It is Wednesday, 25 December 1968 and the Apollo 8 crew have just gone behind the Moon. Midway around the far side, they will commence their final orbit prior to igniting their main engine and beginning a 3-day coast back to Earth. While they are out of direct radio communication with Mission Control, their conversation is recorded onto a tape recorder, the Data Storage Equipment (DSE), along with many of the spacecraft's sensor readings. Once they reestablish communication, this tape will be replayed to Earth at high speed, including the cabin voice recordings.
[Download MP3 audio file of onboard audio. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.]
To improve clarity and listenability, a version of this onboard audio has been included with a degree of noise reduction.
[Download MP3 audio file of onboard audio with applied noise reduction. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.]
086:52:51 Lovell (onboard): [Singing.]
086:53:00 Lovell (onboard): - What did you say? 89. However, we have a - we're checking an 87 one, because it's going to be almost similar, to see what our attitude's going to be like.
086:53:16 Lovell (onboard): Yeah.
086:53:20 Lovell (onboard): Where are you going to put the food after you make it?
086:53:23 Lovell (onboard): I'm not going to make mine until after the burn.
086:53:34 Lovell (onboard): [Garble]. Oh.
[Download MP3 audio file of PAO announcer recording. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.]
This is Apollo Control at 86 hours, 54 minutes. As the spacecraft went over the horizon and we lost signal, Capsule Communicator Ken Mattingly passed up to the crew an all systems Go report. We'll play that back for you now.
086:54:52 Borman (onboard): Did you get everybody out a meal, Bill?
086:54:55 Anders (onboard): I'm going to.
And we expect to reacquire Apollo 8 in 43 minutes, 52 seconds. This is Apollo Control at 86 hours, 55 minutes into the flight.
086:55:06 Lovell (onboard): Here - Boy, there's some things in my pocket they don't know about.
086:56:20 Lovell (onboard): I wouldn't say this was too good, would you?
086:56:40 Lovell (onboard): Anybody care to brush their teeth?
086:57:01 Lovell (onboard): We are maneuvering now, aren't we?I mean, you know, with respect to the...
086:57:08 Lovell (onboard): I say, our spacecraft is maneuvering with respect to the ...
086:57:14 Lovell (onboard): What did I say that TEI 9 time was?
086:58:03 Lovell (onboard): 87:19; that's - 22 minutes from now, 21 minutes from now. That's a TI 9 burn, which is the - one REV before this one - I want to see what our attitude is going to be. Here, you want some toothpaste? Huh?
086:58:55 Lovell (onboard): I'll get them; I'll get them. You might hit the IMU switch.
086:59:09 Lovell (onboard): Here you go, Bill.
086:59:25 Lovell (onboard): 87:19.
086:59:34 Lovell (onboard): We're just - Hold on just a second.
087:00:58 Lovell (onboard): Take a look at this - at your window position. We're at about - Let's see, TIG - was it TIG minus 2, that other one? 87:17? 87:17, your TIG position, your window position? Okay, it's in the - it's in the update book. Right up there. Yes?
087:02:57 Lovell (onboard): What's that?
087:03:07 Lovell (onboard): Let me see.
087:03:20 Lovell (onboard): Which is which? The Moon is darker than the sky.
087:03:42 Lovell (onboard): So, who turned on the light?
087:03:55 Lovell (onboard): Well, I think we're in the proper position, though.
087:04:00 Borman (onboard): Why don't you check to make sure we're still posigrade?
087:04:32 Lovell (onboard): Supposed to be stars there.
087:04:44 Lovell (onboard): Man, I've got to get that star check early. I'll never get it this way. I have to get that star check early to - you know - I mean I - It can't be too early because the Moon will be in the way, but it's got to be early enough so I can see.
087:05:00 Lovell (onboard): Okay. Hey, the DAP load ought to be pretty good, huh? You see if the DAP load changed any.
087:05:17 Lovell (onboard): Huh. load the DAP. Huh? You want this display in the position? Okay. Want to turn up your display just a little bit? Okay.
087:05:53 Borman (onboard): How are the boilers working, Bill?
087:05:57 Lovell (onboard): Okay, that's good for four quads. That's C is DAP; A, B, C, D. Right. Okay. Proceed. Zero is - Oh, the second one? The second one is the roll quad [garble]. Okay, 45821, 45597. 45597. Alright, well, it went up two digits. I'll try it here now. That's already been done. 42 is Peacock.
087:08:29 Lovell (onboard): [Singing.]
087:08:37 Lovell (onboard): Where are you?
087:08:54 Lovell (onboard): (yawn) 87 - 9 - 19. 87 - 9 - Wait a second, that's - For this time, it's 87:19. Do you have a good horizon? I see horizon right here.
087:09:28 Lovell (onboard): Well, I mean, where - Do you see the horizon at all?
087:09:36 Lovell (onboard): Hey, I don't want to burn into it.
087:09:43 Lovell (onboard): Well, I see something down there. I see something down there.
087:09:49 Borman (onboard): That's the - You're seeing the terminator, not the horizon. Well - okay, that's the one we're going to burn on; you've got to get clear before we burn.
087:10:19 Lovell (onboard): What do you mean?
087:10:24 Lovell (onboard): Oh. Well, how far up are we - Oh, we've still got 9 minutes to go - 3 degrees per minute. What's the attitude here? 180? Pitch is - Let me read pitch off and then sec ... yaw.
087:10:47 Lovell (onboard): You want a 180, though. You want a 180.
087:10:54 Lovell (onboard): Oh, it's - it's - Get - Wait a second. Well, it says 180.
087:11:00 Anders (onboard): Roll 180.
087:11:01 Lovell (onboard): Oh, oh, oh, pitch 7, yes. Okay. You know what amazed me is that you can see in those shadows.
087:12:01 Anders (onboard): Yaw zero then?
087:12:05 Lovell (onboard): Yaw is zero. She calls 7 more minutes. And - Let me see here, 1 degree at TIG minus 3. 1 degree What's this? Is that - is that it? 87:19, that would be 87:19, that would be 87:16 - in 4 minutes.
087:13:07 Lovell (onboard): Okay, I see the horizon. Yes.
087:13:14 Lovell (onboard): Right on the edge here - here - We're swinging in like this to it.
087:13:20 Lovell (onboard): It's like doing a loop.
087:13:34 Lovell (onboard): Look at down there, Bill: all those lines in a straight row like sand dunes.
087:14:27 Lovell (onboard): Okay, 2 minutes - minute and a half. about.
087:14:37 Lovell (onboard): I think you're about right.
087:14:45 Lovell (onboard): 1.2 degrees? You're wide after TIG - At TIG minus 3, at 16. Yes. Should probably be - it's probably going to be the horizon right here, because you're upside down.
087:15:43 Lovell (onboard): Got your checklist, Bill? Okay. No, I just wondered.
087:16:06 Lovell (onboard): That's your logbook.
087:16:16 Lovell (onboard): Now. Let's see. No, wait a second- In 18 seconds. Okay, how's it now?
087:16:26 Anders (onboard): [Garble].
087:16:28 Lovell (onboard): Well, you can say it's 1.2 degrees, with - at TIG minus 3 .
087:16:34 Lovell (onboard): I think that's kind of hard to spot in there; don't you think, Bill? Oh, you're 39; you're just a couple seconds early.
087:16:51 Anders (onboard): We're going the right way now.
087:16:53 Lovell (onboard): Yes, we're upside down going that way. And we re going with the orbit.
087:17:29 Lovell (onboard): [Singing.] Well, you still might be pitched down. It might be that you burn like this. You might be burning before you get to the top.
087:18:20 Lovell (onboard): I don't know, but I'll find out.
[Download MP3 audio file of PAO announcer recording. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.]
This is Apollo Control at 87 hours, 18 minutes into the flight. Our spacecraft is currently nearing the end of its ninth revolution and the beginning of the tenth. We still have about 21 minutes before we reacquire. I'd like to pass along some preliminary figures on the Acquisition of Signal and Loss of Signal times that we'll have on either side of that Trans-Earth Injection maneuver. These were passed up to the crew previously. The Loss of Signal time on the tenth revolution will be about 88 hours, 51 minutes, and this would be about 28 minutes, 5 seconds prior to the Trans-Earth Injection maneuver. Following the maneuver, the signal will be reacquired at 89 hours, 28 minutes, 39 seconds. This will be about 9 minutes, 24 seconds after the maneuver. At this time we have 19 minutes, 42 seconds prior to reacquisition of Apollo 8 at 87 hours, 19 minutes into the flight. This is Apollo Control, Houston.
087:18:42 Lovell (onboard): I don't think this is a good place for this, Bill. I'm going to put this - in here or some place. Huh? No, this - Did you find it?
087:19:16 Anders (onboard): Is that yours?
087:19:19 Lovell (onboard): No, I think that's mine; open it up and find out.
087:19:25 Borman (onboard): That's Jim's there.
087:19:49 Lovell (onboard): Now is burn time We got - little bit about 10 - 15 seconds after burn time.
087:20:23 Anders (onboard): Where's your checklist?
087:20:24 Borman (onboard): I don't know.
087:20:26 Lovell (onboard): You didn't put it in my seat, did you?
087:20:55 Anders (onboard): There's part of it - there's volume 1.
087:21:08 Lovell (onboard): Why don't you put that in your mailbox?
087:21:32 Lovell (onboard): I'm going to put this volume 2away, too.
087:21:44 Anders (onboard): Why don't you keep up this...
087:22:50 Lovell (onboard): That's the chart book.
087:23:09 Lovell (onboard): Got any emergency procedures to go over here? What are you going to do? Okay.
087:23:32 Lovell (onboard): Just a minute, Bill; I'll give you a hand. Now, we don't need these two things, right?
087:23:43 Anders (onboard): No, I got the Flight Plan out.
087:24:50 Lovell (onboard): I don't think it's down there. That's just full of junk.
087:25:20 Lovell (onboard): Is that it?
087:26:46 Lovell (onboard): (Whistling)
087:27:36 Lovell (onboard): Well, who's got who's got the Pentels? Anybody got a Pentel? (Pentels were a popular felt-tip marker pen)
087:27:42 Borman (onboard): Here's one.
087:27:43 Lovell (onboard): Okay, we've got two. Okay, I want to - No, wait a minute - I just don't want to ...
087:27:50 Borman (onboard): Oh, I'm sorry.
087:27:51 Lovell (onboard): I just want to get it when we -tape here.
087:27:58 Borman (onboard): 87:38:42.
087:28:46 Lovell (onboard): Yes.
087:28:49 Borman (onboard): For God's sake, shift the right thing there, Jim, when we go to arm the thing.
087:28:54 Lovell (onboard): Right. Proceed.
087:28:55 Borman (onboard): We got a - we've got to ullage. Don't let me forget that: 15-second ullage.
087:28:59 Lovell (onboard): Right.
087:29:06 Lovell (onboard): That's true.
087:29:07 Borman (onboard): Alright, we're going to get another one.
087:29:33 Lovell (onboard): Do you want to do a gimbal drive test?
087:29:36 Borman (onboard): Yes, I think we might as well. Don't you?
087:29:40 Lovell (onboard): Okay, I'll.... Just the way we had planned it!
087:29:45 Lovell (onboard): Aren't you going to talk to the world?
087:29:50 Lovell (onboard): I don't know. That's the one, but it's not the final one.
087:29:57 Borman (onboard): This is our retro burn, young man.
087:30:16 Borman (onboard): Huh?
087:30:17 Lovell (onboard): What do you mean? 213 - 215 seconds, that turned out to be.
087:30:33 Borman (onboard): Minus 40 feet on the Delta-V in 2seconds.
087:31:09 Borman (onboard): When are you going to stop the water boiling - after the burn?
087:31:12 Anders (onboard): Yes, I think we ought to get away from the ....
087:31:14 Borman (onboard): Okay.
087:31:15 Anders (onboard): We can stop it
087:31:19 Borman (onboard): Well, let's just start it after the burn, then, huh?
087:31:22 Anders (onboard): Huh?
087:31:23 Borman (onboard): Stop it after the burn and not before it. Is that right?
087:31:25 Anders (onboard): Yes.
087:31:32 Lovell (onboard): [Singing, yawn]
087:32:14 Borman (onboard): That TV camera worked pretty well.
087:32:20 Lovell (onboard): There's one thing that I'm amazed at, and that is that the communications here are a lot better
087:32:25 Borman (onboard): Geeze, they're great; knock, knock, knock. Let's not say anything until we're on the carrier, what do you say (laughter)?
087:33:58 Anders (onboard): ... Delta-V ...
087:34:02 Borman (onboard): Huh? I didn't hear you.
087:34:10 Lovell (onboard): Just make sure you can get the right one. Go ahead.
087:34:13 Borman (onboard): 3532.
087:34:15 Lovell (onboard): You mean 3522.3.
087:34:20 Borman (onboard): That's a big kick in the pants, you know it? 2000 miles an hour - You can look at it that way about - more than that. We should be getting there in 4 minutes.
087:34:58 Lovell (onboard): [Singing.]
087:35:23 Borman (onboard): 2 minutes and 18 seconds, and we're going home? Is that what you said?
087:35:28 Lovell (onboard): Yes.
087:35:30 Borman (onboard): 01:38. Takes a long time though, doesn't it?
087:35:52 Borman (onboard): How does the SPS look, Bill?
087:36:34 Borman (onboard): Maybe that's what we're doing.
087:36:38 Lovell (onboard): Yes.
087:36:42 Lovell (onboard): Let's see, I probably could use...
087:36:47 Borman (onboard): You couldn't here.
087:36:48 Lovell (onboard): Huh?
087:36:50 Borman (onboard): I don't think you could here; you could roll there, though.
087:36:59 Borman (onboard): How does that look? Huh? Huh? Can you get them on an omni with that?
[Download MP3 audio file of PAO announcer recording. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.]
This is Apollo Control at 87 hours, 38 minutes into the flight. At the present time our spacecraft is in its tenth revolution and we're standing by for Acquisition of Signal as Apollo 8 comes over the horizon. That should be in about 15 seconds. The current velocity is 5,352 feet per second. And at this point we are at the time when we should be acquiring the spacecraft. We will stand by for a call to the crew or from - for a message from the spacecraft.
087:38:25 Lovell (onboard): (Whistling)
087:38:55 Borman (onboard): We're supposed to have him, Bill.
087:38:58 Lovell (onboard): Think you Just did.
087:39:01 Borman (onboard): Houston, Apollo 8. How do you read? We got signal strength, Bill?
087:39:12 Anders (onboard): Yes, it just probably takes them awhile to get squared away down there.
087:39:33 Anders (onboard): Wonder what good it is to have that engine pointing at the moon that way?
087:39:37 Lovell (onboard): Pardon.
087:39:40 Anders (onboard): We going to get it too hot?
087:39:53 Borman: Okay. You want the computer? [Long pause.]
087:40:04 Lovell (onboard): There won't be any
087:40:05 Borman (onboard): Huh?
087:40:36 Mattingly: Apollo 8. We'd like to have the High Gain, and when we get that, well, we will start a dump, and we'll start your update.
087:40:44 Borman: Okay. How about reading us the PAD, and we'll try to get you the High Gain. [Pause.]
Borman (continued, onboard): What do I have to do to get to the High Gain, Bill?
087:40:49 Anders (onboard): Give me a Verb 64, will you?
087:40:57 Borman: Ken, read us off the PAD in case you can't get the dump in; we can still do it. [onboard] Which way now?
087:41:01 Mattingly: Roger. I've got them right here. [Long pause.]
087:41:04 Anders (onboard): Well, let's see; I'm trying to figure it out. Well, roll right for sure.
087:41:08 Borman (onboard): Roll right.
087:41:12 Anders (onboard): That would probably do it, the way you're pointing.
Retro flight controller Chuck Deiterich managed to save the top copy of the PAD that Mattingly was about to read up to the crew.
Chuck Deiterich's copy of the Apollo 8 TEI PAD. Note the tick marks beside each item added by Mattingly as he read each one.
087:41:19 Mattingly: Okay, Apollo 8. The first PAD I have is TEI-10.
087:41:26 Borman: Go ahead.
087:41:28 Mattingly: Alright. TEI-10; SPS/G&N; 45597; minus 0.40, plus 1.57; 089:19:15.67; plus 3518.6, minus 0151.2...
087:42:20 Anders (onboard): A little yaw...
087:42:21 Lovell (onboard): Hush!
087:42:22 Mattingly: ...minus 0052.0; 180, 007, 000; November Alpha, plus 0018.6; 3522.3, 3:18, 3501.8; 42, 092.4, 25.3; Scorpii, Delta, down 06.9, left 4.5; plus 07.48, minus 165.00; 1299.4, 36300, 146:50:05; primary star, Sirius; secondary, Rigel; 129, 155, 010; four quads, 15-second ullage; horizon on 3.2-degree window line at T minus 3. Use high-speed procedure with minus Mike Alpha. Over.
The PAD is interpreted as follows:
Purpose: The PAD is intended for the burn that will return the Apollo 8 crew to Earth at the end of Rev 10.
Systems: The burn will be made using the SPS engine, under the control of the Guidance and Navigation system.
CSM Weight (Noun 47): 45,597 pounds (20,682 kg).
Pitch and yaw trim (Noun 48): -0.40° and +1.57°.
Time of ignition (Noun 33): 89 hours, 19 minutes, 15.67 seconds.
Change in velocity (Noun 81), fps (m/s): X, +3,518.6 (+1,072.5); Y, -151.2 (-46.1); Z, -52.0 (-15.8). 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, 180°; Pitch, 7°; Yaw, 0°. The desired spacecraft attitude is measured relative to the alignment of the guidance platform which itself has been aligned per the LOI-2 REFSMMAT.
Expected apogee of resulting orbit (Noun 44): Not applicable. Being initiated around the Moon, the apogee of the resulting orbit around Earth is too large to register on the computer.
Expected perigee of resulting orbit (Noun 44): 18.6 nautical miles (34.4 km).
Delta-VT: 3,522.3 fps (1,073.6 m/s). The total sum of the three velocity components.
Burn duration or burn time: 3 minutes, 18 seconds.
Delta-VC: 3,501.8 fps. This figure will be entered into the EMS to allow it to shut down the engine as a backup in case the G&N system fails to do so.
Sextant star: Star 42 (Peacock, or Alpha Pavonis) visible in sextant when shaft and trunnion angles are 92.4° and 25.3° respectively.
Boresight star: Dschubba, or Delta Scorpii.
COAS Pitch Angle: Down 6.9°.
COAS X Position Angle: Left 4.5°.
The next five parameters all relate to re-entry, during which an important milestone is "Entry Interface," defined as being 400,000 feet (121.92 km) altitude. In this context, a more important milestone is when atmospheric drag on the spacecraft imparts a deceleration of 0.05 g.
Expected splashdown point (Noun 61): 7.48° north, 165° west; which is in the mid-Pacific.
Range to go at the 0.05 g event: 1,299.4 nautical miles. To set up their EMS (Entry Monitor System) before re-entry, the crew need to know the expected distance the CM would travel from the 0.05 g event to landing. This figure will be decremented by the EMS based on signals from its own accelerometer.
Expected velocity at the 0.05 g event: 36,300 fps. This is another entry for the EMS. It is entered into the unit's Delta-V counter and will be decremented based on signals from its own accelerometer.
Predicted GET of 0.05 g event: 146 hours, 50 minutes and 5 seconds GET.
GDC Align stars: Stars to be used for GDC Align purposes are Sirius and Rigel.
There are four additional points given in the PAD. An ullage burn of 15 seconds should be made by all four RCS quads to settle the contents of the half-empty SPS tanks prior to the burn. This is tominimise the chance of helium gas being ingested when the engine ignites. The Moon's horizon should be lined up on the rendezvous window's 3.2° line at three minutes prior to ignition. They would use a high-speed procedure with -MA (major axis) in the sums.
087:44:18 Lovell (onboard): How you coming?
087:44:19 Anders (onboard): Just stand by a second, Jim. Just stand by - just stand by.
087:44:23 Lovell: Stand by one second. [Pause.]
087:44:26 Anders (onboard): There you go. Turn the LOCK, UP. Got him locked up yet? Okay, you got it.
087:44:33 Borman: You got the High Gain now, Ken.
087:44:36 Mattingly: Roger.
087:44:38 Lovell: Houston. Apollo 8. How do you read?
087:44:40 Mattingly: Loud and clear.
087:44:43 Lovell: Roger. Maneuver PAD, TEI-10.
087:44:44 Mattingly: Apollo 8. We'd like to have the...
087:44:50 Mattingly: Apollo 8. We'd like to have you go to P00 and Accept, and we'd like to take the recorder at this time; then I'll copy your PAD. [Pause.]
087:45:18 Lovell: TEI-10; SPS/G&N; 45597; minus 0.40, plus 1.57; 089:19:15.67; plus 3518.6, minus 0151.2, minus 0052.0; 180, 007, 000; not applicable, plus 0018.6; 3522.3, 3:18, 3501.8; 42, 092.4, 25.3; Scorpii Delta, down 06.9, left 4.5; plus 07.48, minus 165.00; 1299.4, 36300, 146:50:05; Sirius, Rigel, 129, 155, 010; four quad ullage, 15 seconds; horizon on the 3.2-degree mark at TIG minus 3; high-speed procedure minus MA.
087:46:46 Mattingly: That's correct, Apollo 8. Like to confirm the hours on GETI, 089. [Pause.]
087:46:57 Lovell: Roger. 089.
087:47:03 Mattingly: All right, Apollo 8. I have a TEI-11 PAD. [Pause.]
