Spacelog Apollo 8

Houston, how do you read? Apollo 8.

Loud and clear. Sorry to have stopped on you there. We are going over the summary of the systems data.

Apollo 8, Houston.

Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.

Okay. I have a rundown on your systems here, GNC status. Everything looks real —

Just a minute.

Go ahead.

I want to wait until the LMP gets on the head set, Houston.

Roger.

Okay, Houston, go ahead. Flying EECOM's on the line.

Okay. We'll just start with EECOM business then, I'll give you a summary of your batteries; battery A, we calculate 38.3 amp-hours, battery B —

Stand by a second, Ken.

Let me get my chart out.

Roger.

Go ahead now.

Okay. Battery A 38.3, battery B 36.9, battery C, 38.5. That's looking pretty good. It looks like we got all the things back in that we took out, and we're running right along prediction. We would like to get a battery C voltage from you if you can just reach over there and switch it.

Roger. Thirty-seven volts, on battery C.

Roger. Thirty-seven volts, Okay. The predicted cryo quantities at SEP: on oxygen tank 1, 170; oxygen tank 2, 170; hydrogen 1, 9.5; and hydrogen 2, 10.0. You essentially have single cryo tank capabilities all the way at full power now.

Fine.

The secondary coolant loop really looked good. Looks like you had a nice tight radiator and everything else on there was working right along the performance curves. Your main oxygen regulators both filled at 104 psi during our check. Looking at the lunar orbit, expect to be doing a water boil of about 1 pound per hour, and this is just an approximation; there's quite a variety of estimates as to what the water boiling requirements may be, might go anywhere from boiling lots to not boiling at all. The next water dump will be coming up after TEI, so you don't have to worry about any of that until you get through. Communications predictions are looking good, possibly a little bit better than what we had hoped for, and looks like we're going to get high bit rate on OMNI's with our 210-foot dish at Goldstone. This will be working for us on the first couple of rev's, and then we'll be switching sites, so we'll go back to using OMNI's for high bit. The voice quality on DSE is good. Your fuel cells have been running above nominal for the entire flight, and they really look nice and stable. There's been some destratification -

… on normal voice, doesn't it?

Okay. Looks like may not be able to hack the normal voice. On the cryo tanks, we've had quite a bit of destratification, particularly in the oxygen, and you notice this during the fan cycles and DELTA-V's, so we're going to be sure and we'll remind you again to stir up the oxygen prior to LOI. CMC is running along like clockwork. G&C tells us that the RCS quantities are looking good. You're using the same amount as predicted for your PTC and for your alignment. What we have in the way of a redline: we're going to tell you that you can use 30 percent per quad in lunar orbit. Now this is quite a bit of fuel to play with, and you can take 30 percent and subtract that from what you have to completion of LOI, and that will be a good number.

On the SPS, the oxidizer and fuel feed line temperatures are 75 and holding steady. The service module RCS quad package temps are cycling and holding between 120 and 140, and looks like we're getting good normal heater operations. We plan to have you in a 60-mile circular orbit after LOI 2. And we should have some PAD's for you on the LOI burn at about 67 hours.

Roger. We got all that.

Okay. We're still going through the tracking, and as you know, we're going to hold down on the water dumps and so forth during the last couple of hours in and out, sort of aid the tracking procedures. Everything is running along the line normally now. Do you have any other specific questions? We are looking for an angle on the moon. I guess that about summarizes the system. Everything looks GO right now.

Okay, Ken. Thank you. We just completed day 3 meal C, and now are going to break up and each take a rest period before LOI.

Okay, real fine. Everybody wanted to ask if you wouldn't try and get some sack time here before we go in. It's going to be a big day.

Apollo 8, Houston.

Go ahead.

Finally found out where the moon is, and your present PTC attitude—if you happen to look out the right window as you go by—roll attitude of 320, it should be there.

Houston, Apollo 8.

Go ahead.

8 is copying.

Roger, 8. 010 689 260 Persei Zeta, down 048, left 05. The remainder is not applicable. Sirius, Rigel, set of stars for GDC align, 129 155 010, negative ullage. We'll pass the horizon window data later. Over.

Roger. Preliminary LOI 1 PAD as follows: SPS/G&N; 62844, minus 161, plus 129. Are you copying?

Roger. Copying.

069:08:18.41, minus 29837, plus 02390, plus 00994 000 200 005 01693, plus 00600 29949 402 29782 010 689 260, Persei Zeta, down 048, left 05. The remainder not applicable. Sirius, Rigel, 129 155 010. No ullage. We'll pass up the remainder up later.

Roger, Jim. One question—we talked about a P40 gimbal check. Would you like to do that during this maneuver to LOI 1 attitude, or would you rather hold that off until a little closer to LOI? Over.

Let me check on that. Wait one, Houston.

Roger. Standing by.

Houston, Apollo 8.

Apollo 8, Houston. Go.

Roger. We could make this gimbal check as a maneuver to the LOI attitude.

Roger.

I understand that you'll load us up with the LOI 1 PAD and we'll run through P40 as far as the gimbal check.

Roger. That's what we heard you were going to do on it. Are you going to run both the manual gimbals as well as the automatic? Over.

Apollo 8, Houston. Standing by to monitor P52. Over.

Roger. Houston, Apollo 8. P52 complete.