This part of the transcript commences soon after the commencement of the crew's rest period leading to wake-up on flight day 5, the start of 20 July 1969, the day they will land on the Moon. The crew report on various spacecraft systems and receive the morning news from Mission Control. Armstrong and Aldrin enter Eagle to get ready for the landing ahead, while Collins stays behind in Columbia and prepares to undock the two spacecraft. Then the still-docked craft pass behind the Moon on their twelfth lunar orbit.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control, Houston at 86 hours, 52 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11. Our current altitude on the Apollo 11 spacecraft now reads 64.9 nautical miles [120.2 km]. This corresponds with our apolune of 64.9 nautical miles. Our perilune on this pass, 54.6 nautical miles [101.1 km]. We've had no further conversation with the Apollo 11 crew nor do we expect to do so. We will take the loop down at this time and stand by if any further conversation should develop. At 86 hours, 53 minutes into the flight, 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 87 hours, 31 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11. The Apollo 11 spacecraft continues on its front-side pass above the Moon. We're now less than 10 minutes away from the Loss Of Signal. The Apollo 11 crew in - currently in their rest period. We've received no indication yet that any of the three crew members are actually sleeping, although all three appear to be in a very restful mode. This will be the final sleep period for the crew, now at the threshold of their prime mission objective, for the final sleep period prior to landing on the lunar surface and returning. The next scheduled rest period will in - in - in - will in fact take place on the surface of the Moon. We're now past midnight Central Daylight Time. It is now July 20, the day scheduled for lunar landing. Our current orbital parameters read apolune, 67 - correction - 64.7 nautical miles [119.8 km]; perilune, 54.8 nautical miles [101.5 km]. Current spacecraft altitude, 54.8 nautical miles [101.5 km]. Our time of orbit, orbital period, remains the same; 1 hour, 58 minutes, 40 seconds. So at 87 hours, 33 minutes; we will continue to stand by in the event that we have any conversation with the crew. 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 87 hours, 40 minutes now into the flight, Apollo 11. Apollo 11 now less than a minute away from Loss Of Signal as it is due to pass over the far side of the Moon and out of range with the Mission Control Center, as well as the rest of the world. We've had no further conversations with the crew. All spacecraft systems appear in fine shape. We're now less than 30 seconds away from our time of Loss Of Signal and standing by.
Mark. 10 seconds.
We've had Loss Of Signal as Apollo 11 passes over the backside of the Moon.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control; 89 hours, 38 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Coming down - actually, we've had Loss Of Signal on this, the seventh lunar revolution of Apollo 11. Should have acquisition again at 90 hours, 25 minutes through the Honeysuckle Creek, Australia station. The crew has been asleep about 2 hours, a little over 2 hours when the third man finally went to sleep, Mike Collins, after a brief interchange with the ground. And 3 hours, 57 minutes remaining in the sleep period. Cabin pressure now holding at 4.7 pounds per square inch [32.4 kPa] at a temperature of 69 degrees Fahrenheit [20.5°C]. Crew heart rates are running in the 40s. Apollo 11 presently in a lunar orbit with a pericynthion of 55 nautical miles [101.9 km], apocynthion of 64.4 nautical miles [119.3 km]. Velocity in lunar orbit; 5,363 feet per second [1,635 m/s]. Some 44 minutes, 46 seconds until Acquisition Of Signal as the spacecraft comes around from the far side of the Moon on the eighth revolution. And at 89 hours, 40 minutes Ground Elapsed Time; this is Apollo Control.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control; 91 hours, 36 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Less than 1 minute remaining until Loss Of Signal with Apollo 11 as it goes onto the lunar far side in the eighth lunar revolution. Two hours remaining in the crew rest period, which means that midway through the next front-side pass the crew will be wakened, if they're not indeed already awake. Flight Surgeon Ken Beers reported, just prior to LOS in a brief exchange here in Mission Control, that the crew apparently were all asleep soundly at this time. Flight Director Glynn Lunney asked the spacecraft systems engineers how the two spacecraft looked as they approached the LOS point. Coming up on LOS now. Mark. Loss Of Signal. The spacecraft systems were described by the systems engineers as being 'looking good'. 45 minutes to next - 45 minutes, 28 seconds to next Acquisition Of Signal which will be, in Ground Elapsed Time, 92:23; 92 hours, 23 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. And at 91 hours, 37 minutes Ground Elapsed Time; this is Apollo Control.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control; 93 hours, 29 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Some 5 minutes away from Loss Of Signal on the Apollo 11 on this revolution. A wake-up call is expected from spacecraft communicator Ron Evans here in Mission Control just prior to the time the spacecraft goes into the - goes over the hill on the lunar far side. Standing by as we wait for him to make his call. Presently, Apollo 11 is in an orbit measuring 64 nautical miles [118.5 km] at apocynthion, 55.5 nautical miles [102.8 km] at pericynthion. Present orbital velocity around the Moon, 5,370 feet per second [1,637 m/s]. Spacecraft calculated now to weigh 70,321 pounds [31,897 kg].
Still standing by for the wake-up call.
Standing by for Ron Evans' big moment as he makes his call to the spacecraft, as being the sleep watch, his job has been rather easy or at least he hasn't had too much conversation with... Here we go.
093:32:39 Evans: Apollo 11, Apollo 11. Good morning from the Black Team. [Long pause.]
093:33:01 Collins: Good morning, Houston.
093:33:04 Evans: Good morning. We got about 2 minutes to LOS here, Mike.
093:33:12 Collins: [Garble] you guys wake up early.
093:33:15 Evans: (Laughing) Yeah, you're about 2 minutes early here on the wake-up. Looks like you're really sawing them away.
093:33:23 Collins: You're right. [Long pause.]
093:33:44 Evans: 11, Houston. For planning purposes, you can go ahead and take the monocular into the LM with you.
093:33:56 Collins: Okay. I'll tell them. How are all the CSM systems looking? [Pause.]
093:34:06 Evans: 11, Houston. Looks like the Command Module's been in good shape. Black Team has been watching it real closely for you.
093:34:17 Collins: We sure appreciate that. [Pause.] Cos I sure haven't.
093:34:27 Evans: Say again.
093:34:34 Collins: I say: Because I sure have not.
093:34:37 Evans: Roger. [Long pause.]
093:35:01 Evans: Apollo 11. Thirty seconds. AOS will be 94 plus 21.
093:35:11 Collins: 94:21.
Very long comm break.
This is Apollo Control. We have had Loss Of Signal from Apollo 11 as it went over the hill. Now tracking through the Madrid station during this series of revolutions. Next acquisition, as Apollo 11 comes back around the east limb of the Moon on the next revolution, will be at 94 hours, 21 minutes Ground Elapsed Time; some 43 minutes from now. And at 93 hours, 36 minutes Ground Elapsed Time; this is Apollo Control.
093:37:01 Collins (onboard): He says good morning and take the monocular into the LM and AOS is 94:21.
093:46:53 Collins (onboard): Hey, why don't I turn on the hot water switch? Thank you [garble].
093:48:32 Collins (onboard): [Garble.]
093:49:59 Collins (onboard): [Garble] the LCG?
093:50:27 Collins (onboard): I think that baseline altitude has got the - the Foaming Sea altitude updated, isn't it? Huh? Yeah, well. I can tell you on a map where I marked [garble] the Foaming Sea.
093:50:48 Collins (onboard): I used zero. I input all zeroes in altitude. It actually came out minus. It's below sea level.
093:51:09 Collins (onboard): [Garble] those numbers right there behind you. Don't know if you see them. Minus 00177. Think that's 1.77 miles if I remember that - numbers right.
093:51:27 Collins (onboard): I can look it up. But they'll have some kind of correction to make to it so there isn't much point.
093:52:54 Collins (onboard): How much sleep did everybody get?
093:57:51 Collins (onboard): A - a good place for it. [Garble].
093:58:00 Collins (onboard): A good place for at least one of them is here where the toolkit and the PPK box in A-1 over here. This guy right there [garble].
093:58:26 Collins (onboard): Buzz, I'll put your [garble] stuff in the elephant trunk, okay?
094:09:13 Collins (onboard): [Garble] Buzz, what is it we're looking for?
094:09:38 Collins (onboard): [Garble.]
094:16:39 Collins (onboard): Yeah. 94:21
094:16:51 Collins (onboard): Now I can take care of all that stuff in the Flight Plan. I'm trying to get breakfast out of the way.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control; 94 hours, 21 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Should have Acquisition Of Signal as Apollo 11 comes around on the front side of the Moon on the 10th revolution. AOS is confirmed. We'll stand by for CapCom's call to the crew. We have data coming in now.
After having breakfast and getting all squared away after the night's rest period, the crew will have a rather busy day today including the first manned landing on the Moon. Some of the preliminary times being generated now for maneuvers of the day will include separation at - a separation burn at 100 hours, 39 minutes, 50 seconds. Here goes the call.
094:22:17 Evans: Apollo 11, Houston. Standing by. [Long pause.]
094:23:04 Aldrin: Houston, Apollo 11.
094:23:06 Evans: Apollo 11, Houston. Go.
094:23:11 Aldrin: Roger. How do you read the Biomed in the LMP with the LCG on? Over.
094:23:17 Evans: Roger. Stand by one. [Long pause.]
094:23:47 Evans: Apollo 11, Houston. We have good data on all three crewmen. No. Belay that. The Commander we do not have yet.
094:24:00 Aldrin: Roger. He's not up just yet.
Very long comm break.
094:29:45 Armstrong (onboard): [Garble] some of these crater walls have scallops inside like a design in a fan, like feathers.
094:29:55 Aldrin (onboard): [Garble].
094:29:57 Aldrin (onboard): [Garble] very pretty. Very [garble].
This is Apollo Control. Following the separation burn at the time of 100 hours, 39 minutes, 50 seconds, the Descent Orbit Insertion burn is now scheduled at 101 hours, 36 minutes, 13.5 seconds. Our descent initiation at 102 hours, 33 minutes, five zero - that's 05.1 seconds. We'll stay up live on the air-ground loop, and continue to monitor any further conversation between spacecraft communicator Ron Evans here in Mission Control and the crew of Apollo 11, which at this time is likely in the middle of their breakfast period.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control. Still standing by as the Apollo 11 - about a third of the way through the front-side pass on revolution number 10. Still in the midst of their breakfast period. Various console positions are preparing numbers for maneuver times, attitudes, and so on, for the day's activities to pass to spacecraft communicator, who in turn will pass them up to the crew, probably during this pass. Members of the White Team of flight controllers headed up by Eugene Kranz are drifting into the control room now to relieve the night watch - the Black Team headed by Glynn Lunney. Glynn Lunney will hold a brief change-of-shift press conference in the Apollo news center in MSC after the handover is complete. We'll continue to monitor the air-ground circuit for any further transmissions from Apollo 11.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
094:50:00 Aldrin: Houston, Apollo 11. We just had a very good view of the landing site. We can pick out most all of the features we've identified previously.