087:47:15 Borman: We're ready; go ahead.
087:47:17 Mattingly: Roger. TEI-11; SPS/G&N; 45597; 0 - correction - that's minus 0.40, plus 1.57; 091:18:12.24, plus 3632.5, minus 0172.7, plus 0142.8; 180, 003, 000; November Alpha, plus 0018.6; 3639.4, 3:23, 3618.6; 42, 099.5, 25.4; Scorpii Delta, down 10.3, left 4.8; plus 07.42, minus 165.00; 1300.5, 36327, 146:51:44; Sirius and Rigel, 129, 155, 010; 4 quads, 15 seconds; horizon on 2.9-degree line at T minus 2; high speed procedure with minus Mike-Alpha. Over. [Pause.]
The PAD is interpreted as follows:
Purpose: The PAD is for a contingency burn that would be carried out in the case that the intended TEI-10 burn did not take place.
Systems: The burn will be made using the SPS engine, under the control of the Guidance and Navigation system.
CSM Weight (Noun 47): 45,597 pounds (20,682 kg).
Pitch and yaw trim (Noun 48): -0.40° and +1.57°.
Time of ignition (Noun 33): 91 hours, 18 minutes, 12.24 seconds.
Change in velocity (Noun 81), fps (m/s): X, +3,632.5 (+1,107.2); Y, -172.7 (-52.6); Z, +142.8 (+43.5). 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, 180°; Pitch, 3°; Yaw, 0°. The desired spacecraft attitude is measured relative to the alignment of the guidance platform which itself has been aligned per the LOI-2 REFSMMAT.
Expected apogee of resulting orbit (Noun 44): Not applicable. Being initiated around the Moon, the apogee of the resulting orbit around Earth is too large to register on the computer.
Expected perigee of resulting orbit (Noun 44): 18.6 nautical miles (34.4 km).
Delta-VT: 3,639.4 fps (1,109.3 m/s). The total sum of the three velocity components.
Burn duration or burn time: 3 minutes, 23 seconds.
Delta-VC: 3,618.6 fps. This figure will be entered into the EMS to allow it to shut down the engine as a backup in case the G&N system fails to do so.
Sextant star: Star 42 (Peacock, or Alpha Pavonis) visible in sextant when shaft and trunnion angles are 99.5° and 25.4° respectively.
Boresight star: Dschubba, or Delta Scorpii.
COAS Pitch Angle: Down 10.3°.
COAS X Position Angle: Left 4.8°.
The next five parameters all relate to re-entry, during which an important milestone is "Entry Interface," defined as being 400,000 feet (121.92 km) altitude. In this context, a more important milestone is when atmospheric drag on the spacecraft imparts a deceleration of 0.05 g.
Expected splashdown point (Noun 61): 7.42° north, 165° west; which is in the mid-Pacific.
Range to go at the 0.05 g event: 1,300.5 nautical miles. To set up their EMS (Entry Monitor System) before re-entry, the crew need to know the expected distance the CM would travel from the 0.05 g event to landing. This figure will be decremented by the EMS based on signals from its own accelerometer.
Expected velocity at the 0.05 g event: 36,327 fps. This is another entry for the EMS. It is entered into the unit's Delta-V counter and will be decremented based on signals from its own accelerometer.
Predicted GET of 0.05 g event: 146 hours, 51 minutes and 44 seconds GET.
GDC Align stars: Stars to be used for GDC Align purposes are Sirius and Rigel.
There are four additional points given in the PAD. An ullage burn of 15 seconds should be made by all four RCS quads to settle the contents of the half-empty SPS tanks prior to the burn. This is minimise the chance of helium gas being ingested when the engine ignites. The Moon's horizon should be lined up on the rendezvous window's 2.9° line at two minutes prior to ignition. They would use a high-speed procedure with -MA (major axis) in the sums.
087:49:47 Lovell: Roger, Houston. TEI minus 11; SPS/G&N; 45597; minus 0.40, plus 1.57; 091:18:12.24; plus 3632.5, minus 0172.7, plus 0142.8; 180, 003, 000; not applicable, plus 0018.6; 3639.4, 3:23, 3618.6; 42, 099.5, 25.4; Scorpii Delta, down 10.3, left 4.8; plus 07.42, minus 165.00; 1300.5, 36327, 146:51:44; Sirius, Rigel, 129, 155, 010; 4 quad, 15 seconds; 2.9-degree window mark at TIG minus 2; high-speed procedure minus MA.
087:51:15 Mattingly: That's correct, Apollo 8. [Pause.]
087:51:25 Anders: And Houston, could you give me the SPS helium tank temperature at about 87:20, please? [Pause.]
087:51:42 Mattingly: Okay. Stand by one.
087:51:47: Roger.
Comm break.
[Download MP3 audio file of PAO announcer recording. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.]
At the present time here in Mission Control, Flight Director Milton Windler has just checked with his key flight controllers, and we got the report that we look very good at this time, as the pace begins to quicken, moving toward this Trans-Earth Injection maneuver. Included in the list of numbers read up to the spacecraft and read back down for verification was the information the crew would - would use for the maneuver, the updated information. And in checking over it, we see very few modifications to the preliminary figures we gave you. One minor change is in the longitude and latitude at ignition. The previous longitude was 174 degrees east. That is now updated to 173 degrees, 51 minutes east, and our latitude was 9 degrees, 17 minutes south; and that has changed to 9 degrees, 20 minutes south. All the other figures appear to have remained the same. We have a weight at the time of ignition; that would be 4500, rather 45,597 pounds prior to the maneuver. Following the maneuver predicted weight is 32,124 pounds. The difference there is 13,473 pounds and most of that would represent SPS propellant.
087:54:10 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. Our loads are in and verified. The computer is yours.
087:54:18 Lovell: Roger. [Long pause.]
087:54:35 Lovell: Houston, Apollo 8. [Pause.]
087:54:46 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. At 87:48, we were reading 84 degrees, and at LOS we had 80. We'll take a look at the tape and see if we can find out what we had on the backside.
087:55:03 Anders: Okay. I'd kind of like to know what I might expect at ignition here at TEI.
087:55:11 Mattingly: Rog. We'll take that off the tape. [Pause.]
087:55:19 Lovell: Houston, this is 8. I take it you've loaded both state vectors, is that correct?
087:55:24 Mattingly: That's affirmative.
087:55:28 Lovell: Roger.
087:55:33 Mattingly: We loaded your CSM and LM nav and external Delta-V, in that order.
087:55:43 Lovell: Roger.
Long comm break.
[Download MP3 audio file of PAO announcer recording. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.]
This is Apollo Control. Currently our spacecraft velocity is 5,354 feet per second, and our orbit measures 58.8 nautical miles [108.9 km] at its low point. We've got a high point of 63.2 nautical miles [117.0 km] above the Moon's surface. At 87 hours, 59 minutes; this is Apollo Control.
088:03:36 Mattingly: Okay, Apollo 8. We've reviewed all your systems. You have a Go for TEI. One of the things we'd like to do as soon as you come out on the other side is a P23. We are checking into your helium pressures now. We're going to correlate, not only the last rev, but the previous rev for the same location, and we will have that number for you in a little bit.
088:04:03 Borman: Okay.
Long comm break.
[Download MP3 audio file of PAO announcer recording. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.]
