Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. We've just finished looking at all your systems and all the trajectory information, and you have a GO for another REV.

Frank Borman (CDR)

I understand we're GO for REV 9.

Frank Borman (CDR)

How's the weather down there, Ken?

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

It's really beautiful; loud and clear and just right in temperature.

Frank Borman (CDR)

How about the recovery area?

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

That's looking real good.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Yes. They told us that there is a beautiful moon out there.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Now I was just saying that there's a beautiful earth out there.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

It depends on your point of view.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

If you're looking for things to do up there, Frank, you might hit that BIOMED switch over to the left position.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Five, four, three—say again.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

We've got the computers waiting.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Ken, are you ready? Five, four, three, two, one.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Houston, Apollo 8. How do you read?

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

I'm reading you weak but clear, Frank.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

How about this antenna? Is that any better?

Frank Borman (CDR)

Hey, Ken; how did you pull duty on Christmas Eve? It happens to bachelors every time, doesn't it?

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

I wouldn't be anywhere else tonight.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Ken, how's the … tracking on this lunar orbit coming out?

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. Frank, it's looking like it's coming right down the pike. It's doing just what it is supposed to, and apparently, all our computer programs have got the right numbers in them because they're predicting where you're going.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Have they covered any of these anomalies due to high spots?

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Roger. They're detectable, but they're not changing, things enough to be anything more than—of interest.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Fine. Hope they are as good with the corridor as they were with the LOI. That was beautiful.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

It sure was. That's—that is textbook all the way.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. We're about—inside 10 minutes till LOS. We'll be picking you up again at 85:40, and we'll have all of the TV types' information standing by. In the event that the situation develops again, for pointing accuracies, if I see anything that looks like a terminator or anything of that nature, I'm going to call the dark side of it 12 o'clock, and use that as a reference system, and we'll try that. If that doesn't dope out any problems with camera pointing, why I may try—call for a plus pitch, and then I'll just correct what I see to account for it.

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Spoken on Dec. 25, 1968, 1:35 a.m. UTC (55 years, 2 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Frank Borman (CDR)

Roger. We're not going to use the telephoto lens. I don't believe we'll be able to get a picture of the earth. It's going to have to be the terminator, the lunar surface. I'm looking at the earth right now; and we won't see it again during that period.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Okay. Real fine then. And next time around, why, we'll take an extra special look at all of the parameters; we'll have our TEI PAD for you. And we'll use the last REV for a real good hack on all systems. I'll give you a rundown by system of all things we see and where they stand.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. We're approaching 4 minutes to LOS. All systems are GO.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Loud and clear and an initial look at your systems are good.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Houston, Apollo 8. Over.

Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)

Key moment TV broadcast 4: views of the moon: We've got a picture, Apollo 8.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. We've got the T—Roger. We've got the TV …

Bill Anders (LMP)

How does the picture look, Houston?