Jerry Carr (CAPCOM)

It's looking good, Frank. We just took in another batch of data, and we are processing it. It looks initially like we won't even need a midcourse number 2. As soon as we process this data, we will have some confirmation for you. It should take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes to finish the job.

Jerry Carr (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, this is Houston. We are showing your pericynthian 64 nautical miles. Your next midcourse at 28 will be less than 1 foot per second. We will have a firm confirmation on this in about 2 hours.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Go ahead.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Reading you loud and clear, Frank. Good morning. How are you doing?

Frank Borman (CDR)

Just fine. We just broke lock for a minute, and I wondered why.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. Your break lock is due to the fact we switched our antennas over from Honeysuckle to Madrid. Over.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Roger. Thank you.

No contact for 1:28:20
Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger, Frank. We would like to bring you up to date on your trajectory. This midcourse coming up at 28 hours GET turns out to be very small, 0.7 feet per second, and we would like not to do it. Our data is looking extremely good and extrapolating it forward; it shows the midcourse number 4 at LOI minus 8 hours would be about 4 feet per second. In the meantime, the free return trajectory is looking very good with a water splash point off the coast of Africa. So it looks like you are right down the old center line, and we propose not to do the next midcourse. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Okay. And in regard to your timeline here, we suggest that you let Bill and Jim sleep for an extra period of time and don't wake them up until 26:30 GET, and that would cause deletion of P52 and P23 at 26 hours GET. Over.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Roger. Understand. Delete P52 and P23.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Affirmative. Delete those at 26 hours, wake the other two guys up at 26:30 at which time they can eat, and then chlorinate the water supply after they have eaten.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

That would put us back on our nominal flight plan at 28 hours GET. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

How's all that grab you?

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston, Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger, we're switching antennas again at 23:40 GET. You can expect a momentary break lock, and also we would like to bring you up to date on the passive thermal control. We expect to keep the same PTC attitude until 28 hours GET. Over.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Fine; thank you. How is the thermal control working?

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Working good, Frank. I can give you some details if you want it.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Go ahead.

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Spoken on Dec. 22, 1968, 12:04 p.m. UTC (55 years, 10 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Frank Borman (CDR)

I am all ears, Houston. Go ahead with the details.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Okay. Stand by one until we switch our antennas, Frank. We'll be right with you.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

On your PTC, quads A, C, and D seem to be just about identical. Quad B is running slightly cooler, but only very slightly so. The temperature readouts in all respects are normal, so apparently the PTC is working well from a thermal viewpoint. And as far as the fuel consumption goes, it's minimal, just about like we expected. Have you got any comments about PTC? How does it seem to you?

Frank Borman (CDR)

Seems fine. Seems to be working all right, just like you said. I was just wondering how the readouts from the SPS were, too.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. The SPS temperature is normal. If anything, it's slightly warmer than we expected, so you are in real good shape in that respect.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Frank, the PU valve temperature is running about 72 degrees, which is better control than we got here in this room.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. It is time to do a cryo fan cycle, Frank, on all four fans, a short burst from each of them as you did before.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Understand, 2 minutes each on all cryo fans.