Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Roger. Do you think you're in a position where you could use the high gain?

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. We're dumping at this time.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. Tape voice is probable.

Bill Anders (LMP)

We ought to also get a check on it at low bit rate for DSE voice, Ken.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, are you saying that everything that's on there now is in high bit?

Bill Anders (LMP)

That's where my switch was.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. We'll take a look at it then. If there wasn't anything that was previously recorded in low bit, then we'll come back and maybe take a look at that, too.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Okay. We might get … if maybe we can get in a little closer to the moon to put as big a strain on it as we can.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. We've completed the dump, and the tape recorder's back to you. You can use it any way you want. We may want to dump that thing again, and if we do we'll go ahead and use the same information unless you have something else that you specifically wanted to put on there later. Listening to the voice quality—it sounds real good. We're coming up on a midcourse 4 and right now it's—talking about doing it on time, and you can anticipate the burn in the neighborhood of 3 foot per second. We're considering and would like for you to think about the possibility of doing this burn using the onboard vector and just have us update the vector in the LM slot, so that you will have the MSFN vector on board. But it looks like it won't have any big effect on the burn results, and it might prove interesting. So if you think about that one for a bit and let us know if you have any suggestions or thoughts on the subject.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. You say it uses the onboard vectors and leaves the MSFN vectors on the LM slot.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

That's affirmed, if that's what you would like to do, right. We considered it, and it looks like that would be a reasonable thing.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. Frank and Jim are asleep now, and I'll bring this up to them when they wake up.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. How about stirring up the oxygen?

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay, Bill. I guess I want to belay my last about using the onboard state vector for MCC 4. After looking at it some more on the ground, they've got to get going on making the PAD's and doing all their computations, and rather than put it off or do it twice, we're going to go ahead and go with the procedures we've been using all along. On the lunar orbit stuff, we've been looking it over and we got several guys—Jack Schmitt and company in the back room—looking at what effect your windows have. And, basically, it looks like there's two options that will make an impact on that REV 2. One of the options, of course, will be just to have you and Jim change seats and let Jim look out and get his SAM that way, and another option will be to roll the bird over and let Jim point the optics as far forward as he can get them and take his SAM through the telescope. And I guess we'd like to have any thoughts that you folks have on what you think you can do with the windows; if you have anything, we'd like to factor it into our thinking and go ahead and firm up our plans as early as we can. We'd like not to put it off so that we have none of these things to do after midcourse. You folks can probably tell us more about what you can do with those windows. So if you have any thoughts, go ahead and sing out with them, and we'll see what we can do about factoring that in.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Okay. With reference to the midcourse, I think that's generally agreed upon, that we do it like we've always been doing it. Now, with respect to the windows, center windows, essentially, are unusable. The two side windows are—may be all right for observation, and the problem with the rendezvous windows is that they're pretty small. And I just thought we'd have to play the window game by ear almost. Not really sure what capability we're going to have. And we'll give you some more thoughts on this later.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. How about exercising the idea of rolling over and having Jim do his polarization through the telescope because if we have to change attitudes we'd like to go ahead and start thinking about what effects that'll have on such things as antenna orientation and all that.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Okay. We'll—I'll mention it to them when they wake up.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. Apollo 8, we'd like to update your CMC clock. This is not to correct errors which we have now but just to make up for some effects that we're going to have in lunar orbit. And what we'd like to have you do is go to P00 and ACCEPT and let us update the clock time.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Okay. You got P00 and ACCEPT.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. We're completed with the clock update, and the computer is yours.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. Going to BLOCK.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Houston. Apollo 8. Go ahead.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. We'd like to update CMC. The order that we'll update will be the LM state vector, the CSM state vector, and then the external DELTA-V and the REFSMMAT. So any time you're free with it, we can have P00 in ACCEPT; we'll go ahead with it.

Expand selection up Contract selection down Close
Bill Anders (LMP)

I understand you're going to update LM state vector, CSM state vector, and external DELTA-V and the REFSMMAT.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Affirmative. And I'll have one, two, three PAD's to read to you.

Expand selection down Contract selection up

Spoken on Dec. 24, 1968, 12:33 a.m. UTC (55 years, 3 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Bill Anders (LMP)

Standby. Okay. You've got P00 in ACCEPT.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay, thank you. And just a minute, I'll be with you on the PAD's. They'll be three maneuver PAD's, one of them MCC 4.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Houston, this is Apollo 8. We're ready to copy if you read.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Okay. I thought maybe we had lost COMM here for a second.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. Apollo 8, let me just read you midcourse correction number 4.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Alright. Midcourse correction number 4: the RCS/G&N 62888 November Alfa November Alfa 060:59:54.30 minus 00012, minus 00011, plus 00012 031 008 323 November Alfa, plus 00618 00020 011 00020 17 2965 308 Alpha-Centauri, up 073, left 34. For the stars, it will be the primary Sirius, secondary Rigel, 129 155 010. Over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. MCC 4, RCS/G&N 62888 NA, NA 060:59:54.30, minus 00012, minus 00011, plus 00012 031 008 323, NA. Are you with me so far?

Bill Anders (LMP)

Plus 00618 00020 011 00020 17 2965 308 Alpha-Centauri, up 073, left 34, primary Sirius, secondary Rigel 129 155 010. Over.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

That's correct, Apollo 8.

Bill Anders (LMP)

And what else have you got?

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. I've got one for pericynthian plus 2, and it's a minimum DELTA-V solution.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. That's pericynthian plus 2. RCS/G&N 62871 November Alfa, and stand by one. Okay. We'll pick up with a pitch trim and yaw trim of not applicable; time 071:07:22.16, minus 00468, plus 00254, plus 00181 173 101 027 November Alfa plus 00187 00563 515 00563 01 3169 198 044, down 044, left 45, plus 1100, minus 02500 12967 36198 137:01:53, primary Sirius, secondary Rigel 129:155:010, four jets plus X. This assumes execution of midcourse correction number 4 and uses the same alignment as midcourse correction 4. over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. Pericynthian plus 2, minimum DELTA-V RCS/G&N 62871, NA, NA. 071:07:22.16, minus 00468, plus 00254, plus 00181 173 101 027, NA, plus 00187 00563 515 00563 01 3169 198 044, down 044, left 45, plus 1100, minus 02500 12967 36198 137:01:53, primary Sirius, secondary Rigel, 1.29 155 010, four jets plus X, assumes MCC 4 with same alignment. Over.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

That is correct, Apollo 8.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Houston, Apollo 8. Confirm that boresight star and SPA are exactly the same number and not typographical error.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Roger, Apollo 8. They are checking that. Apollo 8, the computer is yours. You can take it back.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. Going to BLOCK.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Houston, this is Apollo 8. Do you copy?

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

I do now loud and clear. I've got one more PAD for you, and the confirmation that those boresight star number and the pitch angle are correct at 44.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Roger. And we are ready to do our P52 preferred alignment at this time. Are you ready?

Bill Anders (LMP)

Okay. We are ready to copy.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. This is a pericynthian plus 2 for a fast return. This will be SPS/G&N 62871, minus 161, plus 129 071:06:42.07, plus 45224, minus 06216, minus 18712 001 287 351, November Alfa plus 00187 49336 603 49118 112 038 296, earth up 010, right 37, plus 1475, plus 06500 13239 36913 106:09:23; primary star Sirius, secondary Rigel 129 155 010, no ullage, assumes execution of midcourse correction 4 and uses the same alignment. The time for MCC 5 for GERU determination—that's Golf Echo Romeo Uniform—this will be a GET of 83:02; use P37 NC-4, steps 1 through 10 and NC-8 steps 3 and 4. I say again, use P37 November Charlie 4 steps 1 through 10 and November Charlie steps 3 and 4; velocity 400K for corridor control chart 36507. Over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Houston, Roger. This is Apollo 8. You copy?

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger, Houston. This is Apollo. How you read?

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. Loud and clear, Bill.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Okay, Ken. Pericynthian plus 2, fast return SPS/G&N 62871, minus 161, plus 129 071:06:42.07, plus 45224, minus 06216, minus 18712 001 28 603 49118 112 038 296 earth up 010, right 37, plus 1475, plus 06400 1323 936 913 106:09:23, primary Sirius, secondary Rigel 129 155 010, no ullage, assume MCC 4 same alignment, MCC 5 GERU determination GET 83:02 P37 NC-4 0 through 10 and copy NC-8, 3, and 4. Velocity at 400K 36507. Over.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay, Apollo 8. That's correct with one exception: in the PAD format under longitude NOUN 61, that is plus 06500. Over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. That's what I have, plus 06500.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. That's correct, Apollo 8.

Bill Anders (LMP)

And we're ready to copy whatever else you have.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, let's go back and confirm on your minimum DELTA-V pericynthian plus 2 that the pitch column is 101; that's the fifth block down.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. Pitch. Roger, pitch 101.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. Thank you very much. And the item we have left to go is that we'd like to get with you on how you want to handle the problem with windows on REV 2.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Okay, Houston. Stand by on that, please.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Houston, this is Apollo 8. We want you to come up with a suggested redline for RCS usage during lunar orbit, also, please.

Bill Anders (LMP)

And for your information, Houston, when the sun is shining on window 5, it's pretty hazy; window number 1 is a little bit better.