Spacelog Apollo 8

Apollo 8, Houston.

Go ahead, Houston.

Apollo 8, we've got a command handover from Guam to Honeysuckle coming up in about 2 and 1/2 minutes.

Roger.

Houston, Apollo 8.

Go ahead, Apollo 8. This is Flight -

… at this distance —

Say again, Apollo 8.

… at this distance, there is no problem—there is no problem in seeing stars in the daylight at this distance.

Roger. Copy.

Apollo 8, Flight.

This is 8; go ahead.

Jim, are you talking about out the window or out any of the—or out the telescope?

I am looking out the window right now. I have the lights out in the spacecraft, the window covered where the sun is, and I can see the stars very well out the left rendezvous window.

Okay. I guess that window is still pretty good for you then.

That's right. It is one of the few that is. The center window, unfortunately, is all fogged over; it looks like a coating of ice or coating of heavy fog. Bill claims it is something else, though.

Roger. By the way, I am just getting OJT on this CAP COM job while Jerry is out of the room.

Well, we all have to learn sometime.

Yes sir.

You picked a midnight shift, I see.

Yes, it is turning out to be kind of quiet, too.

We like it that way.

Well, things will pick up here by tomorrow night, I think.

I believe you are right.

We're starting to show cabin temperature at 70, so it may be warming up for you.

Well, we can feel it warm up. I have both fans on and the—our gages indicate about 70.

Apollo 8, Houston.

Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8 here.

Apollo 8. This is Houston, with a flyby, and a PC, pericynthian plus 2 hours maneuver PAD, when you are ready to copy.

Ready to copy.

Roger. Your TLI plus 44 maneuver PAD is good, requires no update. Flyby maneuver PAD follows: SPS/G&N 62954, minus 162, plus 129. Copy?

I am copying.

Roger. 060:59:48.08, plus 00953, plus 00578, minus 02076 000 000 000. Copy?

I am copying. Stand by. I am going to switch to OMNI antenna.

Roger. Standing by.

Okay. Go ahead.

Roger. HA is not applicable, plus 00202, 02356 022 02280 03 0393 310 013, up 048, right 35—I repeat, right 35. Copy?

Copy.

Roger. Plus 1418, minus 16505, 12904 36160 146:29:11; GDC align with your Sirius, Rigel set stars. 137 311 339; no ullage. Copy?

We are copying.

Roger. I have two comments. Number one; requires realignment to preferred REFSMMAT; two, raises perilune to 554 miles. Over.

Roger. I have it. Stand by for readback.

Roger. Standing by.

Flyby maneuver SPS/G&N 62954, minus 162, plus 129 060:59:48.08 953 578—those are 00953 and plus 000578—minus 02076 000 000 000, not applicable, plus 00202, 02356 022 02280 03 0393 310 013, up 048, right 35, plus 1418, minus 165 05 12904 36160 146:29:11, Sirius, Rigel 137 311 339, no ullage, requires realignment to preferred REFSMMAT, raises perilune to 554 nautical miles.

Roger. Jim, that is correct. Let me know when you are ready for your PC plus 2.

Okay. Let's go on PC plus 2.

Roger. Pericynthian plus 2, fast return, SPS/G&N 61503, minus 158, plus 131 071:36:12.44, plus 59578, minus 00086, minus 05287. Copy?

Copying.

Roger. Earth up 005, right 27, plus 0398, plus 06500 13215 36961 106:19:11, Sirius, Rigel, 137 311 339, no ullage. Copy?

Copy.

Roger. I have five remarks. Number one, assumes execution of flyby maneuver; number two, use same alignment as for flyby; number three, time of midcourse number 5 for GERU determination GET of 83:38. Copy?

Roger.

Roger. Two remarks to go. Number four,—standby—number four: use P37 NC dash 4, steps 1 through 10 and NC-8, steps 3 and 4. Remark number five: average V 400K for corridor control chart equals 36531. Over.

Roger, Houston. PC plus 2, maneuver plan as follows: SPS/G&N 61503, minus 158, plus 131, 071:36:12.44. Copy?

Roger. Copy.

Plus 59578, minus 00086, minus 05287, 012 080 018, not applicable, plus 00203 59813 650 59566 11 2160, 332, earth up 005, right 27, plus 0398, plus 06500 13215 36961 106:19:11; Sirius Rigel 137 311 339, no ullage, assume execution of flyby maneuver, uses stable alignment as the flyby; time of MCC 5 for GERU determination is 83 plus 38; use P37 NC-4 steps 1 through 10, NC-8 steps 3 and 4. Average V 400K for corridor control chart 36531.

Roger, Jim. That's all correct.

Apollo 8, Houston. That PC plus 2 is a fast return.

Roger. Understand. Fast return.

Houston, Apollo 8.

Apollo 8, Houston. Go.

Roger. Just some interesting things on the—just done a NAV with the moon; the sun is currently right in the way. I managed to get one set on Antares and was working on the second set, and the rim of the moon just disappeared completely. The view through the sextant is a milky white, whether you're looking at black sky or the moon. The tint of the moon is slightly washed out by the brightness of the sun. I'll try the next star and see what I can do with it.

Roger, Jim.

Good morning, Houston. How are the systems looking here lately?

Mornin', sleepy head. Systems are looking GO.

Thank you.

How'd you sleep, Bill?

Oh, off and on, Jerry. There was quite a bit of noise in here, and anytime somebody responds to a transmission, why, it tends to wake you up. But it was a reasonably good rest.

Real fine. We got a little work scheduled for you here. We've got an ECS redundant component check to run and some fuel cell purging to do.

Okay. How about if we wait until this NAV exercise is over with?

Roger.

Bill, what we have planned for you right after Jim gets finished is a waste water dump, a cryo fan cycle, redundant component check, and a fuel cell purge.

Roger.

We'll be wanting an O₂ and H₂ fuel cell purge; we'll give you a 20-minute hack on the heater.

Okay. Want me to turn them on now or when you give me a hack?

You better wait about 20 minutes.

Apollo 8, Houston. Bill, are you still eating?

Doing what?

Are you busy eating?

Negative. I'm watching the store while Jim does his NAV sighting and then recording the data for him.

Okay. We have a correction to make to your TLI plus 44 hour PAD. If you've got a chance there, we'd like to fire it on up to you.

Stand by.

Roger.

Okay. Ready to copy the correction to TLI plus 44.

Roger. The correction is in the remarks at the end. Delete the reference to high speed procedure minus MA.

Roger. Delete minus MA slash NC-1, Charlie.

That's affirmative, and copy the following. This comment should read use P37 NC-4, step 1 through 11. Over.

Roger. Use P37 NC-4, steps 1 through 11.

Roger. Then proceed to longitude control for no COMM procedure, page NC-7.

You went a little fast. Say again the page.

Roger, That page is NC-7. I'll read that again. Then proceed to longitude control for no COMM procedure, page NC-7. Average 400k, V 400K, for corridor control charts is 36253. I repeat, average V 400K for corridor control charts is 36253. Over.

Roger. Say again. That's average G as in George.

Negative. Average Victor 400K for corridor control chart is 36253.

Roger. Average V 400K for corridor control chart is 36253.

Roger. The minus MA procedure is okay after abort when the GERU is less than 07990.