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.

Roger. Bill would like to ask the doctor for permission to take a Seconal.

Okay. Standby.

Houston, this is Apollo 8. Did you call? We lost track for a minute.

Okay, Apollo 8. You're cleared to go ahead with that pill. Take—Surgeon recommends a small one.

Small one. Roger.

Apollo 8, Houston. If you can, we'd like to have you stir up the oxygen cryo.

Okay, I'll do that right now. Just a moment, just the oxygen?

Okay. We want to get both the oxygen and hydrogen.

Just the oxygen, then?

No, sir; both the oxygen and the hydrogen.

Okay. Houston, Apollo 8. We've cycled through all of the cryo fans.

Houston, how do you read? Apollo 8.

Apollo 8, this is Houston. Loud and clear.

Okay, Jerry. At 67, we are going over to the LOI 1 attitude, do a sextant star check, and then we will have to go back to PTC. I want to know if you want us to go back to the same attitudes we are at now?

Apollo 8, Houston. That is affirmative, Frank. We are getting ready to ask you to do an erasable dump, VERB 47. We are ginning up to get ready for it now, and we will call you as soon as we are ready to copy.

Understand. VERB 47 when you call.

Negative; VERB 74.

Okay. VERB 74.

Apollo 8, this is Houston. We are setting up for the dump now. It will take about 3 minutes and 20 seconds once we start the dump. Over.

Houston, Apollo 8.

Apollo 8, Houston. Go.

Roger. Can you point out the position of this Zeta Persei to us a little better? We don't have it marked on our charts. We have got Mirfak, and we know Algol, but which one is Zeta Persei?

Roger, Frank. Persei Zeta is just about exactly between Aldebaran and Mirfak.

Apollo 8, this is Houston. We are ready for your CMC erasable dump. Key VERB 74 ENTER. Over.

Roger.

VERB 74 ENTER.

Did you get it?

Houston, Apollo 8. Are you getting the dump?

Apollo 8, this is Houston. Indications are that we are getting it; we are checking. You will have to leave the computer alone for 3 minutes and 20 seconds. Over.

Roger. We are.

Apollo 8, Houston. We are getting your dump low bit rate through Honeysuckle.

Roger.

Apollo 8, Houston. Persei Zeta is a third magnitude star same as Enif. Over.

Same magnitude as Enif.

Affirmative.

Jerry, when are you going to send us the TEI 1 and the rest of that block data?

Apollo 8, Houston. PC plus 2 does not need an update. We'll have your TEI 1 and 2 in about 10 minutes. Over.

Apollo 8, Houston.

Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.

Apollo 8, Houston. The dump is complete; you can have your computer back. The reason for the dump was to investigate further the P52 anomaly you had about 4 hours ago. We will try to have some words for you in about 20 or 30 minutes. Over.

You mean when it wouldn't come up with the proper star?

Affirmative.

Okay.

We are going to go ahead and start our maneuver to LOI 1 attitude.

Roger. Standing by to monitor.

Houston, Apollo 8.

Houston. Go ahead.

During the flight, I noticed that the AUTO optics wouldn't drive to the star pick-a-pair selected. Example, it picked Alpheratz at one time, wouldn't drive there, drove to a spot that had no star; and I went back and reselected the program and came back, and it worked okay.

Roger, Jim. Copy.

Jim, is this anomaly you are talking about—was that 4 hours ago when we did the REFSMMAT align?

This happened, I think, yesterday. When we—we were doing a regular REFSMMAT alignment. Alpheratz was the first star selected, and it didn't drive to Alpheratz; and I ran and reselected the program again, and it worked okay.

Okay, Jim. Thank you.

Jerry, this is Apollo 8.

Go ahead.

Apollo 8 here, Jerry.

Go ahead, Frank.

Our PAD here is—Roger. Our PAD here hasn't been correct. I understand the gimbal angles for LOI 1 are roll 0, pitch 200, and yaw 5. Is that correct?

Affirmative, Frank. That is correct.