| EVA-2 Wake-up | Outbound to Camelot |
| EVA-2 Wake-up | Outbound to Camelot |
MP3 Audio Clip starting at 138:28:36 ( 10 min 33 sec )
138:28:40 Parker: Okay; now John (Young) would like to talk to you about the fender fix.
138:28:43 Cernan: Okay. Hold on for 30 seconds. (Long Pause)
138:29:22 Cernan: Hey, while John's talking to me, why don't you check my biomed out. We're going "left".
[Houston can only look at biomedical sensors on one of them at a time. Gene is setting a telemetry control switch so that they can look at his sensors. Gordon Fullerton rejoins the conversation.]138:29:28 Fullerton: Okay, fine. We'll take a check, Geno. Let me ask you one question here on Jack's PLSS water fill. We're showing about 3 pounds too much water in the LM system, and we're wondering if you got the Aux tanks filled up in Jack's PLSS. Two questions. Were you sure to have the Aux valve open and did you see good clear water in the sight gauge with no bubbles after the fill? Over. (Pause)
[Schmitt - "There was no active sensor to show you whether the PLSS was filled or not; there was just a little bulb that you looked at to see if bubbles were coming out as you filled it; and when the PLSS was full there should have been clear water in there."]138:30:09 Schmitt: I guess we'd have to say "yes" to those questions; but if you've got a question on it we can go through it again. I'd rather do that than take a chance (on running out of cooling water during the EVA).
138:30:21 Fullerton: Let me make sure we want to do that. While we're making sure, I checked with both homefronts. Nassau Bay and Tucson are both in good shape. Geno, Tracy upstaged you for about 30 minutes last night on local TV during her own interview there, and drew everybody away from watching EVA during that time. She did very well.
138:30:48 Cernan: Yeah, that sort of figures.
[Cernan - "My daughter Tracy was nine years old at the time of the flight and she was interviewed by Jim Hartz of NBC who was covering the flight for the Today Show. She was on for about ten minutes and I have a tape of it. She had been three at the time of my first flight (Gemini IX) and was much too young to understand what was going on. She was six for my second flight (Apollo 10) and has a few memories of it. But, for this one, she was old enough to be very involved. It's heartwarming to watch the tape; there she was and there we were on a TV monitor in the background, walking on the Moon."]138:30:50 Cernan: Hey, Gordo, why do you say "Jack's PLSS"? Did you see the water drop in the LM when we charged mine?[Training photo KSC-72PC-379 shows Tracy and her mother watching Gene deploy the U.S. flag during training at the Cape.]
138:30:58 Fullerton: It was the profile of the water quantity as you were filling both PLSSs, and it was the fill during Jack's fill that looked suspicious...like just maybe 3 pounds less than there should have been (of) flow when you were filling Jack's.
138:31:19 Cernan: Yeah, well, you know it's only (a) passive (means) to know whether or not you've got it filled. I sure don't want to go out there and have him just have some partial water. So let's do the conservative thing.
138:31:29 Fullerton: Okay. I'll verify that. There was some drinking water going out at that time, too, which muddles up the data a little bit, so we're not absolutely certain on that.
138:31:45 Cernan: Okay. We weren't drinking water while we were filling the PLSS, however. (Pause) Okay. You come up with what you think's best on that, and I'm ready to copy John.
138:32:00 Young: Okay, Geno, I don't think you need to copy this. Sort of just ad-lib it. With your four cronopaque maps, tape two maps and allow about a l-inch overlap to (create) a 15-inch by 10-1/2-inch configuration.
[Two 10 1/2 x 8 inch pages will become one 15 x 10 1/2 piece.]138:32:20 Young: That's an estimate. And then repeat with two other maps, and then tape the two maps - now four maps - tape them together, and you'll end up with a sheet that's about 15 inches by 19 inches, a sheet of cronopaque. And then tape both sides of it - the overlapping edges - to strengthen it. And you can further strengthen it if you tape an "X" of tape across both sides of it.
138:32:55 Young: And then, on the roll up, on the long axis, secure it with a strip of tape and put it in the ETB. And, on that strip of tape you secure it with, be sure and leave a tab on the end of it so you can get it off with your gloves. And then remove clamps from both the utility light units, and open the clamp jaws to max. And then tighten the mounting bracket that you've got on it so (that) it will be swinging around; and stow the clamps in the ETB. You got that, Gene?
138:33:39 Cernan: Yes, sir.
138:33:43 Young: Okay. Now you've got everything you need. And it's all put together and all ready to be fastened to the Rover. And then when you get the ETB in the (Rover) seat, you unroll the cronopaque sheet and you locate the front edge - with the long axis fore and aft - even with the axle. And you lay the edge of the sheet over the inboard guide rail and you clamp it. And you lay the other edge of the sheet over the outboard guide rail and clamp it. And, as I said, the inboard clamp must be directly over the axle to avoid interference while steering. And tighten the clamps securely, both of them. And then while you're driving around out there by yourself, it would be good if Jack could take a look at it and see if you're getting any unusual dynamics. And at Station 2, you should inspect the fender for any unusual wear that might have been caused by this mass out there on the fender, of those clamps bouncing up and down.
138:34:50 Young: One thing about it, doing it in a suit, Gene, you have to push in with your leg and hold; and it's sort of a two-handed job. And I'm not sure in one-sixth g if you can position the fender, the pseudofender, on there without Jack, say, holding on to the long end behind the Rover so that won't fall off. It works okay in one g for one man. But I'm not sure it's not a two-man proposition in one-sixth (g). Over.
138:35:27 Cernan: Okay. We'll take a look at it, babe.
138:35:30 Young: Okay, and you really have to bear down to get those things (the clamps) on the dovetail (guide rail) there.
138:35:38 Cernan: I just want to make sure of the geometry now. We want to take two of those pages and put the 10-inch sides together overlapping, right?
138:35:50 Young: Yes, sir.
138:35:53 Cernan: Then take two more and put the 10-inch sides together overlapping, right?
138:35:57 Young: That's true.
138:36:02 Cernan: And then take those two pieces you've got now and put them end to end, so you've got a long fender. Sounds right to me. Sound right to you?
138:36:13 Young: Well, you end up with all four pieces in a big rectangle. You see what I'm saying? You've got a 15-inch by 19-inch sheet of paper.
138:36:37 Cernan: Yeah, we got it. We got it, John. And I copy the overlap and everything. If you had no overlap, I guess you'd have about 16 by 20.
138:36:44 Young: That's correct. But you need to overlap, and taping both sides of it gives it more strength, which you need in that situation. (Pause) You just want to make sure it's not more than an inch, or you won't have enough to cover up those dovetails. (Pause)
138:37:11 Cernan: Okay, babe, we're going to work on it right now. (Long Pause)
138:37:25 Fullerton: Jack and Gene, this is Gordo again. On the PLSS charge, we're recommending you hook up Jack's according to the decal. Go right ahead and...Stand by one. (Pause)
138:37:43 Fullerton: Okay. Go by the decal and do the full 5-minute fill on Jack's PLSS. It'll take that long to get the Aux tanks filled up, if it was indeed empty. And maybe that's something you can start and (also) work on the paper (cronopaque) taping. Over.