094:50:10 Evans: 11, Houston. Roger. Sounds real fine. And, 11, I have your maneuver PAD and consumables update whenever you want them. [Long pause.]
094:50:34 Aldrin: Stand by a little, please.
094:50:37 Evans: Roger. We're standing by. And that's the block data on the maneuver PAD, by the way.
Comm break.
094:52:39 Collins: Houston, Apollo 11 is a couple of minutes away from this rolling right 40 degrees to roll 122, pitch 229, yaw 0. Over.
094:52:48 Evans: Apollo 11, Houston. Roger. We're standing by.
Comm break.
094:54:04 Collins: Houston, Apollo 11. Ready to copy.
094:54:08 Evans: Roger. Apollo 11, Houston. Here's your block data, TEI-30. Over.
094:54:20 Collins: Ready to copy.
094:54:22 Evans: SPS/G&N: 36639; your Noun 48, minus 0.72, plus 0.51; your Noun 33, 135:24:40.00; Noun 81, plus 3217.8, plus 0603.6, minus 0130.4; your pitch, 064. The rest is NA. Ullage; two jet, 16 seconds. And it's based on LOI REFSMMAT. Over. [Long pause.]
The PAD is interpreted as follows:
Purpose: The PAD is a revised version for an emergency burn to return to Earth at the end of Rev 30.
Systems: The burn would be made using the SPS engine, under the control of the Guidance and Navigation system.
CSM Weight (Noun 47): 36,639 pounds (16,619 kg).
Pitch and yaw trim (Noun 48): -0.72° and +0.51°.
Time of ignition (Noun 33): 135 hours, 24 minutes, 40.00 seconds.
Change in velocity (Noun 81), fps (m/s): x, +3,217.8 (+980.8); y, +603.6 (+184.0); z, -130.4 (-39.7). 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: Pitch, 64°.
All the subsequent items on the form are not applicable to this PAD. The final comments are that there should be an ullage manoeuvre prior to the burn of 16 seconds using two rearwards-facing thrusters and that the manoeuvre's attitude would be based on the LOI REFSMMAT.
094:55:49 Collins: Roger. TEI-30, SPS/G&N: 36639; minus 0.72, plus 0.51; 135:24:40.00; plus 3217.8, plus 0603.6, minus 0130.4; pitch 064. Two jets, 16 seconds. LOI REFSMMAT. Over.
094:56:15 Evans: Apollo 11, Houston. Readback correct. Your consumables update? [Long pause.]
094:56:36 Collins: Yeah. Go ahead.
094:56:37 Evans: Roger. GET 91 plus 30, minus 7 percent; Alpha, minus 8; Bravo, minus 2.5; Charlie, minus 10; Delta, minus 6.5. H2 total, minus 2 pounds. Oxygen total, plus 9 pounds. Over.
Across all four of the Service Module's RCS quads, their propellant quantity is reckoned to be 7 per cent lower than expected at this point. Evans then states the values for each individual quad with quad C being the lowest. Mike will reply with readings from the CM's meters.
094:57:18 Collins: Okay. Thank you. And on board, we're reading for Quad Alpha, 75 percent; Bravo, 78; Charlie, 78; and Delta, 77 percent.
These onboard quantities are substantially different to those given by Evans. However, because the RCS operate in weightlessness, measuring their propellant quantities is difficult. The onboard system uses the ratio of temperature and pressure readings of the helium gas that pressurises each quad's propellant tanks. Mission Control also receive these readings but they also add in a quad's usage and history to gain a more informed value for the propellant remaining.
094:57:37 Evans: 11, Houston. We copy. [Pause.]
094:57:49 Evans: Apollo 11, Houston. I have your baseline altitude update now, if Buzz is ready to copy.
094:58:02 Collins: Go ahead.
094:58:04 Evans: Roger. Alpha 1 is 500, that's 500 feet above the landing site. Over.
094:58:23 Collins: Okay. Alpha 1 is 500 feet above the landing site. Thank you. [Long pause.]
Landmark A1 in Mare Spumans was sighted by Mike during Rev 4, a P22 exercise that uses marks on A1 with the spacecraft's optics to link their orbit to the three-dimensional position of a landmark.
094:58:51 Collins: Houston, Apollo 11. Our crew status report for sleep: CDR, 5.5; CMP, 6.0; LMP, 5.0. Over.
094:59:02 Evans: Apollo 11, Houston. Roger. We have that now.
Very long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control. Still up live with the air-ground circuit on the tenth revolution around the Moon. Crew reported that the Commander had 5½ hours of sleep during the night; Command Module Pilot, 6 hours; Lunar Module Pilot, 5 hours. Now 95 hours and 5 minutes into the mission. Another 27 minutes remaining in this pass 'til Loss Of Signal. Continuing to monitor air-ground circuit. We'll leave it up live until Loss Of Signal.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
095:16:09 Evans: Apollo 11, Houston. Over.
095:16:16 Aldrin: Houston, Apollo 11. Go ahead.
095:16:18 Evans: Roger. The Black Bugle just arrived with some morning news briefs if you're ready.
095:16:28 Armstrong: Go ahead.
095:16:30 Evans: Roger.
095:16:31 Collins: [Garbled.]
095:16:32 Evans: Okay. Church services around the world today are mentioning Apollo 11 in their prayers. President Nixon's worship service at the White House is also dedicated to the mission, and our fellow astronaut, Frank Borman, is still in there pitching and will read the passage from Genesis which was read on Apollo 8 last Christmas. The Cabinet and members of Congress, with emphasis on the Senate and House Space Committees, have been invited, along with a number of other guests. Buzz, your son, Andy, got a tour of MSC yesterday. Your Uncle Bob Moon accompanied him on the visit which included the LRL. Among the...
095:17:27 Aldrin: [Garble.] Thank you.
095:17:28 Evans: Roger. Among the large headlines concerning Apollo this morning, is one asking that you watch for a lovely girl with a big rabbit. An ancient legend says a beautiful Chinese girl called Chang-O has been living there for 4,000 years. It seems she was banished to the Moon because she stole the pill of immortality from her husband. You might also look for her companion, a large Chinese rabbit, who is easy to spot since he is always standing on his hind feet in the shade of a cinnamon tree. The name of the rabbit is not reported.
Chang-O is also spelled Ch'ang O and in the more modern rendition, Chang'e. Chang'e was subsequently adopted as the name of the Chinese unmanned lunar exploration programme, the first spacecraft of which was launched in 2007. The third in the series, Chang'e 3, was the first to land which it did autonomously on 14 December 2013 in Mare Imbrium. The rabbit's name of Yutu, stated by Evans as not reported, was given as the name of the first Chinese lunar rover, delivered to the surface by Chang'e 3 and it translates to 'Jade Rabbit'. The next mission in the series, Chang'e 4, made the first soft landing on the Moon's far side on 3 January 2019 carrying another small rover, Yutu 2. To permit communication with Earth for Chang'e 4, a relay satellite, Queqiao, was placed into a halo orbit around the L2 Lagrangian point overlooking the Moon's far side.
095:18:15 Collins: Okay. We'll keep a close eye out for the bunny girl.
095:18:19 Evans: Roger. You residents of the spacecraft Columbia may be interested in knowing that today is Independence Day in the country of Colombia. [Pause.] Gloria Diaz of the Philippines was crowned Miss Universe last night. She defeated 60 other girls for the global beauty title. Miss Diaz is 18, with black hair and eyes, and measures 34½, 23, 34½. First runner-up was Miss Australia, followed by Miss Israel, and Miss Japan. [Pause.] While you're on your way back Tuesday night, the American and National League Allstars will be playing ball in Washington. Mel Stottlemyre of the Yankees is expected to be the American League's first pitcher. No one is predicting who will be first pitcher for the National League yet. They have nine on the roster. [Pause.] Even though research has certainly paid off in the space program, research doesn't always pay off, it seems. The Woodstream Corporation, parent company of the Animal Trap Company of America which has made more than a billion wooden spring mousetraps, reports that it built a better mousetrap but the world didn't beat a door to its pa... - didn't beat a path to its door. [Laughter in MCC.] As a matter of fact, the company had to go back to the old-fashioned kind. They said, "We should have spent more time researching housewives and less time researching mice." And the "Black Beag - Bugle" is all completed for the morning. [Long pause.]
095:20:47 Armstrong: Thanks very much. We appreciate the news. [Long pause.]
095:21:21 Aldrin: Black Team, we'll be looking for an interesting day with you all tomorrow.
095:21:27 Evans: Roger. We'll be going off here shortly, and we'll pick you up in the morning for sure.
Long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control. Some 9 minutes, 27 seconds remaining until Loss Of Signal on this tenth revolution in lunar orbit. Crew preparing, now that they've finished breakfast and gotten a lot of their other items out of the way such as their crew checklist, sleep status and so on, preparing for manning the LM for the second time and preparing for the day's activities which will culminate in landing this afternoon. Apollo 11 is presently in an orbit with a pericynthion of 55.7 nautical miles [103.2 km]; apocynthion, 63.8 nautical miles [118.2 km]. Lunar orbit velocity; 5,368 feet per second [1,636 m/s]. We'll continue to stand by on the air-ground circuit for the remaining 8 minutes of this revolution or until Loss Of Signal. Ground Elapsed Time now is 95 hours, 25 minutes. Apollo Control standing by.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
095:30:15 Evans: Apollo 11, Houston. Three minutes to LOS. AOS at 96 plus 20.
095:30:27 Armstrong: Apollo 11. 96:20. Thank you.
Very long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control. We have apparently had Loss Of Signal from the spacecraft. Here in Mission Control, we're in the process of changing shifts. Flight Director Gene Kranz and the White Team of flight controllers coming on to replace Flight Director Glynn Lunney. The Capsule Communicator on this shift will be Astronaut Charlie Duke. We'll reacquire the spacecraft again in a little over 45 minutes, coming up on the 11th revolution of the Moon. At 95 hours, 34 minutes; this is Apollo Control.
