Apollo 11 has completed two orbits of the Moon. While around the far side, and at the beginning of its third orbit, it made a 17-second burn of its SPS engine to make its orbit roughly circular. Between now and the end of the fourth day, Apollo 11 will pass over its intended landing site to let the crew view landscape features they will use as navigation aids during the next day's descent. They will re-enter Eagle, transfer over equipment, and check the landing craft's systems.
We pick up the mission soon after the stack has reappeared from behind the Moon of its third revolution.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
Both Goldstone and Hawaii have acquired a signal. We will...
080:35:35 Armstrong (onboard): Do you want to talk to them?
080:35:39 Armstrong (onboard):... Roger, Houston. Burn status report follows: Delta-TIG. zero; burn time, 17; angle through the pad values, Delta-VGX was plus 0.3...
080:35:58 Armstrong: ...VGY minus 0.0, VGZ minus 0.1, Delta-VC minus 5.2, fuel 362, Ox 364, unbalance plus 50, and our postburn Noun 94's, 66.1 by 54.4. Go ahead.
080:36:25 Duke: Roger. We copy, Neil. Would you say again the Delta-VZ ? We missed that. Over.
080:36:32 Armstrong: Roger. That was minus 0.1.
080:36:35 Duke: Roger. Copy the burn report. Sounds good.
080:36:43 Armstrong: It all looked good up here. [Long pause.]
080:37:07 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We missed your Delta-TIG and also your Delta Burn Time. Over.
080:37:15 Armstrong: Delta-TIG was zero and the burn time was 17 seconds.
Delta-TIG is another way of stating whether the time of ignition was the same as planned or had occurred earlier or later.
080:37:20 Duke: Copy 17. [Long pause.]
You heard that report from Commander Neil Armstrong indicating that LOI-2 was all - came off almost precisely as planned.
080:38:05 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We'll be satisfied if you pump up the cabin to 5.4. Over.
080:38:14 Armstrong: Okay. We're showing about 5.2 right now.
080:38:18 Duke: Roger. [Long pause.]
080:38:40 Armstrong: And, Charlie, the LM/CM Delta-P is just over 1 pound right now.
080:38:44 Duke: Copy. Out.
Long comm break.
The cabins of the two spacecraft are connected by a short tunnel and there are two hatches that are currently closed at either end of that tunnel; the CM forward hatch and the LM overhead hatch. A multipurpose valve, the Tunnel Vent Valve, is connected across the CM forward hatch and it has four positions:
LM Press(urise). This position allows air to pass from the CM cabin into the tunnel. The LM can, given enough time, also be pressurised from this air but only if the valve in the LM overhead hatch is open, explaining the name. Of course, if that valve happens to be closed, then the name would be a bit of a misnomer. The LM/CM pressure gauge should always read zero in this mode as it is connected to CM pressure against which it always measures relative to.
LM/CM Delta-P. Like the previous item, this name is somewhat of a misnomer and should really be called 'Tunnel/CM Delta-P' as it connects the gauge to the tunnel. Since the gauge always measures relative to the Command Module cabin pressure, a higher number in this mode means more of a vacuum in the tunnel with respect to the cabin. Note that changes in this reading can just as easily be due to changes in the CM cabin's absolute pressure.
LM Tunnel Vent. In this position, the tunnel is essentially connected to space, allowing it to vent to a vacuum. The vent is not large and so completely venting the tunnel this way is a time-consuming process. The LM/CM pressure gauge is not connected to anything and so the crew must be careful to ignore any reading it has.
Off. All lines leading to the valve are disconnected and the gauge reading is meaningless.
Neil is using the LM/CM Delta-P position.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
080:43:48 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. Over. [No answer.]
080:44:32 Duke: Hello, Apollo 11. Houston. Over. [No answer.]
This is Apollo Control, Houston.
080:45:28 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. If you read, please attempt to acquire on the High Gain. We're having trouble locking up on the TM and we have no voice. Over.
Comm break.
TM is short for telemetry.
This is Apollo Control, Houston. You copied that report. We're standing by for Apollo 11 spacecraft to acquire on the High Gain Antenna. Meanwhile, onboard readings on orbital parameters were 66.1 nautical miles [122.4 km] by 54.4 nautical miles [100.7 km]; very close to - very close to the planned altitudes that were predicted prior to the LOI-2 burn. At 80 hours, 46 minutes; continuing to monitor; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
080:47:23 Duke: Hello, Apollo 11...
080:47:24 Armstrong: Houston, Apollo 11.
080:47:26 Duke: Roger. We're reading you five-by. Go ahead. Over.
080:47:27 Armstrong: Roger. We have you on High Gain now.
080:47:34 Duke: Rog. We lost the TM and the voice for about 5 minutes here. We were - attempted a handover and fouled it up in some manner, but we got you back now. Thank you much.
080:47:47 Armstrong: Okay. We're pressurizing the LM at this time.
080:47:50 Duke: Copy.
Long comm break.
The Tunnel Vent Valve has been placed in the LM Press position. Air from the CM cabin is passing through the valve, into the tunnel and on through the open LM Overhead Dump Valve into the LM cabin.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 80 hours, 48 minutes now into the flight of Apollo 11. Very preliminary ground readings indicate an apolune of 65.6 [121.5 km]. Perilune; 53.7 [99.5 km].
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
080:50:51 Duke: Hello, Apollo 11. Houston. We have a P22 Auto optics update for you, if you're ready to copy. Over.
080:51:59 Collins: Copy. P22. T1 time, 82:37:35; T2, 82:42:50. And the target is 7 miles north. Thank you.
080:52:21 Duke: Rog.
Long comm break.
This PAD refers to a landmark tracking exercise that Mike will carry out on the next orbit. Landmark Alpha 1 is in Mare Spumans and its coordinates are 2.000° North and 65.500° East. The PAD includes two times. T1 is when the landmark is on the lunar horizon as seen from the spacecraft. At T2, the spacecraft should be 35° above the landmark's local horizon and therefore 35° below the spacecraft's local horizontal. Page 3-52a of the Flight Plan has a diagram to illustrate the geometry of the task.
When the spacecraft reaches T2, Mike will begin a pitchdown manoeuvre at 0.3° per second. As the spacecraft coasts over the landmark, he will take marks on it using the optics at about 25-second intervals until it reaches 35° elevation on the other side. These marks provide the computers with a geometrical link between the spacecraft's orbit and the landscape below.
That was passed up to Mike Collins, the Command Module Pilot, who will occupy himself during this pass on the - over the front side with landmark tracking activities. At 80 hours, 53 minutes into the flight, Apollo 11; we continue to monitor.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
080:55:32 Armstrong: I get the distinct impression, Charlie, that mare surface laps up over the edge of the mountains at the shoreline.
080:55:42 Duke: Roger. We copy. [Long pause.]
This is Apollo Control, Houston, at 80 hours, 56 minutes now into the flight of Apollo 11. Our current velocity reading; 5,334 feet per second [1,626 m/s]. Current weight of the spacecraft in orbit, 70,505 pounds [31,981 kg].
080:56:40 Duke: Houston. On your comment about the mare lapping up to the terrain - mountainous terrain, is that an impression like a lava flow coming in around a prominence, Neil, or is it more - looks like it's sloping up at that point? Over.
080:57:06 Armstrong: It isn't true everywhere, but there's certainly places where there seems to be a slope downward towards the shoreline on the mare. In other words, from the mare down to the shoreline is a downward slope indicating that it might be a lava front.
080:57:23 Duke: Roger.
Comm break.
That was Commander Neil Armstrong talking to our Capsule Communicator Charles Duke. Our current orbital readings show an apolune of 65.5 [121.3 km], a perilune of 53.7 nautical miles [99.5 km]. At 80 hours, 58 minutes into the flight; we continue to monitor and this is Apollo Control, Houston.
080:58:41 Armstrong: Crossing Duke Island and Maskelyne W.
080:58:47 Duke: Say again, Neil. Over.
080:58:50 Armstrong: We just crossed Duke Island and Maskelyne W.
This is Apollo Control, Houston, at 81 hours into the flight of Apollo 11. A period of relative quiet. No doubt the Apollo 11 crew quite preoccupied in preparation for the activation of the LM. During this period of relative quiet, we'll pass along heart rates from the LOI-1 burn; that's LOI-1, not LOI-2. We have yet to receive those numbers. The heart rate for the Commander Neil Armstrong read 106; for the Command Module Pilot Mike Collins, 66; and for the Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin, we have a reading of 70. At 81 hours, 1 minute into the flight of Apollo 11; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
Apollo Control, Houston; at 81 hours, 5 minutes into the flight. Still a period of relative quiet. Our ground readings indicate that the Apollo 11 spacecraft has completed its program 52, that's to align the inertial platform. Indications from the ground are that it - this activity went very well. And at 81 hours, 6 minutes, continuing to monitor; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
This P52 realignment of the guidance platform was achieved by Mike sighting on stars 37 (Nunki, Sigma Sagittarii) and 44 (Enif, Epsilon Pegasi). The angles through which the platform had to be rotated to restore its ideal orientation were +0.046° in X, +0.051° in Y and -0.028° in Z. The difference in the actual angle between these two stars and Mike's measured angle is 0.02°, an acceptable error.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control, Houston, at 81 hours, 15 minutes. It's been an extremely quiet pass. No doubt, the Apollo 11 crew quite busy at this time. We expect at the time entry is made into the Lunar Module, Apollo 11, as a matter of fact, will be out of acquisition, traversing over the far side of the Moon. At the present time, we read an altitude, current altitude reading of 56.7 nautical miles [105.0 km]. Our ground displays indicate an apolune of 65.4 [121.1 km], a perilune of 53.8 [99.6 km] and a spacecraft velocity of 5,364 feet per second [1,635 m/s]. Continuing to monitor, this is Apollo Control, Houston; at 81 hours, 16 minutes into the flight.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
081:22:57 Duke: Hello, Apollo 11. Houston. We're wondering if you've started into the LM yet. Over.
081:23:06 Armstrong: We have the CSM hatch out, the drogue and probe removed and stowed, and we're just about ready to open the LM hatch now.
081:23:16 Duke: Roger. Thank you much, Neil. We'll be standing by.
Comm break.
Armstrong and Aldrin now remove the Lunar Module's overhead hatch from inside the tunnel connecting it to the Command Module, and float into Eagle.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; at 81 hours, 24 minutes now into the flight. The silence of conversation between Mission Control Center, Houston and the crew has broken there moments ago. Charlie Duke called up Apollo 11 and spoke with Neil Armstrong, who indicated that the hatch was out and the probe and drogue removed, and they were about ready to open the Lunar Module hatch. Our current altitude shows 54.7 nautical miles [101.3 km], apolune 65.4 [121.1 km], perilune 53.8 [99.6 km]. Interestingly enough, the part of the LM activation which we will follow most closely will be at time of reacquisition following our pass over the far side of the Moon. This will be on the front side. It will afford us an opportunity for a communications check with the Lunar Module and there will be a transfer to LM power. At 81 hours, 25 minutes; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
081:25:53 Armstrong: Okay, Charlie. We're in the LM. The docking index mark is the same.
081:26:00 Duke: Roger. We copy. [Long pause.]
You heard that report from Neil Armstrong. They are now in the Lunar Module.
081:26:53 Aldrin: Charlie, there just doesn't seem to be any slow way to get that Repress to Auto without making a big bang.
081:27:01 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. Say again. Over.
081:27:08 Aldrin: Roger. There just doesn't seem to be any slow way to get the Repress from Closed to Auto and avoid a big bang. Over.
081:27:16 Duke: Oh, we copy, Buzz. Thank you much. Out.
081:27:23 Duke: We concur with that, Buzz. [Pause.]
This ability for the LM Repress Valve to make a loud bang when operated was a trick that Apollo 13 LMP Fred Haise would pull on his crewmates. Then when one of the spacecraft's oxygen tanks ruptured catastrophically, this was the first thing that his commander, Jim Lovell, checked. Had Fred repeated the stunt? The incident was included in the movie, Apollo 13.
081:27:35 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We'll have LOS 81:45, next AOS - Stand by.
081:27:47 Duke: Next AOS 82:32. Over.
081:27:55 Armstrong: Okay. 82:32.
Comm break.
081:29:30 Collins: Houston, Apollo 11. I'm going to start a maneuver to P22 attitude at this time.
081:29:35 Duke: 11. Roger. We copy. Over.
081:29:41 Collins: Okay. We're noticing some water inside the Command Module for the first time. There's a little puddle of it on the aft bulkhead sort of like 101 had.
081:29:49 Duke: Roger.
Command Module 101 had flown on Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo flight, nine months earlier. Columbia is CM-107.
081:29:54 Collins: I'd like to know how EECOM wants to get rid of it. There are a number of different ways and what does he think is the best one?
081:30:00 Duke: We'll be with you in a moment, Mike. Stand by.
081:30:05 Collins: No big rush. It'll wait until the next rev or two.
081:30:08 Duke: All right.
Very long comm break.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 81 hours, 30 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11. The Apollo 11 Commander and Lunar Module pilots appear to be a little bit ahead on their time lines in the LM activation period. Meanwhile, Command Module Pilot Mike Collins proceeding further with his landmark tracking exercises. Mike also reported a little puddle of water inside the Command Module near the aft bulkhead. His reference to 'like 101' referred to the Apollo 7 spacecraft which was commanded by Walter Schirra. Our current altitude, 54 nautical miles [100 km]; current apolune, 65.4 [121.1 km]; our current perilune, 53.8 [99.6 km]. We now show a weight in orbit of 70,472 pounds [31,966 kg]. This is Apollo Control, Houston; continuing to monitor at 81 hours, 32 minutes into the flight.
081:40:25 Aldrin (onboard): Well, they look like they were made to go. That's - that's it, isn't it? Weren't they made to put here so you stow them by putting them on here instead of the way we do it?
The crew have now re-started the on-board tape recorder in anticipation of Loss Of Signal in about 4 minutes.
081:40:50 Collins (onboard): Then we only have to decide what - what's supposed to go here.
081:40:55 Aldrin (onboard): I [garble] two of them.
081:41:01 Collins (onboard): Both of those - those things are in here.
081:41:05 Armstrong (onboard): [Garble] worry about nothing goes in there [garble].
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control, Houston. We're now some five minutes away from Loss Of Signal with the Apollo 11 spacecraft. We currently show an altitude of 54.2 nautical miles [100.4 km], apolune 65.4 [121.1 km], perilune 53.9 nautical miles [99.8 km]. Flight Director Milt Windler now talking with various members of his flight control team. We would expect a final bit of conversation prior to Loss Of Signal with the Apollo 11 spacecraft. We'll keep our line up and continue to monitor conversations that could transpire prior to Loss Of Signal. Standing by at 81 hours, 41 minutes into the flight, Apollo 11.
081:41:22 Duke: Hello, Apollo 11, Houston. We've played back the LOI-2 burn. It looked really good to us. The systems were all good. We got an orbit on the limited amount of tracking at 65.4 by a 53.9. Over.
081:41:40 Collins: Sounds good, Houston.
081:41:41 Aldrin (onboard): I need that film now.
081:41:44 Armstrong (onboard): Okay.
081:41:46 Aldrin (onboard): [Garble].
081:41:58 Armstrong (onboard): Okay, want to get film. It's a long trip to the film container.
Mark. 3 minutes now from predicted time of Loss Of Signal.
081:42:32 Collins (onboard): You want something?
081:42:33 Armstrong (onboard): Oh, shoot. I'm going to have trouble getting in there.
Mark. 2 minutes now from time of LOS.
081:43:39 Collins (onboard): How's it going, Neil? You getting any?
081:43:41 Armstrong (onboard): [Garble].
081:43:59 Armstrong (onboard): Well - Buzz, the 70-millimeter container's only got one black and white and one color in it - Isn't it supposed to...
Mark. 1 minute now from time of LOS.
081:44:16 Collins (onboard): That's - that's not - that's mine.
081:44:19 Aldrin (onboard): You've got the wrong one.
081:44:20 Collins (onboard): No, that's not the right one.
They are debating which 70-mm Hasselblad stills camera is the correct one to take into the LM. The other one has to stay in the CM.
081:44:23 Armstrong (onboard): The one...
081:44:24 Collins (onboard): The one you want, Neil, is way over here in - R-13.
081:44:32 Aldrin (onboard): No, it's not in there. It was on my girth shelf.
The LM Pilot's girth shelf is on the right hand side of the CM interior.
081:44:34 Collins (onboard): Okay.
081:44:35 Armstrong (onboard): Oh, okay, there it is. Did you get that one put back?
081:44:39 Collins (onboard): No, but I will.
081:44:41 Armstrong (onboard): Okay, appreciate it. I had it in my mind that - our...
081:44:47 Collins (onboard): You want to do something to the polarizing filter, Neil?
081:44:59 Armstrong (onboard): Uh...
081:45:00 Collins (onboard): I'll stick it up there on the ceiling. There's a...
081:45:02 Armstrong (onboard): ...not really.
081:45:03 Collins (onboard): ...we got room for it up there.
We've now had Loss Of Signal with Apollo 11. At 81 hours, 45 minutes into the flight; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
081:45:29 Collins (onboard): You want the 16-millimeter while you're down here, Neil?
081:45:31 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
081:45:32 Collins (onboard): The 16-millimeter bag as well?
081:45:33 Armstrong (onboard): Yes, I'll take that one, too.
081:45:36 Aldrin (onboard): Okay.
081:45:59 Collins (onboard): Well, that - damn stuff won't stick. Haven't got a piece of Velcro on there yet.
081:46:10 Armstrong (onboard): You're not [garble].
081:47:34 Collins (onboard): Man, can't you stop some of that racket up there?
Collins is in the CM, and 'up there' is in the LM.
081:47:38 Aldrin (onboard): Huh?
081:47:52 Collins (onboard): That's the S-band - you turn your volumes down.
Coughing is heard on the voice recording.
081:48:17 Collins (onboard): Is that better on the S-band?
081:48:19 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
081:48:20 Aldrin (onboard): Yes.
081:48:21 Collins (onboard): Okay.
A sneeze is heard on the voice recording.
081:48:51 Aldrin (onboard): There's one that's got mission rules in it - but I can't place - at the moment, put my hands on it. [Garble].
081:50:10 Aldrin (onboard): It's a No-Go - Go/No-Go - the one - one I'm looking for. Hey, that's beautiful.
081:50:28 Armstrong (onboard): Like this?
081:50:31 Aldrin (onboard): Yes.
081:50:33 Armstrong (onboard): That's the one we made the changes in, right?
081:50:37 Aldrin (onboard): Right.
081:50:40 Armstrong (onboard): It may be up in the - in the Command Module, huh? Have you got another clip?
Since Aldrin and Armstrong have spun around 180 degrees to assume the correct orientation on entering the LM, from their perspective the CM is also 'up'!
081:50:49 Aldrin (onboard): For the window?
081:50:51 Armstrong (onboard): I thought we might just stick my - activation checklist right - right there, and we'll be all ready coming in.
081:50:56 Aldrin (onboard): Right here?
081:50:57 Armstrong (onboard): Yes. [Garble].
081:51:02 Aldrin (onboard): We may be ending up with one more than we're authorized - one, two, three, four, five. Yes, one of these will be changed over to - As a matter of fact, I stole one from Mike - but one of them we'll change over to the...
081:51:18 Armstrong (onboard): I'll go check around up here.
081:51:20 Aldrin (onboard): Oh, wait a minute, here it is. I got it.
081:51:24 Armstrong (onboard): I don't think the...
081:51:25 Aldrin (onboard): This other one got changed.
081:51:28 Armstrong (onboard): No, it didn't.
081:51:31 Aldrin (onboard): You want to do that?
081:51:32 Armstrong (onboard): Yes, I can do that.
081:51:50 Aldrin (onboard): And in the meantime - Let's see, where'd the film go?
081:52:19 Aldrin (onboard): Now, the thing that would be nice to find out is if - how well - go - the 80-millimeter - with the film pack on it - in color.
081:53:20 Aldrin (onboard): You do put these in with this dark slide in, don't you? Is that right?
081:53:24 Armstrong (onboard): Which one you got? 60? 60 you do, and the 80 you - [garble].
081:53:40 Aldrin (onboard): [Garble].
081:53:42 Armstrong (onboard): Yes, dark slide in.
The dark slide is a metal sheet that is inserted into the film magazine of a Hasselblad V-series camera, the type that was used on Apollo.
A contemporary Hasselblad 500C camera with the dark slide displayed.
081:53:55 Armstrong (onboard): It'll lock it the other way. That - that side - it'll pull it closed.
081:53:59 Aldrin (onboard): Alright. [Garble] for telling me.
081:54:10 Aldrin (onboard): Boy, that thing goes all over, doesn't it? Maybe we ought to - do these the other way around.
081:55:33 Aldrin (onboard): Neil, we got two magazines, two color, A... - one of them is R and the other is S.
081:55:42 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
081:55:43 Aldrin (onboard): I'm going to put the R in the reserve camera.
081:55:46 Armstrong (onboard): Okay.
081:55:47 Aldrin (onboard): And the S in the surface camera.
081:55:48 Armstrong (onboard): Good idea.
Magazine S will eventually hold the most iconic photographs from the Apollo programme.
081:55:49 Aldrin (onboard): Even though we're going to use them the other way.
081:56:33 Armstrong (onboard): Do you want to try it out in there?
081:56:36 Aldrin (onboard): I guess we could open the window here, just as well.
By 'open the window', Aldrin means remove the window shade.
081:56:59 Aldrin (onboard): The window's all - frosted over.
081:57:04 Armstrong (onboard): Is it?
081:57:06 Aldrin (onboard): Well, I hate to stick my finger on it. I'm not sure which side it's on.
081:57:09 Armstrong (onboard): We'll have to - have to turn the heaters on tomorrow.
081:57:16 Aldrin (onboard): No, I think when the Sun gets on them, it'll - [garble] them. Yes, the one on your side is [garble].
081:58:08 Armstrong (onboard): The black and white is magazine 2.
082:02:05 Aldrin (onboard): I don't guess there's any need to tape that up now.
082:02:18 Aldrin (onboard): We're on the back side now, right?
082:02:20 Armstrong (onboard): Yes, just come into - we're just coming into sunlight.
082:02:22 Aldrin (onboard): And we don't get the - contrast [garble].
082:02:31 Armstrong (onboard): What's the mission time, Mike?
082:02:35 Collins (onboard): Just a second. About 82 hours even.
082:02:39 Armstrong/Collins (onboard): [Garble].
082:02:40 Collins (onboard): 82:02
082:02:42 Aldrin (onboard): Okay, when do you get your tracking?
082:02:44 Collins (onboard): In a little while.
082:02:47 Aldrin (onboard): About what time?
082:02:52 Collins (onboard): About another half hour.
082:02:56 Aldrin (onboard): Before 83 hours?
082:03:06 Armstrong (onboard): Wasn't like this yesterday - must be because the Sun was on it.
082:03:24 Aldrin (onboard): Boy, look at that big mother coming up there. Looks like we're heading for - [garble] over the horizon.
082:04:22 Aldrin (onboard): I don't think there's any place except in the - in here, that it says anything about 16-millimeter footage...
082:04:33 Armstrong (onboard): In the card, right?
082:04:35 Aldrin (onboard): No, I'm thinking about for the descent. Here we are, 16 millimeter, H-CEX, f:4, 500, infinity, 6 frames per second. Okay.
A Maurer camera loaded with 16-mm magazine I will film the entire descent from Buzz's window, though, at only 6 frames per second, this is a quarter of the conventional film speed of 24 frames per second. This is to ensure the whole of the event fits onto the relatively short magazine.
082:05:14 Armstrong (onboard): You got the Flight Plan handy, Mike?
082:05:16 Collins (onboard): Yes, I have. Just a second.
082:05:19 Armstrong (onboard): I don't want it up here. I just want you to - when you get a chance, to read off the items that are on there, make sure we got them.
082:05:26 Collins (onboard): It says perform housekeeping chores, stow helmets, stowage bags; unstow mirror, checklist, and disposal assembly. Stow interim stowage assembly, unstow and configure for use 16 millimeter, HC-EX, f:4, 500, infinity, 6 frames per second. That's all it says - on that page. That's where we are now. The next thing is an hour from now when we transfer to LM power and activate the Comm.
082:06:04 Aldrin (onboard): 12 feet per second - half an hour.
082:06:15 Collins (onboard): Did you say something about taking pictures right now?
082:06:18 Armstrong (onboard): No, no, stop the camera.
082:06:21 Collins (onboard): Yes, I know, I don't think it'd take a very good picture right now.
082:06:29 Aldrin (onboard): One thing, when you get way up here, you can - see a lot more of that secondary strut.
082:06:39 Collins (onboard): No, that thing - that's holding up those damn baffles.
082:06:51 Aldrin (onboard): Well, if we could get a towel, we could get us a couple of fair-to-middling pictures out of here.
082:06:59 Armstrong (onboard): Alright. You want one?
082:07:01 Aldrin (onboard): Yes. Maybe - Some of it will come off, anyway.
082:09:05 Aldrin (onboard): Hand me a towel when you get a chance.
082:09:14 Armstrong (onboard): [Garble] left window [garble].
082:09:49 Armstrong (onboard): This one's getting pretty well cleared off over here on the left.
082:10:03 Aldrin (onboard): You want the COAS in the forward window for undocking, huh? And you don't want the filter attached? I stuck it up here.
082:11:03 Aldrin (onboard): All that'll do is warm it up.
082:11:42 Aldrin (onboard): When do we have AOS?
082:11:50 Armstrong (onboard): Well, we - we should have AOS in - oh - 16 - 18 - in about another 20 minutes.
082:12:44 Aldrin (onboard): Alright, then, I think - the way we're sitting, why, we're going to be able to get a picture - of the Earth coming right up there. What do you think about that?
082:14:07 Collins (onboard): Unique feature - photography [laughter]. [Garble] on the top of it.
082:14:34 Aldrin (onboard): What have you been using, 5.6 at 1/250th?
082:14:52 Collins (onboard): Yes. [Garble].
082:15:10 Aldrin (onboard): What do you know, it works!
082:15:18 Armstrong (onboard): I could sure get the stop watch, huh?
082:15:22 Aldrin (onboard): Yes, you have the exact time to AOS - because I don't have my watch - set up for that.
082:15:29 Armstrong (onboard): [Garble].
082:15:30 Aldrin (onboard): [Garble].
082:15:32 Collins (onboard): I'm just fooling around. What do you need - AOS time? AOS is going to be - well, let's see - 82:30 - about 15 minutes from now.
082:15:50 Aldrin (onboard): Okay. I'll get another good picture of what comes along. Well, hell, I guess we might as well load the other camera and make sure it works, too, huh?
082:16:00 Armstrong (onboard): Adjust the - chronometer and put the cables in it, huh?
082:16:05 Aldrin (onboard): Yes.
082:16:06 Collins (onboard): Well, look, if we load this one - if I put the film on this one, and take a picture or two, well, I'll have to take it back off again; that's the only trouble. I won't have to, but it doesn't stow as neatly. If you don't mind doing - powered descent with the camera in there, I think that's probably alright. Well, wait a minute, I bet I could put this one loaded where the other one goes...
082:16:47 Armstrong (onboard): Where have you hid the shaving cream, Mike?
082:18:12 Armstrong (onboard): No wonder - [garble].
082:18:20 Collins (onboard): Uh, [garble].
082:18:25 Armstrong (onboard): [Garble] that's the reason...