This is Apollo Control at 88 hours, 5 minutes. The crew has just been given a Go for Trans-Earth Injection on this revolution. Here's how that sounded.
088:09:47 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. The tape recorder is yours. And I have your PTC attitude.
[Download MP3 audio file of onboard audio. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.]
088:09:55 Borman: Roger. Go ahead.
088:09:58 Mattingly: Okay. PTC attitude will be pitch, 10; yaw, 45. This begins at 92 hours. Over.
088:10:11 Borman: Is that pitch, 10; and yaw, 45?
088:10:14 Mattingly: That's affirmative. And looks like that'll go with the entry REFSMMAT. Begins at 92 hours.
088:10:24 Borman: Thank you. [Pause.]
088:10:26 Borman (onboard): We've got a lot of good things going here. Every time I start to do that, somebody interrupts. You know, we've got to get a new REFSMMAT and the whole bloody works right after we [garble].
088:10:31 Mattingly: Apollo 8, would you put your Up Telemetry to Block, please?
088:10:40 Lovell: In Block.
Long comm break.
088:11:03 Anders (onboard): Okay, Auto. Time me 10 seconds, somebody -
088:11:08 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
088:11:10 Anders (onboard): When I say hack: 2, 3, 1...
088:11:12 Anders (onboard): Hack.
088:11:22 Lovell (onboard): Mark.
088:11:23 Anders (onboard): Right on the money.
088:11:26 Borman (onboard): What's the Delta-V? Is it in there now? Let's double check each other.
088:11:31 Lovell (onboard): Delta-VC
088:11:32 Anders (onboard): 3501.
088:12:27 Borman (onboard): Boy, that Sun is bright.
088:12:29 Anders (onboard): Hot?
088:12:30 Borman (onboard): Yeah. Right in the eye.
088:12:35 Borman (onboard): You want to put down pitch and yaw attitude, gimbal lock (laughter) for, you know, PTC: 10 and 45. Yaw is 45, Jim.
088:12:52 Lovell (onboard): After 92 hours, though.
088:12:59 Borman (onboard): Okay, you've got your burn time there now , Bill?
088:13:04 Anders (onboard): No, I didn't get it. Oh, I got the - I haven't got the updated one yet; what have you got?
088:13:08 Borman (onboard): We got to add 3.7 seconds to what they gave us because this motor hasn't been performing like it should.
088:13:14 Anders (onboard): Yes.
088:13:16 Lovell (onboard): What's the pitch?
088:13:18 Anders (onboard): 4 seconds.
088:13:19 Borman (onboard): 10.
088:13:21 Anders (onboard): So we got a burn time of 3:22 now?
088:13:29 Borman (onboard): 3.
088:13:41 Lovell (onboard): It's 3:18
088:13:43 Anders (onboard): Plus 4.
088:13:44 Borman (onboard): 318 plus 4.
088:13:51 Anders (onboard): So, we're going to - You still going to ignite on 19:15?
088:13:55 Borman (onboard): Uh huh.
088:13:57 Anders (onboard): And it would be 3:22?
088:14:00 Lovell (onboard): That'd be 19:16.
088:14:02 Anders (onboard): A second later?
088:14:05 Lovell (onboard): That's what you gave me, wasn't it?
088:14:06 Anders (onboard): 16, because it's 0.67.
088:14:10 Lovell (onboard): Oh, okay.
088:14:12 Anders (onboard): So it's 67 - 0.57 you mean?
088:14:15 Borman (onboard): 15.67; make it a second.
088:14:16 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
088:14:32 Anders (onboard): Okay, shutdown will be at 40 then, right?
088:14:37 Lovell (onboard): 37; I have 21.
088:14:42 Anders (onboard): I mean emergency shutdown will be at 40.
088:14:43 Borman (onboard): Yeah, oh.
088:14:44 Lovell (onboard): Yeah, OK.
088:14:46 Anders (onboard): Starting at 89:19:16, burning 3:22, shutting down at...
088:14:56 Mattingly: Okay. On the helium tank temps: that's not recorded on low bit rate, and looking over our tape dumps, most of this stuff we have on the back side there is low bit rate. So we won't be able to get you an exact number, but looking at what we have every time we go out of sight and come back over the hill, it looks like you can expect about 82 to 84 degrees as a nominal temperature.
088:15:22 Borman: Thank you.
Very long comm break.
088:15:22 Anders (onboard): Shit, we got a lot to do.
088:15:23 Borman (onboard): Huh?
088:15:24 Anders (onboard): That's the worst one we've had here.
088:15:27 Borman (onboard): That's worse?
088:15:40 Anders (onboard): You know the colder, the better.
088:15:43 Lovell (onboard): They last longer, huh?
088:15:49 Lovell (onboard): Are you going to pull out Pitch 2 and Yaw 2 circuit breakers?
088:15:52 Borman (onboard): Yeah.
088:16:05 Borman (onboard): Trying to get in place so you can get some sighting going.
088:16:12 Lovell (onboard): Get some sighting going?
088:16:13 Borman (onboard): Sighting - you know, for P52.
088:16:18 Lovell (onboard): Oh, P52 - Yeah, we're going into it. North is down.
088:16:24 Lovell (onboard): Are we? Man, look at that. There you go.
088:16:30 Borman (onboard): Huh?
088:16:31 Borman (onboard): Get a P52, will you? Let me have a Flight Plan.
088:16:39 Lovell (onboard): Do you need the book?
088:16:48 Lovell (onboard): Which way is my optics pointing?
088:16:51 Borman (onboard): Pointed at the - pretty - should be...
088:16:53 Anders (onboard): What's our spacecraft weight?
088:16:55 Lovell (onboard): Have you stopped the rate?
088:17:07 Borman (onboard): Yeah, Enter that. You didn't get it?
088:17:13 Lovell (onboard): Oh. You did Enter it?
088:17:14 Borman (onboard): Yeah, I Enter it.
088:17:15 Lovell (onboard): Okay, I'm sorry.
088:17:20 Anders (onboard): Based on helium pressure, I get 46, 50.
088:17:24 Borman (onboard): Based on what?
088:17:26 Anders (onboard): Helium pressure.
088:17:27 Borman (onboard): Oh, good.
088:17:33 Lovell (onboard): (Singing)
088:17:37 Lovell (onboard): 27. 27 is Alkaid.
088:18:31 Lovell (onboard): 31. 31 is Arcturus.
088:18:36 Borman (onboard): Well, you got two good ones, huh?
088:18:37 Lovell (onboard): Yep.
088:18:57 Anders (onboard): We'd have enough there to blow it down, wouldn't we?
088:19:00 Borman (onboard): Just a minute, let me add it.
088:19:02 Anders (onboard): Oh.
088:19:18 Lovell (onboard): All balls; want to record that?
088:19:23 Borman (onboard): Yeah, I've got it.
088:19:26 Lovell (onboard): Proceed. Gimbal angles: minus three zeros 40, plus four zeros 2, plus three zeros 48.
088:19:39 Borman (onboard): Okay.
088:19:43 Lovell (onboard): Can I torque?
088:19:44 Borman (onboard): You may. Torque that way.
088:19:47 Anders (onboard): I'm not sure we can blow it quite all the way. We can blow it for the time to get to get to that short - I think we can blow it for over - for about 190 seconds down to 70 psi; if you want to go a little lower, you might as well go to chug; why, you can probably do it all the way.
088:20:05 Borman (onboard): Okay.
[Download MP3 audio file of PAO announcer recording. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.]
This is Apollo Control at 88 hours, 20 minutes. At the present time, we are about 31 minutes, 15 seconds from Loss of Signal. And the crew, at this time, is involved in aligning the platform on their guidance and navigation system. Here in Mission Control Center, Flight Director Milton Windler has just gone around the room again, pulsing all of the flight controllers and in every case the word was Go. We have gotten all of the necessary information up to the crew at this point that they will need for the maneuver. And at the present time, the mood here in Mission Control Center could best be described, I believe, as one of relaxed confidence. Flight controllers are continuing to go over their displays, looking at the systems, getting a last minute look at all systems before we lose contact with the spacecraft. And we're again going back over the figures that have been passed up to the crew, verifying every aspect of this maneuver. And aboard the spacecraft, following the platform alignment, the crew will be pretty much up to date on all the things they need to do for the maneuver. At about 88 hours, 48 minutes into the flight, they're scheduled to transfer - the Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell is scheduled to transfer from the Lower Equipment Bay, where he has been doing the guidance and navigation checkout and preparation, to transfer from there to his couch. We've had very little communication with the crew since our last report. We have about a minute and a half on tape and we'll play that back for you now.
088:20:09 Lovell (onboard): It's finished.
088:20:11 Borman (onboard): Okay...
088:20:12 Anders (onboard): If we do have - If we do get one tank stuck, I'm going to shut the other one off, and blow them both down together.
088:20:28 Borman (onboard): What do you mean by that, Bill?
088:20:20 Anders (onboard): If we get - one tank's not getting pressurized, I'll shut off the other one, so you don't get a big Delta-P between them.
088:20:26 Borman (onboard): Alright, good.
088:20:29 Borman (onboard): Okay, let's go, start through the checklist. Shall we?
088:20:36 Lovell (onboard): Okay, first of all, the external Delta-V, right?
088:20:39 Borman (onboard): I'm getting my little library squared away here.
088:20:53 Lovell (onboard): Want me to go through P30?
The checklist for P30 starts on page G-35 of the CMP Checklist.
088:20:56 SC (onboard): [Yawn.]
088:20:57 Lovell (onboard): Because you can start right then with P40. There's the - there's the burn stuff.
088:21:01 Borman (onboard): Alright, go ahead.
088:21:09 Lovell (onboard): 89:19:15.67.
They are loading the time of ignition. Next, they load the three components of velocity change.
088:21:12 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:21:14 Lovell (onboard): Okay, plus 35186.
088:21:16 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:21:18 Lovell (onboard): Minus - what was that? 01512.
088:21:21 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:21:22 Lovell (onboard): Minus 00520.
088:21:24 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:21:25 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
The next item is the orbital dimensions, with their apogee being not applicable.
088:21:31 Lovell (onboard): Okay, 61, this is not applicable, okay?
088:21:37 Borman (onboard): Yep.
088:21:38 Lovell (onboard): Counting down.
088:21:39 Borman (onboard): Alright.
088:21:43 Lovell (onboard): If you set it at three counting up. I think you'd have it, wouldn't you?
088:21:45 Borman (onboard): Yeah.
With the parameters in P30 set and the Digital Event Timer (DET) set, they can move onto P40.
088:21:57 Lovell (onboard): (Singing)
088:22:02 Borman (onboard): I've got to get some of that Murine out; My eyes are... (Murine is a popular eye drop of the time)
088:22:04 Lovell (onboard): Yeah, my eyes are bothering me, too.
088:31:20 Borman: Ken, are you through with the tape recorder?
088:31:23 Mattingly: Stand by one.
088:31:28 Borman: We're on a maneuver to burn attitude, and it's going to make us lose the High Gain. [Long pause.]
088:31:48 Anders (onboard): Well, now they're moving again.
088:31:56 Anders (onboard): Can y'all hear those...
088:31:57 Mattingly: Apollo 8, the tape recorder is yours. We have your Double Umbra update, 89:07...
088:32:05 Borman: Okay. [Laughter.]
088:32:05 Borman (onboard): I'll get it.
088:32:06 Mattingly: ...15.87.
Double Umbra refers to being in the shadow of both Earth and Sun.
088:32:11 Borman: Roger. Copy.
088:32:12 Lovell (onboard): What's a double umbra?
088:32:13 Mattingly: Rog. And no change on your AOS time.
088:32:20 Borman: Say that again, will you, Ken?
088:32:21 Anders (onboard): Can't believe it.
088:32:22 Mattingly: There's no change on your AOS time.
088:32:28 Borman: Now what was it?
088:32:32 Lovell (onboard): Oh, I got it. I got it.
088:32:35 Anders (onboard): It was in the Flight Plan. I read it.
088:32:31 Mattingly: Okay. With TEI, 89:28:39.
088:32:37 Lovell (onboard): 89:28:39; 89:28:39.
088:32:40 Borman: Thank you.
088:32:42 Mattingly: Rog.
Very long comm break.
088:32:50 Lovell (onboard): Yeah, they might as well not build simulators any other way than they've been doing it. You're laying on your back in this thing no matter what you do.
088:32:37 Anders (onboard): Think so? I feel like I'm sitting straight up.
088:32:38 Borman (onboard): Do you?
088:33:00 Anders (onboard): Yes.
088:33:01 Lovell (onboard): You do?
088:33:02 Borman (onboard): I feel like I've been in the whole time like I've been here in the simulator.
088:33:04 Lovell (onboard): Yeah, that's right; me too.
088:33:05 Borman (onboard): I've been lying on my...
088:33:06 Lovell (onboard): The only difference is that this is...
088:33:07 Anders (onboard): I feel like I'm In the DCPS.
088:33:08 Borman (onboard): Oh, really?
088:33:09 Anders (onboard): Yes.
088:33:13 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
088:33:14 Anders (onboard): [Garble] a little bit.
088:33:24 Anders (onboard): I'm giving these an extra little whack here just so there won't be any surprises.
088:33:35 Lovell (onboard): (singing)
088:33:52 Lovell (onboard): 42's a pretty small star, too; Peacock.
088:34:19 Lovell (onboard): Why don't you let the old DAP take it from here?
088:34:21 Borman (onboard): I'm going to. As soon as we get in close, I'm going to give it to the DAP. It's going faster than the DAP can take [garble] roll [garble] It's going the way we want it to go.
088:34:30 Lovell (onboard): You going to align the GDC here?(Yawn)
088:34:35 Borman (onboard): Yeah. I left it this way so we can tell where we're pointing.
088:34:39 Lovell (onboard): Oh.
088:34:40 Borman (onboard): I left her in Orb Rate.
088:34:51 Anders (onboard): Where's the Earth; can you see it?
088:34:53 Borman (onboard): No. Oh, it's out here, Bill - up this way.
088:34:57 Anders (onboard): Okay. Getting the right antenna.
088:35:01 Lovell (onboard): Okay, so what we are going to do is pitch down this way, huh?
088:35:37 Anders (onboard): We've got an Earthset picture for Life magazine!
088:35:40 Borman (onboard): We're there!
088:35:42 Anders (onboard): Okay, are you - there?
088:35:44 Borman (onboard): Yes.
088:35:46 Anders (onboard): Okay, you want Auto trim?
088:35:50 Borman (onboard): Yes, a little Auto trim.
Now they are at the top of page G-45 of the CMP Checklist.
088:35:54 Anders (onboard): Okay, CMC and Auto.
088:35:55 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:35:56 Anders (onboard): Proceed.
088:35:57 Borman (onboard): Right.
088:35:58 Anders (onboard): Boresight and sextant star check.
088:36:00 Borman (onboard): Okay.
088:36:01 Anders (onboard): You're kind of in deep trouble for doing that. It's impossible.
088:36:05 Borman (onboard): You're looking right at the Moon.
088:36:06 Anders (onboard): Yeah, you have to wait a while.
088:36:09 Borman (onboard): Gee, that's a pretty interesting view, Isn't it? That Earthshine is bright.
088:36:12 Lovell (onboard): Let me take a look.
088:36:14 Anders (onboard): When the Earth sets, then we'll have enough - -
088:36:15 Borman (onboard): Look down here.
088:36:17 Lovell (onboard): Huh?
088:36:20 Borman (onboard): See it?
088:36:21 Lovell (onboard): Oh, yeah, I see it quite well.
088:36:26 Anders (onboard): Oh, I might be able to get a star up there, though. What was the - what was my star?
088:36:30 Lovell (onboard): Your star was Scorpii Delti - Delta.
088:36:34 Anders (onboard): And which way was it?
088:36:38 Lovell (onboard): Okay, it was down 06.9...
088:36:44 Anders (onboard): Yeah.
088:36:46 Lovell (onboard): ...and left 4.5.
088:36:48 Borman (onboard): Oh, you'll never get that.
088:36:49 Anders (onboard): Well, how in the hell would you ever get it?
088:36:50 Borman (onboard): Well, there are some stars up here, see, that just...
088:36:51 Anders (onboard): Yes.
088:36:53 Lovell (onboard): Yes. But Scorpio is...
088:36:54 Anders (onboard): You're not going to be able to get it until damn near just prior to ignition.
088:37:00 Borman (onboard): That's an inertial star.
088:37:02 Anders (onboard): Yeah, but you've got an inertial Moon in your way.
088:37:04 Lovell (onboard): Well, if it - if the COAS - If you set the COAS and it doesn't hit the moon, then it's okay.
088:37:10 Anders (onboard): That's right. It's kind of hard not to hit it though (laughter), looking down at it like this.
088:37:19 Lovell (onboard): I think you're looking at Saturn.
088:37:20 Anders (onboard): Well, I can't even see... I'm not getting in your way, am I?
088:37:26 Anders (onboard): (Laughter) You guys - really bad!
[Download MP3 audio file of PAO announcer recording. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.]
This is Apollo Control at 88 hours, 37 minutes. We're now some 13 minutes, 55 seconds from Loss of Signal. The Guidance Officer has confirmed that the spacecraft at this time is in the proper orientation for the Trans-Earth Injection maneuver. That maneuver scheduled to occur at 89 hours, 19 minutes, 16 seconds into the flight. There have been a very few brief comments passed back and forth from the ground to the spacecraft since our last report and we'll play those back for you now and then stand by for any live conversation with the crew.
088:37:31 Borman (onboard): Alright, I'm going to put this thing Inertial - Inertial Power, Off; lighting, Off; select one - IMU.
088:37:50 Lovell (onboard): I could - I guess I could get out the optics and set the thing all the way up. All I'd have to do is wait until we get there.
088:36:03 Lovell (onboard): You guys could go ahead with the checklist without me in case I don't pick it up right away.
088:38:09 Anders (onboard): Look at that red star going down there.
088:38:10 Borman (onboard): I was trying to figure wit what that was, too, Bill.
088:38:12 Lovell (onboard): It might be Antares.
088:38:16 Anders (onboard): Boy, they set in a hurry, don't they?
087:38:21 Borman (onboard): They sure do.
088:38:24 Anders (onboard): Well, it's Scorpius, maybe it was - Yeah?
088:38:30 Lovell (onboard): That wouldn't be setting now, would it?
088:38:32 Borman (onboard): Yes, it would be. If it's going to be part of the boresight star, it's got to be near the horizon - near the plus-X axis.
088:38:46 Borman (onboard): Okay, Bill, that should complete it.
088:38:48 Anders (onboard): Okay.
088:36:54 Borman (onboard): I won't be able to get a boresight star because we'll be in the daylight.
088:38:59 Anders (onboard): What about Jim?
088:39:00 Borman (onboard): Well, I don't know; I hope he can.
088:39:04 Borman (onboard): Are you going to do that before we press on, Jim?
088:39:07 Anders (onboard): When we get - when we get...
088:39:10 Lovell (onboard): Why don't I just set...
088:39:11 Anders (onboard): ...your double umbra, why, you can do it then.
088:39:13 Lovell (onboard): What's this double umbra?
088:39:15 Anders (onboard): Double shadow. When the Earth sets, then you'll be able to - you'll be looking at 90 degrees back and you can look right down on it.
088:39:25 Lovell (onboard): When the Earth sets?
088:39:26 Anders (onboard): Yeah, the umbra is the shadow.
088:39:27 Lovell (onboard): Oh, Yes, okay.
088:39:30 Anders (onboard): So we're in the shadow of the Sun; that the umbra of the Moon, and when we're in the shadow of the Earth, that's the umbra. You should be able to get a boresight star pretty soon, because we're going, to come to the end of the...
088:39:41 Lovell (onboard): Are we? Okay, I'll go down there and set it up.
088:39:43 Anders (onboard): Wait a minute. Where in the hell are we?
088:39:45 Borman (onboard): Confusing.
088:39:48 Lovell (onboard): We're pitching down this way.
088:39:51 Anders (onboard): We're not doing anything - are we? Are we maneuvering?
088:39:54 Lovell (onboard): No, we're not. We're holding steady, but...
088:39:55 Borman (onboard): Here, let me show you...
088:39:56 Anders (onboard): Yes, that's right; we're not 90degrees from our burn from our burn place yet. If we're 90 degrees from our burn place, we'll be looking straight at the Moon.
088:40:03 Lovell (onboard): We're over here.
088:40:07 Anders (onboard): We're coming this way.
088:40:08 Lovell (onboard): Yes, I know. And we're not upside down like that. We're - well - you have your optics are up.
088:40:18 Anders (onboard): Optics are posigrade. They'll go to up.
088:40:28 Borman (onboard): We're going right through here.
088:40:58 Lovell (onboard): Okay, Bill, when do you start reading the 6-minute checklist?
088:41:03 Anders (onboard): 6 minutes.
088:41:04 Lovell (onboard): What's that time in GET?
088:41:07 Anders (onboard): Well, let's see here. 89:19 we'll call it; let's make it 89:13, okay? And the 5 one will be at 89:14, and the 2 will be at 89:17 - 35
088:42:08 Lovell (onboard): I'm just looking where the Pitch 2 and Yaw 2 circuit breakers are. I want to make sure you pull the right one.
088:42:14 Borman (onboard): Yaw 2 and Pitch 2.
088:42:16 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
[Download MP3 audio file of PAO announcer recording. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.]