The crew now re-start the onboard voice recorder.
095:32:37 Aldrin (onboard): I'll need to holler across to you to get the mission timers on. Do we want to check and get our two mission timers synced? What's this one read now? 82:50?
095:32:56 Aldrin (onboard): Okay, this one is 1 second slow, down in the LEB.
095:33:28 Aldrin (onboard): Let's see, these things come in the Command Module don't they, those umbilicals?
095:33:34 Collins (onboard): [Garble.]
095:33:43 Aldrin (onboard): Well, we don't want them.
095:33:50 Collins (onboard): [Garble.]
095:34:01 Armstrong (onboard): Anyway, it compares.
095:34:04 Collins (onboard): [Garble.]
095:34:13 Aldrin (onboard): Well, we couldn't do that without switching - well, you can have them in here all the time.
095:34:18 Collins (onboard): [Garble] there's no way for me [garble] probe and drogue [garble] docking [garble].
095:34:32 Armstrong (onboard): No, I can't think that that'd be of significance between them - because why would you ever care to whether you'd hook them up again, if you came back and docked?
095:35:29 Aldrin (onboard): Here's this LCG check. "Verify [garble] stick visible in red or green band."
095:35:40 Armstrong (onboard): Yes. Not [garble] as it should be.
095:35:47 Aldrin (onboard): The red one comes out this far, and the green one's out further than that. The whole thing is only about that long. It's got to be in one or the other or you can't see it.
095:36:24 Armstrong (onboard): Having any luck there, Michael?
095:36:27 Collins (onboard): [Garble.]
095:36:40 Aldrin (onboard): You don't need to take - you're not taking your scissors over there?
095:36:43 Armstrong (onboard): No.
095:36:44 Collins (onboard): I've got [garble].
095:36:49 Aldrin (onboard): [Garble] pad. I'm going to have to take a leak here.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control at 95 hours, 38 minutes. There will be a change-of-shift briefing following this shift. We estimate the briefing will begin in about 10 or 15 minutes in the MSC auditorium.
095:38:50 Aldrin (onboard): Yes, I guess I'd better take that pocket - and the purse. Tell you what. How about putting those tissues in that box that's got that spare camera in it?
095:39:16 Armstrong (onboard): Okay.
095:39:17 Aldrin (onboard): It'll be right handy on your side over there. Now where did the tissue box go?
095:39:39 Armstrong (onboard): You want to see if the computer agrees with that mission timer?
095:39:42 Aldrin (onboard): I did already.
095:39:44 Armstrong (onboard): Okay.
095:41:20 Aldrin (onboard): Can you hand me that purse and the - that bag of mine - and the checklist?
095:42:06 Aldrin (onboard): And if you'll take me off of suit power.
095:42:10 Armstrong (onboard): Okay. Suit power is Off. Audio is Off. Whoops - Sorry.
095:44:21 Collins (onboard): [Garble.]
095:44:26 Armstrong (onboard): Good.
095:45:07 Armstrong (onboard): About ready for a little help? [Garble] that.
095:46:00 Armstrong (onboard): What's that?
095:46:04 Collins (onboard): [Garble] I only have one [garble] left.
095:46:13 Armstrong (onboard): Okay. Oh, let's see, one small - blah.
095:47:15 Armstrong (onboard): [Humming]
095:48:12 Armstrong (onboard): Okay.
095:48:58 Armstrong (onboard): You want one?
095:48:59 Collins (onboard): [Garble.]
095:49:00 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
095:49:02 Collins (onboard): [Garble.]
095:49:43 Armstrong (onboard): We've got a roll rate in. 0.3 degree roll rate. Now it's taking it out. Now it's taking it back out the other way.
096:02:01 Collins (onboard): Okay, stand by for more thruster firing here.
096:04:06 Armstrong (onboard): Is this...
096:04:09 Collins (onboard): No, this one's yours. You going to wear this for...
096:04:11 Armstrong (onboard): [Garble.]
096:04:12 Collins (onboard): Okay, I'm going to [garble] camera out of its way.
096:04:33 Aldrin (onboard): [Garble.]
096:04:40 Collins (onboard): Okay, I wouldn't be surprised. [Garble] all over this goddam stuff.
096:05:00 Collins (onboard): A three-ring circus. I got a fuel cell purge in progress and trying to set up cameras and brackets, watch an Auto maneuver, and...
096:05:22 Collins (onboard): Jesus Christ!
096:07:58 Collins (onboard): Normal, Normal.
096:09:19 Collins (onboard): Another Master Alarm coming.
096:10:52 Collins (onboard): Stand by for Master Alarm.
096:12:54 Collins (onboard): Neil, where's the voice tape recorder, you know?
096:12:59 Armstrong (onboard): Might be in the [garble].
096:13:01 Collins (onboard): Okay. Oh, you son of a bitch, you! Gah!
096:13:10 Armstrong (onboard): [Garble.]
096:16:17 Armstrong (onboard): [Garble?]
096:16:18 Collins (onboard): Can't get it [garble]. It's behind the [garble].
096:16:27 Armstrong (onboard): Yes.
096:16:28 Collins (onboard): [Garble] hard time getting anything down here [garble].
096:16:37 Armstrong (onboard): Okay.
096:16:38 Collins (onboard): You got some things up there.
096:16:41 Collins (onboard): Neil, all this food and stuff up here, you going to take with you, or drink, or eat?
096:17:47 Armstrong (onboard): No, I'll take [garble].
096:17:54 Collins (onboard): Okay. Chewing gum, you want any of that?
096:18:19 Collins (onboard): Neil, I hate to bother you. Could you get my solo book out of R-1 there?
096:18:23 Armstrong (onboard): What?
096:18:24 Collins (onboard): My solo book out of R-1.
096:18:28 Armstrong (onboard): Solo book?
096:18:29 Collins (onboard): Yes. Look...
096:18:30 Armstrong (onboard): R-l?
096:18:31 Collins (onboard): Yes, it should be in R-1. Big frapping book, with a bunch of updates on the cover. Thank you, that's it. Appreciate it.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control at 96 hours, 19 minutes. We are now less than 1 minute to reacquiring the spacecraft on the 11th revolution of the Moon. Flight Director Gene Kranz, since taking over the shift, has gone around the room, reviewed the situation with all of his flight controllers. We expect that when we re-acquire, Buzz Aldrin will be in the LM beginning the LM power-up and check-out. And he'll be joined in a short while by Neil Armstrong. We'll stand by now for Acquisition Of Signal as the spacecraft comes around the corner.
096:20:10 Collins (onboard): Neil, do you recall the highest rate you saw during this recent thruster activity? Did you say 0.4 or thereabouts?
096:20:19 Armstrong (onboard): What?
096:20:20 Collins (onboard): Do you recall the - any kind of body rates that you saw during that thruster activity? Didn't you say something about 0.4? Maybe - remember when the SCS was acting up?
096:20:30 Armstrong (onboard): Ah...
Network says we have acquired signal. We'll stand by for the call to the crew.
096:21:24 Duke: Hello, Columbia. Houston. Do you read? Over. [Long pause.]
096:21:58 Aldrin: Hello, Houston, this is Eagle. How do you read? Over.
096:22:03 Duke: Eagle, this is Houston. Are you calling? Over.
096:22:08 Aldrin: Roger. How do you read? Over.
096:22:11 Duke: Roger. Reading you about three-by, Buzz. A lot of noise on the loop. We think it's coming from Columbia, but we can't tell. We're unable to raise voice with him. Would he please go to High Gain. Over.
096:22:26 Aldrin: Okay. I'll have him go to High Gain. It's probably the glycol pump you hear in the background, and I'm up to the point where I turn on the IMU. Would you recommend I hold off here for a few minutes or go ahead and power up the IMU? Over.
096:22:41 Duke: Roger. Stand by.
096:22:42 Aldrin: Hey, get your High Gain working.
096:23:06 Duke: Eagle, this is Houston. You can turn on the IMU. Over. [Long pause.]
096:23:14 Aldrin: Roger. Understand [garble].
096:23:20 Collins: Houston, this is Columbia. Over.
096:23:32 Duke: Columbia, this is Houston. Do you read? Over.
096:23:35 Collins: Houston, Columbia. Reading you loud and clear. How me? Over.
Comm break.
096:24:00 Collins (onboard): Hey, Buzz? How about...
096:24:44 Duke: Hello, Eagle. This is Houston. We've got a noisy downlink on the down-voice backup. Would you please select S-band Voice to Voice? Over.
Comm break.
096:25:50 Duke: Columbia, this is Houston. Do you read? Over.
096:25:57 Collins: Houston, Columbia. Reading you loud and clear. How me?
096:26:00 Duke: Rog. You're about three-by, Mike. We got a lot of noise in the background. It's clearing up now. Break. Eagle, Houston. Do you read? Over.
096:26:12 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. About four-by-four. Go ahead.
096:26:15 Duke: Roger. Just getting a voice check. Say the page you're on in the activation checklist. Over.
096:26:24 Aldrin: Roger. I'm on page 27. Over.
096:26:27 Duke: Roger. Understand 27. We copy. Out. [Long pause.]
096:27:07 Duke: Columbia, this is Houston. Would you please give us P00 and Accept. We have a state vector for you. Over.
096:27:15 Collins: Stand by one.
Comm break.
Mike will set the computer's major mode to Program 00 (a 'do nothing' program) then place the Uptelemetry switch to Accept, giving Mission Control access to the computer's 2Kwords of erasable memory.
096:28:21 Collins: Houston, Columbia. You have P00 and Accept, and how are you reading me now?
096:28:26 Duke: Roger. Understand, we have P00 and Accept. You're about three-by in - on the voice, Mike. Over.
096:28:35 Collins: Okay. You're coming in loud and clear, and I'm configured for normal voice. If you've got any switch changes, you wanna let me know?
096:28:42 Duke: Rog. We've got some noise somewhere in the system down here, I think. We're working on it. And I've got a 130 landmark update for you, and also a DAP load whenever you're ready to copy. Over.
096:28:59 Collins: Stand by one. [Long pause.]
