- Mike Collins (CAPCOM)
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Roger. Understand; that is supposedly a non-propulsive vent. The big blowdown maneuver, it starts maneuvering to blowdown attitude at 04:44:55, and the vent occurs at 05:07:55.
- Frank Borman (CDR)
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That is the nonpropulsive vent, but it's pretty spectacular. It's spewing out from all sides like a huge water sprinkler.
- Mike Collins (CAPCOM)
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Roger. Big vent time 05:07:55, and it will start maneuvering to vent attitude beginning at 04:44:55. Bill has got the tape recorder back.
- Mike Collins (CAPCOM)
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Yes, you took the words right out of my mouth, Frank, and we would like to know also how far away from the S-IVB you are now.
- Frank Borman (CDR)
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Roger. I believe we are going to have to vent or thrust away from this thing; we seem to be getting closer.
Expand selection down Contract selection up - Mike Collins (CAPCOM)
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Roger. Understand, Frank; go ahead whenever—just give us some idea of when you did it and how much.
- Mike Collins (CAPCOM)
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Okay, Frank. On your additional separation maneuver, we recommend that you make a radial burn, point your plus X-axis toward the earth, and thrust minus X for 3 feet per second. Over.
- Mike Collins (CAPCOM)
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Okay. The reason we want a radial burn is to increase your midcourse correction so we can use the SPS. Stand by on it.
- Mike Collins (CAPCOM)
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How close to a radial burn can you get without losing sight of the S-IVB, Frank?
- Frank Borman (CDR)
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We can pitch down some. Jim has the earth in the optics so we could pitch some and get pretty close to one, I guess.
- Mike Collins (CAPCOM)
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We can give you a pitch gimbal angle on radial direction if that would be a help. It's 181 degrees; pitch gimbal angle would be exactly radial at 4 hours and 10 minutes. I don't know whether that solves your visibility problem or not.
- Mike Collins (CAPCOM)
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Frank, if you use zero, then make the SEP if possible in the plus X thrusters. That's the direction of the burn we'd like.
- Mike Collins (CAPCOM)
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Apollo 8, Houston. At blowdown, that S-IVB should be oriented to perform a retrograde blowdown along the local horizontal.
Spoken on Dec. 21, 1968, 4:50 p.m. UTC (56 years ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet