Bill Anders (LMP)

We always have the same smear to look through. The rendezvous windows are okay, but they're so small and looking in the wrong directions here so far.

Bill Anders (LMP)

I think the vertical stereo will be okay.

Bill Anders (LMP)

It certainly looks like we're picking the more interesting places on the moon to land in. The backside looks like a sand pile my kids have been playing in for a long time. It's all beat up, no definition. Just a lot of bumps and holes.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

I'm looking at 2P-2 right now, Houston, and it's a great spot.

Bill Anders (LMP)

The area we're over right now gives some hint of possible volcanic, though I really can't eyeball it at the moment to pin that down. There are some craters and buildups that just definitely suggest volcanic activity.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. Understand, Bill, and understand Jim thinks the old 2P-2 is a winner.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Yes, that backside doesn't look good at all.

Bill Anders (LMP)

That's relatively speaking, of course.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger, Jim. We have you on the high-gain antenna. We'd like you to take the DSE and dump it over.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

Roger, Houston. Are you going to use our computer to update our state vector?

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

That's affirmative, Jim. We'd like to—stand by one, and I'll tell you when to go to P00 and ACCEPT.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

Roger. Then I'll work my 52 around your …

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Jim, would you please go to P00 in ACCEPT, and we'll send you a P27 and run a state vector update.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

Roger. You have P00 in ACCEPT.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

Houston, this is Apollo 8. We have a little piece of useful information if you're interested in deliberating over it.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

Roger. Our first control point is very near the terminator, and as the optics were tracking it, I had occasion to watch the sun come up. And at about 2 minutes before sunrise, you get—the limb begins to brighten up into sort of a fine white haze, a fine glow completely over the space just behind the limb.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. I understand. About 2 minutes before the sun comes up, you get a fine white haze radiating out from behind the limb. How far out does it extend?

Jim Lovell (CMP)

It goes up quite a ways. It takes a fan shape, unlike the sunrise on earth where the atmosphere affects it. This just sort of is a complete haze all over the local area. It's concentrated at the exact spot where the sun comes up at ignition and then goes away from the sun spots. Very interesting.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Thank you, Jim. Thank you.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. We're standing by with your map and TEI 7 updates.

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Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. You can go back to BLOCK with your computer.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Okay, Mike. We're ready for the map update and then the TEI.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Okay. When you get your—before you get your map book out, the Houston COMM TECHS have got a little word for an old ex-CAP COMM. They say they consider you in NONREMOTE. Over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Not permanently, I hope.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Okay. Your map update for REV 6/7: LOS 80:57:24, sunrise 81:06:57, prime meridian 81:13:02. Are you with me?

Bill Anders (LMP)

You cut out after the prime meridian. I got it, but not AOS.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

AOS 81:43:05, sunset 82:13:54. Remarks: IP-1 TCA for B-1 82:07:39, and now I've got four more times for you which—acquisition times for when various things come over the horizon. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Okay. Control point 1, acquisition time 81:09:05; control point 2, acquisition time 81:21:48; control point 3, acquisition time 81:43:17. B-1 acquisition time 82:03:54. And I say again all those ACQ times are when they first come over the horizon. Over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. Copy, Houston. In about 2 seconds, I'll be ready for the TEI.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

TEI 7, SPS/G&N—stand by one, Bill.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Just a matter of general interest, Houston: everybody is feeling good, and the CDR is taking a snooze.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. Glad to hear it. We were just talking about a water dump down here. We've got one coming up, and it looks like on this REV prior to the time around LOS or just prior to LOS, would be a convenient time to do it. Do you concur?

Bill Anders (LMP)

Okay. We will. Down to 25 percent again?

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

That's affirmative, and we'd also be interested in any comments about what these various dumps have done to your optics, if anything, and how long the effects last after a dump.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Don't seem to have done anything to the optics, but they've definitely got in some of the windows. There are a few little chunks of ice on window number 1, which is nearest the vent, and also on window number 5 a little bit; windows 2 and 4 remain amazingly clear.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. Thank you, Bill, and I'm ready to resume the PAD when you are.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Okay. Press on with the weight.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Alright. Weight 45701, minus 040, plus 157 083:18:20.80, plus 32346, minus 01168, plus 05730. Are you with me so far? Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. I got down through DELTA-V, minus X, minus Y, and minus Z. Did you copy those? Over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

No, I didn't read a word. I'm still waiting for the weight.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. Let's go back to the weight: 45701, minus 040, plus 157. Are you with me? Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Okay. GETI 083:18:20.80, plus 32346, minus 01168, plus 4—correction, plus 05730. Are you with me? Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Thank you. 179 009 001, not applicable, plus 00187 32870 307 32676 42 0880 253 033, down 121, left 27, plus 0790 minus 16500 129 73 36238 146:44:14; same north set Sirius and Rigel, roll 129, pitch 155, yaw 010, four quads for 15 seconds, horizon on the 2-degree mark at P ignition. Over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. TEI 7 SPS/G&N: 45701, minus 040, plus 157 083:18:20.80, plus 32346, minus 01168, plus 05730 179 9—correction, 009 001, NA. Are you with me?

