Apollo 16

Thirty seconds, elevation rise rate coming up as predicted, 1,563 feet above the lunar surface.

Forty seconds, all systems looking good at this time.

Coming up now on 1 minute; velocity reading 366 feet per second.

One minute, 20 seconds. 7,072 feet in altitude, moving up.

Mark. One minute, 40 seconds. Ascent thrust looking stable, moving up.

Coming up on two minutes. Trajectory looks perfect, reports FIDO.

Mark. Two minutes, 15 seconds. 15,810 feet in altitude. Range to go to insertion 154 nautical miles.

Two minutes 30 seconds. The velocity [is] now reading 1,299 feet per second.

Two minutes, 50 seconds. Altitude now 22,460 feet above the lunar surface. Velocity now reading 15,096 feet per second.

That's Charlie Duke reporting both guidance systems functioning right together. Three minutes, 25 seconds, 29 000 feet in altitude.

Three minutes, 40 seconds. 31,710 feet in altitude; range to go 131 nautical miles.

Velocity now reading at 2,450 feet per second.

Mark, four minutes 30 seconds. 41,385 feet in altitude above the lunar surface. Range to go now 110 nautical miles.

Four minutes 50 seconds. Velocity now reading 3,090 feet per second.

FIDO reports two minutes to go. [A slightly late call by the PAO.]

Mark of 5 minutes, 25 seconds. Velocity now reading 3,642 feet per second. Altitude now 51,039 feet above the Lunar Surface. Range to go 78 nautical miles.

Mark. Six minutes 10 seconds; altitude 55,085 feet above the lunar surface, range [now] to 48 nautical miles. Velocity now reading 4,536 feet per second.

Seven minutes, 59,795 feet.

We have shut down. Houston cop[ies] shut down.

Apollo Control Houston. We copied the Ground Elapsed Time for tweak burn at 175 hours 54 minutes 5 seconds. We now show an orbit of 42 nautical miles by 8.9 nautical miles. Standing by now for the results of the tweak burn. Ground monitoring reports the tweak burn is completed.

This is Apollo Control Houston at 175 hours, 57 minutes aboard Orion and the crew has programmed - computer programmed 20 punch tone [sic] and this the rendezvous navigation program.

Apollo Control Houston. That - John Young speaking to Ken Mattingly, both in orbit. Young reports Orion has [the] Command Module visually.

This is Apollo Control, Houston. We show the two spacecraft 126 nautical miles apart. Closure rate 452 feet per second.

This is Apollo Control Houston. A discussion between the two spacecraft indicated a distance of 113 miles. We show a closure rate now of 424 feet per second.

This is Apollo Control Houston at 176 hours 6 minutes ground elapsed time. We show the two spacecraft at a distance of 103 nautical miles apart and a closure rate of 402 feet per second.[PAO is 11 minutes ahead of true GET].

Apollo Control, Houston. We now show the two spacecraft at a distance of 79 nautical miles apart and a closure rate of 330 feet per second.

Apollo Control Houston. About 10 minutes away now from Loss of Signal with Casper. We show a range between the two spacecraft of 74 nautical miles. Closure rate 313 feet per second.

Apollo Control Houston. 176 hours 17 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. We show a range of 65 nautical miles between the two spacecraft and a closure rate of 277 feet per second.

Apollo Control Houston. We show a range, now, of 52 nautical miles, a closure rate of 215 feet per second. Less than two minutes, now, from Loss of Signal, as Orion and Casper's pass behind the Moon.

This is Apollo Control, Houston. We've had Loss Of Signal, now, with both spacecraft - Orion now in hot pursuit of Casper as they both pass behind the Moon. We heard at least half of the conversation as the two spacecraft were talking before we had LOS with Casper. We're at 176 hours, 24 minutes Ground Elapsed Time; and this is Apollo Control, Houston.

Apollo Control Houston [at] 177 hours, 37 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Ken Mattingly aboard Casper doing a 360 degree roll per the Flight Plan. Orion and Casper now station keeping.

This is Apollo Control Houston, at 178 hours, 23 minutes Ground Elapsed Time [178:12 actual GET]. We've just had Loss of Signal with Casper as the spacecraft passes behind the Moon on its 53rd revolution. We'll take the line down at this time and bring it back up at that time when we reacquire. This is Apollo Control Houston.

This is Apollo Control in Houston [at] 179 hours, 16 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. We presently show Apollo 16 with an apolune of 65.5 nautical miles perilune of 54.3 nautical miles on the 54th revolution around the Moon.

This is Apollo Control, Houston [at] 179 hours, 42 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. That was Jim Irwin reading up procedures to Lunar Module Pilot Charles Duke for speeding the drying process of a water boiler aboard Orion. The two spacecraft [are] now docked and in the 54th revolution around the Moon.

Apollo Control, Houston [at] 180 hours, 9 minutes Ground Elapsed Time, Flight Director Gene Krantz now polling this flight control team for go for Lunar Module close out.

This is Apollo Control [at] 180 hours, 21 minutes Ground Elapsed Time [180:10 actual GET]. We've had Loss of Signal as Apollo 16 went around the corner on Revolution 54. The Gold Team of flight controllers taking over here in the control room. As the White Team headed up by Gene Kranz prepares to leave, get some sleep because they have a quick turnaround and relieve the Gold Team in turnaround 8 o'clock later this morning. There will not be a change of shift press briefing with the White Team. 44 minutes till next Acquisition of Signal. Flight Plan showing rest period to begin around 181:30 about an hour and 10 [to] 12 minutes; an hour and 8 minutes from now. At 180:22 [180:11 actual GET], this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control [at] 181 hours, 6 minutes [180:55 actual GET] into the mission of Apollo 16. Less than a minute away from acquisition of the combined Apollo 16 spacecraft, Orion and Casper, docked after successful stay on the Moon, coming up on lunar orbit number 55. Flight planners here in the Control Center are devising a revised Flight Plan for the period up to Trans-Earth Injection at which time we should be back on the pre-mission flight time. This will take forcing of the Ground Elapsed Time, what they call a GET update of some 22 hours. The revised flight plan should be completed by around 8:00 am this morning. Standing by for first call to Apollo 16. The Apollo 16 crew will be put to bed fairly early through this front side pass. They've had a rather busy day today and will have an equally busy one tomorrow with sub-satellite jettison, Lunar Module jettison, and Trans Earth Injection, coming up in fairly rapid succession. No word yet from the crew of Apollo 16. Spacecraft communicator, Tony England, standing by for their call, checking with [the] Flight Director on some manoeuvre PADs, timelines to be read up to the crew. The communications engineer reporting to flight that we may be slightly late in getting signal locked up because of the antenna position on the spacecraft. Let's just stand by on air [to] ground until the first call is made.

This is Apollo Control. Still about 30 minutes remaining on this front-side pass, [on] Revolution 55. However, the crew of Apollo 16 has essentially signed off for the next 8 hours. Apollo 16 now in an orbit measuring 54.1 by 65.4 nautical miles. Cabin pressure aboard Casper 5.5 pounds per square inch. Cabin temperature 75 degrees Fahrenheit. At 181:50, this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control at 183 hours, 12 minutes Ground Elapsed Time into the mission of Apollo 16; now to start in the front-side pass on revolution number 56 in lunar orbit. Orbit is now measuring 54.8 by 66.1 nautical miles. Another hour and five minutes remaining on this front-side pass before the spacecraft goes around the corner to begin revolution 57. Revolution count starts at 180 degrees longitude, which is directly opposite the Earth's side of the Moon. Orbital weight at the present time is 43,856 pounds, a little more than 21 tons. Six hours and 16 minutes remaining in the sleep period until the crew is awakened for a rather busy day. Meanwhile, here at the Control Center, the Gold Team, those who aren't busy with planning for the subsequent days' activities, are watching a rerun of the EVA-3 video tape. At 183:14, this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control [at] 186 hours, 12 minutes Ground Elapsed Time; some four minutes away from Loss Of Signal as the sleeping crew or Apollo 16 nears the end of their 57th lunar orbit. That orbit at the present time measuring 54.5 by 66.2 nautical miles. Cabin pressure during this pass holding 5.3 pounds per square inch at a temperature of 72 degrees. All three crewmen apparently fairly sound asleep at this time. They have some 3 hours, 16 minutes remaining before reveille call. And then a rather busy day continuing to close out the Lunar Module, [and] prepare it for its de-orbit and impact manoeuvre, jettisoning the Ascent Stage, jettisoning of the sub-satellite to be left in lunar orbit and then the Trans Earth Injection burn late in the day, propelling the Command Service Module onto [an] Earthward track. At 186:14 this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control; 187 hours, 12 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Two hours, 17 minutes remaining in the crew rest period. Apollo 16 currently early in its 58th lunar revolution front-side pass around the Moon. By medical data on the Command Module pilot Ken Mattingly and Lunar Module Pilot Charlie Duke being received, mean heart rates running in the 40's for both men. Cabin temperature in the Command Module showing 68 degrees. Cabin pressure, 5.2 pounds per square inch. New Flight Plan update is out up through the end of Trans Earth Injection. Stand by please. Flight Plan update had been published up through beyond Trans Earth Injection. There will be a GET update, that is the Ground Elapsed Time will be forced to agree with [the] pre-flight plan. At 191 hours Ground Elapsed Time will suddenly become 212 hours, 48 minutes Ground Elapsed Time, for a change of 21 hours, 48 minutes. In other words, [time] during revolution 76 of the pre-flight plan will agree with the real time Revolution 65. I trust everyone is sufficiently confused! Trans-Earth Injection burn will be at 222 hours, 21 minutes under the new GET. Delta-V [will be] 3,368.9 feet per second. At 187:16 this is Apollo Control.