Spacelog Apollo 8

Roger. I'd suggest that. I've got a whole page full.

Okay.

Alright. Tape the red filter to the telephoto lens. That red filter is the 25A red filter, not the one that is in the red and blue filter holder.

Roger.

Attach telephoto lens to the camera.

Okay. We can figure out how to do that. Roger.

Insure that the automatic light control, the ALC switch on the camera, is in the IN position. Over.

ALC IN. Roger.

Roger. Attach camera to the adjustable TV bracket and attach the bracket to the TV mounting point on the commander's side of the hatch to point out rendezvous window number 2.

Roger.

Okay. There is a note here that says use dovetail on top of camera, rather than the side dovetail. Use the dovetail on the top of the camera for mounting to bracket and place the rocking nut on the bracket down, and down means toward your minus X direction.

Roger.

Okay. They say this step I just got through giving you is somewhat complicated. You might want to get the cameras set up early using the instructions I just gave you. When it's properly —

We are not reading you.

Roger. I say again, the instructions that I just gave you should end up having the camera looking out the window and about 30 degrees yawed left from your plus X-axis, so I suggest you get the camera set up that way early; and if there are any problems, come back to us; we will talk them over. These mounting instructions are sort of complicated.

Roger.

Okay. The next step: dim the interior lights. Over.

Dim interior lights.

Roger. Next, stop passive thermal control at gimbal angles pitch 224, yaw 020, roll 270. Over.

Pitch 224, yaw 020, roll 270.

Roger. Next, acquire on high-gain antenna, switch to AUTO tracks, narrow beam upon acquisition. Over.

Got it.

Okay. Yaw spacecraft left to get good view of earth and your rendezvous window number 2. You may have to pitch slightly as well, but primarily a left yawing maneuver to get a good view of the earth.

Got it.

Okay. This maneuver is going to put you very close to your scan limits for the high-gain antenna, so while you are making the maneuver, check your lights. If your scan limit light comes on, you still have got 15 degrees to play with. But the only message is, should you break lock, then you are going to have to go back and reacquire and do that maneuver over again, because you are going to be very close to the edge of your high-gain antenna capability.

Thank you.

Okay. And then finally, now that you have got the spacecraft over there, aim the camera as required to include the earth in the field of view, and do not touch the body of the lens while televising. Apparently, if you put your hands on the lens itself, it causes electrical interference. Over.

Okay. Aim camera and do not touch lens while televising.

Right. And in all this stuff in all these pictures using the ALC, it is important that you let the camera stabilize for at least 10 or 20 seconds, to let the ALC do its thing.

All very well, Mike.

That's all we have right now. We will have a few more remarks on the TV coming up to you later. I would suggest that you get set up for this early, and if you have any questions on it, shoot them down to us. We have a bunch of experts down here to help out.

Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.

Roger. Just a voice check, Frank.

Roger. You're loud and clear.

Apollo 8, Houston.

Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.

Roger. We would like some high bit rate data when you can get it locked up on the high gain. We haven't had any of that for a while.

Roger. We will do that.

Thank you. How is that camera bracket thing working out?

We are doing it right now.

Houston, this is Apollo 8 transmitting to you on the high gain. How do you read?

Read you loud and clear, Frank. Thank you.

Apollo 8 transmitting on the high-gain antenna.

Apollo 8, Houston. You are loud and clear. Thank you for the high gain.