Spacelog Apollo 8

Just a rough estimate. And also, have you seen any more hints on that sensor problem on fuel cell 2?

Stand by one. I'll get the latest scoop on it for you, Bill.

Bill, there is nothing new on fuel cell number 2. We don't think there is anything at all wrong with the fuel cell. It's some sort of a sensor problem, but we don't have any new information on it.

Okay. They all look pretty good from here, Mike.

Roger. Thank you.

I've got some updates for you whenever you are ready to copy.

Stand by.

Okay.

What kind?

Well, I've got a TLI plus 35 hour update, and then I have an update to Jim's checklist.

Let's have the TLI plus 30 before we get the checklist update.

They never give up on the checklist, do they?

Okay. This—when you get your maneuver PAD book out—the last maneuver PAD we gave you for the flyby PAD still remains valid. We would just like to remark that the entry angle, the Gamma, is slightly steeper than we consider ideal, but it's within our—sort of the noise level of our ability to predict at this time. So that flyby maneuver PAD remains valid. Over.

Roger, Houston.

Okay. Now on that page with the flyby maneuver, under your north set of stars, I have some new numbers for you because we've changed those stars from Navi and Polaris. As you recall, we changed to Sirius and Rigel, so—And that also, by the way, is the checklist update which I will give you later—but on that maneuver PAD, I have got three new angles for you using Sirius and Rigel when you are ready to copy those.

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

Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

Houston, Apollo 8. Over.

Roger, Apollo 8. Houston. You are loud and clear now. We had a lot of background noise there for a few minutes. How are you reading me?

Roger. I'm reading you okay, Mike, and I read you the last time you asked me that, so I guess maybe I wasn't getting through to you.

Okay. Well, did you copy on this flyby maneuver PAD? We've got three new angles. Are you ready to copy those?

I'm ready to copy the flyby angles.

Okay. Roll 137. pitch 310, yaw 340. Over.

Roger. Roll 137, pitch 310, yaw 340.

That's affirmative, and I have the TLI plus 35 hour PAD when you are ready for it.

Roger. Ready for the TLI plus 35.

Roger. TLI plus 35 hours, SPS/G&N, 63023 minus 162 plus 129. Are you with me so far?

Loud and clear.

Okay. It's simply changing these north set of stars around. For Navi substitute Sirius, which is number 15, and for Rigel—correction—for Polaris substitute Rigel, number 12.

Roger. Substitute Rigel for Polaris and Sirius for Navi. How about shaft and trunnion; remain the same?

Your shaft and trunnions remain the same. Sirius remains on the 50-degree line just like Navi used to be. Rigel is down 1.3 degrees from your horizontal, from your M-line. Over.

Roger. Understand.

Okay. And let me know when it gets to be breakfast time. I've got a newspaper to read up to you and a few other things.

We're ready.

Okay. I've got a Haney special here for you. The Interstellar Times latest edition says the flight to the moon is occupying prime space on both paper and television; it's THE news story. The headlines of the Post says “Moon, here they come”. We understand that Bill Anders will be in private conversation or communication today with an old man who wears a red suit and lives at the North Pole. A suspect in the Miami kidnapping was captured late yesterday, and the 11 GI's that have been detained 5 months in Cambodia were released yesterday and will make it home in time for Christmas.

Roger. With reference to the first, we saw him earlier this morning, and he was heading your way.

Roger. We'll pass the word along. David Eisenhower and Julie Nixon were married yesterday in New York. He was described as “nervous”.

Right.