At this point, Flight Director Milton Windler has just advised his flight controllers that we are just about 10 minutes now from Loss of Signal. And recommend they take a last look at all their displays before we lose communication with the crew. We're coming upon that Trans-Earth Injection maneuver. Currently, the spacecraft is traveling at a speed of 5,331 feet per second. Our current altitude is 63 nautical miles [116.7 km] and the orbital parameters are 63.2 nautical miles [117.0 km] for apocynthion, 58.6 nautical miles [108.5 km] for pericynthion. At 88 hours, 42 minutes into the flight of Apollo 8; this is Mission Control, Houston.
088:42:26 Borman (onboard): I'm really screwed up. It looks to me we ought to be going the other way.
088:42:30 Lovell (onboard): Yeah, I know.
088:42:31 Borman (onboard): Huh? Yes, well, look. Well, here we are right here.
088:42:34 Lovell (onboard): Oh boy!
088:42:35 Borman (onboard): What's wrong?
088:42:36 Lovell (onboard): I should have got down here a long time ago.
088:42:39 Borman (onboard): Here's where we're going to be when we burn, right?
088:42:40 Anders (onboard): Yes, and we're right here now. See? And we're looking straight down at the Moon, and the Earth is over here.
088:42:54 Borman (onboard): You doing your star check?
088:42:56 Lovell (onboard): Yes, right in a crater!
088:42:59 Anders (onboard): Okay, you're not going to be able to do it until we get past this...
088:43:04 Lovell (onboard): Now, if I can't do it until real late, go - Start without me.
088:43:10 Anders (onboard): You'll be able to do it here. You're 15 minutes - 20 minutes out of the burn.
088:43:42 Lovell (onboard): I wonder if the Moon is made out of basically the same material as the Earth is.
088:43:46 Borman (onboard): I don't know.
088:43:48 Anders (onboard): Probably is.
088:43:52 Borman (onboard): Anders is going to tell you when he alights from the first LM - Pick up all the gold.
088:44:07 Lovell (onboard): I think he doesn't have to; he knows it all right now. Didn't you hear him? Ye geologists of the world: I see a few grabens, a few slipped discs.
088:44:39 Anders (onboard): There's a strange light down there.
088:44:45 Borman (onboard): Is it a bonfire?
088:44:47 Anders (onboard): It might be campfires.
088:45:03 Lovell (onboard): How does it look?
088:45:07 Anders (onboard): I think you're going to be able to see it pretty soon.
088:45:14 Lovell (onboard): Well, I'll put it in and wait for it.
088:45:16 Borman (onboard): Okay.
088:45:20 Lovell (onboard): Do I have the computer?
088:45:22 Borman (onboard): Yes, Enter the...
088:45:30 Lovell (onboard): Are you going to read this off to me?
088:45:32 Borman (onboard): Yeah, what is it?
088:45:34 Borman (onboard): Bill?
088:45:35 Anders (onboard): Okay, I'm getting the timer.
088:45:42 Anders (onboard): Oh boy, we're going to hit that damned thing to 10 again.
088:45:50 Anders (onboard): Okay. Have that time...
[Download MP3 audio file of PAO announcer recording. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.]
This is Apollo Control at 88 hours, 46 minutes. We are now just under 5 minutes from Loss of Signal. We'll stand by for any communications with the crew, as we - as the spacecraft goes over the lunar horizon and we lose touch with them. At the present time, Jim Lovell should be finishing a sextant star check. This will be a verification of the spacecraft attitude for the maneuver. He will then be transferring to his couch, joining Commander Frank Borman and the Lunar Module Pilot Bill Anders, who are in their couches at the present time. We'll stand by now for any parting communications with the crew.
088:46:01 Anders (onboard): You got a star. Jim?
088:46:02 Borman (onboard): No, he needs it read off to him.
088:46:04 Anders (onboard): Okay, Optics Mode, CMC.
088:46:07 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
086:46:08 Anders (onboard): In zero, Off.
088:46:09 Lovell (onboard): Zero Off.
088:46:10 Anders (onboard): Verb 41, Noun 91, Enter. Okay, we'll lose them here pretty soon.
088:46:23 Lovell (onboard): Okay. The shaft is 09240, plus...
088:46:33 Anders (onboard): You want me to write - you want me to log this?
088:46:34 Lovell (onboard): 09240. Okay. Enter. And the trunnion is plus 25300. Plus 25300. Enter.
088:47:14 Anders (onboard): There's no trouble reading by Earthshine.
088:47:19 Lovell (onboard): Oh, I don't have anything yet.
088:47:21 Borman (onboard): You got the Earth - the Moon, I mean?
088:47:25 Lovell (onboard): I can't see either.
088:47:35 Lovell (onboard): I think I'm still on - still on the Earth - or the Moon.
088:47:37 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Houston. We have 3 minutes to LOS; all systems are Go. [Long pause.]
088:47:41 Anders (onboard): What did your - what's your shaft and trunnion? Jim?
088:47:48 Lovell (onboard): Shaft is 02940.
088:47:51 Anders (onboard): 02940, yeah.
088:47:52 Lovell (onboard): Left 25.3 degrees trunnion.
088:47:55 Anders (onboard): Oh, well, you're looking down at its eye. You've got to wait until you get down past the 90-degree point.
088:48:04 Lovell (onboard): I think I see it coming up.
088:48:06 Mattingly: Apollo 8, Apollo 8. This is Houston. Three minutes LOS; all systems are Go. Over.
088:48:16 Borman: Roger. Thank you, Houston. Apollo 8.
Comm break.
088:48:40 Lovell (onboard): I see the limb, and I see the stars coming up.
088:49:02 Anders (onboard): You got optics power, zero, and - Oh, you haven't done that yet, huh?
088:49:06 Lovell (onboard): No. I'm waiting until I until I see the star.
088:49:08 Anders (onboard): Yeah.
088:49:26 Lovell (onboard): How much time do we have?
088:49:30 Borman (onboard): Half an hour
088:49:49 Lovell (onboard): There's our friend out there.
088:49:51 Anders (onboard): You can really see Australia or something down there on the Earth. [Garble]. I get Earthset here in just a second.
088:50:08 Borman (onboard): Any luck, Jim?
088:50:11 Lovell (onboard): It's coming up, but I think I can almost verify it right now because I have Gruis, and Peacock is in line with the bottom parts of Gruis, and this optics...
088:50:18 Borman (onboard): We're not in any burry.
088:50:19 Lovell (onboard): ...is exactly in line with it. I know, I was just saying that we can almost verify it right now.
088:50:55 Mattingly: All systems are Go, Apollo 8.
088:50:58 Anders (onboard): Look at that, look at that, Frank.
088:51:01 Borman: Thank you.
Very long comm break.
088:51:00 Anders (onboard): Look at the Earth.
088:51:03 Borman (onboard): Yeah.
088:51:04 Lovell (onboard): Setting?
088:51:05 Borman (onboard): Yeah.
088:51:06 Anders (onboard): Yeah, we're down in Carnarvon.
088:51:10 Lovell (onboard): Huh?
088:51:11 Anders (onboard): Yes, we're down in Honeysuckle; that was Australia.
088:51:20 Anders (onboard): You don't see that very often, do you?
088:51:47 Borman (onboard): Okay?
088:51:50 Lovell (onboard): No, the Moon's still there. I see it coming up. Stars are coming up, but the Moon is still there. Now, if you guys want to go on a little further, go ahead without me.
088:51:59 Borman (onboard): Oh, we got a lot of time.