Landmark 130 is a 600-metre crater adjacent to a larger, 2.8-kilometre crater which was then known as Sabine D but is now named Collins. It is set between two other similar craters, now called Aldrin and Armstrong. Both Crater 130 and Collins are about 20 kilometres north of the intended landing ellipse. Mike will take marks on Crater 130 to link their orbit to its three dimensional position and therefore to the landing site's position.
In Mike's notes, landmark 130 is given the following coordinates: latitude, 1.266°N; Longitude/2, 11.839°E; altitude, 1.58 nautical miles below the lunar datum. These figures are in error and at 098:30:03, Missin Control update Mike with revised coordinates as follows: latitude, 1.243°N; Longitude/2, 11.844°E; altitude, 1.46 nautical miles below the lunar datum.
The reason for using a value of longitude/2 is that it allows a precision of three decimal places on the computer's five-digit displays. If they had to use longitude directly, the numbers would have ranged from -180.00 to +180.00, allowing only two decimal places. Instead they can go from -90.000 to +90.000, allowing five times greater precision.
096:29:20 Collins: Go ahead with the 130 update.
096:29:22 Duke: Roger, Mike. Coming at you with the 130. T1 is 98:37:35; T2, 98:42:44, 4 miles north. Over.
096:29:52 Collins: Okay. T1, 98:37:35; T2, 98:42:44; 4 miles north of track. And go ahead with your DAP load.
096:30:04 Duke: Roger. CSM weight, 36651; LM weight, 33627; pitch trim, minus 0.72; yaw trim, plus 0.51. Over.
096:30:32 Collins: 36651, 33627, minus 0.72, plus 0.51. Over.
096:30:40 Duke: Both are good readbacks. Out.
096:30:46 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. Are you satisfied with the LGC self test? Over.
LGC is the Lunar module Guidance Computer, a nearly identical unit to that in the Command Module. It's differences lie in the software coded into its core rope memory and in the interfaces that it has with the spacecraft around it. For example, the LGC has software to execute a lunar landing while the CMC (Command Module Computer) has software to execute a re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. Also, the LGC can control the throttleable descent engine and the CMC controls the SPS engine which has a fixed thrust.
096:30:52 Duke: Roger. Understand. You passed the LGC self test. Over.
096:30:59 Aldrin: Negative. I was asking you if you were satisfied with it. As far as I can tell, it's satisfactory. And also the primary Evap flow is actuated to number 1 at 96:05. Over.
096:31:11 Duke: Roger. Copy on the primary Evap. We've got the low bit rate, Buzz. We couldn't see that LGC self test. Over.
096:31:20 Aldrin: Okay. [Pause.]
096:31:27 Collins: Houston, Columbia. The docking tunnel index angle remains unchanged.
096:31:32 Duke: Roger. Copy. Out. [Long pause.]
When docked, the CM and LM coordinate systems are offset from each other by a nominal 60° angle. The actual angle can be slightly different depending on the docking and so there is a scale in the tunnel that allows the crew to see how far off 60° they docked. This is the docking index angle.
096:32:07 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle is going to secondary transmitter/receiver and secondary power amplifier, and I'll check with you in 60 seconds. Over.
096:32:16 Duke: Roger. Stand by. We're standing by. Over.
096:32:23 Aldrin: Okay. [Pause.]
096:32:29 Duke: Columbia, Houston. We are through with the computer. You can go back to Block. Over. [Long pause.]
096:33:14 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. On secondary transmitter/receiver and power amplifier, how do you read? Over. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Over.
096:33:21 Duke: Rog. Reading you five-by, Buzz. How me? 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Out.
096:33:30 Aldrin: Rog. About - That's the same as before. Switching back to Primary.
096:33:34 Duke: Rog. [Long pause.]
096:34:27 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. Back on Primary, and I'm ready to proceed with the steerable antenna activation.
096:34:45 Aldrin: And I'll go to Biomed left - ah, right momentarily.
096:34:49 Duke: Roger.
Comm break.
LM communications engineer reports that we're on the LM steerable antenna, which apparently accounts for the quiet communications we're getting at this point.
096:36:40 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. Got a very nice lock-on - lock-on on the steerable antenna, and you should be receiving Biomed right and PCM high. Over.
096:36:53 Duke: Rog, Eagle. We got you five-by. It's really beautiful. We've got the high bit rate and the Biomed. Out. [Pause.]
096:37:07 Duke: Eagle, Houston. Do you copy? Over.
096:37:13 Aldrin: Roger. Copy.
096:37:18 MCC speaker: You got CMP on [unclear, may be IRIG] 5 and LMP on [unclear, may be IRIG] 7.
Comm break.
096:39:26 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. For your information, we're doing the glycol pump check now.
096:39:30 Duke: Roger. Copy. [Long pause.]
096:39:44 Aldrin: And there's the secondary glycol pump.
096:39:47 Duke: Roger. [Long pause.]
096:40:26 Aldrin: And I'm on secondary, or number 2 pump right now, and I'll hold here for a couple of seconds and then switch back to number 1.
096:40:35 Duke: Roger.
Comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
096:42:47 Duke: Ap - Columbia, Houston. Over.
096:42:51 Aldrin: Houston.
096:42:54 Collins/Aldrin: Go ahead, Houston.
096:42:56 Duke: Roger, Columbia. We noticed the DAP configuration. We'd like you to turn off B3 and C4, Mike, and for register 2 in the DAP, we'd like all ones. Over. [Long pause.]
096:43:21 Collins: B3 and C4 are both O-F-F on panel 8, and I understand you want - Say again what you want on register 2.
096:43:29 Duke: Roger. In the DAP, we'd like you to load all ones. Over.
096:43:36 Collins: Alright. [Long pause.]
Using Verb 48, Mike can access two registers in the computer that configure the Digital AutpPilot (DAP). Page F8-3 of Mike's operations checklist includes details of what each character in these registers represents.
Instructions to alter the registers that control the operation of the Digital AutoPilot (DAP)
By loading all ones into R2, Mike is enabling all four RCS quads on the SM and instructing the DAP to use quads A and C when executing a roll manoeuvre.
096:44:08 Duke: Columbia, Houston. Did you hit the Command Reset around - after LOS on the last pass? Over.
096:44:19 Collins: That's affirmative. When we were having difficulty getting you, Charlie, I pushed the Command Reset to make sure I had control of High Gain.
096:44:26 Duke: Roger. Thank you much. We're in good shape now. Over.
096:44:31 Collins: Okay.
Comm break.
096:46:19 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. Can you tell me if you're picking up Biomed on the CDR now? Over.
This means on Armstrong's channel.
096:46:26 Duke: Stand by. [Long pause.]
096:46:44 Duke: Eagle, Houston. We're not getting any Biomed from the CDR now. Over.
096:46:53 Aldrin: Roger. Understand.
Comm break.
096:47:58 Duke: Eagle, Houston. We got the Biomed on the Commander now. Over. [Pause.]
096:48:06 Aldrin: Very good. Thank you.
Comm break.
096:49:19 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. We're ready for an E-memory dump if you are. Over.
The LGC has 2 kilowords of erasable memory as well as about 38 kilowords of fixed core rope memory. E-memory means erasable memory and its contents are about to be transmitted (or dumped) to Earth so that engineers can inspect its contents.
096:49:58 Duke: Eagle, this is Houston. We see the optics zero switch on. Before you take some marks, don't forget to cycle it back off and on, and then on. Over.
Duke meant that comment for Mike in Columbia rather than Eagle. Although the LM has an optical system intended for platform alignment, it works in a very different fashion to the CM's sextant.
096:50:12 Aldrin: Rog. Houston, Eagle here. I wish we had one of those optics. I'll tell Mike about it.
096:50:18 Duke: Roger, Columbia. Excuse me. Sorry about that.
Long comm break.
This is Apollo Control. Armstrong is now in the Lunar Module, in Eagle, and the LM activation and check-out appears to be going along very well, somewhat ahead of schedule.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
096:57:04 Duke: Eagle, Houston. Could you give us a hack on the time that you switched to LM power and also verify that we're on Glycol Pump 1. Over. [Pause.]
096:57:20 Armstrong: This is Eagle. We're on Pump 1, stand by for the switch-over time.
096:57:26 Duke: Roger. [Long pause.]
096:57:57 Armstrong: The switch time to LM power is 95:54:00. Over.
096:58:03 Duke: Roger. Copy, Neil. Is Buzz back in the Columbia now? Over.
096:58:10 Armstrong: Yes. He is.
096:58:12 Duke: Rog. Thank you.
Comm break.
This is Apollo Control. We have about 33 minutes left in this pass before Loss Of Signal. Neil Armstrong confirmed that the LM power switch occurred at 95 hours, 54 minutes; which would have put the - put that activity about 30 minutes ahead of the Flight Plan's schedule, and that appears to be about the pace that the crew is holding - that Armstrong and Aldrin are holding, and getting the LM activated and checked out. At this time, Buzz Aldrin has returned to the Command and Service Module where he'll be donning his pressure garment and then re-join Armstrong in Eagle.
097:00:04 Armstrong: Hello, Columbia, this is Eagle on Simplex B. How do you read?
097:00:10 Collins: You're loud and clear in Simplex B, Neil.
097:00:13 Armstrong: Roger. Read you loud and clear. [Pause.]
097:00:24 Armstrong: Okay. Would you configure for Simplex A, please?
097:00:30 Collins: Roger. Going to Simplex A. [Long pause.]
097:01:05 Armstrong: Columbia, Eagle. How do you read on VHF-A?
097:01:09 Collins: Reading you loud and clear on A.
097:01:11 Armstrong: Roger. Read you loud and clear. [Pause.]
The term, simplex, refers to the fact that the VHF communication channel can only be used by one person at a time. A more sophisticated arrangement where two parties can converse at once would be described as duplex.
097:01:22 Armstrong: And I'm ready to get a time hack from you. Load the CSM time.
097:01:29 Collins: Okay. [Long pause.]
097:01:42 Collins: Do you want the TEphem first?
097:01:46 Armstrong: Let's get your clock first and then we'll get TEphem.
097:01:50 Collins: Okay.
097:01:53 Armstrong: Give me a time to load.
097:01:59 Collins: 97:01:30. Correction on that, Neil. 97 - make that 97:03:30. [Long pause.]
097:02:23 Armstrong: Okay. I have 97:03:30 set in.
097:02:27 Collins: Okay. And you've got about a minute to go.
097:03:46 Armstrong: Okay. Let's do a 06 65 on my Mark. [Pause.]
