Spacelog Apollo 8

What was it, 40 shots at four birds?

Okay. Just a second, Mike.

Houston, Apollo 8. About the high-gain antenna.

Okay, Bill. We think it would be an extremely worthwhile thing to find out how it operates in the AUTO REACQ mode, and we propose running a test on it in that mode from 109 to 111 hours GET. Over.

Okay. We'll do that.

Okay. I have about a —

We'll try it on the way out.

We have a detailed procedure which we can read up to you anytime you're ready.

Go ahead.

Okay. We suggest the start time 109 hours GET, stop time 111 hours, and you'll be in a PTC. We're requesting a left roll rate, which we notice that you've been preferring, a left roll rate of 1 revolution per hour, and this is in your present PTC attitude (i.e., pitch 10 degrees, 010 degrees, and yaw 45 degrees). The procedure is this: step 1, stop at roll angle 150 degrees; acquire—this is step 2—acquire in MANUAL mode; three, switch to AUTO NARROW BEAM; four, make sure tracking in AUTO mode then switch to AUTO REACQ mode; five, position the high-gain antenna —

Wait a minute, Houston.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Okay. Whoa, whoa. Standing by.

I'm still starting.

Okay. Make sure tracking in AUTO and then what?

Make sure tracking in AUTO, and then switch to AUTO REACQ mode. Over.

Okay. Will do.

Okay. Step 5, position high-gain antenna pitch and yaw control to predicted earth's rise angles, and those angles are yaw 50 degrees, pitch minus 40 degrees. Over.

Okay.

Okay. Two more steps. Step 6, remain on high-gain antenna in this mode for two REV's. Do not switch to OMNI anytime during these two REV's, and maintain mode configuration of voice and data. We expect loss of track should be no more than 15 minutes per REV. Over.

Roger.

And the final step, 7, if any problem arises, go back to your initial gimbal angles of 10 degrees pitch, 45 degrees yaw, and 150 degrees roll; reacquire and go to AUTO mode. Over.

Yes, I guess there ought to be a step 4A which says start roll again, right?

That's affirmative. Excuse me there, that's affirmative.

Okay. If—let's see, if we—I don't understand your last comment. If we get into a problem, you want us to go back to 150 degrees roll?

Well, all we want you to do is go ahead and reacquire in the AUTO mode, Bill. And it looks like that would be one way of doing it. But all we're saying is, you know, if you want to talk to us about something, or you have my other problems, or you don't like the way it looks, anything at all, just go ahead and reacquire in the AUTO mode.

Yes, why don't we just say if we do have problems, it doesn't pick it up when it's supposed to, give it a good try, and then call you up on the OMNI's or position ourselves and we'll talk about it and try for another two REV's,.

That's just fine, Bill.

Okay. It's worked. We tried it once or twice on the way out, but the one modification is once it did break lock, and go to its MANUAL position, but I switched to the OMNI's in between. That sounds fine.