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Yes, I'm with you, Bill.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Plus 00187 32870 307 32676 32—correction, 420880 253033, down 121, left 27, plus 0790, minus 16500 12973 36238 146:44:14; same north set Sirius and Rigel, 129 155 010; four-jet, 15 seconds, 2 degrees, now horizon and peak.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. You got your DSE back, and you are GO for the next lunar orbit. Over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. How far did you want us to dump that water?

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Twenty-five percent, please, Bill.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. Twenty-five percent.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

Are you receiving our tracking data?

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

That's affirmative, Jim. We are receiving.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

And also, Jim, we are—That last P27 we sent was for the LM state vector only, and it will require a VERB 47 ENTER to transfer to the CSM slot. Over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Okay. We're dumping the waste tank now, Houston.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. We've got 4 minutes til LOS, and everything is looking good down here.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Roger. How much longer do you think we have to go into battery charge there, Mike?

Bill Anders (LMP)

If you can wake up the EECOM, why don't you have him ask the back room?

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Oh, you really know how to hurt a guy.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. We estimate the charge will be complete in another 45 minutes. Over.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Okay. Thank you very much.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. One minute til LOS, and standing by.

Bill Anders (LMP)

Okay. See you on the other side, Mike.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger, Frank. Good morning. You're loud and clear, how me?

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. We have a request that Jim space his marks, his five marks out a bit more slowly. If possible, we would like to get a couple of them past the zenith. We're getting five of them with rather rapid spacing, and from the geometry viewpoint, it would be better if you'd slow them down a little bit and lengthened them out so as to include a couple of them past the zenith. Over.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Houston, Apollo 8. That last set of marks are invalid. Disregard what Jim drew the last time.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. Understand the last set of marks are invalid. Over.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

Roger. If you would correlate … the last set.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

We have an awful lot of background noise, Jim. Could you say again, please?

Jim Lovell (CMP)

Roger. I'm coming up on control point 3. I tried to stick another control point in between 2 and 3. It didn't do it, so I just took out our program, marked it down on the program.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. Understand you are coming up on 3.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. On Jim's marks, we'd like to get spacing of approximately 30, 30 seconds between each mark. The last ones we are copying roughly 15 seconds between marks, and we would like to stretch it out even further if that is okay with you.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

Roger, Mike. I find that tracking is much easier using the sextant than the scanning telescope. You have finer control, and at these orbital speeds, resolved to medium seem to be the best combination.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger, Jim. I copy that it's easier for you to use the sextant than the scanning telescope. It gives you finer control, and say again after that.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Do you read?

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. I copy that it's—tracking is easier using the sextant than the scanning telescope; it gives you finer control, and say again after that. Over.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

And the combination of resolved and medium is perhaps the best combination of—combination of—speed low is too low; we can't catch up with the target.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. Understand that the best combination is resolved and medium. Low is just too low.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

Roger. I'm not too sure what happened that time, Mike. I was marking on the landing sites, using the code, and I kept getting a large trunnion for AUTO OPTICS. And I could see the target, or landing site was coming up, so I just went manually and marked and got the—the latitude and longitude were quite different from the nominal.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. We copy that, Jim.

Frank Borman (CDR)

Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. We're checking into Jim's remarks on his P22; and in the meantime, I have your maneuver PAD's and map updates, at your convenience. Over.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

Go ahead with your data, Mike.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Okay. And before that, we'd like to take the DSE away from you, please, for a while.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Thank you, and we'd like you to go to P00 and ACCEPT. We have a P27 state vector update for you.

Jim Lovell (CMP)

There's P00, and I'm going to ACCEPT.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Which would you like first, the map update or the TEI 8?

Jim Lovell (CMP)

The map would be fine.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Okay. Map update: LOS 82:55:54, sunrise 83:05:49, prime meridian 83:11:38, AOS 83:41:43, sunset 84:18:45; remarks: control point 1 acquisition 83:07:39, control point 2 acquisition 83:20:21, control point 3 ACQ 83:41:51, B-1 acquisition 84:02:28. Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Understand —

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Spoken on Dec. 24, 1968, 9:13 p.m. UTC (55 years, 10 months ago). Link to this transcript range is: Tweet

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Roger. The TEI 8 PAD, SPS/G&N: 45701, minus 040, plus 157 085:18:19.04. Are you with me so far? Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Okay. Plus 3195, minus 01267, plus 04716 179 008 001, not applicable, plus 00187 33552 311 33355 42 0909 252. Are you still with me? Over.

Mike Collins (CAPCOM)

Okay. Picking up with the boresight star, it's old Dzuba who is the center star in the head of Scorpio; he's down 060, left 42, plus 0773, minus 16500 12982 36256 146:46:18. North set stars remain Sirius, Rigel, roll 129, pitch 155, yaw 010; four-quad ullage of 15 seconds, horizon on a 4-degree line at TIG, and requesting you zero the optics. Over.