Verb 06 Noun 65 has the computer display its internal time. If both Mike and Neil do this simultaneously, they can check how far apart the clocks in their respective computers are.
097:03:59 Armstrong: Did you get that, Mike?
097:04:01 Collins: Standing by for your Mark.
097:04:03 Armstrong: Okay, 3, 2, 1.
097:04:06 Armstrong: Mark.
097:04:08 Collins: Okay. 97:04:03.86.
097:04:20 Armstrong: Okay. I'm within three-hundredths. That's within our ability to keep together, I think.
097:04:26 Collins: Right. [Long pause.]
097:04:46 Armstrong: Okay. Now you want to give me TEphem Verb 05, Noun 01, Enter?
TEphem is the time against which the computers calculate their trajectories.
097:05:43 Collins: And I'm standing by configured to record your PCM data. [Long pause.]
097:06:37 Armstrong: And I'm ready to start on a docked IMU coarse align when you are. And when you're ready, go Min Deadband, Att Hold.
097:06:50 Collins: Okay. Stand by.
Comm break.
Neil is about to coarsely align the inertial platform in the LM's IMU. To achieve this, he will ask Mike to retrieve the current gimbal angles from the CM's IMU. Since the CM's gimbal angles depend on their attitude, it is important that any rotation of the spacecraft be minimised at this point. Therefore, Neil asks Mike to hold the spacecraft's attitude with a narrow (±½°) deadband.
097:08:21 Armstrong: Okay. Now I need your Noun 20. [Pause.]
097:08:31 Collins: Okay. I got Verb 06, Noun 20. Give me a Mark on it.
Verb 06 Noun 20 yields the current three gimbal angles on the DSKY's three registers.
097:08:37 Armstrong: Okay.
097:08:38 Armstrong: Mark.
097:08:42 Collins: Register 1, plus 11202, plus 20741, plus 00211. Over.
097:08:57 Armstrong: Copy. 11202, 20741, 00211.
097:09:05 Collins: That's correct.
Comm break.
The numbers represent the gimbal angles at that moment, in hundredths of a degree. Therefore, they are roll, +112.02°; pitch, +207.41°; yaw, +2.11°.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
097:11:34 Duke: Eagle, Houston. That coarse align looked good to us. Over.
097:11:40 Armstrong: Roger. [Long pause.]
097:11:52 Armstrong: Okay, Mike. Your Attitude Hold's no longer required.
097:11:58 Collins: Thank you.
Comm break.
097:13:55 Armstrong: Okay, Mike. I'd like to copy a Noun 20 again, [Verb] 06, Noun 20. Be on my Mark.
097:14:07 Collins: Standing by for your Mark.
097:14:09 Armstrong: 3, 2, 1, stand by. [Pause.] Take it again.
097:14:18 Collins: Okay.
097:14:19 Armstrong: 3, 2, 1.
097:14:22 Armstrong: Mark.
097:14:24 Collins: Okay, I read plus 11154, plus 20792, plus 00230. Over.
097:14:38 Armstrong: I get - You get 11154, 20792, 00230.
097:14:48 Collins: That's correct. [Long pause.]
097:15:06 Duke: Eagle, Houston. I...
097:15:07 Armstrong: Okay, Houston. Did you copy...
097:15:10 Duke: Eagle, Houston. We have the angles. I'll read 'em back. Over. For the Command Module; 11154, 20792, 00230. For the LM; 18995, 02852, 35863. Over.
The CM's angles are roll, +111.54°; pitch, +207.92°; yaw, +2.3° and the LM's angles are roll, +189.95°; pitch, +28.52°; yaw, +358.63°.
097:15:34 Armstrong: That's correct for Eagle and Command Module.
097:15:36 Duke: Rog. [Pause.]
097:15:42 Armstrong: Did you get the time? Was 97:14:20.
097:15:45 Duke: Roger. Copy, Eagle. Out.
Comm break.
097:17:08 Duke: Columbia and Eagle - LOS for both spacecraft, 97:32; AOS, 98:18. Houston, out.
Long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
097:21:35 Duke: Eagle, Houston. We have your gyro torquing angles if you're ready to copy. Over. [Pause.]
097:21:47 Armstrong: Roger. We're ready to copy.
097:21:59 Duke: Roger. Eagle. For X, minus 00060; Y, plus 00620; Z, plus 01080. Over. [Long pause.]
The angles represent by how much the three gimbals should be rotated to achiever a finer alignment. Torquing angles are normally given in thousandths of a degree. The angles are X, -0.06°; Y, +0.62°; Z, +1.08°.
097:22:34 Armstrong: Understand. X, minus 00060; Y, plus 00620; Z, plus 01080.
097:22:50 Duke: Roger, Eagle. Good read-back. Out.
Comm break.
097:24:18 Armstrong: Houston, this is Eagle. Do you want us to go ahead and do a Verb 42 at this time?
097:24:28 Duke: Stand by. That's affirmative, Eagle. We'd like you to go ahead and fine align. Over.
097:24:37 Armstrong: Okay. [Pause.]
097:24:48 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle, LMP. How do you read? Over.
097:24:49 Duke: Rog. Five-by, Buzz. How me? Over.
097:24:54 Aldrin: Oh, loud and clear. I'm going to be going through an ascent battery check. You want to check my Biomed briefly? Over.
097:25:01 Duke: Roger. Go ahead. [Long pause.]
097:25:17 Duke: Eagle, Houston. We got a good Biomed on you, Buzz. Over.
097:25:26 Aldrin: Okay. Let me know where it ought to be at this point.
097:25:29 Duke: Roger. You can stay there at that point. When we go LOS, we'd like you to go Off on the Biomed. Over.
097:25:39 Aldrin: Roger. [Long pause.]
097:25:53 Armstrong: Do you copy those angles, Houston. Torquing angles?
097:25:57 Duke: Roger. They're correct. You can torque. Over.
Comm break.
Neil has just completed a fine alignment of the LM's IMU. This required use of the Alignment Optical Telescope (AOT) located between the two crewmen. Neil used this instrument to make star sightings that allowed the computer to pin down the proper orientation of the platform with respect to the stars.
The AOT itself is a remarkably ingenious device, whose elegance is in the simplicity of its design. Unlike the CSM's sophisticated sextant and telescope systems, the AOT is a simple, unity power telescope with a 60° field of view that is manually rotated between six fixed positions: Forward, forward right, aft right, aft, aft left, and forward left. It incorporates two methods of using the stars to determine the orientation of the platform. One is for in-flight use, the other for when the LM is on the surface or otherwise unable to freely manoeuvre. Sighting the stars is done against an illuminated graticule or reticle on which is inscribed a pair of cross-hairs, for use when the LM is flying; and a pair of radial lines and spirals which come into play for surface realignments.
The cursor and spiral arrangement of the AOT's graticule or reticle.
In both cases, the computer is told which of the six detents the AOT is currently in and which star is to be marked. To mark on a star during flight, the LM is manoeuvred to make the star move across the X and Y cross-hairs, with marks being taken when it is coincident with each axis. The computer can define two intersecting planes from these, whose vertex points to the star. A similar pair of marks on another star gives the two vectors the computer requires to calculate the IMU's orientation. Program 52 in the LM's computer is used for this procedure.
Free-flight use of the AOT required that a star be made to cross both the X and Y cross-hairs.
This first method is not used for the initial IMU alignment because the LM is still attached to the CSM, whose mass makes it undesirable to try manoeuvring the entire stack from the light end. Instead they use the second method which uses P57 in the LM computer. This is normally used on the lunar surface. It is also a simple two step process once the computer knows which star is being viewed at which detent. First, the graticule or reticle is rotated until it is between the two radial lines (the 'cursor') and the 'Mark X' switch is pressed, yielding the 'shaft angle'.
Rotation to place the star between the two lines of the cursor.
The graticule or reticle is rotated again until the star is between the two 'spirals' and the 'Mark Y' switch is depressed, giving the 'reticle angle'.
Placement of the star on the spiral
Calculations performed by the computer convert this information into a vector to the star. This process is repeated with a second star, and when completed, the computer is able to determine the IMU's orientation which can now be accurately aligned.
097:26:56 Collins (onboard): Okay.
097:27:43 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We have about 4 minutes to LOS. Next AOS 98:18. Over.
097:27:54 Armstrong: Eagle. Roger.
097:27:58 Collins: Columbia. Roger. [Long pause.]
097:28:31 Collins: Eagle, Columbia. [Pause.]
097:28:39 Aldrin: Columbia, Eagle. Go ahead.
097:28:41 Collins: Roger. The capture latches in the probe, are engaged in the drogue. Would you like to check them from your side?
097:28:51 Aldrin: Rog. Stand by. [Pause.]
Before they undock, Mike will unlatch the twelve docking latches around the tunnel. Then the only thing holding the two spacecraft together against the air pressure trying to push them apart will be the three thumbnail sized capture latches at the end of the probe that will be engaged in the LM's conical drogue. He wants to make sure they are all properly engaged because, until he gets his hatch in place, they will be all between him and the vacuum of space.
097:28:57 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. ED Battery A is 37.0 and Battery B is 36.9. Over.
097:29:04 Duke: Roger. Copy both of those, Buzz. Out. [Long pause.]
Pyrotechnic devices (or explosive devices [ED]) are used on Eagle for tasks like separating the two stages or opening valves from the helium tanks. They are energised from two dedicated batteries.
097:29:20 Duke: Eagle, Houston. We looked at the E-Memory. It's Go. Over.
097:29:41 Armstrong: Mike, the capture latches look good.
097:29:44 Collins: Thank you. [Pause.]
097:29:54 Duke: Eagle, Houston. We'd like you to go to the Omni antenna, and next AOS, we'd like you to be in forward. Over.
097:30:06 Aldrin: Roger. Going to - Which Omni do you want now, aft? [Long pause.]
097:30:22 Duke: Eagle, Houston. We'd like aft now and forward at AOS. Over.
097:30:27 Aldrin: Roger.
097:31:05 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. Thirty seconds to LOS. Both spacecraft looking good going over the hill. Out.
Very long comm break.
This is Apollo Control. We've had Loss Of Signal now. We'll next acquire the spacecraft in about 46 minutes at a Ground Elapsed Time of 98 hours, 18 minutes. During that pass, Armstrong and Aldrin in the Lunar Module began checking out, activating the Lunar Module, and they appeared to finish about 30 minutes ahead of the scheduled time in the Flight Plan. They began early and maintained the pace. Both spacecraft looking very good at this time and everything progressing very smoothly. On the next revolution, revolution 12, the crew will continue activation and checkout of Lunar Module systems. The following revolution, revolution 13, they will undock from the Command and Service Module. At 97 hours, 33 minutes; this is Apollo Control.
097:34:43 Collins (onboard): Eagle, Columbia.
097:34:46 Armstrong (onboard): Go ahead.
097:34:47 Collins (onboard): Roger. I'm getting ready to pre-load the probe. I'm going to disable all my roll thrusters. Would you please monitor my roll, your yaw?
The probe has been installed in the tunnel and the three capture latches at its tip engaged in the hole at the centre of the drogue. The tip of the probe is then brought back enough to firmly bed the latches on the drogue so that there will be no slack when the main latches are cocked. At that point, the two spacecraft will be held together by just the probe and drogue and it is therefore undesirable to put twisting forces onto the probe by having the SM roll thrusters fire, so Mike has disabled them.
097:34:54 Armstrong (onboard): Roger.
097:36:41 Collins (onboard): Eagle, Columbia.
097:36:43 Armstrong (onboard): Go ahead.
097:36:45 Collins (onboard): I got another "Verify Capture Latches Engaged" on my checklist. I've already pre-loaded the probe. It's sort of silly, but sort of your option whether you want to verify they're engaged or not.
097:36:56 Aldrin (onboard): Okay, we got the hatch all latched up now, and we're getting ready for pressure-integrity check. So, why don't you go ahead?
097:37:04 Collins (onboard): Okay.
097:39:57 Aldrin (onboard): Mike, let us know how you're coming up there now and then.
097:40:01 Collins (onboard): I'm doing just fine. I've cocked eight out of the 12 docking latches, and everything is going nominally.
097:40:07 Aldrin (onboard): Okay.
097:41:14 Collins (onboard): All 12 docking latches are cocked.
097:41:17 Aldrin (onboard): Okay.
With all 12 docking latches cocked, the two spacecraft are being held together by the capture latches. Now Mike will move out of the tunnel and put the CM forward hatch in place.
097:41:21 Collins (onboard): And I'm ready to button up the hatch.
097:46:46 Aldrin (onboard): Hey, Mike. Have you got the - got to the tunnel vent step yet?
097:46:52 Collins (onboard): I'm just coming to that. What can I do for you?
097:46:55 Aldrin (onboard): Well, we're waiting on you.
097:46:56 Collins (onboard): Okay.
097:46:59 Armstrong (onboard): We're still ahead of the timeline, so take your time.
097:47:03 Collins (onboard): Okay.
097:47:14 Collins (onboard): Okay, I'm ready to go to LM tunnel vent.
097:48:13 Aldrin (onboard): You got it all vented now?
097:48:17 Collins (onboard): Negative, it's a slow process. I'm on Vent, but - it's just going to take a little while here.
The air in the tunnel is vented to space by placing the Tunnel Vent Valve in its vent position. The route for the air to take is rather small so it takes some time for the pressure to fall, especially when the pressure gets low.
097:48:22 Aldrin (onboard): Roger. Just give us a call. We're pressing on with some other stuff.
097:51:43 Collins (onboard): Okay, this - this thing's supposed to take about 8 minutes. We've got about 3 of them gone, so in about another 5 minutes, I should be able to turn my thrusters back on.
098:01:04 Armstrong (onboard): How you doing, Mike?
098:01:06 Collins (onboard): Doing just fine. The - Stand by, I'll give you the Delta-P reading - 3.0. I need 3.5 before I can bring my thrusters back on.
It is presumed that once a partial vacuum exists in the tunnel, the forces trying to push the two spacecraft apart become less and the probe and drogue can more easily hold them together. This will allow Mike to manoeuvre the stack during his upcoming P22 landmark tracking exercise.
098:01:16 Armstrong (onboard): Okay.
098:04:59 Collins (onboard): I've got a 3.5 psid now. I'm going to start a maneuver here in a few minutes to depressurize it.
098:05:05 Armstrong (onboard): Okay.
098:05:12 Collins (onboard): How you - how you guys doing?
098:14:46 Aldrin (onboard): Bam, it's out. Ain't no doubt about that.
098:14:50 Armstrong (onboard): And it's gray.
The Lunar Module's four landing legs have deployed to the open position with a bang, and the talkback indicator on the instrument panel has turned grey, as confirmation.
098:14:52 Aldrin (onboard): Alright. Your ED Logic Power A, Closed.
098:14:57 Armstrong (onboard): Logic Power A, Closed.
098:15:00 Aldrin (onboard): Alright, fire it again.
098:15:10 Armstrong (onboard): That relay, I suppose.
098:15:12 Aldrin (onboard): Master Arm, Off.
098:15:13 Armstrong (onboard): It's Off.
098:15:14 Aldrin (onboard): CB(11), ED Landing Gear Flag, Open.
098:15:23 Armstrong (onboard): The gear went down okay, Mike.
098:15:26 Collins (onboard): Good deal.
The PAO recording at this point does not include any air-ground signal and only has the output from the PAO announcer's microphone. This configuration is maintained until about 098:24:50.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control at 98 hours, 16 minutes. We're now less than 2 minutes from re-acquiring the spacecraft in its 12th revolution of the Moon. At this time, Armstrong and Aldrin should be completing pressure checks on their spacesuits. Coming up in this revolution, they'll be running checks on the guidance platform of their LM guidance system. They'll also be running checks on the Reaction Control System thrusters and their Descent Propulsion System, as well as the Rendezvous Radar. We'll also be giving them the Go-No/Go for undocking in the following revolution. The checkout and activation of the LM up to this point has been moving along very smoothly. All systems performing well and we were ahead of the Flight Plan at the end of the last revolution. We'll stand by now to re-acquire the spacecraft. The LM and CSM still docked and Armstrong and Aldrin within the LM. That will be their home for the next 30 hours or so. Now about 45 seconds from re-acquiring.
We're now about 15 seconds from re-acquisition of Apollo 11. Spacecraft currently in an orbit with an apocynthion of 63½ nautical miles [117.6 km], a pericynthion of 55.9 [103.5 km]. As we're continuing to see the apocynthion drop and pericynthion raise, as the orbit becomes more and more circular.
We should have Acquisition Of Signal shortly. We will have some noise on the circuits until the LM steerable and the CSM High Gain antennas are brought into play.
CapCom Charlie Duke putting in a call to the crew. We'll continue to stand by.
098:20:29 Collins (onboard): Houston, Columbia. You're loud and clear.
098:20:53 Duke: Eagle, Houston. No voice. Will you verify forward Omni? Over. [No answer.]
098:21:51 Aldrin (onboard): Houston, Eagle. Over.
098:21:58 Duke: Columbia, Houston. We have no voice with Eagle. Would you please verify that Eagle is on forward Omni. Over. [No answer.]
098:22:08 Collins (onboard): Buzz, you on the forward Omni?
098:22:10 Aldrin (onboard): Houston, Eagle. Over.
098:22:15 Collins (onboard): Buzz, are you on the forward Omni?
098:22:17 Aldrin (onboard): Roger. I am.
098:22:20 Collins (onboard): Houston, Columbia. Eagle is on the forward Omni.
Charlie Duke asking the crew to verify in the LM that they are on their forward Omni antenna. We're still awaiting lock-up and a stronger signal. We'll continue to have noise on the circuit until we get a stronger signal. We do have telemetry data from the spacecraft at this time.
098:23:17 Duke: Roger. Are you reading me, Buzz? Over.
098:23:19 Aldrin: Roger. I got you now. I fed in those angles for the S-band, and I couldn't get a lock-on. It appears as though the antenna would have to be looking through the LM in order to reach the Earth. Over.
098:23:41 Duke: Roger. We copied in the P22 attitude that you will not be able to get a High Gain lock-on. We have a DAP data load, if you're ready to copy. Over.
Air-ground audio recording on the currently available archive is restored.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
098:24:49 Duke: Roger, Buzz. That's a good read-back. You're about two-by with these Omnis in this configuration. We won't have very good Comm until we get through with the P22. Over.
Mike's P22 landmark tracking exercise requires that he pitches the stack over to present the optics to the surface. With the LM attached to his nose, this doesn't favour a good presentation of the LM's antennae for Earth communication.
098:25:02 Aldrin: Roger. Understand.
098:25:12 Collins: Houston, Columbia.
Collins (onboard): Do you read?
098:25:13 Duke: Eagle, Houston. Would you select S-Band Voice to Voice. Over. [Long pause.]
098:25:29 Collins: [Inaudible on air-ground] Roger. S-Band Voice to Voice. How do you read now?
098:25:45 Collins: Houston, Columbia. Over.
098:25:53 Collins: Houston, Columbia in Down Voice Backup. Do you read?
098:25:59 Duke: Roger. We read you. Columbia, did you call? Over.
098:26:04 Collins: Affirmative. Calling you in Down Voice Backup. How do you read me?
098:26:08 Duke: Rog. Better, Mike. We're reading you now about four-by. No voice at all with you earlier. Let's stay in this configuration. Eagle, are you in Voice mode? Over.
098:26:20 Aldrin: Roger. Eagle's in Voice mode. How do you read? Over.
098:26:25 Duke: Roger. You're about three-by now, Buzz. We're satisfied with this configuration. Let's stay where we are. Over.
098:26:34 Collins: Houston, Columbia's in Omni C, Charlie, Down Voice Backup and, when you get a chance, could you look up the coordinates of 130 for me, please? I have conflicting information between my cue card and my Flight Plan. I'd like to know which coordinates you want me to use.
130 is the designation number of the crater on the lunar surface they intend to use for landmark tracking. The crater has since been renamed Collins and it sits about 20 kilometres north of the landing ellipse.
098:27:46 Duke: Columbia, Houston. We're satisfied with what you already have loaded in P22 for these coordinates. Over.
098:27:56 Collins: Thank you, Houston.
Comm break.
098:29:00 Duke: Columbia, Houston. The coordinates you have loaded in P22 are - we have - are Site 130 prime. Do you concur? Over. [Pause.]
098:29:14 Collins: I have the coordinates loaded off the cue card which is - for crater 130. [Long pause.]
098:30:03 Duke: Columbia, Houston. We made an error on those coordinates. We'd like you to load for latitude in a Noun 89, plus 01243; longitude over 2, plus 11844; altitude, minus 00146 as shown in the Flight Plan. Over.
098:31:29 Collins: Okay. Thank you.
Comm break.
098:33:06 Duke: Eagle, Houston. Could you give us an idea where you are in the activation? Over.
098:33:11 Aldrin: Rog. We're just sitting around waiting for something to do. We need a state vector, a REFSMMAT before we can proceed on with the AGS, and we need you to watch our DAP data load, gimbal drive check, and throttle test. Over.
098:33:34 Duke: Roger. Eagle, we'll have the state vectors and the REFSMMAT for you as soon as we get the High Gain. Over. It will be about another 10 minutes or so before we get through the P22, and when we maneuver to attitude and get the High Gain, we'll have the updates for you. Over.
An upload of a state vector will give the LM's computer a starting point of position and velocity with which to continue its determination of their trajectory.
The landing has a particular REFSMMAT. To recap on this acronym, a REFSMMAT is a definition of an orientation in space. In this case, we are interested in the orientation of the landing site at the expected moment of touchdown. In this arrangement, were the LM to land at the planned site, on time and precisely level while facing forward in the direction of travel, then the FDAI display would indicate an attitude of zero in all three axes.
098:33:54 Aldrin: Roger. We'll go ahead with the DAP and the throttle check since we don't have a gimbal drive test, okay?
098:34:04 Duke: Rog. Understand you're going to the DAP throttle - That's affirmative.
Comm break.
This is Apollo Control. We'll continue to have rather noisy communications from the spacecraft until the orbital navigation is completed. Mike Collins is preparing to take marks on a landmark near the prime landing site. This information will be received here in Mission Control and will be used to update the ground's knowledge of where the spacecraft is, and in turn that information will assist in setting the precise time for the powered descent. Once the orbital navigation is completed, we'll be able to get a High Gain Antenna and LM steerable antenna locked on and we should see some improvement in the communications.
098:35:31 Collins: Houston, Columbia. Those T1 and T2 times are still good, aren't they?
098:35:37 Duke: Say again. Over.
098:35:40 Collins: I say, the T1 and T2 times remain unchanged, affirmative?
098:35:51 Duke: That's affirmative. Over.
098:35:55 Collins: Thank you.
Comm break.
These times for the P22 exercise were read up at 096:29:22. The times are; T1, 98:37:35; T2, 98:42:44 and an additional note of the landmark being 4 miles north of their track.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
At 098:37:35, Mike begins his P22 landmark tracking exercise on crater 130.
098:37:58 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle.
098:38:01 Duke: Go ahead, Eagle. Over.
098:38:03 Aldrin: Rog. In accordance with the - on page 47, step 1, we had the guidance control in PGNS and Mode Control, PGNS, Auto. And, of course, the circuit breakers are not in on the thrusters yet, so when we started through the DAP and proceeded on Noun 46 - and we're looking at Noun 47 now - why, we got an RCS TCA light, and we've got four out of the eight other bright-colored red flags. I think that this is explained by the fact that we are in - PGNS and Auto and just unable to fire the thrusters. Over.
TCA is Thrust Chamber Assembly, the name for the quad arrangements at each corner of the ascent stage.
098:38:51 Duke: Roger. Stand by. [Long pause.]
098:39:13 Duke: Eagle, Houston. You are correct. The lights are there and the flags because we haven't closed the breakers yet. Over.
098:39:23 Aldrin: Roger. [Long pause.]
098:40:02 Armstrong: And Houston, Eagle. Are you going to need the High Gain before you can look at our GDA position indicator?
GDA is Gimbal Drive Actuator. There are two of them and they push the descent engine from side to side to aim its thrust.
098:40:12 Duke: Stand by. [Long pause.]
098:40:35 Duke: Eagle, Houston. We can see all the throttle data...
098:40:37 Aldrin: I can give high...
098:40:40 Duke: Go ahead. Over.
098:40:41 Aldrin: I could give you high bit rate on the Omnis if that will help any.
098:40:47 Duke: Negative. We have all the throttle data we need. You can stay low bit rate. You can proceed through the throttle test, but do not do the gimbal trim. Over. Repeat, do not do the gimbal trim.
098:41:41 Collins: Boy, you just can't miss those check points, Diamondback and Sidewinder. [Long pause.]
These are the informal names given by the Apollo 10 astronauts to two sinuous rilles or channels in the Sea of Tranquillity.
098:42:21 Collins: Auto optics are pointed just a little bit north of crater 130.
098:42:29 Duke: Roger. Copy, Columbia. Out.
098:42:32 Collins: [Garble].
Comm break.
098:44:15 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. We're ready to pressurize the RCS. Over.
098:44:21 Duke: Stand by. [Long pause.]
098:44:40 Duke: Eagle, Houston. You can go ahead with your RCS pressurization, but we would like to hold off on the RCS check-out until we get the high bit rate. Over.
The Reaction Control System is split into two independent systems that each provide fuel and oxidiser for half of the 16 RCS thrusters. Each system has its own supply of helium to pressurise its propellant tanks. The tanks have been unpressurised thus far but by firing explosively operated valves, helium will be permitted into the tanks to raise them to their operating pressures of about 200 psi (1,400 kPa). The helium does not contact the propellant which is kept within a Teflon bladder within the tank. Instead, the helium pressurises the space between the bladder and the tank wall.
098:44:52 Armstrong: Roger.
098:44:54 Duke: And Eagle, Houston. Have you deployed the landing gear yet? Over.
098:44:57 Armstrong: That's affirmative. The landing gear is out and gray.
098:45:04 Duke: Roger. [Long pause.]
098:45:55 Collins: Houston, Columbia. I've completed my marks. I've gone Accel Command in all three axes to prevent that thruster firing that last time.
098:46:03 Duke: Roger. [Long pause.]
Mike Collins reporting that he has completed the marks for landmark tracking. We also got a report from the LM that they have deployed the landing gear, and that report came at 98 hours, 45 minutes.
In fact, Armstrong had reported landing gear deployment about 20 minutes earlier, at 098:27:07, but Mission Control did not acknowledge it.
098:46:47 Collins: Houston, Columbia. As soon as you have the necessary data on the downlink, let me know and I'll proceed.
098:46:55 Duke: Columbia, stand by on the Noun 49. Over.
098:47:00 Collins: Standing by, Houston. No rush. [Long pause.]
Noun 49 gives the change in position and velocity, i.e. the change in their state vector, that would be indicated by the landmark tracking exercise.
098:47:02 Collins (onboard): I will.
098:47:18 Duke: Columbia, Houston. We got the Noun 49. You can proceed. Over.
098:47:23 Collins: Rog. [Long pause.]
098:47:38 Duke: Colum - correction, Eagle, Houston. We see the Master Arm, you can go ahead and press. We see the press now. Over.
The LM crew now pressurise the LM RCS tanks by firing the explosively actuated valves to allow helium gas into the tanks to act on the bladders that contain the propellant.
098:47:49 Aldrin: Roger. Looks good.
098:47:51 Duke: Roger, Buzz. If you've got - would like, I've got your AGS abort constants. Over.
098:48:01 Aldrin: Ready to copy.
098:48:03 Duke: Roger. For your AGS address 224, plus 60267; 225, plus 58148; 226, plus 70312; 227, minus 50031. Over.
098:48:35 Aldrin: Roger. 224, plus 60267; 225, plus 58148; 226, plus 70312; 227, minus 50031. Over.
098:48:52 Duke: Roger. Good read-back. Out. [Long pause.]
These numbers for the LM Abort Guidance System consist of a three-digit address followed by a five-digit number (plus sign) that is contained within that address.
098:49:19 Collins: Eagle, Columbia. My P22 is complete. I'm continuing this maneuver to AGS CAL attitude.
098:49:25 Duke: Roger. Fine. We copy.
098:49:28 Armstrong: Roger.
098:49:30 Duke: Eagle, Columbia. Your High Gain angles are - Corrected - Eagle, Houston. Your High Gain angles are 165 pitch, yaw 66. Over. [Pause.]
098:49:45 Aldrin: [Very weak on air-ground] Roger. Columbia, Eagle. Have you about maneuvered there, yet?
098:49:47 Aldrin: Roger.
098:49:52 Collins: Negative.
098:49:59 Aldrin: [Inaudible on air-ground] Houston, Eagle. Are those angles for after the maneuver that Columbia is going to make or are they for right now? Over.
098:50:14 Collins: We have about another 120 degrees to go, Buzz.
098:50:16 Aldrin: [Inaudible on air-ground] Stand by about another...
098:51:10 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. I believe I've got you on the High Gain Antenna now in high bit rate. Over.
Aldrin (onboard): AGS are go.
098:51:36 Duke: Columbia, Houston. If you go to Reacq on the High Gain, we can acquire you now. Over. [Long pause.]
098:52:24 Duke: Eagle, Houston. We got some loads for you if you'll give us P00 and Data. Over.
098:52:32 Aldrin: You've got P00 and Data.
The comm suddenly becomes clearer as they bring both spacecrafts' high gain antennae to bear on Earth.
098:52:35 Duke: Rog. We've got both of you on the High Gains now. It sounds great now. Over.
098:52:40 Aldrin (onboard): Columbia.
098:52:43 Collins: Columbia. Rog.
098:52:46 Duke: Columbia, Houston. I have a SEP PAD if you're ready to copy. Over.
098:52:54 Collins: Stand by one. [Long pause.]
098:53:18 Collins: Ready to copy.
098:53:19 Duke: Roger, Mike. SEP PAD, RCS/G&N: Noun 47 and Noun 48 are NA; Noun 33, 100:39:50.00; Noun 81 is NA. Roll; 000, 007, 000. Rest of PAD is NA.
098:53:58 Collins: SEP, RCS/G&N at a TIG of 100:39:50, roll 0, pitch 007, yaw 0. Over.
098:54:08 Duke: Roger. Good readback. [Long pause.]
This short PAD is interpreted as follows:
Purpose & System: This is a short burn of the RCS thrusters under the control of the G&N system to effect a separation from the LM after the two craft have separated.
Spacecraft weight (Noun 47): N/A
Trim angles (Noun 48): N/A. The SPS engine is not being used so its gimbal trim angles are not applicable.
Ignition Time (TIG or Noun 33): 100 hours, 39 minutes, 50.00 seconds.
Delta-V (Noun 81): N/A
Attitude: Roll, 0°; pitch, 7°; yaw, 0°.
The Flight Plan gives more information on this burn, stating that Mike should use a burn of 8 seconds duration to achieve a 2.5 feet per seconds (0.76 m/s) Delta-V. For this, he would use the minus-X thrusters.
098:54:49 Armstrong: Houston, Eagle. Are you ready for us to start the RCS check-out now?
098:55:03 Duke: As soon as we finish the uplink. Stand by one. Over.
098:55:11 Armstrong: Okay. [Long pause.]
098:55:45 Collins: Houston, Columbia. Comment on P22. It worked just fine. The target I marked on is a small crater down inside crater 130, as described by John Young.
John Young was Command Module Pilot on Apollo 10 two months earlier, and he had tested the navigation and tracking procedures for Apollo 11, including taking marks on Crater 130. The following image is from an Apollo 10 photomap showing 130's position relative to Crater Sabine D (now Crater Collins).
Apollo 10 photomap of targets 129, 130 (highlighted) & 131 in Mare Tranquillitatis.
Imagery from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the detail in Crater 130 and Collins.
Crater 130 (now called Collins) showing the craterlets within, one of which was used for P22 landmark tracking. Centre of crater is at 1.294°N, 23.717°E - Imagery from Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
098:55:57 Duke: Rog. We copy. [Pause.]
098:56:06 Duke: Eagle, Houston. On our load - during our load, we had to do a Verb 96 to stop integration. We're going to start over again on this load. Over.
098:56:19 Armstrong: Eagle. Rog.
098:56:22 Aldrin: And, Eagle, here. I have read out address out of the AGS, 404, 405 and 406, and I had believed that 405 and 406 would both be all zeros, and I would propose maybe that I reset them to zero. I realize that 404 should be a negative number, and it is minus 13495. Over.
098:56:51 Duke: Roger. Copy. [Long pause.]
One of Buzz's major tasks during the flight of Eagle will be to operate the AGS. The Abort Guidance System has at its heart a very simple electronic computer whose task is to provide sufficient guidance to take the LM back to a safe lunar orbit should the primary guidance system fail. It will use its own independent array of sensors to determine attitude, position and velocity. During powered flight, Buzz will regularly compare its idea of their trajectory with that from the primary system and will occasionally update its information from the primary so that the two are never far apart.
098:57:23 Duke: Eagle, Houston. Over.
098:57:28 Aldrin: Go ahead.
098:57:31 Duke: Buzz, we've got - The only thing we're missing here is the drift check. After we finish our load, we'd like you to do the drift check with Columbia. Over.
098:57:44 Armstrong: Go. [Long pause.]
098:58:05 Duke: Eagle, Houston. The 404, 405, 406 look fine to us. Over,
098:58:18 Aldrin: Roger. I'm going to be setting them to zero for the undocking. The question is do you want me to reset 405 and 406 back to the numbers that they are now, or can I leave them zero? I intend to set 404 to a minus 13495. Over.
098:58:38 Duke: Stand by. [Long pause.]
098:59:33 Duke: Eagle, Houston. We would like you to zero, as called out in the timeline, all three addresses, 404, 405, 406, before undocking. After undocking, you can load them back to the values that you have right now. Over.
099:00:13 Aldrin: And, Houston, Eagle here. Both RCS helium pressures are reading 2,900. Over.
099:00:23 Duke: Copy. Out.
Comm break.
099:01:30 Duke: Eagle, Houston. Over.
099:01:35 Aldrin: Go ahead.
099:01:36 Duke: Rog, Buzz. Seems to be some confusion here on 405 and 406. We'd like you to zero them out prior to undocking, and after undocking you can - we'd like them still zeroed. Over.
099:01:52 Aldrin: Rog. I agree with that. Thank you.
099:01:55 Duke: Yep.
Comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
099:03:25 Duke: Eagle, Houston. We've got the load in, the - We have reselected P00. Your integration is going again for you, the computer is yours. We'd like to do the drift check now. Over.
After initial difficulty, Mission Control have managed to upload the required information into the LM's computer.
099:03:37 Armstrong: Roger. In work.
099:03:39 Armstrong: Columbia, let's flick it in 06 20 when you're ready.
Verb 06 Noun 20 will display the ICDU angles. ICDU refers to Inertial Coupling Data Unit. These are the electronic packages that take signals from the resolvers on each of the gimbals in the IMU and turn them into angles that the computer can read. Essentially, 06 20 is asking to display the spacecraft's current attitude with respect to the platform.
099:03:48 Collins: Standing by for your Mark, Neil. [Pause.]
099:07:24 Duke: Rog. That's good. That's a good Enter there.
Comm break.
099:09:12 Duke: Eagle, Houston. We recommend the AGS initial - Well, we see it coming up now on the AGS initialization. Over.
099:09:22 Armstrong: Roger. [Pause.]
099:09:28 Duke: Eagle, Houston. After the AGS initialization, we'll be ready for the RCS checkout.
099:09:36 Armstrong: Roger. [Pause.]
099:09:42 Duke: Columbia, Houston. We got the load in. You can go back to Block.
099:09:48 Collins: Thank you.
Comm break.
099:11:29 Duke: Columbia, Houston. Did you get a - copy any LM data, low bit rate, behind the Moon? Over.
099:11:39 Collins: That's affirmative.
099:11:42 Duke: Roger. Stand by.
099:11:48 Collins: Or at least I've configured for it. I'm not sure Eagle sent it or not.
099:11:51 Aldrin: No, we did not send B-Data. Eagle. Over.
099:11:55 Duke: Roger. Copy.
Comm break.
The VHF communications system allows the two spacecraft to communicate when in line of sight and it has two channels. Channel A is used for voice and is 'simplex', i.e. only one person can speak at a time. Channel B is used to carry engineering data from the LM to be recorded on the CSM's tape recorder for subsequent transmission to Earth.
099:13:58 Duke: Eagle, Houston. The alignment and the initialization look good to us. Over. [Pause.]
099:14:11 Aldrin: Roger. Thank you.
Comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
099:15:27 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. LOS is 99:30; next AOS, 100:16. Over. [Pause.]
099:15:43 Aldrin: 100:16. Roger. [Long pause.]
099:16:31 Collins: Eagle, Columbia. Let me know when you come to your RCS hot-fire checks so I can disable my roll.
099:16:37 Armstrong: Wilco.
099:16:38 Aldrin: Rog. We're right there now. And we'd like you in - CSM in mid-deadband Att Hold. Over.
099:16:44 Collins: That's where I am.
099:16:46 Aldrin: And, Houston, you have high bit rate with us now, I believe? We're ready to proceed with the RCS checks.
Neil will make a few short firings of the LM's RCS thrusters to check their operation. As he does so, he doesn't want the CSM to fight the LM's manoeuvrings.
099:18:57 Aldrin: Columbia, we'd like wide deadband Att Hold. Over.
099:19:02 Collins: Okay. Going wide deadband Att Hold. [Pause.]
099:19:12 Collins: You got it. [Pause.]
099:19:17 Collins: Are you going to do your hot-fire now?
099:19:20 Aldrin: Roger.
099:19:21 Collins: Okay. I'm disabling my roll. [Pause.]
099:19:31 Collins: Roll is disabled.
099:19:34 Aldrin: Roger.
Comm break.
This is Apollo Control. We have less than 10 minutes now until Loss Of Signal on the twelfth revolution. Before losing contact with the spacecraft, we'll be passing along a Go/No-Go decision for undocking. That will occur early on the next revolution just prior to reacquiring the spacecraft. Flight Director Gene Kranz is going around the control center now, talking to his flight controllers, reviewing status in preparation for making the Go/No-Go decision for undocking.
099:21:07 Collins: I do believe you've got thrusters on board that vehicle. [Long pause.]
As Neil operates the LM RCS, Mike can feel the stack's attitude being altered.
099:22:04 Collins: Give me a call just as soon as your hot-fire is complete, please.
099:22:09 Armstrong: Wilco.
Comm break.
099:24:13 Aldrin: Houston, Eagle. The RCS hot-fire is complete. How did you observe it? Over.
099:24:18 Duke: Stand by. [Pause.] Eagle, Houston. The RCS hot-fire looks super to us. We're all Go.
099:24:32 Aldrin: Roger. Mike, would you confirm that thruster B3 and C4 are Off? Over. And your radar transponder off.
099:24:42 Collins: C4 is Off, B3 is Off. Transponder is to Heater which is the same as being Off, and I've got my roll jets back on now.
099:24:50 Armstrong: And you're maneuvering. Right?
099:24:53 Collins: Will be shortly, Neil. [Pause.]
099:25:00 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We're Go for undocking. Over.
099:25:08 Aldrin: Roger. Understand.
Comm break.
099:26:20 Armstrong: [Garble].
099:26:39 Collins: Starting a trim maneuver to AGS CAL attitude.
Comm break.
099:28:05 Collins: Houston, Columbia.
099:28:07 Duke: Go ahead, Columbia. Over.
099:28:12 Collins: Roger. There'll be no television of the undocking. I have all available windows either full of heads or cameras, and I'm busy with other things.
099:28:19 Duke: We concur. Over.
099:28:23 Collins: Okay.
099:28:24 Duke: And, Eagle, Houston. We'd like you to select aft Omni now. It will be good for both LOS and AOS. Over.
099:28:33 Aldrin: Roger. Going to aft Omni.
The air-ground becomes noisier as the LM crew switch over to the less capable antenna.
099:29:07 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. One minute to LOS.
099:29:13 Collins: Columbia. Rog.
099:29:16 Collins: How are Columbia's systems looking to you guys?.
Very long comm break.
This is Apollo Control. We've had Loss Of Signal now. We'll reacquire the spacecraft again on the thirteenth revolution in about 45 minutes. At the end of this pass, we passed along the Go for undocking. That maneuver will occur just before we re-acquire the spacecraft on the thirteenth revolution and will be followed in about 30 - 30 minutes - about 30 minutes later by a small separation maneuver performed by Mike Collins in the Command Module. Checkout of the LM has been going extremely well up to now, ahead of schedule. Both vehicles look very good. At 99 hours, 31 minutes; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
Apollo 11 now passes out of radio contact behind the Moon. When on the far side they will undock, and re-emerge as two separate spacecraft, Columbia and Eagle.
