Phase 2: Earth orbit

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. You are GO.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Apollo 8 is GO. Thank you, Houston.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

Houston, we're recording altitude HA 1026, HP 96.8, RVI 25 560.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger, Apollo 8. Understand; apogee 102.6, perigee 96.8, and velocity—I understand—25 560. Could you confirm?

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. We are rewinding the tape recorder at this time. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. We have you apogee 103, perigee 99. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8. Houston. We have you 1 minute from LOS the Vanguard. We'll see you over the Canaries at 16:28.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston through the Canaries. How do you read me?

Frank Borman (CDR)

You are loud and clear, Houston, over the Canaries.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Good; you are clear, too. How is it going?

Frank Borman (CDR)

Fine. We seem to be going along very well. We noticed about a 10-pound DELTA-V between the oxygen fuel in the SPS zone.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. That is normal; that's just about what we expected. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger, Jim. when you do your P52, you can expect a torquing angle of 0.25 degrees. Over.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

Roger. Torquing angle of 0.25 degrees when we do P52. Thank you.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

Stand by for the—a—stand by. Okay. Main REG B valve closed.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Say again.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Negative. we didn't say anything. Go ahead, Houston.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

I think you were transmitting; Jim was transmitting and disregard.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. You have 1 minute to LOS Canaries. Everything is looking good onboard the spacecraft and the S-IVB; we will see you over Tananarive at 37 minutes. Over.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Roger. Thank you, Houston. Apollo 8.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. You have the tape recorder low bit rate. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Houston, Apollo 8. How do you read?

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Reading you weak but clear. How me?

Frank Borman (CDR)

You're loud and clear, Mike. Everything seems to be going very well.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Okay. Everything looks real good on the ground with both vehicles. We still have you 103 by 99 on your orbit from my low speed data, and everything is looking real good. Over.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

We have 1 minute to LOS Tananarive; we will see you again over Carnarvon at 52:09. Over.

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Frank Borman (CDR)

Roger. We do have the optic covers jettisoned, and everything seems to be going fine.

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Spoken on Dec. 21, 1968, 1:32 p.m. UTC (55 years, 3 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. Optics cover jettisoned. Thank you.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Go ahead,Houston. Apollo 8. You're loud and clear.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. You're loud and clear over Carnarvon. We would like to take DSE away from you for a second.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Lots of lights down there.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Houston, this is Apollo 8.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Houston here, Apollo 8. Go ahead.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. The torquing angle's 00026; that's plus 00026 plus 00035 plus 00119.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. Apollo 8, Houston. And copy plus 00026 plus 00035 plus 00119.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. We checked on stars 6 and 15, and the error was plus 00001.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Pretty good for a beginner here.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. We have about 1 minute to LOS Carnarvon, and everything is looking good with the spacecraft and the S-IVB. We'll see you over Honeysuckle Creek at 59:27—just here shortly.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Hello, Houston. Apollo 8. How do you read?

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Loud and clear, Apollo 8. Houston here.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Loud and clear. Over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Houston, Apollo 8. How do you read?

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Reading you loud and clear, Bill. How me?

Bill Anders (LMP)

Houston, Apollo 8. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Loud and clear. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Houston, Apollo 8 on S-band. If you read, everything is GO.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. Understand, Apollo 8.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger, Houston. Read you loud and clear.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

We are reading you loud and clear also, Bill. The problem here over Honeysuckle has been on the ground. Your spacecraft equipment is all working fine. We are going to have LOS in about a minute, and we will pick you up over Guaymas at 01:28:13. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

We are giving the DSE back to you, Apollo 8.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Houston, Apollo 8. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. How do you read me?

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. Houston, Apollo 8. Standing by for a GO for the backup COMM check. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. Stand by one, Bill.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

California, inhibit VHF downlink.

CommTech

California inhibited.