Spacelog Apollo 8

Apollo 8, Houston.

Apollo 8, Houston.

Apollo 8, Houston.

Roger, just checking with you. Hey, if you all start having ground switching problems, how about having some place that has COMM come in and tell us about it. Will you please?

Roger. Apollo 8. That's what we have been trying to do. Some of our problem seems to be getting from here to that site.

Houston. Apollo 8. How do you read?

Apollo 8, Houston. Loud and clear. How me?

Houston, Apollo 8.

Apollo 8, Houston. Read you loud and clear.

Apollo 8, Houston.

Roger. Go ahead Houston. Apollo 8.

Roger. We read you loud and clear and copy your remarks about having our remote site talk to you. Some of our problem has been in going from MCC to the remote site. We will attempt to do that anytime we can.

That's right. Just tell them you are having problems.

Houston, Apollo 8. How do you read?

Apollo 8, Houston. Reading you weak but clear.

Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

Go ahead, Houston, Apollo 8. Over.

Roger, Frank. I've got a little news and some ball scores if you want them.

Go ahead.

Okay. The big news right now, on the wires, is that all 82 crewmen of the Pueblo have been returned. They walked across the Bridge of Freedom Monday night.

Wonderful!

Said it took about 30 minutes for all 82 men to come across the Bridge of No Return and that's the one separating North and South Korea. They started across about 11:30 a.m. and were over by about noon, and they brought the body of the crewman that was killed, also.

Okay, Frank. On ball scores, did you get the word on the Baltimore and Minnesota game today?

Not the final one.

Okay. Final score was the Colts 24, Vikings 14. That gives them the western conference, so it looks like for the NFL title it's gonna be the Browns versus the Colts on the 29th.

29th?

Roger. Slow return—you'll get it.

Say again.

Roger. Come back slow return and we'll get it.

I'd rather come back fast and watch it on television.

Atta boy! Let's see, for the AFL: the big game today was Oakland and Kansas City and Oakland dumped them 41 to 6, so it's looks the AFL title game will be the Raiders and Jets.

Righto! That's hard to believe, that score.

Amen! Okay. In yesterday's game, I don't know it you got the score on that. The Cleveland Browns and the Cowboys. The Browns dumped the Cowboys 31 to 20.

Yes, we heard that.

Yes, they're crying in Dallas. Basketball scores: Houston didn't do so good this weekend. Illinois beat Houston 97 to 84. And North Carolina took the Owls. The score was 85 to 77. We had a couple of words in the paper, Frank, on the Oilers. The Oilers voted George Webster their most valuable player and—although Houston didn't make anybody on the All Offensive Team this year, they put Walt Suggs and Hoyle Granger on the second team.

Very good.

But although the Oilers didn't do so well out on the field, they did great in the box office. Bud Adams, Don Klausterman and Wally Lemm were all—real pleased with it. By the way, they were at the Cape to watch the show. Houston in 11 games—the Oilers attracted 460 628 people.

That must be a record? For them? I don't believe they ever got that many in Rice Stadium.

I think so. Let's see the regular season attendance was about half that. This includes all the exhibition games. The paper says they averaged about 40 480 for the league games.

Great!

Well, that's about it for now, Frank. We got some more news that they promised they would bring over as soon as it comes off the wire. The only thing of real interests were—particularly the Pueblo release. I think you've already been told about the—Nixon-Eisenhower wedding. And about the only other thing is the weather which is pretty clear around here. We've got high overcasts. But it is cold, good visibility, and it's beginning to feel like winter again.

Good time for Christmas, good weather for Christmas.

Who have you got up now, Frank?

The other two guys are pretty sleepy. They sacked out again. So I am holding the fort down for a while.

Okay. Thanks.

Roger. Thank you.

Boy, Jerry. That earth is sure looking small.

Roger. I guess it'll get smaller, too.

Yes, we're getting along pretty good, though, now.

Real good. It looks like you're approaching 150 000 miles.

Roger.

How does the moon look, Frank?

Say again.

Have you looked at the moon lately?

No. I saw it yesterday, but we haven't seen it today.

Frank, you've probably already been told this, but you looked great on TV today. One little homey item, though. In the El Lago area you were upstaged by Santa Claus. He came along on a fire engine just about the time you guys came along. So most of the little critters were all outside.

That's good. I wish we could have got that one lens working. I'd like to share the view here we have of the earth.

Frank, we've got some guys looking at it. We might be able to find a way to make it work for you. Hopefully, by a couple of hours before TV time tomorrow, we'll have an answer.

Very good.

Jack Schmitt is working with us, too.

Very good.

Ah, Jack Schmitt's working with it, too.

Very good. That's Typhoid Jack.

(Laughter)

This COMM so good we don't figure we'll have much to debrief.

Roger. Probably the biggest part of the debrief will be the medical part.

Roger. You're sure right. Oh, we're all in fine shape.

Houston, Apollo 8. We have just completed the canister change.

Apollo 8, Houston.

Go ahead.

Apollo 8, this is Houston. We have a handover coming up in 2-1/2 minutes to Guam. Over.

Okay, Jerry. Thank you. Hey, Jerry?

Go ahead.

How about a long-range guess on what the weather is going to be like in the recovery area on Friday.

Apollo 8, Houston, with a weather watch.

Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.

Roger, Frank. For 7 degrees, 38 minutes north, 165 west landing area, we are showing 2000 scattered, 12 000 broken, high over at 10; the wind's from the east at 12, 4-foot swells, about an 82 degree temperature. There will be some rain showers in about 10 to 30 percent of the area with ceilings around 2000. If there is—turns out to be a thunderstorm in the area, it will probably have a ceiling around 500 feet.

Apollo 8, Houston. Did you copy that weather okay?

Roger. I said thank you. Do you read me now?

Roger. Reading you much better. We got the voice coming down through Honeysuckle now.

Apollo 8, Houston.

Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.

Roger, Frank. Can you cycle the H₂ and O₂ cryo fans now for us?

Roger. Will turn her now, the H₂. Manual—2 minutes.

Roger.

You may need to call us now and then. Everybody is a little drowsy.