082:18:26 Collins (onboard): No, I don't think you know. I don't think you know. I don't see how you know.
082:18:30 Aldrin (onboard): Hey, Neil, you see any need for keeping this thing?
082:18:33 Armstrong (onboard): What's that?
082:18:34 Aldrin (onboard): In the LM, this cover for the camera. Think about that for a while - I got it loaded, and I don't see any need to ever change it. If it works now - I guess if it quits before we actually went EVA, why there might be some reason to. 5.6 at 250th, huh?
082:20:01 Aldrin (onboard): Now, a few pictures of that and one of Earthrise and - and then we'll stow it.
082:21:45 Aldrin (onboard): Well, I can't do anything until we transfer to LM power.
082:22:10 Armstrong (onboard): Do you know where the shaving cream is?
082:22:13 Collins (onboard): Shaving cream?
082:22:17 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
082:22:18 Collins (onboard): Yes, I sure do; it's...
082:22:19 Aldrin (onboard): In the penlight.
082:22:21 Collins (onboard): ...in the penlight compartment, huh?
082:22:53 Aldrin (onboard): How about this thing; you see any need to - to keep that in the LM?
082:23:07 Aldrin (onboard): Neil, what did you do with the - [garble] camera back sight ?
082:23:12 Armstrong (onboard): I haven't had it.
082:23:13 Aldrin (onboard): Okay. What do you think about that?
082:23:16 Armstrong (onboard): I can't think of any reason why we might use it.
082:23:18 Aldrin (onboard): Well, there's a COAS - dust cover that I think fits in the same category, don't you? The thing that you got to move out to put the COAS in?
082:24:05 Collins (onboard): He's shaving.
082:24:36 Collins (onboard): I'm through with the Flight Plan, Neil, if you want it.
082:24:41 Armstrong (onboard): [Garble].
082:24:56 Armstrong (onboard): [Garble] razor?
082:24:58 Collins (onboard): The razor should be in there with the shaving cream, isn't it?
082:25:04 Collins (onboard): The razor wasn't in there?
082:25:06 Armstrong (onboard): The razor's in here, and I think the shaving cream was when I pulled it out, but...
082:25:11 Aldrin (onboard): How much time to AOS, Mike?
082:25:15 Collins (onboard): 82:30 - about 5 minutes.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
Apollo Control, Houston. We're now within 2 minutes from time of predicted acquisition of - of the Apollo 11 spacecraft. As we make this pass - near-side pass on the fourth revolution, it will be the first time that we've transferred, during this mission, to Lunar Module Pilot - power, and a communications check will be performed on the Lunar Module. We should be hearing such things as long counts being given from the spacecraft. Additionally, a new display - the lunar landing site display is now up for the first time in Mission Control Center this flight. It's essentially a blow-up for the Landing Sites 1 and 2. We expect it to stay up through the time of lunar landing. Meanwhile, in Mission Control Center, Flight Directer Milt Windler beginning to discuss with members of his flight control team items that might be expected after we acquire. We're less than a minute away now at this time - at this time from our forecast acquisition. We'll stand by.
082:28:42 Aldrin (onboard): Don't know what I'm doing with VHF B on.
082:28:52 Aldrin (onboard): Hey, Mike?
082:28:53 Collins (onboard): Yes.
082:28:57 Aldrin (onboard): You got VHF B available?
082:28:59 Collins (onboard): What? Say again?
082:29:05 Aldrin (onboard): I don't know. According to this lousy thing, I'm powering up VHF B - T/R.
082:29:11 Collins (onboard): Not right now, not for another half hour or so.
082:29:13 Aldrin (onboard): No, I know, but - Are you going to have your VHF on?
082:29:21 Collins (onboard): If I'm going to record your data, I am.
082:29:30 Aldrin (onboard): Well, it doesn't say doodly squat about recording data.
Standing by now for acquisition.
082:30:30 Aldrin (onboard): [Garble] coming up now.
082:31:54 Armstrong (onboard): Did you get them?
082:31:56 Aldrin (onboard): No, sure didn't.
082:32:05 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
082:32:07 Aldrin (onboard): But I can't see [garble] - I see the Earth, but it's a lousy picture.
We have acquisition. We are receiving telemetry data at this time. Hawaii and Goldstone both have acquired.
082:32:27 Collins (onboard): Could you wait just one? I'm right in the middle of the event-timer setting.
082:32:35 Duke: Hello, Apollo 11. Houston. We're standing by. Out.
082:32:43 Collins: Okay, Houston. We'll be doing P22 in just a couple of minutes here.
082:32:46 Aldrin (onboard): You want to come in, Neil? Going in?
082:32:46 Duke: Roger. We copy all that. You're looking good.
Very long comm break.
That was Mike Collins indicating he would be doing a little additional landmark tracking. We shall hear further from him shortly.
082:33:59 Aldrin (onboard): Want back up?
082:34:00 Armstrong (onboard): No.
082:34:01 Aldrin (onboard): Here's your shaving cream.
082:34:03 Collins (onboard): My only problem is I'm going to come over here and grab a switch and arm this hand controller.
082:34:07 Armstrong (onboard): Alright. I'll be out of your way.
082:34:08 Collins (onboard): Okey dokey. I'll tell you what you could do, if you're not doing anything else, is - supposed to take five marks, 30 seconds apart. When I take the first one, you can take a hack and see...
082:34:26 Armstrong (onboard): Okay.
082:34:27 Collins (onboard): ...whether I'm spaced properly or not, you know what I mean?
082:34:28 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
082:34:29 Collins (onboard): Coach me along on when to take mark number 2, mark number 3, 4, 5.
082:34:51 Collins (onboard): And could you give me a hack on the MDC mission timer? It's going up to 35 minutes. Ready...
082:35:00 Collins (onboard): Mark it.
082:35:05 Armstrong (onboard): 35 minutes.
082:35:06 Collins (onboard): Okay, that's good. That program alarm is normal. It will reach that when the trunnion gets down below 50 degrees.
A short clarification on the use of the word, 'trunnion'. The word originally comes from that part of a cannon that allowed the weapon to be tilted. This consisted of two cylindrical stubs that projected from either side or below the bore. These would then sit within bearings cut into the cannon's mount (its cheeks). Engineers applied the term to other simple tilting hinge mechanisms and an example is found on the Command Module's sextant.
Cutaway diagram of the Apollo sextant.
One axis of the spacecraft's sextant is the shaft. The direction of this axis is fixed to the spacecraft but it can turn through 360°. At the end of the shaft axis near the surface of the spacecraft is a movable mirror that can tilt to give a line of sight up to 50° away from the direction of the shaft axis. This second axis is called the trunnion because it tilts in a fashion similar to a cannon's trunnion.
082:35:21 Armstrong (onboard): Okay.
082:35:23 Collins (onboard): All I'm doing is waiting for - the time. Everything else is done.
082:35:46 Armstrong (onboard): You holding inertial, Mike?
082:35:47 Collins (onboard): Yes.
082:35:50 Aldrin (onboard): No wonder the Earth isn't moving.
Mike is holding an inertial attitude which means the spacecraft is not rotating with respect to the stars. In this mode, Earth doesn't appear to move in the window but the Moon will. In a sense it will appear to be rotating around the spacecraft.
The difference between inertial and orb-rate attitude.
082:36:06 Collins (onboard): Ho-hum, ho-hum. I only got set up for this thing about an hour early [laughter]. Better late than never; better early than late.
082:37:04 Collins (onboard): [Garble] should be coming over the horizon here pretty soon.
082:37:08 Aldrin (onboard): What should be?
082:37:14 Collins (onboard): Old A-1. Old A-1.
082:37:20 Collins (onboard): Now, we'll see if you can find something that looks like A-1.
Landmark A1 is in Mare Spumans and its coordinates are given in Mike's documentation as 2.000° North and 65.500° East. On a modern map, these precise coordinates appear to be a nondescript part of the mare surface. However, in Mike's Solo Book, there is an image from Apollo 10, AS10-30-4497, on which Mike has circled a light patch and labelled it as 'CRATER KAMP (A-1)'.
Page from the CMP Solo Book showing AS10-30-4497 and Mike's marking that identify landmark A1, or Crater KAMP.
At the time, the lunar coordinate system was less accurately defined and a nearby small crater actually represented A1. Indeed, given the rounded numbers, these may only be approximate and that Mike's sightings might provide more accurate figures.
Mare Spumans with the position of KAMP (landmark A1) as given in the checklist (2.000°N, 65.500°E) and its actual position (1.817°N, 65.061°E). Image from data gathered by Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
KAMP is a relatively fresh 138-metre crater, as shown in this image from the Narrow Angle Camera on Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Crater KAMP (1.817°N, 65.061°E). Image from data gathered by Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
In his classic book, Carrying the Fire, Mike explains the name.
Collins, from page 393 of Carrying the Fire: "We need to know as much about the surface as possible, including how far it is below us, and one way of improving this measurement is by pointing the sextant at one piece of real estate and measuring our angle to it as we whiz by. I have picked a crater in the Foaming Sea (Mare Spumans) and have named it KAMP, in honor of my children and wife (Kate, Ann, Michael and Patricia). KAMP will be helpful to Neil and Buzz tomorrow, in that Mare Spumans must be crossed before Mare Tranquillitatis, so that any improvement in the knowledge of their altitude over Mare Spumans will be most useful as they descent toward the landing site. I make five marks on KAMP and incorporate them into my computer. It swallows down this information and uses it to improve its catalog of the moon's vital statistics."
A PAD for the upcoming tracking exercise was read up at 080:51:23.
082:37:23 Aldrin (onboard): I got the Earth down by the strut.
082:37:56 Aldrin (onboard): The problem with this window is, Neil, I think it's too cold in here.
082:37:59 Collins (onboard): Neil, I'm going to get up here and get pitch - Manual Attitude Pitch to Accel Command. Those hand controllers are armed, so beware.
082:38:02 Armstrong (onboard): Okay.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 82 hours, 38 minutes now into the flight of Apollo 11. Only a single contact with Apollo 11 thus far this pass, when Mike Collins identified he was still involved with program 22, the auto optics landmark tracking activity. We expect additional conversation as the pass transpires. Presently we're reading on our orbit displays an altitude of 65.1 nautical miles [120.6 km], apolune 65.3 nautical miles [120.9 km], a perilune of 54 nautical miles [100 km]. We currently show a velocity on the Apollo 11 spacecraft of 5,318 feet per second - 5,318 feet per second [1,621 m/s]. At 82 hours, 39 minutes and continuing to monitor; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
082:41:25 Collins (onboard): If I'd known you were going to be here, I'd have incorporated you into the procedures.
082:41:30 Armstrong (onboard): Keep looking through the periscope, then.
082:41:32 Collins (onboard): What I need is - 0.3 to 0.5 on this thing, closer to 3. I'd get it, but you...
082:41:40 Armstrong (onboard): I'll watch.
082:41:41 Collins (onboard): ...just as a double-check...
082:41:42 Armstrong (onboard): I'll watch.
082:42:11 Collins (onboard): The pre-flight - [garble].
082:42:55 Armstrong (onboard): That [garble] is working.
082:42:56 Collins (onboard): Okay, fine.
082:43:31 Collins (onboard): Okay, Mark it...
082:43:32 Collins (onboard): Number 1. They're 30-second marks.
082:46:37 Armstrong (onboard): It's only gone 10 degrees towards gimbal lock.
An explanation of gimbal lock was given at 006:21:56.
082:46:40 Collins (onboard): Well, that's a pretty good error. I don't know why in the hell it does that.
082:46:48 Collins (onboard): Would you like to control the [garble]? I'd say we're going to keep pitching for quite a while.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
082:47:01 Collins: Houston, Apollo 11.
082:47:03 Duke: Go ahead.
082:47:07 Collins: Roger. You copy that Noun 49 on your downlink? If you've had enough time, I'll proceed.
082:47:11 Duke: We got it. Go ahead, Mike.
Long comm break.
Noun 49 yields Delta-R (change in range), Delta-V (change in velocity) and a code that indicates the source of the information where '1' is the optics and '2' is the VHF radio system during ranging activities. In this context where Mike is tracking landmark A1 using P22, it refers to the extent that his markings alter the knowledge of their orbit.
082:47:35 Collins (onboard): Look, what gimbal angle was that when - on the pitch - when that activity started, just out of curiosity?
082:47:40 Armstrong (onboard): Oh, must have been around - 210.
082:47:50 Collins (onboard): Just like the simulator.
This is Apollo Control, Houston, at 82 hours, 48 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11. Our air/ground sounding somewhat noisy, this being because we're utilizing the Omni antenna for downlink. This, a requirement because of the attitude required for landmark tracking for Program 22. At 82 hours, 48 minutes continuing to monitor; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
082:48:00 Collins (onboard): Okay, now, the Flight Plan says where we want to stop [garble], that says so right here - pitch 229 is where we want to stop.
082:48:07 Armstrong (onboard): Okay, we've gone by that, however, quite a ways.
082:48:12 Aldrin (onboard): Is that local vertical?
082:48:14 Collins (onboard): No.
082:48:21 Armstrong (onboard): Okay. And after those pictures, [garble] lunar surface.
082:48:26 Collins (onboard): You want to go back to 229 or what?
082:48:29 Armstrong (onboard): Let me see the Flight Plan just a second. Yes.
082:48:41 Collins (onboard): Might as well just - just let it stop itself, Neil.
082:48:47 Armstrong (onboard): I've got to - look at the...
082:48:50 Collins (onboard): Yes, go ahead.
082:48:52 Armstrong (onboard): ...the [garble]. [garble] like - gangbusters?
082:48:57 Collins (onboard): [Garble] 225 is [garble].
082:49:12 Collins (onboard): Mark...
082:49:13 Collins (onboard): 2009.
082:49:23 Collins (onboard): Mark...
082:49:24 Collins (onboard): 22590. Minus 00177.
