 Anders (onboard): We'll run over that entry tomorrow once and Thursday once. Okay?
088:26:49 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
088:26:50 Borman (onboard): Okay.
088:26:52 Anders (onboard): You know, this kitchen down here's a pretty good deal.
088:26:54 Borman (onboard): Yes.
088:26:58 Lovell (onboard): Brings sort of homey atmosphere here.
088:27:02 Anders (onboard): Yes. How do you like your cryo, medium or well? Let me know when you get there.
088:27:11 Borman (onboard): It takes a long time to get there.
088:27:12 Anders (onboard): Okay.
088:27:17 Borman (onboard): I'll tell you what; I'll hurry it up so Jim can check the boresight star while we're in the dark.
088:27:22 Lovell (onboard): No, don't forget I got the Earth - or the Moon. If you're going back again, will you make a meal?
088:27:53 Anders (onboard): That's a pretty good checklist now, isn't it?
088:27:55 Lovell (onboard): Yes.
088:28:14 Anders (onboard): Can you still see the earth over there?
088:28:16 Borman (onboard): Yes, very distinct - half the earth.
088:26:22 Anders (onboard): I thought someone told me we weren't going to have any when we - hardly any of the earth when we came back.
088:26:27 Lovell (onboard): Well, we won't I don't think, because we're going to be way out -
088:28:28 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. We'd like to have the recorder for about 5 minutes for one last look.
088:28:35 Lovell: Roger, Houston. You're getting it.
088:28:36 Borman (onboard): Does that mean they need the high gain?
088:28:38 Anders (onboard): Yes.
088:28:40 Borman (onboard): Well, I'll stop right here then.
088:28:43 Anders (onboard): Well, you're getting --
088:28:38 Mattingly: Thank you. And I guess we still have a cryo stir ahead of us, and we've checked your PIPA bias, and there's no change.
088:28:52 Anders: Roger. And we're stirring cryos right now.
088:28:56 Mattingly: Thank you.
088:31:20 Borman: Ken, are you through with the tape recorder?
088:31:23 Mattingly: Stand by one.
088:31:28 Borman: We're on a maneuver to burn attitude, and it's going to make us lose the High Gain. [Long pause.]
088:31:48 Anders (onboard): Well, now they're moving again.
088:31:56 Anders (onboard): Can y'all hear those....
088:31:57 Mattingly: Apollo 8, the tape recorder is yours. We have your Double Umbra update, 89:07...
088:32:05 Borman: Okay. [Laughter.]
088:32:05 Borman (onboard): I'll get it.
088:32:06 Mattingly: ...15.87.
088:32:11 Borman: Roger. Copy.
088:32:12 Lovell (onboard): What's a double umbra?
088:32:13 Mattingly: Rog. And no change on your AOS time.
088:32:20 Lovell: Say that again, will you, Ken?
088:32:21 Anders (onboard): Can't believe it.
088:32:22 Mattingly: There's no change on your AOS time.
088:32:28 Borman: Now what was it?
088:32:32 Lovell (onboard): Oh, I got it. I got it.
088:32:35 Anders (onboard): It was in the Flight Plan. I read it.
088:32:31 Mattingly: Okay. With TEI, 89:28:39.
088:32:37 Lovell (onboard): 89:28:39; 89:28:39.
088:32:40 Borman: Thank you.
088:32:42 Mattingly: Rog.
088:32:50 Lovell (onboard): Yes, they might as well not build simulators any other way than they've been doing it. You're laying on your back in this thing no matter what you do.
088:32:37 Anders (onboard): Think so? I feel like I'm sitting straight up.
088:32:38 Borman (onboard): Do you?
088:33:00 Anders (onboard): Yes.
088:33:01 Lovell (onboard): You do?
088:33:02 Borman (onboard): I feel like I've been in the whole time like I've been here in the simulator.
088:33:04 Lovell (onboard): Yes, that's right; me too.
088:33:05 Borman (onboard): I've been lying on my -
088:33:06 Lovell (onboard): The Only difference is that this is ...
088:33:07 Anders (onboard): I feel like I'm In the DCPS.
088:33:08 Borman (onboard): Oh, really?
088:33:09 Anders (onboard): Yes.
088:33:13 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
088:33:14 Anders (onboard): ... little bit.
088:33:24 Anders (onboard): I'm giving these an extra little whack here just so there won't be any surprises.
088:33:35 Lovell (onboard): (singing)
088:33:52 Lovell (onboard): 42 is a pretty small star, too; Peacock.
088:34:19 Lovell (onboard): Why don't you let the old DAP take it from here?
088:34:21 Borman (onboard): I'm going to. As soon as we get in close, I'm going to give it to the DAP. It's going faster than the DAP can take.. . roll ... It's going the way we want it to go.
088:34:30 Lovell (onboard): You going to align the GDC here?(Yawn)
088:34:35 Borman (onboard): Yes. I left It this way so we can tell where we're pointing.
088:34:39 Lovell (onboard): Oh.
088:34:40 Borman (onboard): I left her in Orb Rate.
088:34:51 Anders (onboard): Where's the earth; can you see it?
088:34:53 Borman (onboard): No. Oh, it's out there, Bill - up this way.
088:34:57 Anders (onboard): Okay. Getting the right antenna.
088:35:01 Lovell (onboard): Okay, so what we are going to do is pitch down this way, huh?
088:35:37 Anders (onboard): We've got an earthset picture for Life magazine!
088:35:40 Borman (onboard): We're there!
088:35:42 Anders (onboard): Okay, are you - there?
088:35:44 Borman (onboard): Yes.
088:35:46 Anders (onboard): Okay, you want Auto trim?
088:35:50 Borman (onboard): Yes, a little Auto trim.
088:35:54 Anders (onboard): Okay, CMC and Auto.
088:35:55 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:35:56 Anders (onboard): Proceed.
088:35:57 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:35:58 Anders (onboard): Boresight and sextant star check.
088:36:00 Borman (onboard): Okay.
088:36:01 Anders (onboard): You're kind of in deep trouble for doing that. It's impossible.
088:36:05 Borman (onboard): You're looking right at the sun.
088:36:06 Anders (onboard): Yes, you have to wait awhile.
088:36:09 Borman (onboard): Gee, that's a pretty interesting view, Isn't it? That earthshine is bright.
088:36:12 Lovell (onboard): Let me take a look.
088:36:14 Anders (onboard): When the Earth sets, then we'll have enough - -
088:36:15 Borman (onboard): Look down here.
088:36:17 Lovell (onboard): Huh?
088:36:20 Borman (onboard): See it?
088:36:21 Lovell (onboard): Oh, yes, I see it quite well.
088:36:26 Anders (onboard): Oh, I might be able to get a star up there, though. What was the - what was my star?
088:36:30 Lovell (onboard): Your star was Scorpia Delti - Delta.
088:36:34 Anders (onboard): And which way is it?
088:36:38 Lovell (onboard): Okay, it was down 06.9 -
088:36:44 Anders (onboard): Yes.
088:36:46 Lovell (onboard): ... and left 4.5.
088:36:48 Borman (onboard): Oh, you'll never get that.
088:36:49 Anders (onboard): Well, how in the hell would you ever get it?
088:36:50 Borman (onboard): Well, there are some stars up here, see, that just...
088:36:51 Anders (onboard): Yes.
088:36:53 Lovell (onboard): Yes. But Scorpio is --
088:36:54 Anders (onboard): You're not going to be able to get it until damn near just prior to ignition.
088:37:00 Borman (onboard): That's an inertial star.
088:37:02 Anders (onboard): Yes, but you've got an inertial moon in your way.
088:37:04 Lovell (onboard): Well, if it - if the COAS - If you set the COAS and It doesn't hit the moon, then it's okay.
088:37:10 Anders (onboard): That's right. It's kind of hard not to hit it though (laughter), looking down at it like this.
088:37:19 Lovell (onboard): I think you're looking at Saturn.
088:37:20 Anders (onboard): Well, I can't even see... I'm not getting in your way, am I?
088:37:26 Anders (onboard): (Laughter) You guys - really bad!
This is Apollo Control at 88 hours, 37 minutes. We're now some 13 minutes, 55 seconds from Loss Of Signal. The Guidance Officer has confirmed that the spacecraft at this time is in the proper orientation for the Trans-Earth Injection maneuver. That - maneuver scheduled to occur at 89 hours, 19 minutes, 16 seconds into the flight. There have been a very few brief comments that has passed back and forth from the ground to the spacecraft. ... We'll ... stand by for a live conversation with the crew.
088:37:31 Borman (onboard): Alright, I'm going to put this thing Inertial - Inertial Power, Off; lighting, Off; select one - IMU.
088:37:50 Lovell (onboard): I could - I guess I could get out the optics and set the thing all the way up. All I'd have to do is wait until we get there.
088:36:03 Lovell (onboard): You guys could go ahead with the checklist without me in case I don't pick it up right away.
088:38:09 Anders (onboard): Look at that red star going down there.
088:38:10 Borman (onboard): I was trying to figure wit what that was, too, Bill.
088:38:12 Lovell (onboard): It might be Antares.
088:38:16 Anders (onboard): Boy, they set in a hurry, don't they?
087:38:21 Borman (onboard): They sure do.
088:38:24 Anders (onboard): Well, it's Scorpla, maybe it was -Yes?
088:38:30 Lovell (onboard): That wouldn't be setting now, would it?
088:38:32 Borman (onboard): Yes, it would be. If it's going to be part of the boresight star, it's got to be near the horizon - near the plus-X axis.
088:38:46 Borman (onboard): Okay, Bill, that should complete it.
088:38:48 Anders (onboard): Okay.
088:36:54 Borman (onboard): I wouldn't be able to get a boresight star because we'll be in the daylight.
088:38:59 Anders (onboard): What about Jim?
088:39:00 Borman (onboard): Well, I don't know; I hope he can.
088:39:04 Borman (onboard): Are you going to do that before we press on, Jim?
088:39:07 Anders (onboard): When we get - when we get -
088:39:10 Lovell (onboard): Why don't I just set -
088:39:11 Anders (onboard): ... your double umbra, why, you can do it then.
088:39:13 Lovell (onboard): What's this double umbra?
088:39:15 Anders (onboard): Double shadow. When the Earth sets, then you will be able to - you'll be looking at 90 degrees back and you can look right down on it.
088:39:25 Lovell (onboard): When the Earth sets?
088:39:26 Anders (onboard): Yes, the umbra is the shadow.
088:39:27 Lovell (onboard): Oh, Yes, okay.
088:39:30 Anders (onboard): So we're in the shadow of the Sun; that the umbra of the Moon, and when we're in the shadow of the Earth, that's the umbra. You should be able to get a boresight star pretty soon, because we're going, to come to the end of the...
088:39:41 Lovell (onboard): Are we? Okay, I'll go down there and set it up.
088:39:43 Anders (onboard): Wait a minute. Where in the hell are we?
088:39:45 Borman (onboard): Confusing.
088:39:48 Lovell (onboard): We're pitching down this way.
088:39:51 Anders (onboard): We aren't doing anything - are we? Are we maneuvering?
088:39:54 Lovell (onboard): No, we're not. We're holding steady, but....
088:39:55 Borman (onboard): Here, let me show you -
088:39:56 Anders (onboard): Yes, that's right; we're not 90degrees from our burn from our burn place yet. If we're 90 degrees from our burn place, we'll be looking straight at the moon.
088:40:03 Lovell (onboard): We're over here.
088:40:07 Anders (onboard): We're coming this way.
088:40:08 Lovell (onboard): Yes, I know. And we're not upside down like that. We're - well - you have your optics are up.
088:40:18 Anders (onboard): Optics are posigrade. They'll go to up.
088:40:28 Borman (onboard): We're going right through here.
088:40:58 Lovell (onboard): Okay, Bill, when do you start reading the 6-minute checklist?
088:41:03 Anders (onboard): 6 minutes.
088:41:04 Lovell (onboard): What's that time In GET?
088:41:07 Anders (onboard): Well, let's see here. 89:19 we'll call it; let's make it 89:13, okay? And the 5 one will be at 89:14, and the 2will be at 89:17 - 35
088:42:08 Lovell (onboard): I'm just looking where the Pitch 2 and Yaw 2 circuit breakers are. I want to make sure you pull the right one.
088:42:14 Borman (onboard): Yaw 2 and Pitch 2.
088:42:16 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
At this point, Flight Director Milton Windler has just advised his flight controllers that we are just about 10 minutes now from Loss Of Signal. And recommend that they take a last look at all their displays before there is communication with the crew. We're coming upon that Trans-Earth Injection maneuver. Currently, the spacecraft is traveling at a speed of 5,331 feet per second. Our current altitude is 63 nautical miles and the orbital parameters are 63.2 nautical miles for apocynthion, 58.6 nautical miles for pericynthion. At 88 hours, 42 minutes into the flight of Apollo 8, this is Mission Control, Houston.
088:42:26 Borman (onboard): I'm really screwed up. It looks to me we ought to be going the other way.
088:42:30 Lovell (onboard): Yes, I know.
088:42:31 Borman (onboard): Huh? Yes, well, look. Well, here we are right here.
088:42:34 Lovell (onboard): Oh boy!
088:42:35 Borman (onboard): What's wrong?
088:42:36 Lovell (onboard): I should have got down here a long time ago.
088:42:39 Borman (onboard): Here's where we're going to be when we burn, right?
088:42:40 Anders (onboard): Yes, and we're right here now. See? And we're looking straight down at the moon, and the earth is over here.
088:42:54 Borman (onboard): Are you doing your star check?
088:42:56 Lovell (onboard): Yes, right in a crater!
088:42:59 Anders (onboard): Okay, you're not going to be able to do it until we get past this - -
088:43:04 Lovell (onboard): Now, if I can't do it until real late, go - Start without me.
088:43:10 Anders (onboard): You'll be able to do it - You're 15 minutes - 20 minutes out of the burn.
088:43:42 Lovell (onboard): I wonder if the moon is made out of basically the same material as the earth is.
088:43:46 Borman (onboard): I don't know.
088:43:48 Anders (onboard): Probably is.
088:43:52 Borman (onboard): Anders is going to tell you when he alights from the first LM - Pick up all the gold.
088:44:07 Lovell (onboard): I think he doesn't have to; he knows it all right now. Didn't you hear him? Ye geologists of the world: I see a few grabens, a few slipped discs.
088:44:39 Anders (onboard): There's a strange light down there.
088:44:45 Borman (onboard): Is it a bonfire?
088:44:47 Anders (onboard): It might be campfires.
088:45:03 Lovell (onboard): How does It look?
088:45:07 Anders (onboard): I think you're going to be able to see it pretty soon.
088:45:14 Lovell (onboard): Well, I'll put it in and wait for it.
088:45:16 Borman (onboard): Okay.
088:45:20 Lovell (onboard): Do I have the computer?
088:45:22 Borman (onboard): Yes, Enter the -
088:45:30 Lovell (onboard): Are you going to read this off tome?
088:45:32 Borman (onboard): Yes, what is it?
088:45:34 Borman (onboard): Bill?
088:45:35 Anders (onboard): Okay, I'm getting the timer.
088:45:42 Anders (onboard): Oh boy, we're going to get that damned thing to 10 again.
088:45:50 Anders (onboard): Okay. Have that time -
This is Apollo Control at 88 hours, 46 minutes. We are now just under 5 minutes from Loss Of Signal. We will stand by for any communications with the crew, as we - as the spacecraft goes over the lunar horizon and we lose touch with them. At the present time, Jim Lovell should be finishing a sextant star check. This will be a verification of the spacecraft attitude for the maneuver. And he will then be transferring to his couch, joining Commander Frank Borman and the Lunar Module Pilot, Bill Anders, who are in their couches at the present time. We will stand by now for any parting communications with the crew.
088:46:01 Anders (onboard): You got a star. Jim?
088:46:02 Borman (onboard): No, he needs it read off to him.
088:46:04 Anders (onboard): Okay, Optics Mode, CMC.
088:46:07 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
086:46:08 Anders (onboard): In zero, Off.
088:46:09 Lovell (onboard): Zero Off.
088:46:10 Anders (onboard): Verb 41, Noun 91, Enter Okay, we're going to lose them here pretty soon.
088:46:23 Lovell (onboard): Okay. The shaft is 09240, plus -
088:46:33 Anders (onboard): You want me to write - to log this?
088:46:34 Lovell (onboard): 09240. Okay. Enter. And the trunnion is plus 25300. Plus 25300. Enter.
088:47:14 Anders (onboard): There's no trouble reading by earthshine.
088:47:19 Lovell (onboard): Oh, I don't have anything yet.
088:47:21 Borman (onboard): Have you got the Earth - the Moon, I mean?
088:47:25 Lovell (onboard): I can't see either.
088:47:35 Lovell (onboard): I think I'm still on the Earth -or the Moon.
088:47:37 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. We have 3 minutes until LOS; all systems are Go. [Long pause.]
088:47:41 Anders (onboard): What is your - what's your shaft and trunnion? Jim?
088:47:48 Lovell (onboard): Shaft is 02940.
088:47:51 Anders (onboard): 02940, yes.
088:47:52 Lovell (onboard): Left 25.3 degrees trunnion.
088:47:55 Anders (onboard): Oh, well, you're looking down at its eye. You've got to wait until you get down past the 90-degree point.
088:48:04 Lovell (onboard): I think I see it coming up.
088:48:06 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Apollo 8. This is Houston. Three minutes LOS; all systems are Go. Over.
088:48:16 Borman: Roger. Thank you, Houston. Apollo 8.
088:48:40 Lovell (onboard): I see the limb, and I see the stars coming up.
088:49:02 Anders (onboard): Have you got optics power, zero -Oh, you haven't done that yet, huh?
088:49:06 Lovell (onboard): No. I'm waiting until I until I see the star.
