Apollo 8 transcript starting at 03 14 21 20 on Spacelog

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03 14 21 20
Frank Borman (CDR): We are on OMNI B now.
03 14 21 23
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger. That is fine.
03 14 21 24
Frank Borman (CDR): Say again, please. Go ahead. We are 130—Will you say again, please?
03 14 21 29
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Wilco, Apollo 8. First, if you can spare, we would like to have the high gain to complete the dump.
03 14 21 54
Frank Borman (CDR): Stand by. We will try to get it for you.
03 14 21 56
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger.
03 14 22 17
Frank Borman (CDR): In a couple of minutes there, Houston.
03 14 22 19
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger. Thank you.
03 14 22 47
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Okay, Apollo 8. While we are —
03 14 22 57
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, while we are waiting for the high gain, I will continue the trajectory summary. We can still get back to the mid-Pacific line in 146 hours from the thirteenth REV, and you are on your way after 138 seconds of the burn. That's 138 seconds, gets you clear of the butterfly region. We recommend not trying preignitions or restarts after 20 seconds. If you go beyond 20 seconds, this may get the trajectory beyond the correction—RCS correction capability to a free return. The weather in recovery area is good. We have an AOS following TEI of 89 plus 28 plus 39 and an AOS without TEI of 89 plus 37 plus 24. During the burn, you may notice a slight change in chamber pressure and tank pressures due to the fuel exhaustion in the storage tank and going to the sump tank. This may occur somewhere around 2 to 5 seconds into the burn. It'll be a small change in pressures in both systems. Going down the systems, all systems are GO. In ECS, we want to stop water boiling after TEI for trajectory purposes. Your water dump situation looks good; you should be good to greater than 105 hours. We'll try to hold off the water dump until after MCC 5. In the EPS, we'd like to stir the cryos prior to TLI—correction TEI. The next purge on the fuel cells will occur at approximately 92 hours, and that will be both hydrogen and oxygen. Your battery status: battery A 34.9, battery B 39.1, and Charlie 38.5. We have the single tank cryo capability. SPS: looking at the performance on the previous burns, you can anticipate a normal burn taking approximately 3.7 seconds in excess of the computed values. Engine performance looks nominal, and all parameters have been steady. RCS looks good; all four quads according to the computer programs have approximately the same capacity. You have a good REFSMMAT to take you through TEI. We'll have a post TEI PTC attitude for you in a few minutes. and that just about wraps up what we have on systems. Over.
03 14 26 43
Frank Borman (CDR): Roger. Thank you, Houston. We appreciate the summary. We're trying to get high gain.
03 14 26 49
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger.
03 14 26 53
Jim Lovell (CMP): I think we have it.
03 14 26 54
Frank Borman (CDR): You do have the high gain. Now, Ken, as I understand it, if it shuts down after 20 seconds of burn, you don't want us to try to re-light it. Is that what you said?
03 14 27 04
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Stand by.
03 14 27 12
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, the intent was do not delay ignitions beyond 20 seconds. Over.
03 14 27 21
Frank Borman (CDR): Oh, do not delay ignition beyond 20 seconds Roger.
03 14 27 24
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): That's affirm.
03 14 27 27
Frank Borman (CDR): Okay. You want me to start it on tank A and then switch to B again like we did on our LOI, right?
03 14 27 39
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): That's affirmative.
03 14 27 43
Frank Borman (CDR): Okay.
03 14 27 47
Frank Borman (CDR): Did you put in this PAD for us? Should P30 and 40 be in our computer now?
03 14 28 19
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, that's negative. We had not uplinked this PAD. We'll put this one in on the next pass.
03 14 28 26
Frank Borman (CDR): Okay. Roger.
03 14 33 28
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston. You have a GO for this REV.
03 14 33 34
Jim Lovell (CMP): Roger, Houston.
03 14 38 29
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston. We have completed the tape dump, and the recorder is yours.
03 14 38 35
Frank Borman (CDR): Thank you.