082:50:00 Collins (onboard): Okay. So much for that.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
082:50:27 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We see a Noun 89. You can do the Verb 34 now. Over. Beat me to it.
082:50:28 Aldrin (onboard): A beautiful view out here, Neil.
082:50:34 Armstrong (onboard): [Garble].
082:50:35 Collins: Yeah. I've done it, Charlie.
082:50:37 Duke: Rog.
Comm break.
Noun 89 contains the latitude and longitude/2 of the landmark, as well as its altitude. Verb 34 terminates the program.
082:50:51 Aldrin (onboard): What's the GET?
082:50:55 Collins (onboard): It's 82:51.
082:51:35 Collins (onboard): There's Mount Marilyn.
082:51:36 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
082:51:55 Collins (onboard): Okay, we didn't waste any gas by doing what we did, but what we wasted gas by was that goddamn DAP activity. I don't understand that. Just like the simulator.
082:52:09 Armstrong (onboard): Sure enough.
082:52:13 Collins (onboard): You got a good view there, Neil?
082:52:15 Armstrong (onboard): Yes, I sure do.
082:52:19 Collins: Houston, Apollo 11.
082:52:22 Duke: Go ahead, 11. Over.
082:52:26 Collins: All that procedure for P22 seemed to work very well. The only thing that was a little odd, is that there was some DAP thruster activity. I had pitch in Accel Command, and roll and yaw in Rate Command, and somehow, roll and yaw got excited and the DAP went into a flurry of thruster firing. We've noticed the same thing in the CMS, and just written it off as a CMS peculiarity.
082:52:55 Duke: Roger. We saw that activity, Mike. We'll see if we can track it down and let you know. Over.
082:53:03 Collins: Okay.
DAP is the Digital AutoPilot. It works to keep the spacecraft in a desired attitude, firing thrusters whenever the attitude exceeds a set deadband. CMS is the Command Module Simulator, a faithful reproduction of the CM interior that allowed crews to train on the procedures for flight. TV monitors were installed at the windows to give expected views and sounds were also included in the simulation. However, it was immobile and could not simulate movement and vibration effects.
082:53:34 Collins (onboard): Well, one P22 out of the way. Ho, ho, ho!
082:53:40 Armstrong (onboard): What were the results?
082:53:42 Collins (onboard): Well...
082:53:43 Armstrong (onboard): Or could you tell?
082:53:44 Collins (onboard): ...they're sort of inconclusive because I marked - see, they gave me...
082:53:46 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. You can proceed to the sleep attitude now. Over.
082:53:52 Collins: That's in work, Houston.
082:53:54 Collins (onboard): Hey, how about holding this for just a little bit?
082:53:55 Armstrong (onboard): Yes, let's hold this attitude a little bit. I want to look at the...
082:53:56 Duke: Okay. [Long pause.]
082:54:00 Collins (onboard): Boy, that's beautiful out there, isn't it?
082:54:01 Armstrong (onboard): ...TPI approach. Man, this is really something, you ought to look at this. You want to watch our approach into the landing site. You got to watch right through this window. We're coming over - we just passed Mount Marilyn. We're coming up on Maskelyne series here - straight out ahead, coming into the landing area.
082:54:23 Collins: Houston, we're holding inertial a little while to study the approach to the landing zone.
082:54:27 Duke: Roger.
Comm break.
Page 3-55a of the Flight Plan shows in diagrammatic form the inertial attitude that the spacecraft should hold during the rest period. This attitude places the HGA on the Earthward side of the spacecraft.
Flight Plan, page 3-55a. Lunar orbit rest period attitude.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; at 82 hours, 55 minutes. Our current spacecraft altitude, 62.1 nautical miles [115.0 km]. Our orbital parameters, essentially the same at 65.3 [120.9 km], 53.9 [99.8 km]. So at 82 hours, 55 minutes; we continue to monitor and this Apollo Control, Houston.
082:54:39 Armstrong (onboard): See the monocular...
082:54:41 Collins (onboard): I don't either, [garble].
082:54:44 Armstrong (onboard): Is there one?
082:54:50 Aldrin (onboard): Well, a crater...
082:54:51 Collins (onboard): There go Sidewinder and Diamondback. God, if you ever saw checkpoints in your life, those are it.
082:54:56 Armstrong (onboard): But [garble] we don't get to see them.
082:54:58 Collins (onboard): You don't?
082:54:59 Armstrong (onboard): No, we roll over right here at this little - well, you see Boot Hill coming up right here?
082:55:06 Collins (onboard): Yes, yes, yes.
082:55:07 Armstrong (onboard): And just beyond it that's - that crater right on track there, the big one?
082:55:11 Collins (onboard): That's Mount Marilyn? Past Boot Hill?
082:55:13 Aldrin (onboard): No, Duke Hill.
082:55:14 Collins (onboard): Duke Hill?
082:55:15 Aldrin (onboard): No, I'm sorry [garble] that's...
082:55:17 Armstrong (onboard): Duke Island, Duke Island.
082:55:20 Collins (onboard): Oh God, look at that Moltke, he's my favorite [garble]. Look at that son of a bitch. You see all those roads - triangular roads leading right past him?
082:55:29 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
082:55:30 Collins (onboard): That's US-1, I guess, huh?
US-1, or US Highway number 1, was the informal name given to Rima Hypatia I, a rille near Moltke. The geological feature looks like a road.
The landscape over which Eagle will approach the landing site. Includes formal and informal names for the features.
082:55:31 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
082:55:33 Collins (onboard): There's crater 130 over there, although I can't quite see - see 129, but I can't quite see 130.
082:56:12 Collins (onboard): Can you see [garble], Neil?
082:56:20 Armstrong (onboard): I'm not sure.
082:56:25 Aldrin (onboard): I think I can see it, for sure. Yes, I got it beautiful - I can - I got the whole landing site here.
082:56:35 Armstrong (onboard): That far?
082:56:40 Aldrin (onboard): The one that's shorter there?
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
082:56:50 Aldrin: Houston, this is Apollo 11, in the Eagle. Apollo 11 in the Eagle. And I got a beautiful view of the whole landing area.
082:57:01 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. You are breaking up badly. Say again. Over.
082:57:09 Aldrin: Roger. I can see the entire landing area from the position I'm in, looking out the left window in the LM.
082:57:20 Duke: Roger, Buzz. Understand you can see the entire landing area looking out the LM windows. Over.
082:57:20 Collins (onboard): [Garble].
082:57:28 Aldrin: That's right.
Comm break.
This is Apollo Control, Houston. That was a report from Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin, that he could see the entire landing area out the window. At 82 hours, 58 minutes; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
082:58:05 Aldrin (onboard): Boy, that sure is eerie looking.
082:58:06 Armstrong (onboard): Isn't that something?
082:58:10 Collins (onboard): [Garble] enough of a shot down there, but you can't find a single spot on the surface that doesn't look [garble] 1-degree sun angle, that's - that's just a lousy sun angle.
082:58:28 Armstrong (onboard): That's spectacular out there - Looks like you're flying right into the side of a mountain, doesn't it?
082:58:32 Collins (onboard): Yes, sure does.
082:58:34 Aldrin (onboard): I missed taking a picture of it, [garble].
082:58:49 Collins (onboard): Well, that was good [garble]. Shall we go to maneuver, I mean to sleep attitude - anybody object to doing that?
082:58:59 Armstrong (onboard): That'd be alright.
082:59:05 Aldrin (onboard): Okay, I'm ready for you cats to transfer to LM power. What time GET you got?
082:59:07 SC: [Very faint and lost in the noise.]
082:59:12 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. Say again. Over. [Long pause.]
082:59:13 Collins (onboard): 80...
082:59:15 Armstrong (onboard): Get the [garble], Buzz.
082:59:17 Collins (onboard): ...83 hours. You ready to do it?
082:59:20 Aldrin (onboard): [Garble].
082:59:22 Collins (onboard): You ready to do it?
082:59:23 Aldrin (onboard): Stand by. Yes, go ahead and do it.
082:59:32 Collins (onboard): Okay.
082:59:33 Aldrin (onboard): You got 83 hours right now, huh?
082:59:35 Collins (onboard): Yes, 83 hours, and we're on LM power.
082:59:56 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We got a lot of noise on the downlink. Would you please try your High Gain in wide beamwidth. The angles are 180 on the yaw, and pitch zero. Over. [Long pause.]
083:00:30 Collins: Houston, Apollo 11. How do you read on the High Gain? Over.
083:00:34 Duke: Roger, Mike. You're a lot better now. Over.
083:00:38 Collins: Okay. You want it wide beam for some reason?
083:00:39 Aldrin (onboard): Will you cut my Suit Power and Audio, Off, please?
083:00:43 Duke: That's affirmative. We got you in the shadow zone. You're looking right down along the engine bell towards the Earth so we need you in wide beam. Over.
083:00:43 Collins (onboard): Yes.
083:00:53 Armstrong (onboard): Okay, going Off now.
083:00:54 Collins: Okay. Fine. We're starting our maneuver to sleep attitude. Roll 82, pitch 229, yaw zero.
083:01:02 Duke: Roger. The angles you got in the Flight Plan will be good when you get there.
Comm break.
083:01:11 Collins (onboard): About ready to maneuver?
083:01:14 Aldrin (onboard): Go ahead.
083:01:16 Collins (onboard): Okay.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; at 83 hours, 2 minutes into the flight of Apollo 11. Currently we show an apolune of 65.3 nautical miles [120.9 km], a perilune of 53.9 [99.8 km]. We would expect the transfer to Lunar Module power to occur momentarily and from that point on, the communications check with the Lunar Module. 83 hours, 3 minutes and standing by; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
083:02:52 Armstrong (onboard): Yes?
083:03:08 Armstrong (onboard): You're past step 4?
083:03:43 Armstrong: Houston, 11.
083:03:45 Armstrong (onboard): What's the page?
083:03:45 Duke: Go ahead, 11. Over.
083:03:49 Armstrong: Okay. We're on page Activation 12 and 13, at step 4, and verify descent talkbacks gray, and they're barber-pole.
083:04:04 Duke: Roger. Stand by. [Pause.]
083:04:13 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We'd like you to put - take the low voltage taps Off, Reset, then On. Over.
083:04:20 Armstrong: Stand by. We've got it. We've just had - one circuit breaker out of position.
083:04:26 Duke: Okay.
083:04:28 Armstrong: We have them gray now.
083:04:29 Duke: Rog.
Long comm break.
Each LM battery consists of twenty cells connected in series providing 30 volts. When freshly charged and under light load, they exhibit an output voltage that is somewhat higher than that. A feed from each battery is available from the 17th cell to provide a low voltage output for the initial period of LM operation like this checkout. This extra low-voltage output is called a 'tap'. Once the battery output has fallen by about 10 percent, the crew manually switch the battery outputs to the high-voltage tap where it remains for the rest of the mission.
083:05:18 Collins (onboard): Watch that.
083:05:20 Armstrong (onboard): Don't we want it dark?
083:05:24 Collins (onboard): I thought the lights were going out. Man, that voltage is really falling off.
083:05:50 Collins (onboard): I can't hear you, Buzz.
083:05:52 Armstrong (onboard): He says: Why don't you turn on VHF B, just for kicks.
083:05:55 Collins (onboard): Alright, I'll do it. You going to send me some data?
083:06:00 Aldrin (onboard): Yes, I'll get right to it.
083:06:02 Collins (onboard): Huh?
083:06:03 Aldrin (onboard): I'll get right to it.
083:06:04 Collins (onboard): Alright.
083:06:07 Aldrin (onboard): Soon as I get some comm first.
083:06:09 Collins (onboard): Yes, because when I - because when I record your data, I'm on Simplex A.
083:06:17 Aldrin (onboard): Yes, well, that's when you're talking at the same time.
083:06:20 Collins (onboard): Yes, okay. You want me just to turn up B now?
083:06:22 Armstrong (onboard): There's signal strength.
083:06:50 Aldrin (onboard): Hello, Houston. Hello, Houston. This is Apollo 11, Eagle. Over.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 83 hours, 7 minutes now into the flight. We're now receiving data from the Lunar Module on our displays here in Mission Control Center.
083:07:22 Armstrong (onboard): A lot of static - on the Command Module S-band.
083:07:27 Collins (onboard): Well, we - we should still have him.
083:07:39 Armstrong (onboard): Houston, Apollo 11. Radio check on S-band.
083:08:04 Armstrong (onboard): I'm not getting them on...
083:08:08 Collins (onboard): Well, we're almost at sleep attitude. Just stand by one, and, as soon as we get there, I'll find out where they are. I'm going to dick with the DAP right now.
083:09:14 Aldrin: [Garble] should have warmed up by now. [Long pause.]
083:09:16 Armstrong (onboard): I've got nothing but static.
083:09:31 Collins (onboard): Houston, Apollo 11. Over.
083:09:53 Aldrin: Oh, he's transmitting on B.
083:09:54 Armstrong: Hey, Mike, you transmitting on B? [Long pause.]
083:10:00 Armstrong (onboard): Mike, what are you transmitting on up there?
083:10:04 Collins (onboard): Say again.
083:10:06 Armstrong (onboard): What are you transmitting on up there?
083:10:08 Collins (onboard): I'm transmitting right now on Omni A, but I'm about to get new High Gain angles. Just 1 second. Okay, we're there.
083:10:16 Armstrong (onboard): How come I - he don't hear you on Intercom?
083:10:21 Collins (onboard): You should hear...
083:10:22 Aldrin: Houston, Apollo 11 - Apollo 11, Eagle. Over.
083:10:29 Duke: Roger, Eagle. This is Houston. We read you. Over.
083:10:35 Aldrin: Roger. I read you about four-by-four. Could you give me a short count, please?
083:10:37 Armstrong (onboard): Geezes, I don't hear him.
083:10:40 Duke: Roger, Eagle. Coming in with the short count - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Houston out. Over.
That was Buzz Aldrin from the Lunar Module using the codename for the first time.