088:49:08 Anders (onboard): Yes.
088:49:26 Lovell (onboard): How much time do we have?
088:49:30 Borman (onboard): Half an hour
088:49:49 Lovell (onboard): There's our friend out there.
088:49:51 Anders (onboard): You can really see Australia or something down there on the Earth. ... I get Earth set here in just a second.
088:50:08 Borman (onboard): Any luck, Jim?
088:50:11 Lovell (onboard): It's coming up, but I think I can almost verify it right now because I have Gruis, and Peacock is in line with the bottom parts of Gruis, and this optics - -
088:50:18 Borman (onboard): We're not in any burry.
088:50:19 Lovell (onboard): - - Is exactly in line with it. I know, I was just saying that we can almost verify it right now.
088:50:56 Anders (onboard): This is a pretty.
088:50:55 Mattingly: All systems are Go, Apollo 8.
088:50:58 Anders (onboard): Look at that, look at that, Frank.
088:51:01 Borman: Thank you.
088:51:00 Anders (onboard): Look at the Earth.
088:51:03 Borman (onboard): Yes.
088:51:04 Lovell (onboard): Setting?
088:51:05 Borman (onboard): Yes.
088:51:06 Anders (onboard): Yes, we're down in Carnarvon.
088:51:10 Lovell (onboard): Huh?
088:51:11 Anders (onboard): Yes, we're down in Honeysuckle; that was Australia.
088:51:20 Anders (onboard): You don't see that very often, do you?
088:51:47 Borman (onboard): Okay?
088:51:50 Lovell (onboard): No, the Moon's still there. I see it coming up. Stars are coming up, but the Moon is still there. Now, if you guys want to go on a little urther, go ahead without me.
088:51:59 Borman (onboard): Oh, we got a lot of time.
At 88 hours, 51 minutes, we show Loss Of Signal with the spacecraft. Our next communications with Apollo 8 should come in about 37 minutes. We are now about 28 minutes prior to our Trans-Earth Injection maneuver. As the spacecraft went over the horizon, Capsule Communicator Ken Mattingly passed along, for the second time, the word that all systems are Go. And we got a very terse Roger back from the spacecraft. At 88 hours, 52 minutes into the flight; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
088:52:05 Lovell (onboard): I should see Peacock rise over that - I'm just amazed the way this thing operates.
088:52:24 Borman (onboard): It's been a pretty fantastic week, hasn't it?
088:52:29 Lovell (onboard): It's going to get better.
088:52:31 Borman (onboard): Yes.
088:53:09 Lovell (onboard): This is utterly fantastic, though. This pawl (?) line is lined up exactly with Gruis.
088:53:27 Borman (onboard): You know what I think made me sick that night?
088:53:29 Anders (onboard): What?
088:53:30 Borman (onboard): That damned pill I took.
088:53:32 Anders (onboard): What pill did you take?
088:53:34 Borman (onboard): Seconal - one of the big ones
088:53:36 Anders (onboard): Oh, is that right?
088:53:36 Borman (onboard): I didn't know you had small ones. I'd have taken one of those.
088:53:42 Anders (onboard): Maybe you just had the flu.
088:53:44 Borman (onboard): Maybe I did, I don't know, but it seems like you guys would have gotten it.
088:53:50 Lovell (onboard): Well. I think that basically your stomach was just upset because you can get it very easily There's nothing wrong, you know.
088:53:54 Borman (onboard): Yes, I know, but I never had it before, not even in zero-g airplane, which is a - a real -
088:54:39 Anders (onboard): I hope this baby holds out for another 2½ days. It sure has performed admirably, hasn't it?
088:54:44 Borman (onboard): Yes.
088:34:52 Lovell (onboard): Gentlemen, Peacock should be rising above the moon right now.
088:55:12 Lovell (onboard): And there it is. Just a minute, And I'll verify it.
088:55:33 Lovell (onboard): Okay, I confirm Peacock.
088:55:35 Borman (onboard): Okay, Bill, checklist.
088:55:36 Anders (onboard): Okay.
088:55:41 Borman (onboard): You can leave that off - Looks like we're going to be burning in the daylight anyway.
088:55:47 Anders (onboard): Okay. Drive trunnion if less than5 degrees.
088:55:51 Lovell (onboard): Okay. Optics, zero, zero.
088:55:53 Anders (onboard): And G&N Power Optics, Off.
088:55:55 Lovell (onboard): Optics, zero. Don't hit the IMU switch; Optics, Off.
088:56:02 Anders (onboard): Okay, why don't you - Frank, you can have your lights ups I guess - Unless you wanted to check your star.
088:56:09 Lovell (onboard): Too late, I'm not checking.
088:56:10 Anders (onboard): Frank, let me come down the other side.
088:56:12 Borman (onboard): I doubt if I'll be able to.
088:56:13 Anders (onboard): No, I mean around the other side.
088:56:17 Anders (onboard): I guess you probably won't; you'll be pitched into the so on, won't you?
088:56:18 Borman (onboard): Yes, that's the trouble, I - I just barely get - then when I do see it, I see a lit horizon.
088:56:27 Anders (onboard): Okay, Verb 37, Enter; 40, Enter.
088:56:35 Anders (onboard): BMAG Mode, three, Rate 2.
088:56:36 Lovell (onboard): Just a minute.
088:56:43 Borman (onboard): BMAG, Rate 2.
088:56:46 Anders (onboard): Spacecraft Control, CMC.
088:56:49 Borman (onboard): CMC.
088:56:50 Anders (onboard): CMC Mode, Auto.
088:56:51 Borman (onboard): Auto.
088:96:52 Anders (onboard): Proceed.
088:56:59 Anders (onboard): Okay, align spacecraft roll to GDC. You got -
088:57:09 Borman (onboard): Okay.
088:57:10 Anders (onboard): 16 minutes. Do you went to wait awhile to do this?
088:57:13 Borman (onboard): Well, It's already aligned. I'll do it now, Bill - I don't think I'll have to do much - Put in a little bit of yaw that way.
088:57:29 Anders (onboard): Okay, align spacecraft roll and GDC aligned. We'll trim it again here - before the burn.
088:57:36 Anders (onboard): Stability Control System's circuit breakers, panel 8. Closed.
088:57:40 Borman (onboard): Alright. Now, let's watch this, Jim.
088:57:43 Anders (onboard): Direct ullage.
088:57:44 Borman (onboard): Don't want to leave that, out.
088:57:45 Anders (onboard): I'm going to check mine over here, too.
088:57:51 Borman (onboard): They're all Closed.
088:57:52 Anders (onboard): Okay, SPS circuit breakers Closed except for gauging.
088:57:57 Borman (onboard): Gauging Open, okay; Pitch 1, Yaw -2, Pitch - Yaw 1, Yaw 2. They're in.
088:58:06 Lovell (onboard): They're in - okay.
088:58:10 Borman (onboard): Okay.
088:58:11 Anders (onboard): I'm just checking all mine here.
088:58:15 Borman (onboard): Don't push on them when you've got-
088:58:20 Anders (onboard): I'll get them.
088:58:26 Anders (onboard): Okay, Deadband, Min.
088:58:29 Borman (onboard): Deadband going to Minimum - Minimum!
088:58:31 Anders (onboard): Rate, Low.
088:58:32 Borman (onboard): Low.
088:58:33 Anders (onboard): Limit Cycle, On.
088:58:34 Borman (onboard): On.
088:58:36 Anders (onboard): Manual Attitude, three, Rate Command.
088:58:37 Borman (onboard): Rate Command.
088:56:39 Anders (onboard): BMAG Mode, three; Att 1/Rate 2.
088:58:42 Borman (onboard): Att 1/Rate 2.
088:58:44 Anders (onboard): Rotational Control Power Direct, both, Off.
088:58:47 Borman (onboard): Direct. Okay, that's Off.
088:58:50 Anders (onboard): SCS TVC, two, Rate Command.
088:58:53 Borman (onboard): SCS TVC, two, Rate Command.
088:58:56 Anders (onboard): TVC Gimbal Drive: Pitch and Yaw, Auto.
088:58:59 Borman (onboard): Auto.
088:59:00 Anders (onboard): And here's where we stop.
088:59:01 Borman (onboard): Alright.
088:59:02 Anders (onboard): For 13 minutes.
088:59:27 Anders (onboard): Boy, it's blacker than pitch out here.
088:59:29 Borman (onboard): Yes, I know it.
088:59:37 Lovell (onboard): Okay, (yawn) you're going to burn with the lights on anyway, aren't you, because you've got to get sunlight.
088:59:40 Borman (onboard): Probably will, yes.
088:59:44 Lovell (onboard): Yes, I watched the sun - I watched that star rise, and I could just see the black horizon the moon fade away and the star come up and - right on it.
089:00:11 Anders (onboard): Okay, if we get a Main A or an AC1 failure, you change g imbal drives, right?
089:00:16 Borman (onboard): Okay.