03 14 43 03
Bill Anders (LMP): Houston, how do you read? Apollo 8 on OMNI C.
03 14 43 06
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Loud and clear.
03 14 43 10
Bill Anders (LMP): Thank you.
03 14 44 27
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston. We're 5 minutes to LOS; we'll have AOS Honeysuckle at 87:38:42.
03 14 44 42
Jim Lovell (CMP): Roger.
03 14 52 14
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, everything looks good going over the hill.
03 14 52 21
Frank Borman (CDR): Roger, Ken. Thanks a lot. We'll see you around the next pass. Just have our TEI update for us when you're ready. Okay?
03 14 52 28
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger.
03 15 39 47
Frank Borman (CDR): Houston, Apollo 8.
03 15 39 49
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Loud and clear, Apollo 8.
03 15 39 53
Frank Borman (CDR): Okay. You want the computer?
03 15 40 36
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, we would like to have the high gain, and when we get that, well, we will start a dump, and we will start your updates.
03 15 40 44
Frank Borman (CDR): Okay. How about reading us the PAD, and we will try to get you the high gain.
03 15 40 57
Frank Borman (CDR): Ken, read us off the PAD in case you can't get the dump in; we can still do it.
03 15 41 01
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger. I have got them right here.
03 15 41 19
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Okay, Apollo 8. The first PAD I have is TEI 10.
03 15 41 26
Frank Borman (CDR): Go ahead.
03 15 41 28
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Alright. TEI 10, SPS/G&N: 45597, minus 040, plus 157 089:19:15.67, plus 35186, minus 01512, minus 00520 180 007 000, November Alfa, plus 00186 35223 318 35018 42 0924 253; Scorpii Delta, down 069, left 45, plus 0748, minus 16500 12994 36300 146:50:05; primary star Sirius, secondary Rigel, 129 155 010; four quads, 15 seconds, ullage; horizon on 3.2-degree window line at T minus 3; use high-speed procedure with minus Mike Alfa. Over.
03 15 44 23
Frank Borman (CDR): Stand by 1 second.
03 15 44 33
Frank Borman (CDR): You got the high gain now, Ken.
Expand selection up Contract selection down Close
03 15 44 36
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger.
03 15 44 38
Jim Lovell (CMP): Houston, Apollo 8. How do you read?
03 15 44 40
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Loud and clear.
03 15 44 44
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, we would like to —
03 15 44 45
Jim Lovell (CMP): — TEI 10.
03 15 44 50
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, we would like to have you go to P00 and ACCEPT and we would like to take the recorder at this time; then I will copy your PAD.
03 15 45 00
Jim Lovell (CMP): You have got P00 and ACCEPT, and you have the recorder.
03 15 45 06
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Thank you, Jim.
03 15 45 13
Jim Lovell (CMP): All set for the maneuver.
03 15 45 14
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Go ahead.
03 15 45 18
Jim Lovell (CMP): TEI 10, SPS/G&N: 45597, minus 040, plus 157 089:19:15.67, plus 35186, minus 01512, minus 00520 180 007 000, not applicable, plus 00186 35223 318 35018 42 0924 253; Scorpii Delta, down 069, left 45, plus 0748, minus 16500 12994 36300 146:50:05; Sirius, Rigel, 129 155 010; four-quad, ullage, 15 seconds; horizon on the 3.2-degree mark is T minus 3; high-speed procedure minus MA.
03 15 46 46
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): That is correct, Apollo 8. Would like to confirm the hours on GETI, 089.
03 15 46 57
Jim Lovell (CMP): Roger. 089.
03 15 47 03
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Alright, Apollo 8. I have TEI 11 PAD;
03 15 47 15
Frank Borman (CDR): We are ready; go ahead.