083:10:43 Armstrong (onboard): We don't read them, Buzz.
083:10:53 Aldrin: Roger. Are you copying my Low Bit Rate? Over.
083:10:58 Duke: Rog. We got some beautiful data here, Eagle. We're - All those guys are looking at it - systems guys. We'll have some word for you in a minute how everything looks.
083:11:07 Aldrin: Roger. I'm all ready to switch to High Bit Rate, if that's okay with you.
083:11:13 Duke: Would you please stand by, Eagle. We want to get to the proper sleep attitude before we proceed on with the comm check. Over.
083:11:23 Aldrin: Standing by. [Pause.]
083:11:33 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. We'll go ahead with the camera check-out. I'm still on low taps, and I assume there's no problem doing that. Over.
083:11:42 Duke: Stand by.
083:11:46 Duke: That's affirmative. No problem on that, Eagle. You can go ahead and power up the sequence camera. Over.
083:11:53 Collins (onboard): Houston, Columbia. How do you read on the High Gain?
083:12:00 Aldrin: Should have done that before.
083:12:03 Duke: Eagle, be advised - sounds like a hot mike. Over.
083:12:04 Aldrin: Right. Yes. [Pause.]
083:12:07 Armstrong (onboard): Did you hear him answer?
083:12:09 Collins (onboard): No.
083:12:10 Armstrong (onboard): I didn't either. Buzz is reading him, though.
083:12:16 Aldrin: Roger. If you're reading me now, I am in hot mike because I'm in ICS push-to-talk, and Downvoice Backup. Over.
083:12:24 Duke: Roger. We just wanted to remind you. Over.
083:12:30 Aldrin: Thank you. [Long pause.]
083:12:50 Duke: Columbia, this is Houston. Are you maneuvering to sleep attitude? Over. [Pause.]
083:13:03 Duke: Eagle, this is Houston. We have lost all our voice and data with Columbia. Would you see if he is maneuvering to sleep attitude? Over.
083:13:04 Collins (onboard): Houston, Columbia. How do you read on the High Gain? Over.
083:13:17 Aldrin: Hey, Mike. You maneuvering to sleep attitude? [Pause.]
083:13:18 Collins (onboard): Hey, how about asking them if they can hear me calling?
083:13:24 Aldrin: I don't believe they can hear you, Mike. Are you maneuvering now to sleep attitude? [Pause.]
083:13:26 Collins (onboard): Well, we're in sleep attitude, and I got the High Gain angles, and they should be good angles. And I'm locked on and I got about a half signal strength, and they can't hear me.
083:13:40 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. The Columbia has maneuvered to sleep attitude. He's got the High Gain Antenna's - antenna angles set in, and he should be communicating with you. Over.
083:13:55 Duke: Roger. We don't have him. Stand by.
083:14:02 Duke: Eagle, Houston. Would you please have Columbia hit Command Reset? Over.
083:14:22 Duke: Eagle, Houston. Since we're in sleep attitude, I'll give you another long count. If you're reading in this mode, we'd like you to switch to high bit rate. Over.
083:14:36 Aldrin (onboard): [Garble] try him again.
083:14:38 Aldrin: Roger. Go ahead with your short count.
083:14:39 Collins (onboard): Houston, Columbia. Reading you loud and clear.
083:14:40 Duke: Roger. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. We're reading you five-by. You can go to high bit rate now. Over.
083:14:53 Aldrin: Roger. Going to high bit rate now. [Long pause.]
083:15:34 Duke: Eagle, this is Houston. Do you read? Over.
083:15:40 Aldrin: Houston, this is Eagle. Roger. Read you loud and clear. How me? Over.
083:15:45 Duke: Roger. Reading you five-by also, Buzz, and we got the high bit rate. It's looking beautiful through Goldstone. Giving you a count: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Please give us a count. Over.
083:16:04 Aldrin: Roger, Houston. Eagle with a count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Over.
083:16:15 Duke: Roger. Stand by. We're reading you five-by. Over.
083:16:23 Aldrin: Okay. I'm ready to go S-band voice. Over.
083:16:27 Duke: Stand by, Eagle. Stand by on step 4. [Long pause.]
This is Apollo Control, Houston. A voice count exchange between Buzz Aldrin in the Eagle, the Lunar Module, and Charles Duke here in Mission Control Center.
083:16:55 Duke: Columbia, this is Houston. Would you please give us P00 and Accept. We've got a load for you. Break. Eagle, we are ready to go to step 4. Please select S-band Voice to Voice. Over. [Long pause.]
083:17:53 Duke: Hello, Eagle. This is Houston. How do you read - normal voice? Over.
083:18:00 Aldrin: Eagle - Houston, this is Eagle. Read you loud and clear on S-band, normal voice. How me? Over.
083:18:05 Duke: Rog. You're beautiful in this mode, Buzz. We're reading you five-by. Coming with a short count and we'd like one back from you. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Houston out.
083:18:39 Duke: Roger, Eagle. This is better than the downvoice backup. Stand by one. [Long pause.]
083:18:55 Duke: Eagle, Houston. Everybody's happy as a clam with this mode. We'd like to stay here for a little bit. Telemetry looks great, and the voice is great. Over.
083:19:09 Aldrin: Roger. Understand. I'm checking out camera number 4 now. [Long pause.]
This is Apollo Control, Houston. Our communications checkout with the Eagle apparently going very well at this time.
083:19:26 Duke: Eagle, Houston. Say again what you're checking out? Over. [Pause.]
083:19:35 Aldrin: Roger, Houston. Eagle has checked out both 70-millimeter cameras and both 16-millimeter cameras, and all work fine. Over.
083:19:46 Duke: Sounds great. Stand by. [Pause.]
083:19:57 Duke: Eagle, Houston. We've looked over your systems on the high bit rate. Everything looks super; we're ready to go. Over. [Pause.]
083:20:10 Aldrin: Roger. Stand by. You want to go back to low bit rate now?
083:20:13 Duke: Stand by on that. Over. [Long pause.]
083:20:28 Duke: Eagle, Houston. We look good through the 210 on this mode. We're going to shift data select to an 85-foot dish to see what we got, and then we'll be back to you on the 210. If you'll stand by a couple of minutes in this mode, we'll be back with you. Over.
Goldstone in California has radio dish antennae of 210-feet (64-metre) and 85-feet (26-metre) diameter.
This is Apollo Control, Houston. 83 hours, 21 minutes now into the flight. Meanwhile, aboard the Eagle, apparently Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong although Buzz is doing most of the comm check at this time.
083:21:36 Duke: Eagle, Houston. How do you read? Over. [Long pause.]
083:21:52 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. Read you loud and clear. Over.
083:21:55 Duke: Roger. We're reading you five-by. We've got the voice good through the 85. The telemetry is in and out through the 85. Stand by. We'll be back through you - with you through the 210. Over. [Long pause.]
083:22:28 Duke: Eagle, Houston. You can go step 5 now. We'd like low bit rate. Over. [Pause.]
083:22:39 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. You have low bit rate.
083:22:44 Duke: Roger. Copy, Eagle. [Long pause.]
083:22:59 Duke: Eagle, Houston. Could you give me a short count - this mode? Over.
083:23:07 Aldrin: Houston, this is Eagle with a short count. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Eagle. Over.
083:23:15 Duke: Roger, Eagle. You're five-by. This S-band voice is really beautiful. Over. [Pause.]
083:23:26 Duke: And, Eagle, Houston. We'll be standing in - standing by in this mode for a minute or so. We'll be back with you if you'll just stand by. Over. [Pause.]
083:23:41 Aldrin: Roger.
Comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
083:25:26 Duke: Eagle, this is Houston coming through the 210. How do you read? Over.
083:25:35 Aldrin: Roger. Read you loud and clear. [Long pause.]
083:26:16 Duke: Eagle, this is Houston. We're happy with all our data in all modes. You can power down the comm now. Over.
083:26:26 Aldrin: Roger. Understand. Eagle will power down the comm, and we're just approaching 27 volts now. Looks like we won't have to bother with the high taps.
083:26:39 Duke: Rog.
083:26:40 Aldrin: We're powering down. Out.
083:26:41 Duke: Roger. Copy. Out.
083:26:44 Duke: Columbia, this is Houston. We got a TEI-11 PAD for you and an update on the water dump. Over.
083:26:54 Collins: Stand by one, Houston. Are you through with the DSKY?
083:26:56 Duke: That's affirm. Over.
083:26:59 Collins: Okay.
Comm break.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 83 hours and 27 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11. That last exchange between Charlie Duke, our capsule communicator, and Buzz Aldrin aboard the Eagle, identifying that we're very well satisfied with the communications check on the Lunar Module and will proceed with powering down the spacecraft. At 83 hours, 27 minutes; we now read an altitude of 54.3 nautical miles [100.6 km], a velocity of 5,376 feet per second [1,639 m/s]. This is Apollo Control, Houston.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
083:29:25 Collins: Houston, Columbia. Ready to copy TEI-11. Over.
083:29:29 Duke: Rog, Columbia. Here we come with the TEI-11. SPS/G&N: 37200; minus 0.60, plus 0.47. Noun 33, 098:05:24.22; plus 4144.8, plus 0371.9, minus 0242.2. Roll is NA; pitch, 020; the rest of the PAD is NA. Set stars are NA. The ullage is two quads - correction, two jets for 16 seconds; use Bravo and Delta. In the comments, the undocked present CSM - correction, this is for - TEI-11 is undocked. Present onboard weight of the CSM is 37,200 pounds, about 50 Alpha on your DAP. Over.
083:31:17 Collins: All right. I read back TEI-11. SPS G&N: 37200; minus 0.60, plus 0.47. Plus 098:05:24.22, plus 4144.8, plus 0371.9, minus 0242.2. NA, 020; the rest of the PAD NA. Ullage, two jets for 16 seconds, Quads B and D. Undocked. Present CSM weight is okay in the DAP.
The PAD is interpreted as follows:
Purpose: The PAD is for an emergency burn to return to Earth at the end of Rev 11.
Systems: The burn would be made using the SPS engine, under the control of the Guidance and Navigation system.
CSM Weight (Noun 47): 37,200 pounds (16,874 kg).
Pitch and yaw trim (Noun 48): -0.6° and +0.47°.
Time of ignition (Noun 33): 98 hours, 5 minutes, 24.22 seconds.
Change in velocity (Noun 81), fps (m/s): x, +4,144.8 (+1,263.3); y, +371.9 (+113.4); z, -242.2 (-73.8). The large positive number in the X direction implies a large prograde component, essentially adding to their orbital velocity, exactly what would be expected from an escape manoeuvre.
Spacecraft attitude: Roll, NA; Pitch, 20°.
All the subsequent items on the form are not applicable to this manoeuvre. The final comments include an ullage manoeuvre prior to the burn of 16 seconds using two rearwards-facing thrusters in the B and D quads, and that the manoeuvre would be made after undocking from the LM. A line is included about the weight of the CSM as it pertains to the DAP, Digital Auto Pilot.
083:31:50 Duke: Roger, 11. And we'd like you to do a waste-water dump at 84 hours down to 25 percent. Over. [Pause.]
083:32:06 Collins: Roger. Understand. Waste-water dump to 25 percent at 84 hours.
083:32:10 Duke: Roger. And, Mike, we'll have LOS in about 11 minutes at 83:44. AOS is 84:30, and prior to - or at LOS, we would like you to go - Configure the S-band for High Gain track to Reacq, High Gain Beam to Narrow, and let's try that to see if we can get an automatic Reacq at the next AOS. Over.
083:32:43 Collins: Good idea. [Pause.]
That was Mike Collins, aboard Columbia, taking down a maneuver PAD.
The High Gain Antenna was designed to allow automatic reacquisition of the link to Earth under certain circumstances. The facility was only rarely used. The idea relied upon the spacecraft's rotation, either due to Passive Thermal Control or while in orbital-rate mode. In these cases, the antenna angles would be predictable. As the spacecraft rotates, the HGA will eventually reach the end stops of its articulation and the radio link would be broken. If the HGA was in Reacq mode (reacquisition mode), then when the radio link breaks, the antenna would point itself to angles set on its control knobs. These angles can be calculated to be where Earth can be reacquired once the spacecraft has sufficiently rotated.
083:32:51 Collins: I'm in Reacq and Narrow now.
083:32:54 Duke: Rog. [Long pause.]
083:33:31 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. Also, that water that you got on the aft bulkhead, we - If it's not too much, we just recommend sopping it up and then throwing the sponges away in the waste wat - in the waste stowage area. If it's too much, then we use - recommend using the procedure in the checklist on page F 10-14. Over.
083:33:58 Collins: Alright. Thank you.
Long comm break.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 83 hours, 34 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11. The Lunar Module communications has - has been deactivated. We currently show a velocity of 5,377 feet per second [1,639 m/s]. Our orbital parameters now read 65.1 nautical miles [120.6 km] apolune, 54.2 nautical miles [100.4 km] perilune. At 84 hours, 35 minutes, continuing to follow. This is Apollo Control, Houston.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
083:37:25 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. Would you have Buzz make sure he gives us the OPS pressure readings before you close up? Over.
083:37:35 Collins: Will do. [Long pause.]
083:38:01 Armstrong: Houston, 11. The OPS's read 5,750, both bottles.
083:38:05 Duke: Roger.
Long comm break.