089:00:19 Anders (onboard): You got a Main B or an AC 2 failure, don't change gimbal drives or do anything, except put your gimbals to- from Auto to 1.
089:00:36 Lovell (onboard): (singing)
089:01:24 Anders (onboard): Do you see anything hanging around that could come down?
089:01:28 Lovell (onboard): I hope not.
089:01:53 Borman (onboard): Tell you one thing these flights are good for: an old fatty like me, I bet I've lost a lot of weight. - I didn't eat much those first two days. and I didn't - didn't even get much to eat today.
089:02:23 Borman (onboard): When is the ignition, 89:19, huh?
089:02:27 Anders (onboard): Yes.
089:02:29 Anders (onboard): Pretty sunrise.
089:02:32 Borman (onboard): Yes.
089:02:47 Lovell (onboard): I'm doing a P23 right after we leave this place, huh?
089:02:51 Borman (onboard): Yes.
089:03:04 Borman (onboard): Is it boiling, Bill?
089:03:06 Anders (onboard): No, I hope not. It looks low. It's just cold in there.
089:03:21 Lovell (onboard): It does look a little low. When did I say I had the star?
089:03:28 Borman (onboard): What time?
089:03:29 Anders (onboard): Huh?
089:03:30 Lovell (onboard): Because we still have 60 degrees to go then, if we want to be parallel - perpendicular - horizontal to the horizon.
089:03:39 Anders (onboard): Perpendicular (laughter)!
089:03:40 Lovell (onboard): The horizontal, because I was 60 degrees down and I - I just saw the - -
089:03:47 Anders (onboard): We're still looking at the moon -flat at the moon.
089:03:53 Lovell: Well, not really.
089:03:54 Anders (onboard): Not flat at it.
089:03:55 Lovell (onboard): I hope not.
089:03:56 Borman (onboard): Oh, no, not flat at it, but boy, it's black out there.
089:04:33 Anders (onboard): If you don't got G&N ignition, what are you going to do?
089:04:36 Borman (onboard): Go right to SPS.
089:04:38 Anders (onboard): Wouldn't it be smart to take it around again?
089:04:40 Borman (onboard): Why? If we didn't got it this time, why would we get it better the next time?
089:44:47 Anders (onboard): The burn -
089:04:48 Borman (onboard): There's a 10-degree excursion on this thing.
089:04:53 Anders (onboard): Make sure you hit the corridor.
089:05:14 Borman (onboard): You're right. It would be smart to take it around again.
089:05:18 Anders (onboard): Get set up to do an SPS burn, huh?
089:05:20 Borman (onboard): Auto US.
089:05:23 Anders (onboard): I haven't looked at your G - you might still be able to get - -
089:05:27 Borman (onboard): Wait a second; let me check it.
089:05:28 Anders (onboard): - to get G&N errors.
089:05:38 Lovell (onboard): (singing, whistling)
089:06:17 Anders (onboard): Now, you should see something Yes, there it comes.
089:06:20 Borman (onboard): Where do you see it?
089:06:21 Lovell (onboard): 6 minutes to recheck.
089:06:22 Borman (onboard): Oh, yes, it -
089:06:24 Anders (onboard): I see it off the side of the terminator from sunrise.
089:06:34 Lovell (onboard): I wonder if that - that sort of a zodiacal light was a glare off the optics, or something.
089:06:40 Anders (onboard): You ought to draw a little picture of it, and people could tell you what it was.
089:06:49 Borman (onboard): You got the gimbal thing handy right off the bat?
089:06:53 Anders (onboard): Yes, why don't we write that down?
089:06:54 Borman (onboard): Minus 0 -
089:06:55 Lovell (onboard): (LMP?) 40 plus 157.
089:07:00 Borman (onboard): Is it 157? Not 151?
089:07:06 Lovell (onboard): I'll check on the 11 PAD. 157.
089:07:10 Borman (onboard): Okay.
089:07:11 Lovell (onboard): ...in there.
089:07:13 Anders (onboard): I bet we had the - The weight hadn't - the trim hadn't - changed any since the last time. (Laughter). Getting worried there for a minute.
089:07:21 Lovell (onboard): We've been eating a lot of food.
089:07:24 Borman (onboard): Let's see now, that's 2 - 2minutes and 13 seconds. Is that what we said? 2:18.
089:07:31 Borman (onboard): 138 seconds.
089:07:34 Lovell (onboard): 2:18 must give you a slow return home.
089:07:35 Borman (onboard): Yes
089:07:37 Anders (onboard): You got your strut in?
089:07:41 Borman (onboard): Yes. it's in.
089:07:44 Anders (onboard): Probably, one of the things we've been hearing is these oxygen masks snapping up and down.
089:08:02 Anders (onboard): Boy, It took three acts of Congress to get those little strings.
089:08:07 Anders (onboard): Oh. That - that's peculiar, isn't it?
089:08:12 Borman (onboard): Yes, looks to me like we're going right at it. Doesn't it look like that to you?
089:08:19 Lovell (onboard): Why is it we do all these burns upside down?
089:08:21 Borman (onboard): So you can see.
089:08:23 Lovell (onboard): (Laughter) You want to look at that?
089:08:25 Lovell (onboard): and Borman: (Laughter)
089:08:28 Anders (onboard): If it makes you feel bad, look out the side windows.
089:08:31 Borman (onboard): Yes, I think it would look better.
089:08:39 Borman (onboard): I've got - coming up on 10 minutes.
089:10:12 Borman (onboard): Okay, 9 minutes, right now on -
089:10:17 Borman (onboard): Mark.
089:30:27 Lovell (onboard): (singing)
089:10:42 Anders (onboard): Hey, don't forget your ullage.
089:10:43 Borman (onboard): Yes, Gees, don't let me forget that.
089:20:45 Anders (onboard): How many seconds do you need?
089:10:47 Borman (onboard): 25 seconds.
089:10:48 Lovell (onboard): Four-jet ullage.
089:10:49 Anders (onboard): Okay, we better write that down.
089:10:55 Anders (onboard): Ullage will be at 89:19:01. Okay?
089:11:02 Borman (onboard): Yes. You're going to call it off, right?
089:13:07 Anders (onboard): Well, I'll try to remember - Got it in there.
089:11:21 Borman (onboard): Oh, yes.
089:11:14 Lovell (onboard): Yes. Ullage as required down there, I got. You'll see 15 seconds right on here.
089:11:20 Anders (onboard): 15 seconds.
089:11:23 Borman (onboard): Yes.
089:11:24 Lovell (onboard): ...
089:11:59 Lovell (onboard): All it does is let you see whether it Is there or not; than if it is, it doesn't do anything.
089:12:03 Anders (onboard): Yes, I know, but it drifts off a little. The deadband affects it, I guess.
089:12:07 Lovell (onboard): Oh.
089:12:16 Anders (onboard): Boy, you -think you're going to burn right into the - water - I mean, right into the sand.
089:12:18 Lovell (onboard): Did you have trouble scooping up those type of rocks? You said you went up to West Texas for that.
089:12:24 Borman (onboard): 7 minutes, coming up on 6 minutes.
089:12:27 Anders (onboard): Okay.
089:12:28 Borman (onboard): Let's go ahead and start.
089:12:39 Anders (onboard): Okay, Main Bus ties are coming On.
089:12:40 Borman (onboard): Okay.
089:12:44 Anders (onboard): A is On; B is On.
089:12:51 Anders (onboard): Okay. SPS, TVC, two, Rate Command; And TVC Gimbal Drive, Pitch and Yaw in Auto. Recheck them.
089:13:01 Borman (onboard): Rate Command and Auto.
089:13:02 Anders (onboard): Okay, TVC Servo Power 1, AC 1,Main A.
089:13:05 Borman (onboard): AC 1, Main A.
089:13:06 Anders (onboard): 2, AC 2, Main B.
089:13:09 Borman (onboard): Right.
089:13:10 Anders (onboard): Translational Control Power, On.
089:13:12 Borman (onboard): Translational Control Power, On.
089:13:14 Anders (onboard): Rotational Control Power Normal,2, AC.
089:13:17 Borman (onboard): AC.
089:13:18 Lovell (onboard): Rotational Hand Controller number2, Armed.
089:13:22 Borman (onboard): Armed.
089:13:28 Anders (onboard): Stand by to start the Gimbal Motors.
089:13:30 Borman (onboard): Okay
089:13:34 Borman (onboard): Should I pull the circuit breakers?
089:13:35 Anders (onboard): No, not yet!
089:13:37 Borman (onboard): Okay. Just checking.
089:13:46 Anders (onboard): Okay, let's start Pitch 1 and Yaw1.
089:13:48 Borman (onboard): Alright, ready; Pitch 1.
089:13:50 Anders (onboard): Got it.
089:13:51 Borman (onboard): Yaw 1.
089:23:52 Anders (onboard): Got it.
089:13:53 Borman (onboard): Okay..
089:13:54 Anders (onboard): Okay, clockwise.
089:13:55 Borman (onboard): Clockwise.
089:13:56 Anders (onboard): Verify no MTVC.
