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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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We're starting in now on our fourth test. Like for you to put your TELEMETRY INPUT switch to PCM HIGH.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Okay. And now we're going to switch uplink to the upvoice backup for about 2 minutes, and it may take a couple of seconds when you hear the upvoice lost. So you can place your up-telemetry switch to upvoice backup, and in the event that all of this doesn't work out too well, I'm reading 12:47 on my clock now, and let's meet back in our present configuration no later than 12:50.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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That's pretty good. That's upvoice backup, and will you confirm that you're in NARROW BEAM on high gain?
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Okay. Thank you. We're going to continue tracking and watching high-gain antenna for a couple of minutes. Then I'll give you a call when we're ready to go back.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Apollo 8, Houston. We have completed this test. We'll be switching back to full uplink. When you hear the noise associated with the loss of modulation, you can go back from the up-telemetry switch to DATA.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Real fine. We've just got one to go here if you'll put your telemetry input PCM switch to LOW.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Okay. We'll be in that configuration for about 2 minutes, and then we'll be completed with the COMM test.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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I have some service module RCS quantities if you would like to take them sometime and check them against your onboard calculations.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Okay. Will do. And I'll give you weights in pounds and percentages. Quad A 231 for 76 percent.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Quad Delta 245, 81 percent. P and C advises that these numbers are still good even though it is a 12:15 time. And we are completed with the COMM test. You can take your high-gain antenna and go back to MEDIUM.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Apollo 8, we would like to dump your tape again, if you are not using it. And the reason we want to do this is we have some—we didn't completely get dumped before the burn. We would like to get that and get the rest of the burn data. There is no hurry on it. We can do it whenever it is convenient for you.
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Bill Anders (LMP)
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We thought we might bleed the CO2 out into the vacuum connector here in our next water dump. We forgot it the last time. Did you copy?
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Roger, Doesn't seem like there is any problem with going ahead and dumping it in the cockpit if you like.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Apollo 8, Houston. We asked it again, and it looks like no problems at all with going ahead and bleeding it down in the cockpit. And then if you need it again on entry or after entry, well, we can blow it up with oral tube.
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Bill Anders (LMP)
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Houston, Apollo 8. Read you loud and clear. How us?
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Bill Anders (LMP)
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Roger. We attempted to transmit, and it sounded like you had a stuck mike there for a little while.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Okay. That shouldn't make any difference to us on that Duplex mode. Okay. What I was calling for, Apollo 8—we have got a maneuver PAD that is TLI plus 25. I would like to read up to you when you are ready for it.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Okay. TLI plus 25, and this will be an SPS/G&N. 63087, minus 162, plus 129 027:56:29.64, minus 001 63, plus 00001, plus 527 59 177 137 001, November Alfa, plus 00201 527 59 623 525 43 14 2347 337 023 up 195 left 17, plus 11 45, minus 165 00 127 80 358 90 074:38:16, north stars 068 097 356, no ullage. For the fast return P37 DELTA-V, 7900 to the Indian ocean. High-speed procedures are not required. Over.
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Jim Lovell (CMP)
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Roger. TLI plus 25, SPS/G&N 63087, minus 162 plus 129 027:56:29.64, minus 00163, plus 00001, plus 52759 177 137 001, not applicable, plus 00201 52759 623 52543 14 2347 337 023 up 195 left 1.7, plus 1145, minus 16500 12780 35890 074:38:16. North set 068 097 356, no ullage, P37 fast return of 7—700 and 7900 DELTA-V Indian Ocean. High speed not required.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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That's correct, Apollo 8. And we'll have a couple more things for you before too long. We're working on a flyby PAD at this time. And we're going to be talking some more to you about the problem of looking at stars in the sextant and telescope. And what we'd like to do as soon as the black team comes on the MOKR, while we have two teams here, we would like to get a rehash from you on exactly what you see and what you don't see and under what conditions, and see if we can define it so that everyone here understands what you've been telling us. And if you have any comments concerning the timeline—knowing that we got off our timeline before the burn—if you have any comments about that method of getting back on schedule, we'd like to hear those, too.