In addition to their backpacks on the lunar surface (the Portable Life Support Systems or PLSSs), Neil and Buzz will each carry a unit called the Oxygen Purge System (OPS). Each consists of two high pressure spheres containing oxygen along with a pressure regulator and gauge. It purpose is to provide a degree of emergency backup in case of failure of the PLSS or the suit itself. The regulator can supply various rates of flow to give between 30 minutes and 1.4 hours of time depaending on the severity of the failure.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 83 hours, 38 minutes. Apollo 11 now on CSM power.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 83 hours, 40 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11. We're less than 4 minutes away now from time of Loss Of Signal with the Apollo 11 spacecraft. At the present time our velocity reading; 5,375 feet per second [1,638 m/s]. Our total weight in orbit at this time, reading 70,502 pounds [31,979 kg]. Our orbital parameters: apolune, 65.1 nautical miles [120.6 km]; perilune, 54.2 nautical miles [100.4 km]. This is Apollo Control, Houston.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; at 83 hours, 43 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11. Less than a minute away from predicted time of Loss Of Signal with the Apollo 11 spacecraft. We expect the next time we acquire Apollo 11, its crew; Neil Armstrong, Mike Collins and Buzz Aldrin; will have begun their rest period. And at 83 hours, 43 minutes; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
083:43:24 Collins (onboard): Armstrong says it's the hatch and - if we leave the probe and drogue there, we'll save us some time tomorrow. I don't know if it's tolerable sleeping or not. I think what previous crews have been doing is re-installing all that claptrap up in there.
The spacecraft now passes behind the Moon and will shortly complete its fourth lunar orbit. Out of contact with Earth, the crew's conversation is recorded on the on-board tape recorder.
083:43:40 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
083:43:42 Collins (onboard): But...
083:43:50 Collins (onboard): What?
083:43:59 Collins (onboard): Yes, forward's okay.
Apollo 11 has passed out of range with the ground, traversing now over the far side of the Moon. During this pass, we had an extremely successful communications checkout with the Lunar Module using its code name for the first time, its code name of the Eagle. Buzz Aldrin performed the counting tasks in concert with Charlie Duke, the Capsule Communicator here on the ground, and at times Buzz's - in Buzz's voice, we noted considerable enthusiasm for the way things are going, and at times Charlie Duke shared that enthusiasm. And its maiden checkout in communications, the Lunar Module Eagle looked good. At 83 hours, 45 minutes; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
083:44:15 Armstrong (onboard): I don't think that would be too horrible sleeping down there.
083:44:28 Armstrong (onboard): It's for sure it's not going anywhere; this one's bolted down two places - and this one is...
083:44:35 Collins (onboard): You can try it. If we could find a place to put our legs back in there, it'll be alright.
083:45:13 Collins (onboard): See - it's going to be hard to get into that - sampler there.
083:45:19 Armstrong (onboard): No - no, that's alright. That's the place for it.
083:46:30 Armstrong (onboard): [Sneeze]
083:46:34 Collins (onboard): Okay, lights went out - except for all those radioactive ones in there.
083:47:12 Aldrin (onboard): Well, comm's good. Son of a bitch might work.
083:47:21 Collins (onboard): Sure it'll work. Anything in a pretty cockpit like that is bound to work.
083:47:38 Collins (onboard): Well, I propose leaving the probe and drogue in here overnight. Save all - doing all that claptrap in the morning.
083:47:48 Armstrong (onboard): It's okay with me.
083:47:49 Aldrin (onboard): Fine.
083:47:50 Collins (onboard): You through in the LM?
083:47:54 Aldrin (onboard): How's that going to affect...
083:47:57 Collins (onboard): Sleeping!
083:47:58 Aldrin (onboard): ...sleeping?
083:47:59 Collins (onboard): I'll be glad to sleep over there, alright? I don't think it'll affect that. I'd rather sleep, I'd rather sleep with the probe and drogue than have to dick with it in the morning.
083:48:06 Aldrin (onboard): Alright, that's fine, I can have it there. I don't know how I'd get out, but - [laughter].
083:48:42 Armstrong (onboard): You can have it if you want it.
083:48:45 Aldrin (onboard): You got a place to fix things that rattle around?
083:48:50 Collins (onboard): Sure. Like hatches? [Garble] if you'll take time to get out of the hallway.
083:49:01 Aldrin (onboard): Let's get some music.
Journal contributor Kevin White points out that the film producer Tom Petersen, one of the people behind the 2019 film Apollo 11, noticed some music in the onboard recording at this point and identified it as Mother Country by singer-songwriter John Stewart. The track is off Stewart's album, California Bloodlines, recorded in Nashville's Columbia Studio A in February 1969.
083:49:03 Collins (onboard): Get out of my damn hallway, Aldrin, so I can put my hatch in and then we can all...
083:49:06 Aldrin (onboard): How about these tapes?
083:49:09 Collins (onboard): Okay.
083:49:37 Aldrin (onboard): Okay, 95:50 IVT to the LM. What time is it now?
083:49:44 Collins (onboard): 83:53:00.
083:49:50 Aldrin (onboard): I figure that as being 12 hours. About time for a Lomotil, huh? Well, not quite.
Lomotil is a trade name for a drug used to control diarrhoea.
083:50:37 Aldrin (onboard): How about the systems stuff - to put the machine to bed.
083:51:01 Collins (onboard): You go to Reacq and Narrow?
083:51:02 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
083:51:05 Collins (onboard): So I guess the comm's pretty well taken care of?
083:51:08 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
083:51:09 Collins (onboard): Have you got the waste water dump?
083:51:10 Armstrong (onboard): No, I haven't done that, but I will.
083:51:12 Collins (onboard): Let's see, I imagine we want to go out of Voice? Or not?
083:51:17 Armstrong (onboard): Very, very...
083:51:18 Aldrin (onboard): The whole bit, they said.
083:52:01 Collins (onboard): High Gain, Reacq, Narrow. Antenna pitch angle...
083:52:06 Aldrin (onboard): Yes, I did that.
083:52:07 Collins (onboard): ...that's all it says.
083:52:08 Aldrin (onboard): Okay.
083:52:10 Collins (onboard): Plus the normal configuration.
083:52:13 Aldrin (onboard): Doesn't it say anything about Down Voice Backup - or any of that stuff?
083:52:16 Collins (onboard): (Cough)
083:52:31 Collins (onboard): No.
083:52:33 Aldrin (onboard): Okay.
083:52:37 Armstrong (onboard): Waste water dump, we'll wait until 84 hours. They may have the vent modeled or some crazy thing like that, so I want to be at the right time.
083:52:45 Aldrin (onboard): Alright.
083:52:47 Collins (onboard): Well, let's see, normal lunar configuration. Well, it is Down Voice Backup.
083:52:52 Aldrin (onboard): Yes.
083:52:54 Collins (onboard): Well, let's get going here. Primary, Primary, High, Voice, (cough) PCM, Range, Down Voice Backup, Aux Tape, Off. Telemetry to Data; and Uptlm Command to Normal; VHF A and B, Off; Receive only, [garble]; PCM/Analog, Record, Forward, Normal, Normal - that's okay. Low - Primary, Reacq, and Narrow. Well, Comm's set.
083:53:56 Aldrin (onboard): Good.
083:53:57 Armstrong (onboard): I got to vacuum up some water and dump the waste water tank, and we're about set.
083:54:05 Collins (onboard): Hey, I got a fuel cell - O2...
083:54:09 Armstrong (onboard): Hey, our water's about all gone.
083:54:10 Collins (onboard): Did they say anything about the O2 purge?
083:54:13 Armstrong (onboard): Must have gone into the LM.
083:54:14 Collins (onboard): Yes, I think it did. It went on the windows. They didn't say anything about it, huh?
083:54:17 Aldrin (onboard): No.
083:54:18 Collins (onboard): Well, I guess we'll do it then. Anybody get my - Well, heck, I guess we're really not through with them yet, are we?
083:54:36 Armstrong (onboard): I updated the LOS time in your...
083:54:39 Collins (onboard): Yes. I think I'll wait until we get them back again before doing the purge. Okay? Because, I don't know, maybe they want all that stuff done on the back side.
083:55:11 Aldrin (onboard): Well, I propose to give myself a little bit of a - a bath, but not to put that damn LCG on tonight. You never did ask them about the - about the [garble], huh? I sure haven't found them.
Next to their skin, the spacesuited Apollo astronaut wears a Liquid Cooling Garment or LCG. This covers their torso, arms and legs and has two layers; an outer layer of nylon spandex and an inner layer of nylon chiffon. Between these is a network of fine PVC tubing stitched to the outer layer. Cooled water, either from the PLSS or the LM runs through this network to keep the astronaut cooled.
083:55:40 Collins (onboard): I think we ought to do that.
083:56:00 Collins (onboard): Neil, you still got that tissue dispenser, the empty one?
084:00:03 Aldrin (onboard): I think they all started out at even thousands. They had them each different so they could tell which was which.
084:01:13 Aldrin (onboard): Well, I don't know about you, but I think I'll raid the pantry for some bite-size stuff.
084:01:24 Aldrin (onboard): I don't know when we'll get a chance to use it - maybe some time...
084:01:26 Collins (onboard): Monoculars?
084:01:30 Aldrin (onboard): ...during the maneuvers
084:01:32 Collins (onboard): Found it, huh?
084:01:34 Armstrong (onboard): We're going to take that into the LM.
084:01:36 Collins (onboard): Yes. Sure can.
084:01:55 Armstrong (onboard): [Garble].
084:01:58 Collins (onboard): [Garble] - [garble] novel and earn a million dollars.
084:02:19 Collins (onboard): Amazing how quickly you adapt. Why, it doesn't seem weird at all to me to look out there and see the Moon going by, you know?
084:02:25 SC (onboard): [laughter]
084:02:27 Aldrin (onboard): Oh, that is weird - that crazy Moon out there again, huh? Funny-looking thing.
084:03:12 Collins (onboard): Buzz, this crazy bracket goes right here. It's probably right the hell in your way, isn't it?
084:03:17 Aldrin (onboard): No, no.
084:03:18 Collins (onboard): Not in your way?
084:03:19 Aldrin (onboard): No, I can survive with that.
084:03:21 Collins (onboard): Alright, let me put it up there. It'll be one less thing to do in the morning. It's in backwards, but I don't think...
084:03:33 Collins (onboard): Well, if I don't need this thing any more, I think I'll stow that one away. Systems are yours tomorrow?
084:03:44 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
084:03:45 Collins (onboard): I don't know as we've got much to do. There's a purge.
084:03:50 Armstrong (onboard): Is it 84 hours yet? Yes, it is. I'm going to dump the waste water.
084:04:36 Collins (onboard): You dumping?
084:04:37 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
084:04:42 Aldrin (onboard): (Cough) Boy, it's a dusty vehicle in here. Man! But that view approaching the landing site is just fantastic right out - right smack out the window, you know that?
084:04:52 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
084:04:53 Aldrin (onboard): Except there's such a big shadow being cast by everything...
084:05:01 Collins (onboard): 1 or 2 degrees, Neil?
084:05:02 Aldrin (onboard): ...that I really couldn't...
084:05:04 Armstrong (onboard): I think [garble]...
084:05:05 Aldrin (onboard): ...I could identify the Cat's Paw and I could identify the pair of craters right at the end, but I couldn't really make out the backward V nor the three little curved ones on one side...
The Cat's Paw is a misshapen crater group, about 2 miles wide, lying west of the Apollo 11 landing ellipse. They will later fly over it on their ascent from the Moon.
084:05:17 Collins (onboard): I didn't see the backwards either.
084:05:18 Aldrin (onboard): ...but I could see the area where it all was, you know, and...
084:05:19 Collins (onboard): Yes, yes.
084:05:21 Aldrin (onboard): ...it didn't go any farther back that this, and it didn't really go any farther forward than that - it really didn't. You know, it was rougher than a cob [laughter].
084:05:27 Collins (onboard): Rougher than a cob, but I didn't see [garble].
084:05:31 Aldrin (onboard): Well, when you compare it with the surrounding areas, why it's - it's pretty reasonable.
084:07:21 Armstrong (onboard): You want this somewhere?
084:07:23 Collins (onboard): [Garble].
084:07:42 Armstrong (onboard): If you don't mind, I'll put it on this big piece of Velcro over here by the fuel cell.
084:07:52 Collins (onboard): Yes, that's a good place for it.
084:09:46 Aldrin (onboard): Anybody for a barf bag?
084:11:08 Aldrin (onboard): Can you think of any use for a slide rule in the LM, Neil?
084:11:19 Aldrin (onboard): Huh?
084:11:27 Armstrong (onboard): I can't think of any use for two of them.
084:11:31 Aldrin (onboard): Okay.
084:15:24 Aldrin (onboard): That comm was so good I don't think I'd need those damn things [garble].
084:16:29 Collins (onboard): Anybody say anything about terminating battery current?
084:16:33 Aldrin (onboard): No.
084:16:45 Collins (onboard): You remember anything about that, Neil?
084:16:48 Armstrong (onboard): No.
084:18:12 Collins (onboard): Somebody's blue towels? Did I dislodge those by mistake or did you have those?
084:18:18 Armstrong (onboard): No, don't believe I had them.
084:18:20 Aldrin (onboard): I had them out, kind of floating around back here.
084:18:38 Aldrin (onboard): Everything I think you could dislodge, they forgot to put Velcro on the damn thing.
084:19:31 Collins (onboard): Could you - maybe reach back and - hand me that wrench right quick?
084:19:40 Armstrong (onboard): Yes, I sure could. Sure could [garble].
084:19:54 Collins (onboard): You want me to swap one?
084:20:00 Armstrong (onboard): No, I think I'll keep one for tonight.
084:20:03 Collins (onboard): Okay.
084:20:26 Armstrong (onboard): Thank you.
084:20:27 Collins (onboard): You're welcome.
084:21:56 Collins (onboard): You like this?
084:21:58 Armstrong (onboard): Not much.
084:22:04 Collins (onboard): [Garble]?
084:22:27 Aldrin (onboard): Want one?
084:22:29 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
084:22:30 Aldrin (onboard): He's getting a [garble] of that, huh?
084:22:34 Collins (onboard): Well, I just want to make sure I'm through with the roll. I think I am.
084:22:42 Armstrong (onboard): Can't figure out how you tell when one's gone. I think that was it.
084:22:50 Collins (onboard): Oh, it stopped!
084:23:49 Aldrin (onboard): It's a bear to get in and out of here.
084:23:54 Armstrong (onboard): Think maybe it'd be easier if you [garble] them right here.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control, Houston, at 84 hours and 28 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11. We're less than 2 minutes away now from our scheduled time of acquisition with Apollo 11. Meanwhile in Mission Control Center, Astronaut Owen Garriott has now replaced Charlie Duke as our Capsule Communicator. We expect that some final advisories will be passed to the Apollo 11 crew, and final reports such as crew status will be received from Neil Armstrong, Mike Collins, and Buzz Aldrin prior to the start of their sleep period. A little over - we're a little over a minute away now from scheduled time of acquisition. We'll continue to keep the line up and continue to monitor. This is Apollo Control, Houston.
Mark. 30 seconds now from time of scheduled acquisition.
Mark. 20 seconds. 10 seconds. We should be acquiring shortly and we're standing by.
We have - have data. We've acquired data on Apollo 11.
This is Apollo Control, Houston. Owen Garriott getting ready to place a call.
084:31:12 Garriott: Apollo 11, Houston. Over.
084:31:20 Collins: Houston, Apollo 11.
084:31:21 Garriott: 11, Houston. Roger. Reading you fine, and it looks like the automatic Reacq went very well just as soon as you came around the limb. We have several small items to discuss with you here just before you go to sleep. Over.
084:31:29 Collins: Go ahead, Owen.
084:31:40 Garriott: Okay, 11. First of all, on our LM systems checks, everything went fine. I would like to remind you, though, tomorrow you may see an ascent pressure light when you activate the MC&W. There should be no problem, however. You did note that the APS Aux tank pressure was only reading 111 psi, which is normal at this point, but below the level which will trigger your light due to the helium which has been dissolved into the propellant. Over.
084:32:20 Garriott: Roger. And next item, the supercritical helium rise rate is nominal, and you also had that question for us about your thruster activity during the P22 on the last rev. Believe we understand that now, as you reported that your pitch was in Accel Command and your yaw and roll were in Rate Command. You were firing your pitch thrusters. This will couple rates into your yaw and roll axes, and the - You were at that time holding only half a degree deadband and coupling rates into yaw and roll produced the extra firings about the yaw and roll axes. Over.
In the Service Module, oxygen and hydrogen are stored in a supercritical state; a phase of matter which is neither liquid nor gas but which has properties of both. It has the advantage of allowing a much higher density than would be otherwise but it requires the substance to be highly compressed. In the Lunar Module's descent stage, helium is used to pressurise the propellant tanks (as it does in the Service Module) but the lander's designers were able to achieve significant weight savings of about 100 kilograms by storing the substance in a supercritical state, therefore requiring a smaller tank. When newly loaded, the tank's pressure is about 0.55 MPa (80 psi) at a temperature of about 14 Kelvin.
As they coast to the Moon, heat leaks into the tank despite the vacuum and insulation between its double walls. This slowly raises its pressure of the helium but the tank's structure is strong enough to withstand the rise until the helium is required during the descent. It is then vented on the surface. If for some reason the propellant tanks are not vented (as happened when a LM was used as a lifeboat on Apollo 13), then there comes a point when it is considered too dangerous to allow the pressure to rise further. Between 1.8 and 1.9 MPa (260 and 275 psi), a disk will deliberately burst to vent the helium from the tank.
084:33:07 Collins: Yeah, that may be true. It's very peculiar coupling, in that it waits longer than you would think and its reaction is greater than you would think. We were getting yaw rates of around four-tenths of a degree per second, for example.
084:33:23 Garriott: Roger, Mike. We did play the data back, and that's the way it looked upon analysis of the chart recordings back here. Over.
084:33:35 Collins: Okay. Fine.
084:33:36 Garriott: They've also looked at the result of your landmark tracking. The marks all apparently were very good, and we've got a full page of data here relative to the altitudes of the various site locations, which I won't read up to you, but I did want to let you know that the marks apparently went very well. I also have your consumable budgets, particularly your RCS propellant quantities. They're Deltas from nominal if you should want them. Your worst quad is quad Charlie, which is 9 percent low. I'll not read up the others unless you want them. Over.
084:34:17 Aldrin: Okay. How about the O2 fuel cell purge? You want that now?
084:34:22 Garriott: I'll have to stand by just a moment.
084:34:26 Aldrin: Okay. And then the other one is, we're still charging Battery A. [Long pause.]
084:35:28 Garriott: 11, Houston. We would like to delay the fuel cell purge until the backside of the Moon, and you go ahead and - should terminate your battery charge at this time. Over.
084:35:43 Aldrin: Okay. Understand. I knew we had another O2 and H2 purge coming up in the morning. I wasn't sure whether you wanted to go through with this one or not. I'll wait until the backside and then do it.
084:35:53 Garriott: That's fine, Buzz.
084:35:54 Aldrin: Terminate battery charging now.
084:35:56 Garriott: That's right, and one other systems item here - in order to balance your cryo tanks, would you get your O2 Tank 1 and your H2 Tank 2 heaters off? Over. [Pause.]
084:36:16 Collins: Okay. I have O2 Tank Heater 1 off, and H2 Tank Heater 2 off.
084:36:25 Garriott: That's right, Mike, and we believe you have your quad Bravo and quad Charlie turned off in your DAP at this time, and a 5-degree deadband. We'd prefer a 10-degree deadband for your sleep period overnight, here. Over.
084:36:43 Collins: Okay.
084:36:47 Garriott: One other item relative to a malfunction procedure. It's unlikely that you'll have to worry about this tomorrow, but in your malfunction list under docking on page F11-9, there is a malfunction procedure for a high O2 flow rate at the top of - under tunnel, at the top of page 11-9. We would like to have you not use that malfunction procedure should you encounter the high O2 flow rate, and instead, check back with Houston for a revised procedure should you find that situation. Over.
084:37:38 Collins: Understand, and note has been made in my checklist. [Pause.]
084:37:45 Garriott: 11, Houston. Roger. That just about takes care of all the items we have here on the ground before time to hit the sack, and I guess you will have a pre-sleep check for us before you go to bed. [Pause.]
084:38:06 Aldrin: Rog. We're in the midst of cycling the O2 and H2 fans now.
084:38:11 Garriott: Roger. [Pause.]
084:38:21 Aldrin: And the radiation is as follows: CDR, 11012; CMP, 10013; LMP, 09015. Negative medication. Over.
084:38:36 Garriott: Roger. Copy, 11.
Long comm break.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 84 hours, 39 minutes now into the flight. That conversational exchange with Owen Garriott, here in Mission Control Center, and principally Buzz Aldrin. However, Mike Collins did talk briefly about Program 22, the landmark tracking activity in which he performed. At 84 hours, 40 minutes; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
084:41:54 Aldrin: Houston, Apollo 11.
084:41:56 Garriott: 11, Houston. Go ahead.
084:42:01 Aldrin: Roger. We're thinking about taking the monocular with us on into the LM. We think it might prove to be of some use. Over.
084:42:10 Garriott: Roger, Buzz. It sounds like a good idea for some of your surveying work there inside the cockpit. Over.
084:42:21 Aldrin: Okay. You want to run that by with whoever might be concerned?
084:42:24 Garriott: I sure will.
Long comm break.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 84 hours, 44 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11. Our current spacecraft altitude, now 64.3 nautical miles [119.1 km] with an apolune of 65.2 nautical miles [120.8 km]; perilune, 54.4 nautical miles [100.7 km]. We show an orbital period of 1 hour, 58 minutes, 40 seconds on our displays. Current weight of the spacecraft in orbit; 70,502 pounds [31,979 kg]. At 84 hours, 44 minutes, continuing to monitor; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
084:47:47 Garriott: Apollo 11, Houston. We've apparently lost the High Gain lock. We would appreciate it if you would give us a help manually to try to re-lock up on the High Gain. Over.
084:48:07 Aldrin: Houston, Apollo 11. You're [garble].
084:48:12 Garriott: 11, Houston. Reading you very weak, still too far down in the noise to complete the full transmission. If you'd give us a hand on a manual relock, we'd appreciate it.
Comm break.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 84 hours, 48 minutes now into the flight. We're receiving noisy data at this time. We're - have requested Apollo 11 to give us a manual relock. Standing by at 84 hours, 49 minutes; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
084:52:02 Garriott: Apollo 11, Houston. We're still unable to pick you up on the High Gain Antenna. Request you go to Manual, and Wide Beamwidth. The pitch and yaw angles in your checklist are good ones. You should be able to find us there. Over. [Long pause.]
084:53:08 Aldrin: Houston, Apollo 11. How do you read now?
084:53:10 Garriott: 11, Houston. Loud and clear this time. How me?
084:53:16 Aldrin: Loud and clear. You faded out on your last transmission. Over.
084:53:21 Garriott: Roger. Are you in wide beam now?
084:53:29 Aldrin: Negative. I got you locked back on again, Reacq and Narrow.
084:53:33 Garriott: Rog. That's all we want. We want to stay in Narrow, and we're a little puzzled about why we lost you here a few minutes ago. Do you have any ideas? [Pause.]
084:53:48 Aldrin: No, we sure don't [cough] - sure don't. We're showing - we're showing about 15 degrees plus pitch and about 270. That ought to be good and clear.
084:54:00 Garriott: We concur there. We still don't have any good ideas on why we were lost. [Long pause.]
084:54:38 Garriott: 11, Houston. Would you confirm that we did acquire automatically when you came around the limb for this passage. Over. [Pause.]
084:54:51 Aldrin: That's confirmed.
084:54:54 Garriott: Thank you.
Long comm break.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 84 hours, 56 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11. Our current apolune, 65.1 nautical miles. Current perilune, 54.3 nautical miles. After receiving some noisy signal, Apollo 11 has locked back on in fine form. That was Buzz Aldrin speaking with Owen Garriott here in the Mission Control Center. I expect we will take a second look at why we had to lock on manually. As we receive any updates on this, we'll pass them along. We now read 84 hours, 57 minutes; and this is Apollo Control, Houston.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
085:04:46 Garriott: 11, Houston. On your Auto RCS Select switches, we show quad Bravo disabled but quad Charlie only partially disabled. Charlie 3, I believe, is the only one you have selected Off. Is that correct? [Pause.]
085:05:05 Collins: Ah, Roger. That's correct.
085:05:06 Garriott: Roger. [Long pause.]
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 85 hours, 5 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11. We confirm from the ground, following that conversational exchange, [pause.] as was pointed out...
085:05:59 Collins: How do they look to you now, Houston?
085:06:06 Garriott: 11, Houston. We see them all disabled at this time. Thank you.
085:06:15 Collins: Thank you.
Long comm break.
...as was pointed out, quad - RCS quad Charlie is now disabled following that conversational exchange between Owen Garriott and Buzz Aldrin. Buzz, the Lunar Module Pilot apparently, quite obviously still awake. 85 hours, 7 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11, continuing to monitor; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
085:09:22 Garriott: Apollo 11, Houston. Over. [Pause.]
085:09:30 Armstrong: Go ahead, Houston.
085:09:31 Garriott: 11, Houston. We're going to try to check out this ability to automatically reacquire on the S-band, and what we want to do is to secure our uplink carrier for about 30 seconds. Then we will turn it back on and see if the spacecraft equipment will automatically reacquire. So if you do not get a call from us within about 3 minutes, that means we have not been able to reacquire and request your assistance on a manual acquisition. Over.
085:10:04 Armstrong: Okay. We understand.
085:10:11 Garriott: 11, Houston. We also would appreciate, if you will note the angles that the antenna tracks through in its attempt to reacquire. Over. [Pause.]
085:10:26 Aldrin: Roger. We'll do that.
Long comm break.
The controls and indicators for the High Gain Antenna on board Odyssey.
On panel 3, there are two knobs to control the pitch and yaw angles of the HGA. Above this are two meters that indicate the actual pointing angles of the antenna and another that indicates the strength of the signal.
085:12:01 Collins (onboard): I have a bit of fruitcake left over from somewhere. If anybody wants some, here it is. [Garble].
085:12:25 Collins (onboard): Let's have a little chewing gum. Anybody like some chewing gum?
085:12:39 Collins (onboard): 40 - and 250.
085:12:54 SC (onboard): 43 [garble].
085:13:28 Garriott: 11, Houston. It looks like we're locked back up again with no delay. How does it look on board? Over.
085:13:37 Aldrin: Roger. The signal strength dropped very rapidly to zero; and the pitch and yaw, in about 3 seconds, moved toward 40 degrees pitch and 240 degrees yaw. Right now, they're sitting on about 15 degrees pitch and, oh, about 265 degrees yaw. So they didn't move very far, about 30 degrees apiece; and then they picked right back on up again. Over.
085:14:19 Garriott: Roger. Some of The Luckiest People in the background there. We copied your pitch and yaw angles.
Comm break.
This refers to the Barbra Streisand song 'People', which has the line: 'People who need people are the luckiest people in the world'. It was written by Styne and Merrill for the Broadway musical Funny Girl in 1964. The crew are listening to a cassette recorder as they wind down for their sleep period.
085:15:27 Garriott: 11, Houston. Could you give us the location of your - pitch and yaw location of your position indicators? Over.
085:15:39 Aldrin: Roger. They're in the same position as the antenna right now; plus 15 degrees pitch and [pause] - Now, no, wait a minute. I got them - got it at about 275 instead of 265.
085:16:23 Garriott: 11, Houston. We'd like to try the same procedure once more. We'll leave the carrier off a little longer and be back up for a call within 4 minutes. Over.
085:16:35 Aldrin: Okay.
Long comm break.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 85 hours, 17 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11. What you heard in the conversation between Owen Garriott and Buzz Aldrin was following a - a communications check in which we secured the uplink carrier for some 30 seconds and waited to give it a period of time of approximately 3 minutes, to see if the spacecraft would reacquire. We appeared to reacquire in fine form on this first test. We will repeat it - this test a second time, delaying approximately 4 minutes before we place a call to Apollo 11. At 85 hours, 17 minutes, we currently read an altitude - spacecraft altitude of 56.1 nautical miles [103.9 km]. Present velocity shows 5,367 feet per second [1,636 m/s]. At apolune, 65 nautical miles [120.4 km]; perilune, 54.4 nautical miles [100.7 km]. Present weight in orbit remains a static 70,502 pounds [31,979 kg]. Present time in orbit as shown on our displays; 1 hour, 58 minutes, 40 seconds. This is Apollo Control, Houston.
By the phrase 'present time in orbit', the PAO announcer really means the spacecraft's orbital period.
085:17:07 Collins (onboard): That'll bring some more junk back here.
085:18:46 Armstrong (onboard): Couldn't have done better myself.
085:20:07 Garriott: 11, Houston. We're locked back up again. Can you give us a report on how the antenna behaved? [Long pause.]
085:20:24 Aldrin: Roger. It was essentially identical as before. The pitch went to 45, 40 to 45 and the yaw went to about - to about 255, 245 to 255. And then it rather quickly locked up at 15 degrees pitch and 270 yaw. Over.
085:20:49 Garriott: 11, Houston. Roger. Your angles are 45 and 255. Do I understand that as soon as the carrier dropped, it went to these angles? Or did it only go to these angles after the uplink carrier was re-enabled and the antenna began to hunt - to re-acquire? Over.
085:21:12 Aldrin: No. As soon as the carrier dropped off, why, it drifted over to those angles and stayed there. Then when it came back up again, why, it hunted around for a while, but didn't get any further off. Gradually brought it on in to the angles where it is right now; and then the signal strength would take several jumps as evidently it goes from Wide to Medium to Narrow. Over.
085:21:38 Garriott: 11, Houston. Understand. And on another subject, request you zero your optics for the night. Over. [Long pause.]
085:21:58 Aldrin: Roger. Zeroed.
Long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; at 85 hours, 27 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11. We've run two tests thus far with the S-band antenna which has reacquired nicely on both occasions. We're standing by for further possible conversations with the crew at this time. We're some 15 minutes from predicted time of Loss Of Signal on Apollo 11. Currently we read an apolune of 65 nautical miles [120.4 km], a perilune of 54.4 nautical miles [100.7 km]. This is Apollo Control, Houston.
085:27:46 Garriott: Apollo 11, Houston. Can you confirm that you have changed the CO2 filter as per Flight Plan in the last hour? Over?
085:28:01 Collins: No. We're still eating. We're about to do it. We'll let you know.
085:28:04 Garriott: Roger, 11. And we've got about 14 minutes to LOS. AOS is 86:30, an hour away. We're wondering whether or not you plan to have one man up at that time or would you all like to be asleep inside the next hour? Over.
085:28:25 Collins: Somebody will be up.
085:28:27 Garriott: Roger. The thing that we're still puzzling on is the antenna, and if - as long as there will be somebody up - why, we would like to have somebody check the automatic Reacq on the next AOS.
085:28:42 Collins: Okay. We'll do that. We haven't chlorinated the water yet, and we haven't changed the lithium hydroxide. We're just still finishing up dinner.
085:28:49 Garriott: Roger, Mike. Thank you.
Very long comm break.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 85 hours, 29 minutes now into the flight. That was Mike Collins reporting to Capsule Communicator Owen Garriott that the Apollo 11 crew completing dinner at this time. And earlier perhaps, as you listened to the air/ground, you heard some music in the background, soft music which would indicate that the this was being played in concert with their evening meal. When we reacquire, we expect one of the three crew members to still be, at least one to be still awake as we run a further check on our spacecraft antenna. At 85 hours, 30 minutes into the flight of Apollo 11; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
085:39:47 Collins (onboard): It may be raunchy later.
085:39:56 Aldrin (onboard): It may be? There's no doubt about it!
085:40:02 Armstrong (onboard): Oh, I'll take a couple of small ones.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control, Houston...
085:40:05 Garriott: Apollo 11, Houston. We have LOS coming up in 2 minutes now, and AOS will be at 86 plus 28 plus 15. Over.
085:40:20 Armstrong: We'll see you on the other side, Houston.
085:40:21 Garriott: Roger.
Very long comm break.
85 hours, 40 minutes at this time. That - perhaps the last conversation we'll have with Apollo 11 until we reacquire. We're now 1 minute, 20 seconds away from Loss Of Signal. Continuing to stand by; this is Apollo Control, Houston at 85 hours, 41 minutes.
085:40:45 Aldrin (onboard): Anybody have one?
085:40:47 Armstrong (onboard): I'll have a little one.
085:40:48 Aldrin (onboard): Okay. Here you are.
085:41:28 Collins (onboard): Yes.
085:41:29 Armstrong (onboard): Okay.
085:41:47 Collins (onboard): I guess what I'm doing, I should do with the paper towels.
This is Apollo Control, Houston. We've had Loss Of Signal as the Apollo 11 spacecraft begins its pass around the far side of the Moon at 85 hours, 42 minutes.
085:42:56 Armstrong (onboard): Everybody through with the water?
085:43:00 Aldrin (onboard): Yes, go ahead.
085:44:08 Aldrin (onboard): Ever find your box?
085:44:11 Collins (onboard): No. Gosh, you remember when they told us about - about putting buttons on the seat of these pants?
085:44:27 Armstrong (onboard): No, I don't remember.
085:44:33 Aldrin (onboard): Yes, they were working out - this elaborate scheme.
085:44:38 Collins (onboard): Yes, [garble] had a choice between [garble] and Velcro.
085:44:52 Armstrong (onboard): What's its use? I mean, don't keep me hanging in suspense.
085:44:55 Collins (onboard): Well, whatever I tell them, they didn't give me.
085:44:57 Armstrong (onboard): Shouldn't have anything.
085:44:59 Aldrin (onboard): Nothing in it.
085:45:01 Armstrong (onboard): Good grief, man!
085:45:02 Collins (onboard): They tell me you got to use Velcro on there. Maybe on the other side.
085:45:08 Armstrong (onboard): Use -
085:45:12 Collins (onboard): I got a - pair of Jockey shorts. Now cut - cut the lights off - lights off.
085:45:28 Collins (onboard): Very good, very good.
085:48:14 Collins (onboard): How'd you sleep last night, Buzz, up on top?
085:51:59 Aldrin (onboard): You open up the outer one, and you put the inner one in there and squeeze it and it breaks, then you got to take the [garble] and insert it and mush it all up - to get that stuff evenly distributed through it.
085:52:25 Aldrin (onboard): Why don't you guys sleep underneath tonight? I'll sleep top deck.
085:52:36 Aldrin (onboard): Yes, that's right. I remember [garble].
085:52:40 Collins (onboard): Unless you'd rather sleep up top, Buzz; I like - you guys ought to get a good night's sleep, going in that damn LM - How about - which would you prefer? Is that probe and drogue going to be in your way over there?
085:52:51 Aldrin (onboard): No, I don't think so.
085:52:54 Collins (onboard): Well, take your druthers, whichever you prefer.
085:55:57 Aldrin (onboard): Anybody [garble] goes right up here?
085:56:01 Armstrong (onboard): I've just been kind of looking around for it myself.
086:02:08 Collins (onboard): Well, I thought today went pretty well. If tomorrow and the next day are like today, we'll be safe.
086:08:12 Armstrong (onboard): You got a crater coming up, Buzz? Right through here. I don't know if you can see it or not. If not, let me get a picture of it because it's really - got big [garble] on the bottom of it. It don't look good.
086:08:29 Collins (onboard): It's out this way.
086:08:30 Armstrong (onboard): Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.
086:08:31 Aldrin (onboard): Shoot [garble] here.
086:08:32 Collins (onboard): I'm not sure we should be shooting this - what we're shooting at or one point set. I guess you're alright - in this light stuff, I guess you're alright.
086:08:46 Armstrong (onboard): Okay, thank you.
086:08:49 Aldrin (onboard): Oops! [Garble].
086:13:39 Collins (onboard): What time is it, Neil, 88 hours, something like that?
086:13:42 Armstrong (onboard): 86:13:00.
086:15:54 Armstrong (onboard): Doesn't it look like some of these crater walls had scallops inside like a design in a fan - like feathers.
086:16:05 Aldrin (onboard): Seashells.
086:16:06 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
086:16:07 Aldrin (onboard): Like seashells - very pretty, very symmetrical.
086:17:37 Armstrong (onboard): Take along one of those craters.
086:17:57 Armstrong (onboard): I took overlapping pictures of all that [garble].
086:18:03 Aldrin (onboard): Tomorrow, take - we're going to have to carry a lot of film to take as many pictures as they want.
086:18:56 Collins (onboard): I'll tell you what we ought to do, [garble].
086:18:59 Aldrin (onboard): Oh, okay, let me go do that.
086:19:51 Aldrin (onboard): Anybody know when AOS is?
086:20:07 Collins (onboard): When is AOS?
086:20:09 Aldrin (onboard): Yes. When is AOS [garble]?
086:20:18 Aldrin (onboard): 86:38?
AOS is actually 86:28:15.
086:20:21 Collins (onboard): I think it's [garble].
086:20:24 Aldrin (onboard): Okay.
086:20:37 Armstrong (onboard): [Garble] along in here.
086:20:41 Aldrin (onboard): Yes.
086:24:48 Collins (onboard): Where the hell is the horizon with the world coming over it? I guess it's behind us, huh?
086:24:58 Armstrong (onboard): Up there? We should be getting Earthshine - Earthrise features - should be coming up pretty soon.
086:25:10 Collins (onboard): Black and white.
086:25:12 Armstrong (onboard): There's a colored one right in there - I didn't think we put it there. [Garble].
086:25:17 Collins (onboard): Alright.
086:25:35 Armstrong (onboard): There's this one - where's...?
086:25:39 Collins (onboard): The dark slide I think is right over there in the girth shelf.
086:25:42 Armstrong (onboard): Oh, yes, I got it.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control, Houston. We're now less than 2 minutes away from Acquisition Of Signal on Apollo 11 and in Mission Control Center, Houston, we're standing by.
086:26:59 Aldrin (onboard): That's - that's the one.
Mark. One minute from predicted Acquisition Of Signal.
086:27:41 Aldrin (onboard): Are we going to keep the... lens on?
086:27:45 Collins (onboard): [Garble] getting earlier in time. Yes, that's best - better.
We should be acquiring. We're standing by.
086:28:14 Collins (onboard): [Garble].
086:28:23 Armstrong (onboard): Got a Master Alarm coming on here.
086:28:48 Collins (onboard): Your f:8 is 250 - at infinity?
086:28:52 Aldrin (onboard): Yes.
086:28:53 Collins (onboard): Good deal. Keep working, you got a lot of film.
This exchange, plus the fact that the crew are nearing their rest period, suggests that this is the moment when an excellent sequence of eighteen Earthrise pictures are taken on magazine V. The photographer would appear to be Buzz and the photographs are AS11-44-6547 to 6564.
AS11-44-6547 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6548 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6549 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6550 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6551 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6552 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6553 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6554 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6555 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6556 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6557 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6558 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6559 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6560 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6561 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6562 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6563 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS11-44-6564 - Earthrise over Mare Smythii, 250mm lens - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
086:29:36 Collins (onboard): Well, it's [garble].
086:29:49 Aldrin (onboard): And I was [garble].
086:29:52 Collins (onboard): Good deal.
086:29:54 Aldrin (onboard): [Garble].
086:29:56 Collins (onboard): Glad to hear it.
086:29:59 Armstrong (onboard): Through?
086:30:01 Aldrin (onboard): Yes - [garble].
086:30:04 Collins (onboard): It's good [garble].
086:30:06 Aldrin (onboard): Yes, I guess so. Nothing like filming your [garble].
086:30:22 Aldrin (onboard): [Garble] this field of view, it's mostly just blues. I keep getting mostly black and blue.
086:30:37 Collins: Houston, Apollo 11. Over.
086:30:39 Garriott: 11, Houston. Loud and clear here. Over.
086:30:43 Collins: Okay. We just appeared to get a solid lock for the last - oh, about a minute. The Tune-for-Max needles have been wandering up and down, and the pitch and yaw needles have been wandering around, but it appears to have reacquired by itself solidly now. We're just filling - finishing up our fuel cell purge. Hydrogen on number 3 is the last to go Off, and it'll be coming Off just in a second.
086:31:09 Garriott: Roger, 11.
Comm break.
086:31:15 Aldrin (onboard): Huh? Is that right? Really should have looked.
086:31:51 Armstrong (onboard): ... flow?
086:31:59 Collins (onboard): Rate to High, Neil.
086:32:17 Garriott: Apollo 11, Houston. We believe we've tracked down the reacquisition problem we had on the previous rev. It looks like it was a receiver power supply here on the ground and no problems in the spacecraft at all. Over.
086:32:35 Armstrong: Okay. Glad to hear it.
086:32:37 Garriott: 11, that really winds things up as far as we're concerned on the ground, for the evening. We're ready to go to bed and get a little sleep. Over.
086:32:49 Collins: Yeah. We're about to join you.
086:32:51 Garriott: Rog.
This is Apollo Control, Houston; 86 hours, 33 minutes. You heard that last exchange. The Mission Control Center has isolated our earlier loss of lock-on with the S-Band antenna to a faulty power supply at Goldstone which in turn introduced noisy data causing a ground-based receiver to go out of lock. This power supply, a 24-volt one, has already been replaced at Goldstone. In summary, the spacecraft looks good and the difficulty was caused here on the ground. At 86 hours, 34 minutes; we now read our orbit at 64.9 nautical miles [120.2 km] apolune, 54.6 nautical miles [101.1 km] perilune. This is Apollo Control, Houston.
This is the end of flight day 4. Communications with Mission Control resume in seven hours, at 93:32:19.