089:13:57 Borman (onboard): No MTVC.
089:14:00 Anders (onboard): Okay - start Pitch 2 and Yaw 2.
089:14:03 Borman (onboard): Pitch 2.
089:14:04 Anders (onboard): Got It
089:14:06 Borman (onboard): Yaw 2.
089:14:07 Anders (onboard): Got it
089:14:09 Borman (onboard): Okay.
089:14:10 Anders (onboard): set GPI trim. (GPI?)
089:14:11 Lovell (onboard): Okay, minus 40, plus 157.
089:14:16 Anders (onboard): Got it
089:14:18 Anders (onboard): Verify MTVC.
089:14:20 Borman (onboard): MTVC.
089:14:21 Anders (onboard): Translational Hand Controller, Neutral.
089:14:23 Borman (onboard): Neutral.
089:14:25 Anders (onboard): GPI returns to zero.
089:14:27 Borman (onboard): Zero.
089:14:28 Anders (onboard): Rot Control Power Normal 2, AC/DC.
089:14:31 Borman (onboard): AC/DC.
089:24:32 Anders (onboard): Want to trim? Yes.
089:14:34 Borman (onboard): Yes.
089:14:35 Anders (onboard): Okay. BMAG Mode. three, Rate 2.
089:14:37 Borman (onboard): Rate 2.
089:14:38 Anders (onboard): S - Spacecraft Control, CMC and Auto.
089:14:40 Borman (onboard): Right.
089:14:41 Anders (onboard): Proceed.
089:14:42 Lovell (onboard): Proceed.
089:14:45 Borman (onboard): Okay.
089:14:47 Anders (onboard): Okay, BMAG Mode, three, Att 1/Rate2.
089:14:50 Borman (onboard): Att 1/Rate 2.
089:24:51 Anders (onboard): Enter.
089:24:52 Lovell (onboard): Enter.
089:14:54 Anders (onboard): Okay. Gimbal test option, Accept, Spacecraft Control, CMC; verify.
089:15:00 Borman (onboard): Proceed, huh?
089:15:01 Anders (onboard): Proceed.
089:15:02 Borman (onboard): Right.
089:15:03 Lovell (onboard): Proceed.
089:15:04 Anders (onboard): Call them out.
089:15:05 Borman (onboard): Alright. 20, minus 20, 00, 02, 0minus 2, 00.
089:25:20 Lovell (onboard): Whew!
089:15:21 Anders (onboard): 60 40; check your clock.
089:15:24 Borman (onboard): 60 40; clock in good.
089:25:26 Anders (onboard): Rot Control Power Direct, both, Main A, Main B.
089:15:29 Borman (onboard): Main A, Main B.
089:35:30 Anders (onboard): SPS Helium Valves, both, Auto.
089:15:32 Borman (onboard): Verified.
089:15:34 Anders (onboard): Limit Cycle, Off.
089:15:36 Borman (onboard): Limit Cycle, Off
089:15:37 Anders (onboard): FDAI scale, 50/15. (This doesn't seem right... .Must check it)
089:15:39 Borman (onboard): 50/15.
089:15:40 Anders (onboard): Pull Pitch 2 and Yaw 2.
089:15:42 Borman (onboard): Alright, watch this.
089:15:43 Borman (onboard): Pitch 2; Yaw 2.
089:15:47 Anders (onboard): Stand by for 2 minutes.
089:25:50 Borman (onboard): Okay.
089:15:51 Anders (onboard): How's your boresight star?
089:15:54 Borman (onboard): Hey, listen- It looks to me like I'm going to burn right into the ground. Oh! There's the horizon. Hurry! We're going the right way.
089:14:02 Anders (onboard): Boy. You sure can't tell when you're - -
089:16:03 Lovell (onboard): 3.2 degrees at T
IG is Minus 3.
089:16:07 Borman (onboard): What is it?
089:16:08 Lovell (onboard): 3.2 degrees at T
IG minus 3 - right about now.
089:16:11 Borman (onboard): Okay, I can - It looks good.
089:16:18 Borman (onboard): We've got to arm this Translational Hand Controller. Did you tell me to do that?
089:16:24 Borman (onboard): Then, we've got to ullage.
089:16:25 Anders (onboard): Yes.
089:16:40 Borman (onboard): Okay, coming up on 2½ minutes.
089:16:47 Anders (onboard): Okay, 5 seconds after you start, get Delta-V Thrust B, On, okay?
089:16:52 Borman (onboard): Okay, yes. Then I'm all set.
089:16:56 Anders (onboard): Don't forget to start your watch, Jim. Reset it now.
089:16:59 Lovell (onboard): Yes, It's all reset.
089:17:03 Anders (onboard): Okay. Delta-V Thrust A, Normal.
089:17:06 Borman (onboard): Normal.
089:17:07 Anders (onboard): Translational Hand Controller,Armed.
089:17:09 Borman (onboard): Armed.
089:17:10 Anders (onboard): Rotational Hand Controller, both, Armed.
089:17:12 Borman (onboard): Armed.
089:17:14 Anders (onboard): Tape Recorder...
089:17:24 Borman (onboard): Okay.
089:17:39 Anders (onboard): How's it look?
089:17:40 Borman (onboard): Good.
089:17:13 Anders (onboard): I'm going forward (laughter).
089:17:46 Anders (onboard): Well....
089:17:48 Borman (onboard): ...a hell of a kick in the pants now, I'll tell you that.
089:37:54 Borman (onboard): The DSKY blanks at 35 seconds, right?
089:17:56 Anders (onboard): Right, it comes back on at 30; 15 seconds later you give it the ullage.
089:18:05 Borman (onboard): What'll I have?
089:18:07 Anders (onboard): Translation Control..
089:18:16 Anders (onboard): You got one Delta-V Thrust, On?
089:18:17 Borman (onboard): One On, one On.
089:18:18 Anders (onboard): Okay.
089:18:18 Anders (onboard): A, On.
089:18:20 Borman (onboard): A is On.
089:18:25 Anders (onboard): Don't forget the -
089:18:27 Borman (onboard): 5 seconds
089:18:28 Anders (onboard): 2 to 5 seconds. (Means perhaps 25 seconds?)
089:18:29 Lovell (onboard): Right.
089:18:41 Borman (onboard): Okay, she blanked.
089:18:42 Lovell (onboard): She blanked.
089:18:43 Borman (onboard): Okay.
089:18:45 Anders (onboard): EMS Mode, Auto.
089:18:46 Borman (onboard): Auto.
089:18:47 Anders (onboard): Flight Recorder going to Record.
089:16:48 Lovell (onboard): Stand by to start ullage.
089:18:50 Anders (onboard): Proceed.
089:18:51 Lovell (onboard): Proceed.
089:18:55 Anders (onboard): I'll give you a mark for ullage.
089:18:56 Borman (onboard): Okay.
089:18:58 Lovell (onboard): He's got it right here.
089:19:00 Anders (onboard): 17, 16.
089:19:02 Lovell (onboard): Mark.
089:19:03 Anders (onboard): Ullage!
089:19:06 Anders (onboard): Proceed when you need to.
089:19:12 Lovell (onboard): Proceed.
089:19:13 Borman (onboard): I'm proceeding.
089:19:16 Anders (onboard): Two valves. Good shape...
089:19:21 Borman (onboard): Two valves.
089:19:22 Anders (onboard): Four valves.
089:19:32 Lovell (onboard): Pressure's holding.
089:19:43 Anders (onboard): It's looking real good.
089:19:45 Borman (onboard): Pressure...
This is Apollo Control Houston at 89 hours, 19 minutes into the flight. We are now less than 30 seconds to the scheduled time of ignition for the maneuver to start Apollo 8 on its course back to Earth. In the last 15 seconds, prior to ignition, the crew will be burning their Service Propulsion System - rather their Reaction Control System engines to settle propellants. And here in Mission Control Center, we have just counted down to the burn. We should have ignition at this time. That will be a 3-minute and 18-second burn nominally. It will increase the spacecraft velocity by about 3,522 feet per second or some 2,395 miles per hour. Following the maneuver, The spacecraft should have a velocity of about 8,800 feet per second - some 6,000 miles per hour. And here in Mission Control, it is relatively quiet, as it has been since we lost communications with the spacecraft as they went over the Moon's horizon. At this point, flight controllers here in Mission Control, as with the rest of the world, now they are waiting.
089:20:16 Anders (onboard): Burned for 1 minute.
089:20:18 Borman (onboard): Okay.
Coming up in just a few seconds now, we should have shutdown of the Service Propulsion System engine on the spacecraft that should have occurred at 89 hours - or rather will be occurring at 89 hours, 22 minutes, 34 seconds. Actually, we are just a little less than a minute from that event. And the clock here in Mission Control Center that is counting down to the time when we will reacquire the spacecraft shows that we have 6 minutes, 30 seconds until reacquisition. At this point, the SPS engine should be shut down and we will now be waiting for the spacecraft to come over the lunar horizon and give us a report on their status We now show 5 minutes, 45 seconds until reacquistion.