138:38:05 Cernan: Okay.
[There are decals stuck on important pieces of equipment with summaries of procedures. In this case, the 'decal' text is printed on a fabric square which, in turn, is sewn to the fabric covering of the PLSS.]138:40:30 Schmitt: Okay, Gordy. I'm on step 4 on the decal...(Correcting himself) Step 5 on the decal.[They are going to assume that the PLSS Aux tank is empty and attempt to fill it for the full five minutes that it would take to fill were it empty. This was the most conservative procedure to follow; and there is no danger of overflow if it is already full or nearly so.]
[Comm Break]
138:40:37 Fullerton: Okay, Jack. John Covington advises that the sight gauge is not a certain indicator that you're filled; and so we're just going to go by time to be sure, and kind of disregard the sight gauge readings - as a positive indication anyway.
[Cernan - "John Covington was a member of the support team, a PLSS specialist. A good man; he's still at Johnson. All the people on the support team were invaluable: the suit techs, the guys who helped stow the LM, the guys who helped devise the procedures, the guys who helped us train on those procedures. You couldn't do a mission like this without them."]138:41:00 Schmitt: Okay, understand that from the past, and we went exactly by time before. We'll try it again here.
138:41:06 Fullerton: Okay.
[Long Comm Break]138:45:41 Schmitt: Okay, Gordy. Is that about 5 minutes?
138:45:46 Fullerton: Stand by. I'll see if anybody timed you here. That's affirm; 5 minutes now. (Long Pause)
138:46:39 Schmitt: Okay. Step 7 is complete.
138:46:46 Fullerton: Okay. And we did not see any water flow to speak of, so it probably was full.
138:46:58 Schmitt: Yeah, the condensate indications here were that it was full.
138:47:07 Fullerton: Okay. It's better to be sure.
138:47:11 Schmitt: No question.
[Comm Break]138:49:38 Fullerton: Geno, this is Houston. We want to be sure to have one look at your Biomed before you get into the suit in case something's wrong with it. And if you go right by the checklist, we'll miss that look. So when you get to a convenient place, if you can go to Left and have us take a look at it, we'd appreciate it.
138:49:59 Cernan: Gordy, apparently you...Okay. Stand by. (Pause) I called it out, (but) I didn't give it to you. Stand by one. (Pause) Okay. Now it's yours.
138:50:30 Fullerton: Okay. (Pause)
[Schmitt - "Any time we gave Houston the ability to read a subsystem or, in the case of the computers, to update the memory, we'd say 'it's yours'. It was a sort of gratuitous thing: 'through our generosity we have given you access; and just remember, we can cut you off.' And that was true. Ours was a manned spaceflight program. The fail safe was always to the man. Up until recently, Soviet program has been just the opposite. They relied primarily on the automatic system or on ground control and it cost them on several occasions, cost them some people."]138:50:41 Fullerton: That (biomed telemetry) looks good, Geno. You can press on with the suiting operation, there.[Cernan - "A lot of people get fooled by the words 'Mission Control' and think that the ground controlled our spacecraft. Really, it was our 'management advisory office' back here on Earth. With telemetry they could read all kinds of information that we didn't have in the cockpit, largely because of weight constraints and the complexity of the spacecraft; but we were the ones who were flying the spacecraft. We had computers to do a lot of things for us, and we got a lot of information from the ground; but, ultimately, it was the crew that had to tell the spacecraft what to do. In the U.S, the battle for crew control of the spacecraft had been won in the early days of Mercury. Now, I could have put the spacecraft in a configuration where the computer could have done the landing, but it wouldn't have known if it was going to land on a rock or in a hole. And there's no pilot in the world who would have traveled a quarter million miles only to let a computer do the landing."]
138:50:53 Cernan: Okay. (Pause) Call me the little old fender maker.
138:51:07 Fullerton: Roger.
[Comm Break. Gene is now making the replacement fender.]138:52:06 Schmitt: S-Band Voice going to Voice.
138:52:08 Fullerton: Roger.
[Long Comm Break. When they go to Voice, the comm quality improves dramatically.]138:58:47 Fullerton: Jack, Houston. With respect to the PLSS water fill, last thing we heard you say was "doing step 7". We just want to verify that you did go ahead and do step 8, which is connect the waste management system to the PLSS Aux vent for 10 seconds. Over.
138:59:03 Schmitt: Yes, that was all done, Gordy. We just got side-tracked, and I didn't call you.
138:59:08 Fullerton: Okay. Thank you.
[Very Long Comm Break as they don the suits. Procedure details are on Surface 3-9.]MP3 Audio Clip ( 16 min 10 sec )[Schmitt - "Thinking back to what's interesting about the old exploration reports, it's a lot of this stuff. It's the whole environment in which the exploration is taking place, all the distractions. The one thing that people forget is that the EVAs were not seven and a half hours. On either side of that was significant pressurized time. We were still in the suits before and after depress and repress and working in that suit was work."]
139:20:09 Cernan: Okay, Gordo. Jack's coming up (on comm), and I'm going off the air. (Pause)
139:20:17 Schmitt: Okay, Gordy. LMP is suited, and...Stand by. (Reading the Personal Radiation Dosimeter numbers slowly, one at a time) 24128. PRD is 24128. (Long Pause)
[This report of PRD readings is listed on page 4-1.]139:20:44 Schmitt: Hello, Houston. Did you copy the LMP?
139:20:50 Parker: Roger. Copy. 24128. (Pause) How come you guys are not on "Flight Director" like I am? (Long Pause)
[Bob had switched to the wrong communications channel.]139:21:23 Cernan: And, Bob, 17040 is Commander.
139:21:25 Parker: Say that again please, Geno.
139:21:31 Cernan: The last two digits are 40.
139:21:34 Parker: Copy that.
139:21:39 Cernan: 17040.
139:21:41 Parker: Thank you.
[Long Comm Break. Houston estimates that they are about one hour and twenty minutes behind the flight plan timeline. Astronauts Tom Stafford and Charlie Duke have joined Parker, Young, and Fullerton at the CapCom console.]139:31:40 Schmitt: Bob, how do you read the Biomed on the LMP?
139:31:44 Parker: Stand by, Jack. (Pause) It looks beautiful, Jack. I think that means "loud and clear". (Pause) And, Challenger, have you changed your ECS (Environmental Control System) LiOH can? (Pause)
[The ECS Primary lithium hydroxide canister removes carbon dioxide from the cabin air and has a stated capacity of about 20.5 hours (41 man-hours). The actual capacity is undoubtedly longer. The current canister has been in use since Gene and Jack activated the ECS at about 108:30 - about 31 hours ago. Subtracting off the time (during the EVA) when the ECS was not in use, the canister has been in use for about 24 hours.]139:32:20 Schmitt: Bob, we did not. I guess we missed that in the checklist.
139:32:25 Parker: Okay. That's sort of towards the end of (page) 3-9. (Long Pause)
139:32:58 Schmitt: Bob, I guess we're not quite there yet.
139:33:03 Parker: Okay. Copy that.
[Long Comm Break]139:39:14 Schmitt: Okay, Bob. The canister's changed.[Clearly, Houston is not concerned about the delay but does want to get the change done now. They have monitoring the carbon dioxide partial pressure in the cabin. See page EC-18 in the ECS section of the LM News Reference.]
139:39:16 Parker: Roger. We saw that. Thank you.
[Comm Break]139:40:24 Schmitt: Okay. Biomed's Left.
139:40:26 Parker: Okay. Copy that.
139:40:29 Cernan: Bob, how do you read me?
139:40:30 Parker: Loud and clear, Geno.
139:40:35 Cernan: Okay.
139:40:36 Schmitt: Battery management's going.
139:40:37 Parker: Roger. (Pause)
[Gene is now in his suit. The battery management procedures are on Surface 3-10. There are five batteries in the Descent Stage and, at intervals during the mission, Jack checks their health and switches them on in various combinations to even the power consumption. During the rest period, batteries 1 and 2 had been on line and batteries 3, 4, and L were off line. Here, he will check the voltages of the separate pair of batteries used to power the explosive devices used to separate the LM stages just prior to lift off; and then, with Houston watching, he will bring batteries 3 and 4 back on line.]139:40:44 Schmitt: 37.2; both batteries.
139:40:47 Parker: Okay, Jack. Just like always.
139:40:50 Schmitt: PCM is High (bit rate). (Pause) You ready for the batteries?
139:41:05 Parker: Stand by. We're still trying to acquire the High Bit Rate. (Long Pause)
139:41:40 Parker: Okay. And, Geno, we have good data from you on the Surgeon. (Pause) And we have High Bit Rate.
139:41:47 Cernan: Well, that's good to hear. I got good data up here. (Long Pause)
139:42:15 Parker: Yeah, we're Go to do the battery management now, Jack. We've got the High Bit Rate.
139:42:24 Schmitt: Roger. (Pause)
[The battery management procedures on on Surface 3-10.]139:42:30 Parker: And a thought for the day. We're not sure that there is going to be any need for the scissors outside today. And if you guys wanted to keep from picking them up off the ground and worrying about them, you might just leave them inside if you haven't packed them already.
139:42:45 Cernan: Bob, you never know! We're going to take them out with us. So just make a note that we bring them back in, would you?
139:42:50 Parker: Okay. I'll make a little note again.
139:42:57 Schmitt: Okay. Battery's complete, and (I'm waiting for) your cue on (going to) the Low Bit Rate.
139:43:02 Parker: Okay. You can go Low Bit Rate again. And it looked good to us, too.
[Comm Break. They will now spend a few minutes making sure that all loose items in the cabin are stowed. Then they will get out the EVA Prep cue card and begin the tasks on Surface 4-2.]139:44:48 Schmitt: LMP is (pause) sixty-one hundred (6100 psi) on the OPS.
139:44:55 Parker: Copy that, Jack.
139:45:00 Cernan: And about fifty-eight fifty (5850) on CDR.
139:45:04 Parker: Okay. Copy that, Geno. (Pause)
[Cernan - "In addition to giving us an emergency oxygen supply in case we'd lost integrity on one of the suits, the Oxygen Purge System also gave us another emergency capability. After the third EVA, we threw the PLSSs out of the LM but kept the OPSs so that, at rendezvous, in case we couldn't dock, we could use the OPSs to do an emergency transfer-EVA into the Command Module. We could plug the OPS in directly to the belly of the suit and stay pressurized for 30 minutes, long enough to get into the Command Module had we had a docking problem."]139:45:14 Parker: And you guys got the word about which purge valves to use?
139:45:18 Schmitt: That's affirm. (Long Pause)
139:45:45 Cernan: CDR's OPS is Go.
139:45:48 Schmitt: LMP's Go.
139:45:50 Parker: Okay. Copy that. Good.
[Long Comm Break. They are working their way down the left-hand column of Surface 4-2. The last step before donning the PLSSs is to unlock the forward hatch.]139:52:40 Cernan: Okay. Bob, the forward hatch is unlocked.
139:52:43 Parker: Okay. Copy that.
[Cernan - "The lock was a simple one, rather like what you'd have on a front gate. You unlocked it by turning the handle through about ninety degrees."]139:57:47 Schmitt: Bob, the LMP has his OPS on. (Correcting himself) Would you believe the PLSS?[Schmitt - "We unlocked the hatch before pressurizing the suits because you couldn't really get at the lock mechanism in the pressurized suits. The hatch had enough surface area that it couldn't be opened if there were any appreciable pressure (more than about 0.2 psi) in the spacecraft, so there was no extra risk in unlocking it now. And then, once you were depressurized, all you had to do was pull the handle and open it. There was a valve in the hatch which we opened during depressurization and, if by some extraordinary circumstance, the hatch was fully closed and some gas were released, the cabin couldn't repressurize and seal the door."]
[Long Comm Break]
139:57:54 Parker: Say again there, Jack.
139:58:01 Schmitt: The LMP's PLSS is on.
139:58:03 Parker: Okay. Good enough. And I bet the CDR's doing his now.
139:58:11 Schmitt: You're right.
[Long Comm Break. Houston estimates they are about 35 minutes from depressurization at about 5:30 p.m. Central Standard Time.]140:04:23 Cernan: Okay, Bob. We're in the top of the right-hand column (on the EVA cue card).
140:04:26 Parker: Okay. Copy that.
[Comm Break. They have begun the section titled "PLSS Comm Check" which begins with a check of the circuit breaker panels. They are in the middle of the left-hand column of Surface 4-3.]140:06:19 Cernan: ...Max. Okay. I'm in VOX. (Garbled). Going to T/R. B is Receive. A, T/R; B, Receive. Bob, how do you read Commander on VOX?[Cernan - "The ground had copies of the cue cards and checklists that we were using and could follow along. When we told them where we were, they could tell exactly what we'd done up to that point and we wouldn't have to call out all the details. Some of the critical things we would verify with them; but in this fairly regimented part of the protocol - getting in the suits, getting the PLSSs on, and checking them out - we'd just let them know from time to time where we were."]
[Here, they have nearly finished the communications checks on Surface 4-3.]140:06:33 Parker: Loud and clear, Geno.
140:06:37 Cernan: (Now on Surface 4-4) Okay, Jack. (Responding to an unheard comment of Jack's) Won't be able to hear you. (To Jack) And (on circuit breaker panel) 16, SE Audio (circuit breaker), Open. Okay. Connect to your PLSS comm. And when you get done with that, we'll go right into the comm. (Pause) Yeah, zap me. (Long Pause)
[Jack is giving Gene a drink from the water gun (photo by Mick Hyde). They do not have their helmets on at this time.]140:07:36 Cernan: Okay. Your audio (circuit breaker) closed. Okay. Your PLSS PTT (Push-to-Talk) to main, right, verify? PLSS Mode A?
140:07:44 Schmitt: Okay.
140:07:45 Cernan: Okay. You'll get a tone, a vent flag, a press flag, and an O2 (oxygen) flag.
140:07:49 Schmitt: (Slightly garbled) Press flag, tone, vent flag.
140:07:51 Cernan: Okay. Give Houston a call, and give them your oxygen reading.
140:07:59 Schmitt: Okay, Houston. This is the LMP with ninety-three percent. Ninety-three percent (oxygen).
140:08:03 Parker: Okay, Jack. We read you loud and garbled just like last night when the (PLSS/OPS) antenna was stowed.
140:08:12 Schmitt: Okay. And nine-three (93) percent.
140:08:14 Parker: Copy the nine-three percent.
140:08:16 Cernan: Okay, Houston. You got 93...(Hearing Bob) Okay. He got that, Jack. Okay. We'll leave the antenna in.
[They could improve the quality of Jack's communications by raising the whip antenna on his OPS but, since he is readable, there is no point in risking antenna damage. They will leave both antennas stowed until they are outside on the surface.]140:08:22 Cernan: Okay. On mine (that is, on CB(11) ), I'm going to Open my Audio (circuit breaker), and connect to the comm, Jack.
140:08:28 Schmitt: Okay. (Long Pause)
140:09:28 Schmitt: Okay, Houston, we had a Master Alarm, ECS. Cabin pressure may be high. (Pause) Could be we've got a little pumping in the ECS system...in the hoses.
140:09:43 Parker: Roger. Stand by on that. (Pause) Okay, Challenger. We're seeing it as the Water Separator.
140:09:53 Cernan: Jack, we can...See that.
140:09:55 Parker: You can pull the Water Separator circuit breaker...
140:09:56 Cernan: (To Jack) You don't have a bleed on yours. (Pause) It's your disconnect.
140:10:02 Schmitt: Okay.
140:10:05 Cernan: Okay. That's better.
140:10:06 Schmitt: That should do her. (To Bob) I think we've fixed it. I had the hoses in my storage slot.
140:10:16 Parker: Okay. Copy that.
140:10:18 Schmitt: (Garbled).
140:10:20 Cernan: Let me give them. Houston, CDR is reading ninety...(Refining his reading) ninety-one percent.
140:10:29 Parker: Okay. Copy 91.
140:10:37 Cernan: Did they get that, Jack?
140:10:38 Schmitt: Yeah, they got it.
140:10:39 Cernan: Okay. LMP comm check...Okay. You did with them?
140:10:44 Schmitt: (Garbled)
140:10:45 Cernan: Okay. You go B, and I'll go A.
140:10:49 Schmitt: Okay. Going B, Houston. LMP on B.
140:10:54 Cernan: Okay. And the CDR is B. I'm reading loud and clear. Houston, how do you read CDR?
140:10:57 Parker: I read you loud and clear.
140:11:03 Cernan: Okay. Let's go to AR, Jack. You'll get a tone.
140:11:05 Schmitt: Okay. You're loud and clear. AR.
140:11:09 Cernan: Okay. I'm AR. How do you read?
140:11:11 Schmitt: You're loud and clear. How me?
140:11:12 Cernan: And so are you.
140:11:13 Schmitt: Got my tones.
140:11:15 Cernan: And I got mine, too. You got an O flag and a vent flag, press flag and...?
140:11:20 Schmitt: That's affirm.
140:11:21 Cernan: Okay. Houston, how do you read CDR?
140:11:24 Parker: Loud and clear, CDR.
140:11:28 Schmitt: And how do you read the LMP?
140:11:30 Parker: Loud and clear. (Pause) Okay. And we have...
140:11:32 Cernan: Okay, Jack, VHF B...
140:11:33 Parker: ...good PLSS data for both of you.
140:11:36 Cernan: ...full decrease. Squelch.
140:11:39 Schmitt: Full decrease.
140:11:41 Cernan: Yeah, that's Squelch. VHF B to Squelch.
140:11:42 Schmitt: Okay.
[They have completed the communications checks on Surface 4-4 and will now prepare the spacecraft environmental systems for depressurization, install the purge valves, and connect their OPS hoses. These procedures are on Surface 4-5.]140:11:43 Cernan: "On (circuit breaker panel) 16, ECS LGC (sic; means LCG) Pump (circuit breaker), Closed." Why don't you close it again.
140:11:46 Schmitt: Okay, it's closed.
[They will now circulate LM water through the Liquid Cooled Garments (LCGs) to get some cooling without having to use PLSS water.]140:11:48 Cernan: Okay. "On 16, Cabin Repress (circuit breaker), Closed."
140:11:51 Schmitt: Repress is closed.
140:11:54 Cernan: Let's get this too, huh?
140:11:56 Schmitt: Okay. (Pause)
140:12:02 Cernan: Okay. "Cabin Repress, closed. Suit Fan Delta-P, Open?"
140:12:09 Schmitt: Delta-P is Open.
140:12:11 Cernan: "Suit Fan 2, Open?"
140:12:12 Schmitt: 2's Open.
[They are turning off the flow of oxygen in the ECS Suit Circuit and are also turning off a sensor which detects a pressure difference across the fans.]140:12:13 Cernan: "Verify ECS Caution and O2 and Water Sep lights come on in about a minute." Okay. We'll watch for it.
140:12:16 Schmitt: Okay.
[The warning lights will provide confirmation that the fans and sensor are off. Having finished reconfiguring the circuit breakers, next they will reconfigure the ECS valves on the panel behind Jack. FRank O'Brien has provided a photo of the LM ECS ( 726k ) displayed at the Cradle of Aviation Museum.]140:12:18 Cernan: "Suit Gas Diverter (Valve), Pull/Egress." These are verify.
[Frank O'Brien has provdied a photo of the upper part of the forward surface of the ECS ( 628k ) in the LM simulator at the Cradle of Aviation Museum. The suit gas diverter valve is at the upper right in its own recess.]140:12:21 Schmitt: Okay. That's Egress.
140:12:23 Cernan: "Cabin Gas Return (Valve), Egress?"
140:12:25 Schmitt: Okay. Egress, yeah.
[They are verifying that the Suit Circuit is isolated from the cabin and, in the following step, that the Relief Valve is in open and, therefore, would open only if the Suit Circuit pressure exceeds 4.3 psi. On the in-board face of the ECS ( 723k ), the Cabin Gas Return valve is upper center, above the Primary lithium hydroxide cannister.]140:12:26 Cernan: "Suit Circuit Relief (Valve), Auto."
140:12:27 Schmitt: Auto.
140:12:28 Cernan: Okay. You're OPS connect. "Suit Isol(ation Valve), Actuate Override, Suit Disconnect. Disconnect your hoses. Secure about PGA." They're stowed.
140:12:35 Schmitt: That's done.
[They are verifying that Jack's suit is isolated from the ECS oxygen supply by closing the disconnect valve and unplugging the hoses. See, also, a photo of the bottom, forward portion of the ECS ( 667k ). One of the Suit Isolation valves is immediately above the two, large, white hoses. Its twin is to its the left.]140:12:37 Cernan: "Connect your OPS hose PGA blue to blue."
MP3 Audio Clip ( 15 min 05 sec )
140:12:39 Schmitt: OBS (sic) going to PGA, and I'll turn around and let you...
140:12:42 Cernan: Okay.
140:12:43 Schmitt: ...make sure I get that, because it's under (garbled) connector.
140:12:49 Cernan: Okay. Did you already get...Let's see, where are we here?
140:12:51 Schmitt: Right here.
140:12:54 Cernan: Oh, here it is down...
140:12:55 Schmitt: Master Alarm and ECS light; Water Sep light. (Pause)
[The ECS oxygen flow system and the water separator are now completely powered down.]140:13:10 Cernan: Okay. It is locked, (dust) cover is on.
140:13:13 Schmitt: Okay.
140:13:15 Cernan: Now, you want (purge valve) 211, right?
140:13:17 Schmitt: Roger. 211.
140:13:20 Cernan: Okay. Bob, LMP is getting purge 211.
140:13:23 Schmitt: And out to the side. There you go.
140:13:27 Parker: Okay. We copy that. Thank you. (Pause)
140:13:35 Schmitt: (Garbled), I'll lock it.
140:13:38 Cernan: Okay. And you are Low (flow) and you are in and you are locked.
140:13:42 Schmitt: Okay. Purge valve is in.
140:13:43 Cernan: And you's (sic) vertical.
140:13:44 Schmitt: Okay. You get to do the same.
140:13:45 Cernan: Okay, get my hose. (Pause)
140:13:46 Schmitt: Your water hose.
140:13:49 Cernan: Come around behind my shoulder.
140:13:53 Schmitt: Won't fit in there. (Pause) Okay, it's in there (that is, the OPS hose is connected) and it's locked, (garbled), and the dust cover is on.
140:14:10 Cernan: Okay.
140:14:12 Schmitt: And now, we get to put your Purge (valve) in: 208.
140:14:15 Cernan: Make sure it's in Low.
140:14:17 Schmitt: It is, and Low, and the pin is in. (Pause) Okay. (Pause) And you like it where? Down a little bit?
140:14:31 Cernan: No. Same place just... No, let me show you.
140:14:34 Schmitt: Right there?
140:14:35 Cernan: Yeah.
140:14:38 Schmitt: Okay; there. In.
140:14:41 Cernan: Verify it's still in Low. Locked.
140:14:46 Schmitt: And locked.
140:14:47 Cernan: Okay.
140:14:48 Schmitt: Okay. That's good.
140:14:50 Cernan: Let's get another zap of (drinking) water here. (Long Pause) If I have any more water I'll float out there.
140:15:14 Schmitt: (Laughs) Good Navy man.
140:15:19 Cernan: Be a good place to fill with water, you'd make a nice rec(reation) site out of this valley. You could put some cabins up on the side of the massifs. Nice flat bottom, no trees.
140:15:34 Schmitt: No snags.
[That is, there would be no submerged stumps to catch a fishing line.]140:15:37 Cernan: The fishing ought to be pretty good if you stocked it.
140:15:40 Schmitt: Have a Bear Island and a Family Island.
[Jack named Bear Mountain for a peak near his boyhood home in Silver City, New Mexico. And he picked the name (West) Family Mountain to honor all of the NASA families. Bear Mountain is much smaller than either of the massifs and, if Taurus-Littrow could be flooded, it would become an island. The mountain that originally was named (Old) Family Mountain is also much smaller than the massifs.]140:15:45 Cernan: (Laughs) We're going to (have to) fill up the other end though, so it doesn't drain out.
140:15:49 Schmitt: Looks funny like that.
140:15:51 Cernan: Lock it and turn your Descent Water, Off. (Long Pause)
[They are turning off the flow of water from the supply tank in the Descent Stage. Next, they will don their helmets and gloves.]140:16:05 Schmitt: Snaps, snaps, snaps; the whole world is held together with snaps!
140:16:11 Cernan: Okay, I've got my hand lubed. You can position your mike.
[Although they have a lubricant that they applied to the glove-locking mechanism, the so-called quick disconnects, at the wrist, they had taken care of that before the rest period. Here, Gene is literally greasing his hand to try to prevent skin abrasion as he works in the glove.]140:16:14 Schmitt: (Descent) water is going off.
140:16:15 Cernan: Okay.
[Gene will now help Jack don his helmet.]140:16:19 Cernan: Position your mikes. Now, before we turn the (PLSS) fans on and use (PLSS) battery power...Let's just look ahead; we got helmets ready to go...Drink bag position you're happy with.
140:16:27 Schmitt: Yeah, more or less a little far out, but I think...
140:16:29 Cernan: Make sure you've got the plug out.
140:16:30 Schmitt: Okay. Plug is out. (Pause)
140:16:34 Cernan: My end's right, now, but (garbled) even get it out.
140:16:37 Schmitt: Feel a little pressure in there. You might let out.
140:16:44 Cernan: Okay. And then we'll lower our protective visor and secure tool harness and self-doff straps.
[The self-doff straps are attached to the sides of the visor assembly and can be used to release the tool harness.]140:16:50 Schmitt: Okay, and that's...
140:16:51 Cernan: That's already stowed. Okay. Let's start with you first. You can turn your...Let me get your LEVA then you can get it over your head and turn your O2...(correcting himself) your fan on, rather.
140:17:02 Schmitt: Okay. (Pause)
140:17:10 Cernan: Okay, you ready (for your helmet and LEVA)? (Pause) Okay, check all that...Wait. What is this right here? (Pause) Okay, now let me make sure it's in front of everything.
140:17:26 Schmitt: Okay.
140:17:30 Cernan: The alignment is way over here. Let me...
140:17:33 Schmitt: That's good.
140:17:34 Cernan: Okay. That's aligned right there. Oh, boy. That will never do. With that down in there.
140:17:44 Schmitt: Okay, it's still clear.
140:17:47 Cernan: Starting. (Pause) Manischewitz. (Pause)
140:18:06 Schmitt: I think it's caught on the food stick. You ought to open it up.
140:18:10 Cernan: I think you're right.
140:18:12 Schmitt: Okay. Get it all the way off.
140:18:13 Cernan: Okay. Now let's try it. (Pause) Looks like it's going to be much better. Get it in back. (Pause)
140:18:33 Cernan: Want to make sure that thing is on! Nope, not happy yet. (Pause) Not happy yet.
140:18:52 Schmitt: Well, (do you) want me to squat down?
140:18:58 Cernan: I tell you, I got my fingers on it all the way around. Okay. It's locked. It's aligned. Better put your (PLSS) fan on here pretty quick. Okay.
140:19:13 Schmitt: Fan's on.
140:19:14 Cernan: Okay, let me get you dressed up back here. (Garbled) center doesn't work, you're going to keep this thing...
140:19:22 Schmitt: And I'm vertical.
[Oxygen enters the suit from the PLSS through vents at the neck ring and in the suit chest. There is a chest-mounted diverter valve which allows the astronaut to select the relative amount of flow through the vents and, in the vertical position, all of the flow is into the helmet through a vent at the back of the neck.]140:19:24 Cernan: You are vertical all right. Aghhh. Okay. You're covered down there. You are locked. Okay...Whoo! Okay? Guess it's my turn. (Pause)
[Jack will now check Gene's suit and help him don his helmet.]140:19:53 Schmitt: Yup. Let's verify all these things.
140:19:55 Cernan: Okay. Go ahead.
140:19:57 Schmitt: Okay. Got your comm. That's your OPS; that's your inlet; that's your oxygen or your exhaust; and (that's) your purge valve.
140:20:09 Cernan: Okay.
140:20:10 Schmitt: And your water
140:20:11 Cernan: Okay, let me take a look at all yours. Okay. That's locked. (Pause) Locked. That's locked; you're vertical. That's locked. That's locked. That's locked. Okay. Get my helmet on. The main thing is to get this stuff back over here.
140:20:39 Schmitt: Yeah.
140:20:41 Cernan: Way out. (Pause)
140:20:54 Schmitt: Okay. Can you grab your food stick, 'cause that hung up on mine. (Pause)
140:21:03 Cernan: Okay. (Long Pause)
140:21:19 Schmitt: Got it. You're locked.
140:21:20 Cernan: Feels good in the back?
[Gene is asking Jack about the fit of the helmet in the neck ring at the back. Jack is using his fingers to feel for any misalignment.]140:21:21 Schmitt: Yup. And it's locked. (Pause)
140:21:31 Cernan: It's hard to see with that visor on there. (Pause)
140:21:38 Schmitt: Okay. That's latched down. You're locked again.
140:21:43 Cernan: And, she's in the engaged position here, huh?
140:21:45 Schmitt: That's affirm. (Garbled) engaged. Okay. (Pause)
[Cernan - "It's a long, arduous, time-consuming, difficult, energy-consuming process getting ready to get out. You've got to get in the suits and get everything checked out. You're big and bulky and can't move around very well; just a couple of apes in there. I remember vividly what tough, physical labor it was to reach things. And it got even worse when you got pressurized. A difficult job, but absolutely necessary. You had to make sure that everything was on right and that everything was locked because that suit and that PLSS were your life-support system. It all would have been a lot easier if only we'd had a little more room. In the Shuttle they have a big airlock and it's a piece of cake; and, sometimes, I wonder how we got away with it, particularly in Gemini with that tiny, tiny cockpit. It was a tight fit with a pressurized suit and that chest pack; it's a wonder we didn't lose somebody."]140:21:53 Cernan: Okay. Verify, verify, verified. Circuit breaker; white dots plus EVA decals. Whoo!
[They are on Surface 4-6 and will now configure circuit breakers and switches for depressurization, opening all the breakers marked with white dots and putting all the switches marked with EVA decals in the indicated position.]140:22:08 Schmitt: Can you give me a little room to turn?
140:22:09 Cernan: Yep. Go ahead. (Pause)
140:22:10 Schmitt: Okay. White; white. Leave the (ECS LCG) pump on for a minute. You want?
140:22:25 Cernan: Yeah. (Pause)
140:22:30 Schmitt: Okay; and EVA decals, all right?
140:22:32 Cernan: Okay.
140:22:33 Schmitt: You want me over here?
140:22:35 Cernan: Let me turn the page. Don our EV gloves.
140:22:39 Schmitt: Okay. In work. (Long Pause)
[Schmitt - "The most significant physical discomfort we experienced was the fatigue in the forearm muscles that came from squeezing the glove against the pressure in the suit. It was like squeezing a tennis ball repetitively. And within a half hour or so, the forearm muscles were sufficiently fatigued to ache. And you reached a much lower productivity using your hands than when you started and then you stay at a constant level of whatever you can tolerate and still do the job and not drop things and still apply sufficient force to work, and that then went on for the rest of the EVA. However, after a night's rest and sleep, that soreness went away. There was no residual soreness. I think that's related to the lower gravity environment. Your heart and cardiovascular system are so much more efficient in removing the products of metabolism such as lactic acid that you never damage any muscle fiber. You fatigue it, but you don't damage it. And the important thing was that, with rest, it went away. It came back when you went out again and started work, but it wasn't compounded."]140:22:53 Parker: Geno, we don't see your (PLSS) fan on. If you've got your helmet on, you ought to have your fan on.
140:23:00 Cernan: Thank you, Bob. Good call.
140:23:05 Schmitt: The royal MOCR "we".
[When a sovereign says "we give our consent", use of the so-called "royal we" indicates that the statement is made on behalf of the institution of the sovereign and not the individual who is the sovereign. When Bob tells Gene "we don't see your fan on", he is passing on a message from Flight Director Gerry Griffin, who has been told about the fan by the people monitoring the PLSSs. Here, Jack is jokingly acknowledging the sovereignty of the entire Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) or, perhaps, of Griffin.]140:23:07 Cernan: Boy, grease and lunar dust really make a nice mobile graphite material. (Long Pause)
[Gene is applying grease to either his hands or to his wrist rings - or both. The fact that there is no hint of Jack lubricating his wrist rings during any of the EVA preps suggests that Gene is greasing his hands. Nonetheless, Gene and Jack did lubricate the seals after each of the EVAs and the following applies.]140:23:52 Schmitt: Okay. I'm locked on the right, verified. The old gauntlet's coming on.[Cernan - "Once we'd been outside, there was always a lot of dust on the suits. You could just scrape the dust off with your hand. You couldn't help mixing at least a little dust in with the seal lubricant. It didn't give us any particular problem; but, unlike graphite, lunar dust is not a lubricant and probably caused some wear in the seals."]
140:24:06 Cernan: Okay, and I've got my cover (glove) on over here. Get yours?
[The cover glove resembles a fingerless golf glove and is worn over the EV glove for abrasion protection.]140:24:10 Schmitt: Well, I'm getting one of them anyway.
140:24:13 Cernan: I can get the other one for you. (Long Pause)
140:24:34 Schmitt: Okay. Number 2. (Pause) (Garbled) And it's on, and locked and locked. Verified. (Long Pause)
140:25:07 Schmitt: I may be learning how on these, finally.
[Cernan - "I think that most of the time I had to help Jack with his gloves. Partly, perhaps, because of the size of my hands and also because I'd put gloves on so many times going back to Gemini. It was pretty easy for me. Jack could get one on with the other hand bare; but it was tough for him to get the second glove on. So I usually helped him; it was part of the buddy system that was so important."]140:25:14 Cernan: Okay. Mine's on and locked. If I can get my black band on here.
[Schmitt - "This was a band that we put on our arms, over the suit, I think for our watches."]140:25:21 Schmitt: I think I'm learning how, Geno. Crazy. (Pause) Like a trained "band putter-onner". Okay. I feel pretty good. Need some help?
140:25:41 Cernan: No, mine's all on.
140:25:43 Schmitt: I can't figure that out. Must be easier in one-sixth g.
140:25:47 Cernan: (Laughs) Get my gauntlet donned. And that's dirt protecting dirt.
[Schmitt - "The gauntlets went about halfway up the forearm, protecting the bearing areas of the gloves."]140:25:59 Schmitt: (Punning) Don't throw down a gauntlet, Gene.
140:26:03 Cernan: That's dirt protecting dirt. Okay. It's all on, Jack.
140:26:08 Schmitt: Okay. Where did we leave off?
140:26:11 Cernan: Right up here (on Surface 4-6, left-hand column). PGA is not biting, LCG's cold; let's leave it cold. Well, I guess you've got to open it (the ECS LCG pump circuit breaker) now. We've got to disconnect the (LM) water.
[PGA is the Pressure Garment Assembly, the suit. They are still connected to the LM water supply and have been cooling down as much as possible before disconnecting. They will not turn on the PLSS cooling until they have the hatch open. In this case, they will be off cooling for about 12 minutes.]140:26:18 Schmitt: You ready?
140:26:21 Cernan: Jack...
140:26:21 Schmitt: Shall we do it?
140:26:22 Cernan: ...I'm ready.
140:26:22 Schmitt: Let's do it.
140:26:23 Cernan: Disconnect it.
140:26:24 Schmitt: (Laughing) It's disconnected.
140:26:28 Cernan: Okay, and did you disconnect your (water hose)...
140:26:30 Schmitt: Let me come around...
140:26:31 Cernan: Okay, let's turn around and let's help each other. Let's get the...
140:26:35 Schmitt: It's still...(Kidding Gene) This 3 degrees pitch up - 5 degrees pitch up - of yours, its an awful nuisance, Cernan.
140:26:41 Cernan: Hold that for a minute.
[Gene is connecting Jack's PLSS water hose and is asking Jack to hold the LMP LM water hose that he has just disconnected.]140:26:42 Schmitt: I don't know why you don't learn how to land one of these things.
140:26:45 Cernan: Hold that for a minute...It was a pitching deck. (Straining) Okay, that is in. Boy, it's in. Locked...(although it) took a lot to "in"-ing, though. Okay. Dust cover is covering it.
[Schmitt - "There was a cloth dust cover that protected the connection between the PLSS water hose and the suit."]140:27:04 Schmitt: Okay. (Pause) You know those chamber runs we had were probably some of the best training we ever did. I hate to say that, because it was some work. Push that...Hang on. There you go.
[Jack is referring to training exercises conducted in a LM that was inside a vacuum chamber. He is now connecting Gene's PLSS water.]140:27:28 Cernan: Okay. Keep trying.
140:27:31 Schmitt: It was just a little sluggish. Let me verify it.
MP3 Audio Clip ( 7 min 20 sec )
140:27:34 Cernan: (Is it) locked?
140:27:35 Schmitt: Yeah, (it) won't turn. (Pause)
140:27:44 Cernan: Oh, every time you do that, my stomach gurgles. (Laughs)
[This one of the few places in the transcript where Gene, Jack, and I cannot agree on the speaker identification. To me and to Gene, the speaker at 27:44 sounds unmistakably like Gene. Jack disagrees and points out that the remark is more characteristic of things he, Jack, would say. However, the context indicates that Jack is still checking Gene's water hose and, therefore, I have decided to believe my own ears. No matter who is right, the following comment still applies.]140:27:47 Schmitt: Okay...Let me turn around to stow. (Pause)[Schmitt - "The hose connections were over my stomach and, with the suit not yet pressurized, when Gene pushed in, he pushed against my stomach."]
140:27:51 Cernan: You can stow that, and mine's over here. (Pause) Okay. (Reading) "Attach our PLSS water hoses. PLSS diverter valve, Min." Want to verify that? (Pause) And, "connect PLSS water hose, verify lock, PLSS diverter valve Min, and PLSS pump (on)." Okay?
140:28:26 Schmitt: Wait a minute. I want to make sure this (hose) is out of the way when I come in (at the end of the EVA). (Long Pause)
140:28:51 Schmitt: Okay. Now, you want my diverter Min?
140:28:56 Cernan: Want your diverter...
140:28:57 Schmitt: It's Min.
140:28:58 Cernan: To Min. Your (PLSS LCG) pump on and Press Reg's A and B, Egress. (Pause)
[Cernan - "In the normal configuration, if the cabin had started depressurizing, the O2 regulators would have started pouring oxygen into the cabin to make up the difference. But, in the Egress configuration you were telling the regulators that you were depressurizing on purpose."]140:29:05 Schmitt: Okay. Pump's on.
140:29:07 Cernan: Okay.
[The PLSS pump circulates water through the Liquid Cooled Garment. They will leave their sublimators off until the hatch is open.]140:29:08 Schmitt: And I'm getting a little bite (in his PGA).
140:29:10 Cernan: And mine's on (that is, his PLSS pump). Okay, the next thing is to turn your PLSS O2 On, anyway.
140:29:13 Schmitt: Oh, okay. Let me go to Egress. Egress.
140:29:16 Cernan: Egress on the Reg's.
140:29:18 Schmitt: The Reg's are Egress.
140:29:19 Cernan: Okay. You ready on my mark.
[They will do a suit pressure integrity check for one minute. The cabin is kept at its normal 4.8 psi pressure and the suits are pressurized an additional 3.85 psi as a safety check. Then, as the cabin is depressurized, the regulators bring the suits down in parallel so that they lock up at 3.85 absolute for surface operations. The cabin/suit air is pure oxygen, and there is no danger of the bends.]140:29:21 Schmitt: Wait a minute.
140:29:22 Cernan: Tell me when you're ready.
140:29:23 Schmitt: (If I can) find it.
[Jack may be trying to reach the oxygen control on the right-front-bottom corner of his PLSS.]140:29:31 Cernan: Say when.
140:29:33 Schmitt: Well, where is it? That's that. (Pause) Okay, let's go ahead.
140:29:42 Cernan: Okay mark it. Get it? If not, I'll get it for you.
140:29:48 Schmitt: No.
140:29:50 Cernan: Here. Let me get it for you.
140:29:51 Schmitt: Wait a minute. I didn't get it. No, there it is. Okay, I've got it.
140:29:54 Cernan: Okay. We going at the same time. I've got us marked. Okay. "PLSS O2, tone on; O2 flag. Press(ure) flag clear 3.1 to 3.4. Cuff Gauge 3.7 to 4.0."
140:30:08 Schmitt: Do you need me to watch the panel or you got it?
140:30:10 Cernan: No, no sweat I've got that.
140:30:12 Schmitt: Okay.
140:30:13 Cernan: We'll have to get the PLSS O2, Off (to start the integrity check). I'll get mine; I can reach yours real easy. I can get it at a minute. As soon as we get up, I'll get it.
140:30:23 Schmitt: Yeah, I can reach it, I think, now.
[After they get the suits pressurized, they will turn off the PLSS oxygen and watch the suit pressure decay. There will be a small decrease due to breathe-down and to slow migration of oxygen into various nooks and crannies in the suit. A decrease of significantly more than 0.1 or 0.2 psi in one minute would indicate a suit leak.]140:30:24 Cernan: And we're going up to high pressure here when we start dumping the cabin. (Long Pause)
[Once they start depressurizing the cabin, the suit regulators will not be able to keep pace and, for a short while, the relative pressure will be more than 3.85 psi and the suits will be extraordinarily stiff.]140:30:55 Cernan: I'm coming through 3.5 (psi) now...3.4 really.
140:31:00 Schmitt: Just off the peg here.
140:31:03 Cernan: My press flag did clear.
140:31:09 Schmitt: There's mine. (Pause)
140:31:15 Cernan: Turn mine off. (Pause) Okay. Mark it. It (Gene's oxygen)'s off.
140:31:24 Schmitt: Where are you?
140:31:25 Cernan: About 3.85 (psi). Okay, when you get up, you can turn yours off. Give me a hack, and I'll check the time.
140:31:30 Schmitt: Okay. Mine's off.
140:31:32 Cernan: Okay. Check your pressure.
140:31:34 Schmitt: 3.8.
140:31:36 Cernan: I went at 20 (seconds), you went at 30 (on the second hand of Gene's watch or the LM Digital Event Timer). (Long Pause)
140:31:49 Schmitt: It looks like it's a little tighter.
140:31:52 Cernan: That was the suit loop we were checking yesterday up in orbit, though.
140:31:55 Schmitt: Yeah, but you know we got two tenths (of a psi pressure decrease). Yesterday, too. (Pause) I did.
140:32:02 Cernan: Okay, I'm coming down to 20 more seconds, you got 30 more seconds (to watch the suit pressure decrease).
140:32:07 Schmitt: I'm only about a tenth (of a psi), I guess. (Pause)
140:32:20 Cernan: Okay; 1 minute for me Houston; (3).85 (down) to about (3.)72.
140:32:28 Parker: Copy that, Geno.
140:32:29 Schmitt: Okay. That it?
140:32:30 Cernan: Okay. Mark yours.
140:32:32 Schmitt: Okay. And the LMP was (3).8 to (3).7.
140:32:39 Parker: Okay. Copy that.
140:32:41 Schmitt: And I'm back on.
140:32:45 Cernan: Okay, and we'd like your Go, Robert.
140:32:49 Parker: You're Go for Depress.
[They will now bring the cabin pressure down from 5 psi to 3.5 psi and will watch the response of the suit regulators. They are in the middle of the right-hand column of Surface 4-6.]140:32:55 Cernan: Okay. Jack, (on circuit breaker panel) "16, Cabin Repress, Open; and Cabin Repress valve, Closed."
[By opening the circuit breaker and closing the valve, Jack will make it doubly impossible for the ECS to repressurize the cabin when Gene opens the dump valve.]140:33:00 Schmitt: Okay, Cabin Repress. Circuit breaker first, right?.
140:33:05 Cernan: Circuit breaker first. "Cabin Repress, Open."
140:33:07 Schmitt: Okay. Let me turn around here. Okay, it's open.
140:33:10 Cernan: Okay. And "Repress valve, closed."
140:33:14 Schmitt: Okay. It's going closed.
140:33:16 Cernan: And then stay over there (on the right side of the cabin) as far as you can, 'cause I got to get the overhead dump valve.
[Schmitt - "There were two valves we could use to dump the cabin oxygen for depressurization. There was one in the forward hatch, but the one we used was overhead on the docking hatch and was easier to reach. And that wasn't closed until we came back in."]140:33:19 Schmitt: Okay, I'm over as far as I can get. I can turn around and give you more room.[Cernan - "These were just little accordion valves, each with a small lever that we used to break the seal. Air pressure in the cabin was enough to keep them shut, but the surface area was small enough that you could open it easy enough with the lever. As Jack says, the overhead was just easier to get to in the pressurized suit. Here, he was probably standing facing away from me, so if he leaned toward me, his PLSS would be on my side of the cabin, and I was probably having to turn a little to get my right arm up and back to get at the valve."]
[Training photo KSC-72PC-540 shows the overhead valve at the upper right.]
140:33:22 Cernan: Yeah, turn around and you'll have to look at the Cabin (pressure gauge).
140:33:25 Schmitt: Watch yourself there.
140:33:28 Cernan: You went awful weak all of a sudden. Are you...
[There is no change in Jack's volume as recorded in Houston.]140:33:30 Schmitt: Hello. How do you read?
140:33:31 Cernan: Very weak. Give me a call again.
140:33:33 Schmitt: Very weak?
140:33:34 Cernan: Okay. My volume (control on the RCU) got...
140:33:35 Schmitt: You got to hit your volume.
140:33:36 Cernan: Okay, now.
140:33:38 Schmitt: Let me get over here...
140:33:40 Cernan: Wait a minute.
140:33:42 Schmitt: Is that enough?
140:33:44 Cernan: No, your arm's in the way. (Pause) Okay. I can get at it now.
140:33:47 Schmitt: You want to go to...Let me get that..."Open, then Auto at 3.5." Okay, go ahead.
140:33:56 Cernan: Okay. Coming down. I can see it (the valve) open.
140:34:00 Schmitt: There it is. That's 5 (psi). 4 and a half. 4. Stand by. Mark it (3.5 psi).
140:34:09 Cernan: Okay, it (the dump valve)'s Auto.
140:34:11 Schmitt: Okay, about 3.4. And, I (garbled). Watch; looking at a watch.
140:34:17 Cernan: Okay.
140:34:20 Schmitt: And my cuff gauge went up to 5.0. Good. (Pause) Suit circuit's at 4.6. That's okay. And I'm decaying. Are you decaying?
140:34:42 Cernan: I'm decaying.
[They have bled the cabin pressure down to 3.5 psi and are holding there while they watch the suits react. The EVA clock starts once they are satisfied with the suit integrity and then begin the final depressurization.]140:34:43 Schmitt: Okay. (As per 4-7) We can start our watch. (Pause)
MP3 Audio Clip ( 20 min 49 sec )
140:34:50 Cernan: Okay.
140:34:52 Schmitt: My watch is started. At 5:30, more or less (Central Standard Time in the afternoon of Tuesday 11December 1972).
140:34:57 Cernan: At 5:30. Yes, sir.
140:34:59 Schmitt: Okay.
140:35:00 Cernan: Press on.
| EVA-2 Wake-up | Apollo 17 Journal | Outbound to Camelot |