03 15 47 17
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger. TEI 11, SPS/G&N: 45597, 0—correction—that's minus 040, plus 157 091:18:12.24, plus 36325, minus 01727, plus 01428 180 003 000, November Alfa, plus 00186 36394 323 36186 42 0995 254; Scorpii Delta, down 103, left 48, plus 0742, minus 16500 13005 36327 146:51:44; Sirius and Rigel, 129 155 010, four quads, 15 seconds; horizon on 2.9-degree line at T minus 2; high-speed procedure with minus Mike Alfa. Over.
03 15 49 47
Jim Lovell (CMP): Roger, Houston. TEI minus 11, SPS/G&N: 45597, minus 040, plus 157 091:18:12.24, plus 36325, minus 01727, plus 01428 180 003 000, not applicable, plus 00186 36394 323 36186 42 0995 254; Scorpii Delta, down 103, left 48, plus 0742, minus 16500 13005 36327 146:51:44; Sirius, Rigel, 129 155 010; four quads, 15 seconds, 2.9-degree window mark at T minus 2; high-speed procedure minus MA.
03 15 51 15
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): That's correct, Apollo 8.
03 15 51 25
Bill Anders (LMP): Houston, could you give me the SPS helium tank temperature at about 87:20, please?
03 15 51 42
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Okay. Stand by one.
03 15 51 47
Bill Anders (LMP): Roger.
03 15 54 10
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston. Our loads are in and verified; the computer is yours.
03 15 54 18
Jim Lovell (CMP): Roger.
03 15 54 35
Jim Lovell (CMP): Houston, Apollo 8.
03 15 54 46
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston. At 87:48, we're reading 84 degrees, and at LOS we had 80. We'll take a look at the tape and see if we can find out what we had on the backside.
03 15 55 03
Bill Anders (LMP): Okay. I would kind of like to know what I might expect at ignition here at TEI.
03 15 55 11
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger. We'll take that off the tape.
03 15 55 19
Jim Lovell (CMP): Houston; this is 8. I take it you have loaded both state vectors; is that correct?
03 15 55 24
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): That's affirmative.
03 15 55 28
Jim Lovell (CMP): Roger.
03 15 55 33
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): We loaded your CSM and LM NAV and external DELTA-V, in that order.
03 15 55 43
Jim Lovell (CMP): Roger.
03 16 03 28
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston.
03 16 03 33
Frank Borman (CDR): Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.
03 16 03 36
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Okay, Apollo 8. We've reviewed all your systems. You have a GO for TEI. One of the things we would like to do as soon as you come out on the other side is a P23. We are checking into your helium pressures now. We're going to correlate not only the last REV but the previous REV for the same location, and we will have that number for you in a little bit.
03 16 04 03
Frank Borman (CDR): Okay.
03 16 09 47
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston. The tape recorder is yours. I have your PTC attitude.
03 16 09 55
Frank Borman (CDR): Roger. Go ahead.
03 16 09 58
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Okay. PTC attitude will be pitch 10, yaw 45. This begins at 92 hours. Over.
03 16 10 11
Frank Borman (CDR): Is that pitch 10 and yaw 45?
03 16 10 14
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Affirmative. And looks like that will go with the entry REFSMMAT; begins at 92 hours.
03 16 10 24
Frank Borman (CDR): Thank you.
03 16 10 31
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, would you put your UP TELEMETRY to BLOCK, please?
03 16 10 40
Jim Lovell (CMP): In BLOCK.
03 16 14 49
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston.
03 16 14 54
Frank Borman (CDR): Go ahead.
03 16 14 56
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Okay. On the helium tank TEMP's: that's not recorded on low bit rate, and looking over our tape dumps, most of this stuff we have on the backside there is low bit rate. So we won't be able to give you an exact number, but looking at what we have every time we go out of sight and come back over the hill, it looks like you can expect about 82 to 84 degrees as a nominal temperature.
03 16 15 22
Frank Borman (CDR): Thank you.
03 16 28 28
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston. We'd like to have the tape recorder for about 5 minutes for one last look.
03 16 28 35
Jim Lovell (CMP): Roger, Houston. You're getting it.
03 16 28 38
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Thank you. And I guess we still have a cryo stir ahead of us, and we've checked your triple bias, and there's no change.
03 16 28 52
Bill Anders (LMP): Roger. And we're stirring cryos right now.
03 16 28 56
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Thank you.
03 16 31 20
Frank Borman (CDR): Ken, are you through with the tape recorder?
03 16 31 23
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Stand by one.
03 16 31 28
Frank Borman (CDR): We're on a maneuver to burn attitude, and it's going to make us lose the high gain.
03 16 31 57
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, the tape recorder is yours. We have your double umbra update, 89:07:15.87.
03 16 32 11
Frank Borman (CDR): Roger. Copy.
03 16 32 13
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger. And no change on your AOS time.
03 16 32 20
Frank Borman (CDR): Say that again, will you, Ken?
03 16 32 22
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): There's no change on your AOS time.
03 16 32 28
Frank Borman (CDR): Now what was it?
03 16 32 31
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Okay. With TEI, 89:28:39.
03 16 32 40
Frank Borman (CDR): Thank you.
03 16 32 42
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger.
03 16 47 37
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston. We have 3 minutes to LOS; all systems are GO.
03 16 48 06
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Apollo 8, this is Houston. Three minutes LOS; all systems are GO. Over.
03 16 49 16
Frank Borman (CDR): Roger. Thank you, Houston. Apollo 8.
03 16 50 55
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): All systems are GO. Apollo 8.
03 16 51 01
Frank Borman (CDR): Thank you.
03 17 31 12
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston.
03 17 31 30
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston.
03 17 31 58
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston.
03 17 32 50
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston.
03 17 33 38
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston.
03 17 34 16
Jim Lovell (CMP): Houston, Apollo 8. Over.
03 17 34 19
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Hello, Apollo 8. Loud and clear.
03 17 34 25
Jim Lovell (CMP): Roger. Please be informed there is a Santa Claus.
03 17 34 31
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): That's affirmative. You are the best ones to know.
03 17 34 37
Jim Lovell (CMP): That burn status report: it burned on time; burn time 2 minutes 23 seconds, seven-tenths VG_X. Attitude nominal, residuals minus five-tenths VG_X plus four-tenths VG_X—of minus O VG_Z. DELTA-V_C minus 26.4.
03 17 35 14
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger.
03 17 35 19
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo FLIGHT has -
03 17 35 23
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, reconfirm your burn time, please.
03 17 35 30
Jim Lovell (CMP): Roger. We had 2 minutes 23 seconds. Our—wait one. Change that to read 3 minutes 23 seconds.
03 17 35 43
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Thank you.
03 17 36 33
Jim Lovell (CMP): This gives the sensation that you are climbing, Ken.
03 17 36 35
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Say again, Apollo 8.
03 17 36 41
Jim Lovell (CMP): I say that this gives the sensation that you are climbing.
03 17 36 47
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger.
03 17 36 53
Frank Borman (CDR): What's next on the docket?
03 17 36 56
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): High-gain antenna.
03 17 37 10
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, at the first convenient moment, we'd like to have the high-gain antenna.
03 17 37 19
Frank Borman (CDR): You've got it; you're on the high gain.
03 17 37 25
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger.
03 17 39 50
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston. We do not have any data on the ground yet; the voice is very good.
03 17 40 01
Frank Borman (CDR): Roger.
03 17 41 44
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston. We'd like to try to have you manually acquire on the high gain.
03 17 41 55
Frank Borman (CDR): Okay.
03 17 41 57
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): This will take a wide beam width.
03 17 42 01
Frank Borman (CDR): Wide beam width. Roger.
03 17 43 06
Frank Borman (CDR): Houston, Apollo 8. We've manually acquired in wide beam.
03 17 43 10
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger. Reading you loud and clear. Initial tracking indicates a 4 foot per second at 8 hours will put you on target.
03 17 43 22
Frank Borman (CDR): Four foot per second at 8 hours.
03 17 43 25
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Correction, that's 15 hours.
03 17 43 27
Frank Borman (CDR): Roger. Roger.
03 17 43 43
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, we have data; we'd like to have the tape recorder.
03 17 43 50
Frank Borman (CDR): You can have it.
03 17 43 52
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Thank you.
03 17 45 11
Frank Borman (CDR): Houston, Apollo 8.
03 17 45 12
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Go ahead, Apollo 8.
03 17 45 17
Jim Lovell (CMP): Roger. Do you wish me to reinitialize the W-matrix at this time?
03 17 45 26
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Affirmative, Apollo 8.
03 17 45 31
Frank Borman (CDR): Roger. And that —
03 17 45 43
Bill Anders (LMP): Houston, Apollo 8. Which battery do you want us to start charging?
03 17 45 52
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Okay. We'd like to start on battery Alfa.
03 17 45 57
Bill Anders (LMP): Battery Alfa. Okay.
03 17 46 08
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, would you go to NARROW BEAM on the high gain?
03 17 46 17
Frank Borman (CDR): Just a minute.
03 17 46 27
Frank Borman (CDR): We're on NARROW BEAM.
03 17 46 29
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger. Sounds real good now.
03 17 51 33
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston.
03 17 51 38
Bill Anders (LMP): Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.
03 17 51 40
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Okay. If you'll go to P00 and ACCEPT, we'll update the REFSMMAT, and I have some backup GDC angles for the new entry REFSMMAT.
03 17 51 51
Bill Anders (LMP): Roger. Understand; P00 and ACCEPT, and you'll give us the new REFSMMAT.
03 17 51 57
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Affirm.
03 17 52 52
Bill Anders (LMP): Okay. Houston, you have the ACCEPT.
03 17 52 57
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger. Your backup GDC alignment: roll 308, pitch 209, yaw 357. Over.
03 17 53 13
Bill Anders (LMP): Roger. Alright. What set of stars?
03 17 53 15
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): That's on Sirius and Rigel.
03 17 53 27
Bill Anders (LMP): Understand; roll 308, pitch 209, yaw 357.
Expand selection down Contract selection up
03 17 53 31
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): That's affirmative, Apollo 8.
03 17 54 06
Deke Slayton: Good morning, Apollo 8; Deke here. I just would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas on behalf of everyone in the Control Center, and I'm sure everyone around the world. None of us ever expected to have a better Christmas present than this one. Hope you get a good night's sleep from here on and enjoy your Christmas dinner tomorrow; and look forward to seeing you in Hawaii on the twenty-eighth.
03 17 54 30
Frank Borman (CDR): Okay, leader. We'll see you there. That was a very, very nice ride, that last one; this engine is the smoothest one.
03 17 54 38
Deke Slayton: Yes, we gathered that; an outstanding job all the way around.
03 17 54 46
Frank Borman (CDR): Thank everybody on the ground for us. It's pretty clear we wouldn't be anywhere if we didn't have them doing it or helping us out here.
03 17 54 52
Deke Slayton: We concur that.
03 17 54 53
Jim Lovell (CMP): I concur, too.
03 17 55 01
Bill Anders (LMP): Even Mr. Kraft does something right once in a while.
03 17 55 07
Deke Slayton: He got tired of waiting for you to talk and went home.
03 17 55 12
Bill Anders (LMP): Okay.
03 17 57 01
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston.
03 17 57 06
Frank Borman (CDR): Go ahead, Houston.
03 17 57 07
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Okay. The computer is yours, and I guess we have an IMU alignment and a P23 on the schedule.
03 17 57 17
Frank Borman (CDR): Okay. Thank you. Do an IMU alignment coming up. See them in black.
03 17 57 25
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger.
03 17 59 01
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston. We would like to have you cycle your ZERO OPTICS switch prior to beginning P52.
03 17 59 11
Frank Borman (CDR): Roger. We are going to see if we can find some stars here before we do this P52.
03 17 59 18
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger. And got a couple of words for you. Jack's been watching you since LOI, and he has a few words he wants to give you.
03 17 59 30
Frank Borman (CDR): Go ahead.
03 17 59 31
Jack Schmitt: Key moment Jack Schmitt reads “The Night Before Christmas”: Typhoid Jack here, and we have got some good words here that originated at the Cape with a bunch of friends of yours. And it's sort of in a paraphrase of a poem that you probably are familiar with. Do you read me, Apollo 8?
03 17 59 50
Frank Borman (CDR): You are loud and clear, Jack.
03 17 59 53
Jack Schmitt: Okay.

“'Twas the night before Christmas and way out in space,
the Apollo 8 crew had just won the moon race;
The headsets were hung by the consoles with care,
In hopes that Chris Kraft soon would be there;
Frank Borman was nestled all snug in his bed,
While visions of REFSMMAT's danced in his head;
And Jim Lovell, in his couch, and Anders, in the bay,
were racking their brains over a computer display,
When out of the DSKY, there arose such a clatter,
Frank sprang from his bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the sextant he flew like a flash,
To make sure they weren't going to crash.
The light on the breast of the moon's jagged crust,
Gave a luster of green cheese to the gray lunar dust,
When what to his wondering eyes should appear,
But a Burma Shave sign saying 'Kilroy was here.'

(Laughter)

But Frank was no fool; he knew pretty quick,
That they had been first; this must be a trick.
More rapid than rockets, his curses they came,
He turned to his crewmen and called them a name.
Now Lovell, now Anders, now don't think I'd fall
For an old joke you've written up on the wall.
They spoke not a word, but grinning like elves,
And laughed at their joke in spite of themselves.
Frank sprang to his couch, to the ship gave a thrust,
And away they all flew past the gray lunar dust.
But we heard them explain ere they flew around the moon:
Merry Christmas to earth; we will be back there real soon.”

Great job, gang.
03 18 01 30
Frank Borman (CDR): Thank you very much. That was a very good poem; but in order to win the race, you have got to end up on the carriers.
03 18 01 38
Jack Schmitt: We will see you there.
03 18 01 40
Jim Lovell (CMP): Hey, Jack. You really got Bill trained. (Laughter)
03 18 01 44
Bill Anders (LMP): Okay.
03 18 01 45
Jack Schmitt: I certainly hope so.
03 18 01 47
Jack Schmitt: You did pretty well, Jim.
03 18 01 52
Jack Schmitt: You must have talked on the way out there. (Laughter)
03 18 07 21
Frank Borman (CDR): Houston, this is Apollo 8.
03 18 07 24
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Go ahead.
03 18 07 28
Frank Borman (CDR): Roger. We got an alignment with your new REFSMMAT now. What's on the program here? You want us in P23 and then what?
03 18 07 40
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Looks like some sleep is coming up.
03 18 07 46
Frank Borman (CDR): That's what I wanted you to say. We used up the gimbal angles of 10 and 45 with the—this REFSMMAT, right?
03 18 07 54
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Affirmative.
03 18 07 58
Frank Borman (CDR): Okay.
03 18 13 56
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Apollo 8, Houston.
03 18 14 00
Frank Borman (CDR): Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.
03 18 14 03
Ken Mattingly (CAPCOM): Roger. Notice that you are starting on your P23 which is the last scheduled activity. Initial tracking looks like the initial midcourse may be less than the 4 foot per second on the first guess. And we have looked at your burn data, and it's all just as smooth as you said; everything on there looked real nominal. Systems now look good; looks like in PTC attitude, we should be able to switch OMNI's for you, if you would like to do that. We were having good success with predicting on the way out where to switch the antennas, and if it will help you any, we can do that on the way back in.
03 18 14 48
Frank Borman (CDR): That would be nice if you could do it, but we will keep one man in the shop to watch the gimbal angles; but if you could switch the OMNI's, it would sure save us a lot of problems.

Spacelog Apollo 8