089:23:02 Borman (onboard): 1, Off.
089:23:03 Anders (onboard): Got it.
089:23:04 Borman (onboard): 2, Off.
089:23:05 Anders (onboard): Got it.
089:23:06 Borman (onboard): 3, Off.
089:23:07 Anders (onboard): Got it.
089:23:08 Borman (onboard): 4, Off.
089:23:09 Borman (onboard): Got it.
089:23:10 Borman (onboard): Okay -
089:23:11 Anders (onboard): TVC Servo Power, 1 and 2. Off.
089:23:13 Borman (onboard): Off.
089:23:14 Anders (onboard): Flight Recorder's Off; Main Bus ties, going Off; A is Off...
089:23:20 Lovell (onboard): There we go.
089:23:22 Anders (onboard): ...B is Off.
089:23:23 Anders (onboard): Proceed.
089:23:24 Borman (onboard): Wait a minute. Did you get all this, Jim?
089:23:26 Lovell (onboard): Yes.
089:23:28 Anders (onboard): You ready to proceed?
089:23:29 Lovell (onboard): Proceed. I'll get these.
089:23:31 Anders (onboard): Okay, null residuals. Record Delta-V.
089:23:33 Lovell (onboard): Minus 54...
089:23:34 Borman (onboard): That 0.5?
089:23:36 Lovell (onboard): Yes, 0.5.
089:23:37 Anders (onboard): You don't have to do a thing to that.
089:23:39 Borman (onboard): Just record it.
089:23:41 Anders (onboard): Record Delta-Vc.
089:23:43 Borman (onboard): Minus - that's up here - minus26.4.
089:23:49 Lovell (onboard): I got 26.4, and the burn time was...
089:23:52 Borman (onboard): Minus 26.4.
089:23:53 Lovell (onboard): - - have it, burn time was 2minutes (cough) and 23 seconds.
089:23:58 Borman (onboard): Okay, can we proceed out of here, then? You got all this?
089:24:01 Lovell (onboard): I have all that.
089:24:02 Borman (onboard): Proceed.
089:24:03 Anders (onboard): EMS - just a minute, EMS Function, Off.
089:24:06 Borman (onboard): Off.
089:24:07 Anders (onboard): EMS Mode, Standby.
089:24:08 Borman (onboard): Standby.
089:24:09 Anders (onboard): BMAG Mode, three, Rate 2.
089:24:10 Borman (onboard): Rate 2.
089:24:11 Anders (onboard): Deadband, Max.
089:24:12 Borman (onboard): Deadband, Max.
089:24:13 Anders (onboard): Tape Recorder going to Stop...
This is Apollo Control Houston at 89 hours, 26 minutes. Flight Director Milton Windler has just advised his flight control team here in Mission Control Center that we have less than 3 minutes now until reacquisition of the spacecraft and he requested that they monitor their console, get prepared to reacquire and to get a status from the crew. [Pause.]"
This is Apollo Control Houston. We now show less than 30 seconds until reacquistion. We will stand by for the first words from the Apollo 8 crew as they come over the lunar horizon, and into acquisition."
We have AOS signal. There is a little bit of a cheer going up among the flight controllers here. We should be hearing from the crew shortly."
Our station at Honeysuckle reports that we do have a radio signal from the spacecraft. Having a bit of trouble locking up at this point, to the point where we can get voice communications from the crew.
089:31:12 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. [No answer.]
089:31:30 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. [No answer.]
089:31:58 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. [No answer.]
089:32:50 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. [No answer.]
089:33:38 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston.
089:34:16 Lovell: Houston, Apollo 8, over.
089:34:19 Mattingly: Hello, Apollo 8. Loud and clear.
089:34:25 Lovell: Roger. Please be informed there is a Santa Claus.
089:34:31 Mattingly: That's affirmative. You're the best ones to know.
089:34:37 Lovell: And burn status report: it burned on time; Burn time, 2 minutes, 23 seconds; seven-tenths plus VGX. Attitude nominal, residuals; minus five-tenths VGX, plus four-tenths VGY, minus 0 VGZ; Delta-VC, minus 26.4.
089:35:14 Mattingly: Roger.
089:35:19 Mattingly: Apollo Flight has...
089:35:23 Mattingly: Apollo 8, recomfirm your burn time, please.
089:35:30 Lovell: Roger. We had 2 minutes, 23 seconds. Our - wait one. Stand corrected to that; 3 minutes, 23 seconds.
089:35:43 Mattingly: Thank you. [Long pause.]
This is Mission Control, Houston. Flight Dynamics Officer says that burn is good.
089:36:33 Borman: You get the sensation that you're climbing, Ken.
089:36:35 Mattingly: Say again, Apollo 8.
089:36:41 Borman: I say, this gives you the sensation that you're climbing.
089:36:47 Mattingly: Rog. [Pause.]
089:36:53 Borman:. What's next on the docket?
089:36:56 Mattingly: High Gain Antenna. [Long pause.]
089:37:10 Mattingly: Apollo 8, at the first convenient moment, we'd like to have the High Gain Antenna.
089:37:19 Borman: You've got it; you're on the High Gain.
089:37:25 Mattingly: Rog.
This is Apollo Control. We continue to get a great deal of noise coming from our site; Honeysuckle, Australia. However, the pertinent information has been received - that is, that the maneuver, the Trans-Earth Injection maneuver, was very close to nominal. Flight Dynamics Officer expressed his pleasure with it and - stand by, here's a call to the crew.
089:39:50 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. We do not have any data on the ground yet; the voice is very good.
089:40:01 Borman: Roger.
089:41:44 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. We'd like to try to have you manually acquire on High Gain.
089:41:55 Borman: Okay.
089:41:57 Mattingly: This will take a wide beamwidth.
089:42:01 Borman: Wide beam width. Roger.
089:43:06 Borman: Houston. Apollo 8. We've manually acquired in wide beam.
089:43:10 Mattingly: Roger. Reading you loud and clear. Initial tracking indicates a 4 foot per second at 8 hours [probably after TEI] will put you on target.
089:43:22 Borman: 4 foot per second at 8 hours.
089:43:25 Mattingly: Correction, that's 15 hours.
089:43:27 Borman: Roger. Roger. [Long pause.]
089:43:43 Mattingly: Apollo 8, we have data; we'd like to have the tape recorder.
089:43:50 Borman: You can have it.
089:43:52 Mattingly: Thank you.
089:45:11 Lovell: Houston, Apollo 8.
089:45:12 Mattingly: Go ahead, Apollo 8.
089:45:17 Lovell: Roger. Do you wish me to reinitialize the W-matrix at this time? [Pause.]
089:45:26 Mattingly: That's affirmative, Apollo 8.
089:45:31 Borman: Roger. [Long pause.]
089:45:43 Anders: Houston, Apollo 8. Which battery do you want us to start charging? [Pause.]
089:45:52 Mattingly: Okay. We'd like to start on battery Alpha.
089:45:57 Anders: Battery Alpha. Okay. [Pause.]
089:46:08 Mattingly: Apollo 8, would you go to narrow beam on High Gain? [Long pause.]
089:46:27 Borman: We're in narrow beam.
089:46:29 Mattingly: Roger. Sounds real good now.
This is Apollo Control at 89 hours, 51 minutes, And in here Mission Control Center, we're continuing to assess the effects of that maneuver, and we're just in the process now of playing back the tape data of the burn. Of course, that maneuver occurring on the back side of the Moon, we were unable to monitor as it occurred. We're now looking at the results we would have seen had we been able to receive communications from the spacecraft as the burn occurred. We just put in a call to the crew. Here is that conversation.
089:51:33 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston.
089:51:58 Anders: Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.
089:51:40 Mattingly: Okay. If you'll go to P00 and Accept, we'll update the REFSMMAT, and I have some backup GDC angles for the new entry REFSMMAT.
089:51:51 Anders: Roger. Understand; POO and Accept, and you'll give us the new REFSMMAT.
089:51:57 Mattingly: Affirm. [Long pause.]
089:52:52 Anders: Okay. Houston, you have the Accept.
089:52:57 Mattingly: Roger. Your backup GDC alignment; roll, 308; pitch, 209; yaw, 357. Over.
089:53:17 Anders: On what set of stars?
089:53:19 Mattingly: That's on Sirius and Rigel. [Pause.]
089:53:27 Anders: Understand; roll, 308; pitch, 209; yaw, 357.
089:53:31 Mattingly: That's affirmative, Apollo 8. [Long pause.]
089:54:06 Slayton: Good morning, Apollo 8. Deke here. I just would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas on behalf of everyone in the Control Center, and I'm sure everyone around the world. None of us ever expect to have a better Christmas present than this one. Hope you get a good night's sleep from here on and enjoy your Christmas dinner tomorrow; and look forward to seeing you in Hawaii on the twenty-eighth.
089:54:30 Borman: Okay, leader. We'll see you there. That was a very, very nice ride, that last one; this engine is the smoothest one.
089:54:38 Slayton: Yeah, we gathered that. Outstanding job all the way around.
089:54:46 Borman: Thank everybody on the ground for us. It's pretty clear we wouldn't be anywhere if we didn't have them doing it or helping us out here.
089:54:52 Slayton: We concur that.
089:54:53 Lovell: I concur too. [Pause.]
089:55:01 Anders: Even Mr. Kraft does something right once in a while. [Pause.]
089:55:07 Slayton: He got tired of waiting for you to talk and went home.
089:55:12 Anders: Okay.
This is Houston. Our capsule communicator in that last exchange was astronaut Donald K. Slayton, Chief of Flight Crew Operations here at the Manned Spacecraft Center. Shortly after we acquired the spacecraft and established communications with the crew, here in the Control Center, our big display up in the front changed from a lunar map to an Earth map and the colors on it are red and green. We also had a Christmas tree brought in and it's now standing down in front of the Control Center. It looks like it stands about 6 feet tall and it's decorated with lights and tinsel and with a big blue ornament on top.
089:57:01 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston.
089:57:06 Borman: Go ahead, Houston.
089:57:07 Mattingly: Okay. The computer is yours, and I guess we have an IMU alignment and a P23 on the schedule.
089:57:17 Borman: Okay. Thank you. Do an IMU alignment coming up. See them in black.
089:57:25 Mattingly: Roger.
089:59:01 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. We'd like to have you cycle your zero optics switch prior to beginning P52.
089:59:11 Borman: Roger. We're gonna see if we can find some stars here before we do this P52.
089:59:18 Mattingly: Rog. And got a couple of words for you. Jack (Schmitt)'s been watching you since LOI, and he has a few words he wants to give you.
089:59:30 Borman: Go ahead.
089:59:31 Schmitt: Typhoid Jack here, and we've got some good words here that originated at the Cape with a bunch of friends of yours. And it's sort of in a paraphrase of a poem that you probably are familiar with. Do you read me, Apollo 8?
089:59:50 Borman: You're loud and clear, Jack.
089:59:53 Schmitt: Okay.
"Twas the night before Christmas and way out in space,
the Apollo 8 crew had just won the Moon race.
The head sets were hung by the consoles with care,
in hopes that Chris Kraft soon would be there.
Frank Borman was nestled all snug in his bed,
while visions of REFSMMATs danced in his head;
and Jim Lovell, in his couch, and Anders, in the bay,
were racking their brains over a computer display.
When out of the DSKY, there arose such a clatter,
Frank sprang from his bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the sextant he flew like a flash,
to make sure they weren't going to crash.
The light on the breast of the Moon's jagged crust,
gave a luster of green cheese to the gray lunar dust.
When what to his wondering eyes should appear,
but a Burma Shave sign - saying 'Kilroy was here'. [Laughter.]
But Frank was no fool; he knew pretty quick
that they had been first; this must be a trick.
More rapid than rockets, his curses they came.
He turned to his crewmen and called them a name.
Now Lovell, now Anders, now don't think I'd fall,
for that old joke you've written up on the wall.
They spoke not a word, but grinning like elves,
and laughed at their joke in spite of themselves.
Frank sprang to his couch, to the ship gave a thrust,
and away they all flew past the gray lunar dust.
But we heard them explain ere they flew around the Moon,
Merry Christmas to Earth; we'll be back there real soon."
Great job gang,
090:01:30 Borman: Thank you very much. That was a very good poem; but in order to win the race, you have got to end up on the carriers.
090:01:38 Schmitt: We'll see you there.
090:01:40 Lovell: Hey, Jack. You really got Bill trained. [Laughter.]
090:01:44 Anders: Okay.
090:01:45 Schmitt: I certainly hope so.
090:01:47 Schmitt: You did pretty well, Jim. You must have talked on the way out there. [Laughter.]
That rendition of The Night Before Christmas was read up to the crew by Astronaut Harrison Schmitt - Jack Schmitt - who worked with Lovell quite extensively prior to the mission and going over the lunar sightings and photography that he would do at lunar orbit. At 90 hours [break in recording]
090:07:21 Borman: Houston, this is Apollo 8.
090:07:24 Mattingly: Go ahead.
090:07:28 Borman: Roger. We got an alignment with your new REFSMMAT now. What's on the program here? You want us in P23 and then what?
090:07:40 Mattingly: Looks like some sleep is coming up.
090:07:46 Borman: That's what I wanted you to say. We used up the gimbal angles of 10 and 45 with the - this REFSMMAT, right?
090:07:54 Mattingly: Affirmative.
090:07:58 Borman: Okay.
090:13:56 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston.
090:14:00 Borman: Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.
090:14:03 Mattingly: Roger. Notice that you are starting on your P23 which is the last scheduled activity. Initial tracking looks like the initial midcourse may be less than the 4 foot per second on the first guess. And we have looked at your burn data, and it's all just as smooth as you said; everything on there looked real nominal. Systems now look good; looks like in PTC attitude, we should be able to switch omni's for you, if you would like to do that. We were having good success with predicting, on the way out, where to switch the antennas; and if it will help you, why, we can do that on the way back in.
090:14:48 Borman: That would be nice if you could do it, but we will keep one man in the shop to watch the gimbal angles; but if you could switch the omnis, it would sure save us a lot of problems.
090:14:58 Mattingly: Okay. We will do that. When you get in the PTC attitude, we will let you know when we take the command on the antenna switching.
090:15:10 Borman: Okay. Just be careful what you do with the tape recorder. Bill's a little sensitive about that.
090:15:25 Mattingly: Roger. We were listening to the tape dumps, and it looks like Bill gets a happy new year after all.
090:15:35 Borman: A happy new year? How come, Jack - an, in a joke?
090:15:40 Mattingly: No, we got that off of his tape dump; he and Jim were discussing that one.
090:15:48 Borman: Oh, yes. That's right.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; at 90 hours, 18 minutes. Our displays here in Mission Control are now beginning to show the effects of that Trans-Earth Injection maneuver. We show an altitude above the Moon at this time of 2,802 nautical miles. Our spacecraft velocity is 6,050 feet per second, and slowing. And our weight following that maneuver is now 32,180 pounds. On board the spacecraft at the present time, the crew is finishing up some last minute activities connected with onboard navigation and then they plan to get a little bit of rest, Frank Borman is scheduled to be in a sleep period at this time. And we have had some indications from the crew that Lovell and Anders also hope to get a little bit of rest as soon as possible. We have some brief conversations with the crew. ... We will ... stand by briefly for any live communications with the spacecraft.
090:35:16 Borman: Houston, are you getting all this data from P23? (No answer.)
090:35:39 Borman: Houston, Apollo 8.
090:35:40 Mattingly: Go ahead, Apollo 8.
090:35:44 Borman: I wanted to know if you're getting the data from P23?
090:35:47 Mattingly: That's affirmative.
090:35:51 Borman: Okay.
This is Apollo Control at 90 hours, 50 minutes into the flight of Apollo 8. At the present time our spacecraft is at an altitude above the Moon of 4,504 nautical miles and traveling at a speed of 5,645 feet per second. We've heard very little from the crew since our last report. ... We'll ... stand by for a conversation.
090:50:18 Mattingly: Eureka!
This is Apollo Control at 90 hours, 50 minutes into the flight of Apollo 8. At the present time our spacecraft is at an altitude above the Moon of 4,504 nautical miles and traveling at a speed of 5,645 feet per second. We've heard very little from the crew since our last report. ... We'll ... stand by for a conversation."
This is Apollo Control. We're expecting Capsule Communicator Ken Mattingly to put in a call to the crew shortly. While we wait for that, we'll pass along some information that we have been requested to gather, also some additional information on the results of the Trans-Earth Injection maneuver. The Trans-Earth Injection burn occurred on time. It lasted for 3 minutes and 23 seconds. We had originally estimated that it would last about 3 minutes, 18 seconds. We obtained almost precisely the amount of velocity change from that burn that had been planned. The figure that we have at this point is a velocity change of 3,522.8 feet per second. We've been shooting for 3,522.3 feet per second. So we would have only have been off about 5/10 of a foot per second. As a result of that maneuver, our current figure is that splash will occur in the mid-Pacific at 147 hours, 4 minutes, 59 seconds. That's a very precise figure and I doubt it will continue to hold true through the post phase and trajectory analysis that will be done en route back to Earth. We do anticipate that figure will change. Coming up at 100 hours, 47 minutes, 47 seconds G.E.T., we will be going through the change in the sphere of influence. This will be the point where the Moon's gravity ceases to be the dominant influence on the spacecraft. It will also be the point at which the spacecraft will reach its minimum and Earth velocity and then start to accelerate toward Earth. This will occur at an altitude above the Moon of 33,821 nautical miles and at that point will be 175,528 miles from Earth. The velocity at that point will be 4,839 feet per second with respect to the Moon. And it will be 4,106 feet per second with respect to Earth. We're also requested to pass along some figures on altitude and velocity at the beginning of the Trans-Earth injection maneuver and at the end of that maneuver. At the beginning of the maneuver, our velocity was about 5,350 feet per second, and following the maneuver, our velocity was 8,841 feet per second. Our altitude at the beginning of the Trans-Earth Injection maneuver was 60 nautical miles above the surface of the Moon. And at the conclusion of that maneuver, 3 minutes and 23 seconds later, it was 66.5 nautical miles. At the present time our altitude above the Moon is 4,876 nautical miles and our velocity is 5,587 feet per second and continuing to decrease very gradually. We are still anticipating sometime in the near future a call to the crew and we will pick back up again when that call comes through. This is Apollo Control at 90 hours, 58 minutes into the flight of Apollo 8.
091:09:55 Borman: Houston, Apollo 8.
091:09:56 Mattingly: Go ahead, Apollo 8. [Long pause.]
091:10:14 Borman: Houston, Apollo 8.
091:10:16 Mattingly: Go ahead, Apollo 8.
091:10:22 Borman: Ken, we've about run out of gas here on this next set of stars. Would you ask your people to be especially alert there watching the systems tonight?
091:10:31 Mattingly: Sure will, Frank.
091:10:36 Borman: Okay. It's maneuver to pitch 10 and yaw 45.
091:10:41 Mattingly: Roger. I have - let's see, we've got a hydrogen purge line here that ought to come on about 91:40 and an oxygen-hydrogen fuel cell purge for 92 hours.
091:10:59 Borman: Okay. Will you call us about those, please?
091:11:02 Mattingly: I sure will. And, let's see, we just wanted to let you know we've got a real good battery charge going here this time. Looks like - it looks just like the ones in the book, and I'd like to get a battery C voltage before you shut down and a sleep report on what you did in...
091:11:22 Borman: Okay.
091:11:23 Mattingly: ...lunar orbit and your plans for the next couple of hours.
091:11:29 Borman: Okay. [Long pause.]
091:11:47 Borman: Thirty seven volts on battery C.
091:11:50 Mattingly: Roger. Thirty seven volts.
091:11:52 Borman: That looks good. [Pause.]
091:11:59 Borman: We all only got about 2 hours sleep today, max. Ken. We're going now - Bill's going to stay up awhile, and Jim and I are going to sack out, and we're going to try to rotate short sleep cycles till we can get back to the normal one.
091:12:12 Mattingly: Roger, sounds like a good idea. And EECOM on the ground tells us that the flying EECOM (is) to go ahead and put his hydrogen purge line heater on, and we'll get ready for a fuel cell.
091:12:27 Borman: Thank you. He can't turn on his radio. There he goes. [Pause.]
091:12:44 Borman: I hope it won't disappoint anybody too much if we knock off those last two stars, but Jim is just in a daze, and so am I.
091:12:50 Mattingly: Roger. No sweat.
091:12:55 Borman: Thank you. [Pause.]
091:13:19 Mattingly: Apollo 8. One of the things we'd like to have before you shut down also is Verb 64 so we can watch the pointing angles.
091:13:30 Borman: Roger.
091:13:35 Mattingly: Hey, Frank, you might be interested; they are having some trouble with the medics' P-2.
091:13:45 Borman: What?
091:13:48 Anders: The medics can't clean out their P-2.
091:14:01 Borman: Oh, is that right? It's been so busy.
091:14:02 Mattingly: Oh, yeah. It's worn the tiling out at the bearings. (Laughter, Long pause.)
091:14:33 Borman: Hey, Ken, tell the people if you see anything getting close to the gimbal lock to be sure and whistle, too, will you?
091:14:40 Mattingly: We sure will, Frank. You will want to make sure one of you keeps your comm carrier on.
091:14:43 Borman: We'll keep one man with a headset on. [Pause.]
091:14:50 Borman: That's right. We'll keep one man with a comm carrier on.
091:19:39 Mattingly: Apollo 8. You have got some big yaw angle there. [Long pause.]
091:19:55 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. [No answer.]
091:20:04 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. [No answer.]
091:20:11 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Apollo 8, Houston. [No answer.]
091:20:23 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. [No answer.]
091:20:41 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. [No answer.]
091:21:46 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. [No answer.]
091:22:17 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston.
This is Apollo Control at 91 hours, 22 minutes. Since our last report, we've had a couple of brief conversations with the crew. They indicated that they were very tired and they had perhaps gotten about 2 hours of sleep prior to the Trans-Earth Injections maneuver. Frank Borman advised that he and Jim Lovell were going to attempt to get some sleep shortly and that Bill Anders would stand watch while they were getting some sleep and then when one of them awoke, Bill would get some sleep. We'll ... stand by as our Capsule Communicator puts in a call to the crew.
091:24:56 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston.
091:28:16 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. Copy that you are now in PTC attitude, and we're watching your gimbal angle. We apparently do not have a downlink voice, but the data is good.
091:28:53 Anders: Houston, Apollo 8. Over.
091:28:55 Mattingly: Loud and clear, 8. [Pause.]
091:29:07 Anders: Okay. We're establishing PTC We took one last look at the Moon and are on our way back.
091:29:13 Mattingly: Roger.
This is Mission Control, Houston; at 91 hours, 31 minutes. Our spacecraft is at an altitude of 6,673 nautical miles above the Moon and we're traveling at a speed of 5,375 feet per second. Appears that we're going to have no further communications with the spacecraft at this time and we'll take the circuit down and come back up when next we reestablish contact or with a periodic status report.
091:32:17 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston.
091:32:23 Anders: Go ahead, Houston.
091:32:25 Mattingly: Okay. In order for us to handle the antenna switching, I guess we'd like to have the Aux Tape switched to Off, and the Tape Forward switch, Off; and we'll be switching between omnis Bravo and Delta.
091:33:01 Anders: Between what and what?
091:33:05 Mattingly: Okay. We are going to be switching between omnis Bravo and Delta.
091:33:14 Anders: Okay.
091:33:17 Mattingly: All right. And I'm gonna - you bug me when you get over 50 degrees of yaw, so I'll probably be watching that number pretty closely. We'd like to have the Biomed switched to the right position. Okay. And for your own information: the fuel we show in the different quads I have here if you would like to copy it.
091:34:07 Anders: Stand by.
091:35:50 Anders: Okay. Ready to copy.
091:35:54 Mattingly: Okay. I'll give you the percentage. On Alpha, 60; Bravo, 57; Charlie...
091:36:11 Anders: Wait a minute. It asks for present time, and I can't plot that fast, Ken.
091:36:15 Mattingly: Okay. I'm sorry. Alpha is 60.
091:36:22 Anders: For what time?
091:36:26 Mattingly: 91:36.
091:36:35 Anders: Okay. Stand by. [Pause.]
091:36:44 Anders: Okay. What's Bravo?
091:36:46 Mattingly: Okay. That's 57. [Pause.]
091:36:59 Anders: Okay.
091:37:00 Mattingly: Charlie, 62. [Long pause.]
091:37:19 Anders: Okay.
091:37:20 Mattingly: And Delta, 57.33842. [Pause.]
091:37:33 Anders: That's a coincidence. That's just what I worked out on Lovell's slide rule. [Pause.]
091:37:46 Anders: How are we doing on the cryos?
091:37:52 Mattingly: Oh, you've got some pretty good numbers on that that I sent up yesterday, and you had about 160 hours. Well, I'll check that out, but you were fat on cryo. I've got some SPS Delta-V. You've got 33:20. You fly the Service Module RCS through the DAP. You have 142; and through SCS, it's 121.
091:38:43 Anders: Roger.
091:39:55 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. We can't monitor on low bit rate whether you started your fuel cell purge. If you haven't, we can still go ahead and start now; and if you can, keep us posted as you go through it.
091:40:08 Anders: Roger. You want an O2 and an H2 purge, Ken?
091:40:12 Mattingly: That's affirmative.
091:40:18 Anders: You shall have it.
091:40:19 Mattingly: Thank you.
091:51:59 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston...
091:52:05 Anders: Go ahead.
091:52:07 Mattingly: It looks like you may be in omni Alfa. Can you confirm that we're set up to switch between Bravo and Delta?
091:52:29 Anders: You are now.
091:52:31 Mattingly: Okay. Thank you very much. And you are in the fuel cell purge?
091:52:39 Anders: It's complete.
091:52:41 Mattingly: Okay. Understand the purge is complete. Thank you. And in reference to your cryo, it looks like we'll have 180 pounds in each oxygen tank at SEP and 11 pounds in each hydrogen tank. And you're well above the single tank capability.
091:53:16 Anders: Okay. Thank you.
This is Apollo Control at 92 hours, 8 minutes into the flight of Apollo 8. And at the present time our spacecraft is at an altitude of 8,545 nautical miles above the Moon, traveling at a speed of 5,238 feet per second. It's been some time before we have heard from the crewmen. At about 91 hours, 25 minutes, we had a report from the spacecraft that Commander Frank Borman and Jim Lovell, Command Module Pilot, would be attempting to get some sleep. And Bill Anders was to stand watch. ..."