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Bill Anders (LMP)
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Roger. And, Houston, this is 8. We might go over our future NAV sighting schedule if it's going to be revised at all.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Okay. Have your flyby PAD now so I can give that to you whenever you're ready for it.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Apollo 8. Here we go on a flyby maneuver PAD. This will be an SPS/G&N 63087, minus 162, plus 129 060:59:48.04, plus 009 62, plus 005 68, minus 020 77 000 000 000, November Alfa, plus 00202 02359 022 02282 03 0399 314 013 up 048 right 37, plus 1418, minus 16500 129 04 361 60 146:29:11. North stars 323 090 056, no ullage. Remarks: number one, this requires realignment to preferred REFSMMAT. Two, this will raise the perilune to 550 nautical miles. Over.
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Jim Lovell (CMP)
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Flyby SPS/G&N 63087, minus 162, plus 129 060:59:48.04, plus 009 62, plus 00568, minus 02077, 000 000 000, NA. Are you with me so far?
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Jim Lovell (CMP)
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Plus 00202 02359 022 02282 03 0399 314 013 up 048 right 37, plus 1418, minus 16500 129 04 361 60 146:29:11, north 323 090 056, no ullage. Realign for preferred REFSMMAT at perigee is 50.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Okay. We've completed the dump and the tape recorder is yours, and we listened to the call data voice playback, and you've been given a GO for your first test in creative writing.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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That's negative. You're in high bit, and you understand that it's your tape recorder?
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Jim Lovell (CMP)
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Roger. Are you going to stay in high bit all along, or are you going to be back to low here soon not that it matters much to us, really.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Okay. We plan to stay in high bit rate. We were going to ask you if it made my difference, and you read our minds. That's pretty good for 63K.
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Bill Anders (LMP)
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Roger. Onboard calculations indicate that at 13 hours 30 minutes GET we are not 64 200 miles above the earth. That's using alternate slide rule.
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Bill Anders (LMP)
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Houston, this is Apollo 8. We're going to try to keep the conversation down here for a while so the CDR can go to sleep.
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Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM)
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Okay. We would like to get some comments from you before you sign off concerning the telescope, sextant, and verification that you have done something with the CO2 in your Mae West and comment on the window status.
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Jim Lovell (CMP)
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Roger. We have maintained the same condition. We have left it as it was, and it will take care of it later.
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Jim Lovell (CMP)
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In the beginning, the operation with the S-IVB precluded immediate starting up of our sightings as we had scheduled since we had another evasive maneuver. The dumping of the S-IVB caused a tremendous amount of—of pseudo stars in the area which made an optics calibration practically impossible. The method which we had worked out did not seem to work too well. The method which I finally used was to go into P23, go to Sirius, which was our brightest star, get the shaft and trunnion, and then fly the spacecraft up to Sirius to use that for the optics CAL, which we did at a later time. With regards to light scatter, it appears that at almost any attitude during our passive thermal control, we are receiving light scattering in the scanning telescope. It takes the form mostly of a wide band of light right across the center of the scope about 10 degrees either direction of zero. It is very difficult to see stars in this area. The realignments have been good. I have been able to pick up the star in the sextant to do the alignment, but I was not able to identify the star which we used in such cases as Regor or Menkent in the scanning telescope. The first star sighting which I took of the earth showed a very indistinct horizon. But there did appear to be a very—or somewhat sharp line between what appeared to be the earth's horizon and the atmosphere. The landmark line-of-sight filter appeared to help out this horizon definition. There is a very hazy and indistinct horizon through—between the space and the top of the atmosphere itself, and this is a very difficult one to use. As I said before, at times, looking at the moon with the Sun in the near vicinity, the area around the moon, the space around the moon is not dark, but is a light—appears as a light blue. And this is also the same case as looking into the sextant during alignments with the star—with the sun in somewhat vicinity of the optics. However, I have no difficulty in finding these stars in the sextant. I also had no difficulty in spotting the stars I used, such as Sirius, Procyon, or Canopus against the earth during our star-horizon measurements. I can see all three of those stars against the earth background. I believe it will be very difficult to do a backup GDC alignment using the north set stars, since Navi is not too bright of a star. I was able to spot star constellations in the scanning telescope if they were very bright and well known, such as Cetus and Orion, stars of this nature. I was not able to perceive other constellations. That's about the only comments I have at this time. Over.
Spoken on Dec. 22, 1968, 1:57 a.m. UTC (55 years, 11 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet
