The crew have turned in for the night after their first day in space. Their first sleep period is deliberately short in order to resynchronise their sleep/wake cycle with Houston time, having been brought out of it somewhat by the need to launch at night, then forced further out by a 2-hour, 40-minute delay caused by a faulty sequencer at launch. Later in the mission, at 46 hours, they will start doing the tasks in their Flight Plan one hour early, then at 65 hours, the GET clock will be advanced by 2:40. This will place them back on a Flight Plan that matches the Earth times for the main mission events. The spacecraft's trajectory had already been set by a TLI burn that was calculated to bring them to the Moon at the time originally planned for the mission.
009:12:33 - This is Apollo Control at 9 hours, 12 minutes. Apollo 17 now 41,677 nautical miles [77,186 km] from Earth; velocity, 9,159 feet per second [2,792 m/s]. The spacecraft has stabilized into a Passive Thermal Control mode now. It's completing one revolution every 18 minutes.
009:25:58 - This is Apollo Control at 9 hours, 26 minutes. The Booster systems engineer has advised Flight Director Pete Frank that a second midcourse correction for the S-IVB, the third stage of the launch vehicle will be required. This maneuver is performed with the Auxiliary Propulsion System of the S-IVB, and the Booster Systems Engineer will command this burn at 11 hours, 15 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. The magnitude of the burn is not known at this time. That will be determined shortly before the midcourse is performed. The purpose is to tune up the trajectory to more precisely target the S-IVB stage to the desired impact point on the lunar surface. Tracking to this point of the spacecraft indicates that a midcourse correction will probably be performed for the spacecraft at the scheduled midcourse number 2 time at 35 hours and 30 minutes. A preliminary look - that's a very early look shows it to be about 10½ feet per second, but that will be refined as we get closer to the time. At 9 hours, 27 minutes; this is Mission Control, Houston.
009:30:44 - This is Apollo Control at 9 hours, 30 minutes. We have had no voice communications with the crew for some time now. But we do have indications that they have not yet fully configured the spacecraft for their rest period. Normally the voice switch is turned off the last step before the rest period. That voice switch is still on. Apollo 17 now 43,261 nautical miles [80,119 km] away from Earth; velocity, 8,964 feet per second [2,732 m/s].
009:48:02 - This is Apollo Control at 9 hours, 48 minutes. From the data that he is receiving, the Flight Surgeon, Dr. Sam Pool, reports that he believes the spacecraft Commander Gene Cernan is asleep. Cernan is the only member of the crew who is wearing the biomedical harness during the rest period, and therefore, is the only one that the Flight Surgeon is getting measurements on. But the indications are that - that Cernan is asleep and apparently the entire crew has gone to sleep. Apollo 17 now 44,749 nautical miles [82,875 km] from Earth; velocity, 8,794 feet per second [2,680 m/s]. The awake clock as operating in the Control Center shows wake up for the crew in 5 hours, 10 minutes, 37 seconds.
009:58:55 - This is Apollo Control at 9 hours, 59 minutes. The Flight Dynamics Officer, Bill Boone, has computed the half way marks for the spacecraft in both time and distance. We'll give those to you now. Apollo 17 will reach the halfway point in distance at a Ground Elapsed Time of 30 hours, 3 minutes. Its distance from both the Moon and the Earth at that time will be 114,787 nautical miles [212,586 km]. Its velocity, referenced to the Earth, will be 4,522 feet per second [1,378 m/s]; referenced to the Moon, 3,826 feet per second [1,166 m/s]. The halfway mark in time will be reached at a Ground Elapsed Time of 43 hours, 8 minutes, 6 seconds. At that time Apollo 17 will be 144,924 [nautical] miles [268,399 km] from the Earth, with an Earth referenced velocity of 3,551 feet per second [1,082 m/s]. And it will be 87,561 nautical miles [162,163 km] from the Moon, with a Moon-referenced velocity of 3,403 feet per second [1,037 m/s]. Apollo 17 will cross the lunar sphere of influence at the Ground Elapsed Time of 70 hours, 43 minutes, 24 seconds; at which time it will be 190,725 nautical miles [353,223 km] from the Moon [means Earth]. Earth-referenced velocity, 2,340 feet per second [713 m/s]. Distance from the Moon at that time, 33,639 nautical miles [62,299 km] with the lunar-referenced velocity of 3,356 feet per second [1,023 m/s]. At 10 hours, 1 minute into the mission, this is Mission Control Houston.
010:29:37 - This is Apollo Control at 10 hours, 29 minutes. Apollo 17 now 48,070 nautical miles [89,026 km] from Earth; velocity, 8,434 feet per second [2,571 m/s]. Pete Frank and the Orange Team of flight controllers getting ready to hand over to Gerry Griffin and his Gold team of flight controllers at this time. Astronaut Bob Parker will remain as the CapCom for a good deal of this next shift. Several spurious master alarms that were seen while the spacecraft was still in Earth orbit are as yet unexplained. There are no obvious reasons for them. The spacecraft experts in the back rooms, the support rooms here at the Mission Control Center, are still tracking this situation. It's not considered a serious problem. The more recent master alarms that have occurred during this shift and during the translunar coast phase after Apollo 17 burned Translunar Insertion [means Translunar Injection], are attributed to a - a higher than normal oxygen flow at regular intervals in the cabin. The cabin is still being purged of the partial nitrogen atmosphere that it contained at launch. That is being purged, a vent valve is open in the cabin and the higher than normal O2 rate has been introduced to help purge the cabin. Now, added to that, when the water accumulator in the suit circuit cycles, there is a brief increase of oxygen flow over and above the higher than normal flow that we're using to purge the cabin. And this is just high enough to - when the water accumulator cycles, it brings it up just high enough to trigger the Master Alarm. It is not a problem, and the last three or four master alarms that we have seen are attributed to this. However, the Earth orbit master alarms are - are not yet accounted for but they are not considered to be a serious problem. During this shift, a midcourse correction number 1 was performed on the S-IVB stage of the launch vehicle; 13 feet per second [4 m/s] performed with the Auxiliary Propulsion System. A second midcourse for that third stage of the launch vehicle is planned at a Ground Elapsed Time of 11 hours, 15 minutes. The magnitude of the burn is not - is not yet known. These midcourses are to tune up the trajectory of that stage, to bring it closer to the desired impact point on the lunar surface. As far as the spacecraft is concerned, midcourse correction number 1 was passed. We did not perform a midcourse correction number 1. The - the magnitude at that time was less than 3 feet per second [0.9 m/s]. We will probably perform a midcourse correction number 2 at 35 hours and 30 minutes. A preliminary look at that indicates about a 10½-foot-per-second [3.2 m/s] burn at that time. The mission is going well. We have not heard from the crew for some time now and are confident they are asleep. The spacecraft is in Passive Thermal Control mode, stabilized in 1 - 1 revolution every 18 minutes; approximately three per hour. Crew is scheduled to be awakened 4 hours, 24 minutes from this time. At 10 hours, 35 minutes into the mission; this is Mission Control, Houston.
011:27:00 - This is Apollo Control at 11 hours, 27 minutes Ground Elapsed Time into the mission of Apollo 17. Approximately 11 minutes ago - as you were - 6 minutes ago, the S-IVB corrective burn was performed; roughly 14.2 feet per second [4.3 m/s] to modify the trajectory of the S-IVB third stage in the Saturn V, targeting for impact just weighted west of the crater Ptolemaeus at latitude 7 degrees south by longitude 8 degrees west. However, the actual impact location and the time of impact will be forthcoming after some additional hours of tracking of the stage has been gathered. We're looking now at a midcourse correction burn number 2 of the Apollo 17 spacecraft at 35 hours, 30 minutes, with a change in velocity - a posigrade of 10.5 feet per second [3.2 m/s]. Some 3½ hours remaining in the crew rest period. All three apparently sound asleep at this time. And the Passive Thermal Control mode puts the spacecraft at - spinning at some 3 revolutions per hour. To repeat earlier statistics on halfway in distance, time, and when the so-called sphere of influence is crossed; we'll be at the half way point in distance at 30 hours and 3 minutes Ground Elapsed Time, in which time it will be 114,787 nautical miles [212,586 km] either direction to the Earth or Moon. And a halfway point in time will occur at 43 hours, 8 minutes and 6 seconds when the spacecraft will be 144,924 nautical miles [268,399 km] out from Earth; and 87,561 nautical miles [162,163 km] out from the Moon. The so-called sphere crossing, or the point at which the spacecraft is assumed to come under the gravitational influence of the Moon, will take place at 70 hours, 43 minutes, 24 seconds when the spacecraft is 33,639 nautical miles [62,299 km] out from the Moon and approaching. The air/ground circuit has been up all of this time since the crew has retired for a fairly brief rest period, and at this time we will take down the air/ground circuit until wakeup call is made some 3 hours, 29 minutes from now. And at 11 hours, 30 minutes Ground Elapsed Time; this is Apollo Control.
012:27:00 - This is Apollo Control; 12 hours, 27 minutes Ground Elapsed Time into the mission of Apollo 17. And Apollo 17 at the present time is 56,948 nautical miles [105,468 km] out from Earth at a velocity of 7,609 feet per second [2,319 m/s]. A short time ago, the Booster systems engineer Frank Van Rensselaer reported that after the final APS burn in the S-IVB stage, which is targeting the stage to impact on the Moon, he reported that the S-IVB stage was tumbling intentionally, after that burn, and as he gathered up all his documents and packed his briefcase, he, on the Flight Director loop, he said, 'I've enjoyed working with you on the Apollo program.' And Flight Director in training Neil Hutchinson replied, 'It's been nice riding with you.' The riding implication being that they were riding on his launch vehicle. Van Rensselaer is a Marshall Space Flight Center engineer detailed to the Flight Control Division here at Manned Spacecraft Center. Van Rensselaer finished his job for the last time. He packed his launch vehicle documents and left the room. Booster systems console is vacant for the final time in Apollo. Some 2 hours and a half remaining in the crew sleep period. No word from the crew. They have not talked to the ground nor vice versa in the last several hours. And at 12 hours, 29 minutes; this is Apollo Control.
013:27:00 - This is Apollo Control; 13 hours, 27 minutes Ground Elapsed Time into the mission of Apollo 17. The spacecraft presently is 61,186 nautical miles [113,316 km] out from the Earth. Decelerating slightly in its velocity, now 7,272 feet per second [2,217 m/s]. Crew has another hour and a half of sleep period remaining. They'll be awakened about 2:30 Central Time. This is a rather short sleep period, slightly under 6 hours, the object being to get the crew back onto Houston time day-night cycle eventually. The cycle is disturbed somewhat by the - initially what would have been a night launch, and ended up being a - a morning launch - early morning launch, at least in Cape time. And a handover to the Goldstone 210-foot [64-metre] tracking antenna, about 8 minutes ago. And that station at the present time is handling spacecraft data, and when the crew awakens will handle the voice transmissions between the Control Center and the crew of Apollo 17. At 13 hours, 28 minutes Ground Elapsed Time; this is Apollo Control.
014:27:00 - This is Apollo Control at 14 hours, 27 minutes Ground Elapsed Time into the mission of Apollo 17. Slightly more than a half hour remaining until spacecraft communicator, Robert Parker, wakes the crew of Apollo 17 up, after a brief 6-hour rest period. Apollo 17 presently 65,273 nautical miles [120,886 km] out from Earth, velocity now 6,974 feet per second [2,126 m/s]. And getting back on schedule with Apollo 17 because of the late lift-off and the hold situation early this morning. The Translunar Injection burn was targeted to get the spacecraft at the Moon or into lunar orbit at about the same actual time as it would have had we launched on time - at 8:53 pm last night Central Time. However, to get the Flight Plan back on the actual indicated Ground Elapsed Times shown in the Flight Plan at approximately 64 hours they're going to have what is called a GET update of some 2 hours and 40 minutes to force the event times in the Flight Plan to agree with actual Ground Elapsed Times flown in the mission. We'll come up again in about a half hour as Parker makes his initial wake up call to the crew. And at 14 hours, 29 minutes; this is Apollo Control.
014:57:53 - This is Apollo Control; 14 hours, 57 minutes Ground Elapsed Time into the mission of Apollo 17. A 2-minutes mark remaining in the crew waken peri - wake period before - or sleep period before the crew is wakened. Spacecraft communicator Bob Parker should be calling them shortly and we'll stand by for that first wake up call. Rather slack day as far as crew activity today after their post-sleep checklist and checking over the systems. The Flight Director just advised the CapCom to hold off on the wake call until they switch antennas. There's some P23 navigation sightings that will be run today, and that apparently is about all the activity scheduled during the - this work period. However, there will be, at 35 hours and 30 minutes, a midcourse correction number 2, which this time looks like about 10½ feet per second [3.2 m/s]. Apollo 17 now is 67,365 nautical miles [124,760 km] out from the Earth; velocity, 6,829 feet per second [2,081 m/s]. Spacecraft communicator, Bob Parker, has been joined at the CapCom console by backup Apollo 17 commander, John Young, and his relief CapCom, Gordon Fullerton. Standing by for the antenna arrangement to be sorted out. Spacecraft, at this time, is still in the barbeque roll or Passive Thermal Control mode; three revolutions per hour to stabilize the temperatures on spacecraft systems. They'll open up the air-ground circuit for the first call when it does come. At 15 hours and 1 minute, this Apollo Control.
015:09:44 Cernan: Yeah, from the looks of things, Bob, down there, it looks like getting off last night was a good idea.
015:09:55 Fullerton: Got a new CapCom now, Geno. Why? Looks kind of cloudy down there?
015:10:01 Cernan: Yeah. Hello, Gordo. How you doing? Yeah, I'm looking - oh, we're probably directly over - just west of the - out in the Pacific, but abeam of the bottom third of South America, I suppose. And I've got North America, Mexico, and the U.S. on the top third - the top 25 per cent of the Earth. And it looks like you've got cloud cover from somewhere where the coast bends around Corpus right on north into the Great Lakes and is completely out into the Atlantic, including covering Florida out there.
015:10:43 Fullerton: Roger. I can verify the part between the Cape and Houston, anyway. [Pause.]
015:10:57 Cernan: Yeah, the Gulf looks like it's pretty well filled with clouds. Looks pretty thick from here.
015:11:03 Fullerton: Roger.
015:11:07 Cernan: However, if you're interested in going to South America, the whole continent looks - looks pretty good. A few clouds; but, for the most part, you can see the entire continent.
015:11:18 Fullerton: Rog. Guess it's summertime down there. [Pause.]
015:11:29 Cernan: Okay, Gordo. We're - we're stirring slowly. We'll get back with you here.
015:11:34 Fullerton: Okay. [Long pause.]
015:12:01 Cernan: Gordo, one question. How does the spacecraft look to you? I didn't hear anything all night long as far as any Master Alarms or anything.
015:12:10 Fullerton: I'm getting the word that nothing was seen here either. It looks absolutely super.
015:17:01 Cernan: Okay, Gordo. I'm looking over the Flight Plan today. We'll be with you with the postsleep checklist, and primarily it looks like a P23 day for Ron and what we'd primarily like to do is spend a good part of that time getting the spacecraft cleaned up, reshuffled, restowed a little bit, and get it in order for the next few days ahead. It doesn't look like today's that big of a day.
015:17:33 Fullerton: Okay. [Pause.] Geno, I might give you some words on what we have in mind to get the GET back in sync here, if - if you want to hear those while you're looking through the upcoming hours.
015:17:57 Cernan: Yeah, why don't you - why don't you pass a few words on that?
015:18:01 Fullerton: Okay. The plan we're considering, and we're offering it to you now for your opinion, is at 65 hours GET, we'll update, and at the time the clock goes to 65, we'll update it 2 hours and 40 minutes to 67:40. And we're shaping your trajectory such that you'll arrive at the Moon at the same time, GMT, as you would have, had you launched on time. In other words, your translunar time is 2 hours and 40 minutes less. So once we do that, we'll be back with all the right times in the Flight Plan without any updating. And the one thing we think of is that your next day will, which is now a 16-hour day, will shorten to a 13-hour and 20-minute day. But that's about the only real effect we can see. How does that sound?
015:19:07 Cernan: Yeah, we - we'll get to the Moon, you say, the same GMT, so all our sunrise, sunset, lunar-orbit activities, and Sun angle at landing will be the same. And let me - I'll - it sounds pretty good, Gordo. I just want to take a look at that day that you're shortening and see what we're doing in there.
015:19:27 Fullerton: Okay. It doesn't cut out anything. In fact, we picked a time that's pretty much dead time as far as the Flight Plan goes. Take a look, and we'll talk about it later.
015:19:39 Cernan: Okay. [Pause.]
015:19:45 Schmitt: Good morning, Gordy. This is Jack.
015:19:47 Fullerton: Good morning, Jack. [Pause.]
015:19:55 Schmitt: Let me fill my square on the postsleep checklist. I've got 24030, PRD.
015:20:07 Fullerton: Okay.
015:20:09 Schmitt: And I slept in and out - probably totaled about 4 hours in that last period. But I feel pretty good in spite of that, and expect now that I've educated myself on how to sleep, that it'll pick up the next time around.
015:20:27 Fullerton: Roger. [Pause.]
015:20:32 Schmitt: No medication yet, but I'm considering a couple of aspirin. I'll let you know if I take them.
015:20:37 Fullerton: Roger.
015:20:41 Schmitt: And, fluids? Let's see, I guess I've had two of your little water-measurement-containers full so far, plus the meal I had in my pocket. And I'll catch up on - I think I'm a little dehydrated. I'll catch up on fluids with breakfast.
015:21:00 Fullerton: Okay.
015:21:02 Schmitt: And my meal yesterday was the meal B in the pocket.
015:21:08 Fullerton: Roger. Meal B. [Pause.]
015:21:18 Schmitt: And I guess consumables update. That's mainly yours.
015:21:25 Fullerton: Rog...
015:21:25 Schmitt: There's plenty there. And I'll wait for your words on that. And the watch is wound.
015:21:31 Fullerton: Roger. [Pause.] Okay. Got the consumables update numbers, if you're ready to copy.
015:21:45 Schmitt: No, not quite, Gordy. I'll give you a buzz.
015:21:47 Fullerton: Okay. No hurry. [Long pause.]
015:22:37 Schmitt: Okay. The CMPs rad's 1509.
015:22:43 Fullerton: Okay.
015:22:43 Schmitt: 15019. 15019.
015:22:48 Fullerton: Roger. [Long pause.]
015:23:33 Schmitt: Gordy, this is Jack. How do you want to send the consumable - consumables information?
015:23:40 Fullerton: We were just discussing that here. Used to - in flights gone by, there was a place in the Flight Plan, a little form to fill out. But we're trying to figure out if there is such a place in the current data file. Do you know of one?
015:23:55 Schmitt: Well, I'll tell you what I've got. I've got the consumables curves, and if there are any major changes to those curves, I guess you could give them to me, and I'll put them on as points.
015:24:09 Fullerton: There's no...
015:24:10 Cernan: Page...
015:24:10 Fullerton: ...changes at all.
015:24:14 Schmitt: Okay. And why don't we just do it that way in the future in case there is anything. And that's on page 1-45 and subsequent in the Flight Plan Supplement.
015:24:25 Fullerton: Okay. [Pause.]
015:24:31 Schmitt: Looks like you took good care of my space - my systems last night.
015:30:59 Schmitt: Okay, Gordy. Your friendly medical officer up here has some more information for you. CMP, continuing, had about 3 hours of sleep, had - three cans of fluid, of water that is. And he ate everything in meal B but the fruitcake, and he didn't use the brownies and the beverage in meal C.
015:31:33 Fullerton: Okay. [Long pause.]
015:32:30 Schmitt: Okay. And continuing, the CDRs PD - PRD is 17019. He had 3 hours of fair sleep, no medication, and 1½ cans of water, and one-half a sandwich. The CMP's sleep was 3 hours. And I'll try to get more systematic as we go along here.
015:32:57 Fullerton: Okay. [Long pause.]
015:33:21 Fullerton: Jack, we're assuming no - no medication on the CMP. is that right?
015:33:28 Schmitt: That's affirm. We haven't gotten that kit out yet
016:00:55 Schmitt: Gordy, it's Jack. Looks like the windows have cleared up pretty well in PTC from the - ice crystals, anyway, that were on window - window 1. The hatch window still seems to have a film of something on it. But, otherwise, they look pretty good.
016:01:13 Fullerton: Okay, sounds good. [Pause.] Jack, while you're there, I might try - we've been talking about consumable updates and what would be the most meaningful way to give you the information. As a trial, for 14 hours, with reference to the charts in the back of the book, which in the case of - in case of all of them, are listed in percentages except the RCS, which is in pounds. On the cryo quantities, when I take all the tank percentages and plot them, it turns out that there's no real significant difference from the lines that are plotted on either hydrogen or oxygen. On RCS, you're running about 3 percent ahead of the line. And if that's a satisfactory way to put it, that's the way we'll give you the - the updates rather than giving you every tank per cent by per cent. Over.
016:25:06 - This is Apollo Control; 16 hours, 25 minutes. Crew of Apollo 17 presently in a meal period. A little bit of levity a short time ago when Jack Schmitt, Lunar Module Pilot, called down to say: "This is LMP, Mark, 2 aspirin." He had mentioned earlier in his post-sleep checklist that he was considering taking two aspirins. Apollo 17 is presently 72,843 nautical miles [134,905 km] out from Earth; velocity, 6,477 feet per second [1,974 m/s]. We're continuing to stand by on the air-ground circuit for further conversation as the crew finishes up their meal period and gets what few Flight Plan updates are involved in the day's activity. At 16:26 and standing by, this is Apollo Control.
016:44:44 Fullerton: 17, Houston. We see the optic starting to stir there, you can go ahead with a P52, but before you do the P23, we have some updates to it.
016:44:57 Evans: Hey, okay, Gordo. We'll do that. [Long pause.]
016:45:34 Fullerton: 17, Houston. Can you confirm that you did change the LiOH canister before going to sleep last night?
016:45:43 Evans: Well, we can confirm that we didn't. How about that?
016:45:48 Fullerton: Okay.
016:45:48 Evans: We'll - Thanks - thanks for reminding us. We'll try that first thing this morning. I was just getting too tired, and the CO2 didn't look quite that high last night, so...
016:46:00 Fullerton: Roger.
016:46:00 Evans: ...I let it go. [Pause.]
016:46:07 Fullerton: Okay, that's - that's fine. We're not concerned about being late with it.
016:53:05 Evans: Okay, Houston. That looked like a pretty good one that time. You note the star angle difference?
016:53:11 Fullerton: Roger. We copy.
016:53:15 Evans: Okay [chuckle]. I can't see squat out through that telescope. I just hope it lines it up and does the right things. [Pause.] Okay. Those are the torquing angles, and you can let me know when you have them.
016:53:33 Fullerton: Okay. Stand by.
016:53:38 Evans: The telescope's no different than any other time. There's just a lot of reflection from the Lunar Module. And even though everybody said that before, you don't quite believe it until you see it yourself. [Long pause.]
016:54:08 Fullerton: Okay, Ron. You're clear to torque it.
016:54:12 Evans: Okay. We'll torque it at 54:30.
Ron has used P52 and the spacecraft's optics to realign the guidance platform at the centre of the IMU so that it is returned to match the PTC REFSMMAT. For this, he sighted on star 32 Alphecca (Alpha Coronae Borealis) and star 23 Denebola (Beta Leonis). The angles by which the platform had drifted during their rest period were -0.165° in X, -0.134° in Y and 0.153° in Z. He points out to Fullerton the star angle difference, only because he is pleased with achieving a perfect value of 0.00°. This was often known as 'all balls' due to it displaying on the DSKY as '00000'. This number is a comparison of Ron's measured angle between the two stars and the actual angle that the computer knows should be between them.
016:54:16 Fullerton: Okay.
Comm break.
016:55:25 Fullerton: 17, Houston. When you - if you can find a stenographer, I got some dictation, some PADs for you and also a Flight Plan update. [Long pause.]
016:57:42 Schmitt: Oh, okay. Stand by. [Pause.] Okay, Ron's ready to copy.
016:57:52 Evans: P37 PAD first.
016:57:54 Fullerton: Okay. [Pause.] Okay, the P37 block data for 35 hours. Well, we've got 35, 45, 55 and 65. GET ignition of 035:00. Delta-VT is 5326, minus 175, 081:39. For a GET of 045:00, 7728, minus 177, 081:18. For a GET of 055:00, 5859, minus 175, 105:30. GET of 065:00, 4703, minus 175, 129:40. [Pause.]
016:59:34 Evans: Okay, I'll read that. Let's see, 35:00 at 5326, minus 175, and 81:39. At 45:00, 7728, minus 177, and 81:18. At 55:00, it's 5859, minus 175, 105:30. At 65:00, it's 4703, minus 175, and 129:40.
P37 uses information from the PAD to calculate a burn to return the spacecraft to Earth, which is why it is called a Return-to-Earth program. The program relies on the spacecraft not being too near the Moon, thereby simplifying the mathematics involved. The four PADs are interpreted as follows:
Time of ignition (TIG): 35 hours GET
Maximum change in velocity (Delta-VT): 5,326 fps (1,623 m/s)
Longitude of Earth landing: 175 ° West
Estimated time of reaching Entry Interface (400,000 feet or 121.92 km): 81 hours, 39 minutes GET
Time of ignition (TIG): 45 hours GET
Maximum change in velocity (Delta-VT): 7,728 fps (2,355 m/s)
Longitude of Earth landing: 177 ° West
Estimated time of Entry Interface: 81 hours, 18 minutes GET
Time of ignition (TIG): 55 hours GET
Maximum change in velocity (Delta-VT): 5,859 fps (1,786 m/s)
Longitude of Earth landing: 175 ° West
Estimated time of Entry Interface: 105 hours, 30 minutes GET
Time of ignition (TIG): 65 hours GET
Maximum change in velocity (Delta-VT): 4,703 fps (1,433 m/s)
Longitude of Earth landing: 175 ° West
Estimated time of Entry Interface: 129 hours, 40 minutes GET
If at any point during the translunar coast, the crew were to lose communication with Earth, they will have sufficient information to return home.
017:00:11 Fullerton: Okay, that's correct. I've got a maneuver PAD for you. It's a flyby maneuver at a time of 81 hours, which is 5 hours prior to LOI, This is required because you're presently on an impacting trajectory. And this is assuming you wouldn't do midcourse 2. Midcourse 2 will put you on a - on the proper trajectory. If you can get a maneuver PAD out, I'll give it to you.
017:02:11 Evans: Okay, Houston. This is 17. Ready for the flyby PAD. [Pause.]
017:02:23 Fullerton: Okay, Ron. We're just watching your roll angle. You're going to - we're going to be updating the optics cal attitude. And the roll will be 164, and you're coming up on that so maybe you want to stop the PTC near that roll angle first.
017:02:41 Evans: Hey, that's a good idea. [Pause.]
017:02:48 Schmitt: Gordy [garble]. [Long pause.]
017:03:10 Schmitt: Gordy, did you read Jack?
017:03:12 Fullerton: Loud and clear, Jack.
017:03:14 Schmitt: I can take the PAD, if you want to while Ron stops PTC.
017:03:20 Fullerton: Okay. Why don't I give you the update to the Flight Plan, since that'll give you the new attitude and also the - a change in the star for the P23. And then Ron can get on with that. The PAD we can get after that.
017:03:36 Schmitt: Go ahead.
017:03:38 Fullerton: Okay. Turn to 17 hours in the Flight Plan, page 18. [Pause.]
017:03:55 Schmitt: Go ahead.
017:03:57 Fullerton: Okay. The "Verb 49 maneuver to optics cal attitude" right at the top of the page. Cross out the attitude numbers and replace them with "Roll, 164; pitch, 301; and yaw, 348; at a High Gain pitch angle of minus 48 and a yaw of 315." Over. [Pause.]
017:04:34 Schmitt: Okay; 164, 301, 348, minus 48, and 315.
017:04:40 Fullerton: That's correct. Now go down a few lines to the sighting attitude at - one's at 17 hours and 15 minutes. And cross out that attitude and the High Gain pitch angle and change to a roll of 196; pitch, 304; and yaw, 348. High Gain pitch is a minus 61, and the yaw remains the same, 357. Over.
017:05:16 Schmitt: Okay, 196, 304, 348, minus 61.
017:05:22 Fullerton: That's correct. And now, on the first star of P23, we're going to change the star, so cross out - replace the Noun 70 numbers with star 21. That would be three balls 21. And delete the Noun 88 and the vector numbers there. [Long pause.]
017:06:12 Schmitt: Okay, star 21 and no Noun 88s.
017:06:16 Fullerton: Right. And over on the right where it says "Merak," you can write in "Alphard." That's what 21 is. [Long pause.]
017:06:35 Schmitt: Okay.
017:06:36 Fullerton: Okay. Now down on the next page; at 18 hours and 20 minutes; where it says "Optics calibration attitude." We got to put in the same thing as - the same change as above. We want, instead of 175, 298, 330, change that to 164, 301, and 348. High Gain of minus 48 and 315. Over. [Pause.]
017:07:15 Schmitt: Okay, 164, 301, 348, minus 48, 315. Over.
017:07:21 Fullerton: Okay. [Pause.] Now, about 10 lines down, delete "Charge battery A." We're going to leave battery A [means B] charged for a while longer, since we used up so much of it on the pad last night.
017:07:41 Schmitt: Okay. Delete "Battery charge A," and you want to leave it on B.
017:07:44 Fullerton: Yes. Right. Flip the page. Might as well clean up all of these checklist changes. At 19 hours and 40 minutes; change "Magazine Kilo Kilo" to "Magazine November November". [Pause.]
017:08:05 Schmitt: Okay. That's done.
017:08:06 Fullerton: And then skip a few pages to 24 hours and 30 minutes. [Pause.]
017:08:20 Schmitt: Go ahead.
017:08:21 Fullerton: And at just above the "CSM Systems Checklist" callout there, write in "Charge battery A". [Long pause.]
017:08:37 Schmitt: Okay, I got you.
017:08:40 Fullerton: And we'll be leaving it on battery A all night long. Okay, that's all the - the Flight Plan changes. I've got that flyby PAD when you're ready. [Pause.]
017:08:55 Schmitt: Okay, I'm all set.
017:08:58 Fullerton: Okay. Purpose is flyby, SPS/G&N. The weight is 66839; plus 1.21, minus .02 - correction, the yaw trim is a minus 0.12. Ignition time is 081:17:21.03. Noun 81 is a plus 0091.1, plus 0204.1, plus 0459.3. Attitude is 121, 153, and 321, Apogee is NA; perigee, plus 0021.2. Delta-V total of 0510.8, 1:17, 0506.3. Sextant star: 26, 096.5, 33.9. Boresight star is NA; Noun 61, plus 15.57, minus 175.00; 1099.9, 36243; and GET of 0.05g is 153:24:11. GDC Align stars are Sirius and Rigel; 256, 152, 069 - Ullage is none. And for remarks: number 1 is "Burn docked." number 2 assumes PTC REFSMMAT: number 3; LM weight, 36281; and number 4 is "Assumes no Midcourse 2." Over. [Long pause.]
017:12:30 Schmitt: Okay, Gordy. Do you read that?
017:12:34 Fullerton: I haven't heard anything since I finished the PAD, Jack.
017:12:39 Schmitt: Okay. I'll push the other button then. [Long pause.] Okay, your readback: Flyby, SPS/G&N; 66839; plus 1.21, minus 0.12; 081:17:21.03; plus 0091.1, plus 0204.1, plus 0459.3; 121, 153, 321; HA is NA, plus 0021.0; 0510.8, 1:17, 0506.3; 26, 096.5, 33.9. Boresight star is NA; plus 15.57; minus 175.00; 1099.9, 36243; 153:24:11. Sirius and Rigel; 256, 152, 069. No ullage. Remarks: 1, burn docked; 2, PTC REFSMMAT assumed; 3, LM weight, 36281; and 4, assumes no midcourse 2.
The PAD is interpreted as follows:
Purpose: This PAD provides the details of a contingency burn of the SPS engine that would occur about 5 hours prior to Lunar Orbit Insertion. Its function is to set the docked spacecraft on a course that swings around the Moon's far side and returns to Earth if it has been decided not to enter lunar orbit.
Systems: The burn would be made using the large SPS engine at the rear of the Service Module, under the control of the Guidance and Navigation system.
CSM mass (Noun 47): 66,839 pounds (30,318 kg).
Pitch and yaw trim (Noun 48): +1.21° and -0.12°. These angles represent an initial direction for the gimbal-mounted engine. As the burn progresses, the nozzle will be slowly and automatically steered to track shifts in the stack's centre of mass.
Time of ignition (Noun 33): 81 hours, 17 minutes, 21.03 seconds.
Change in velocity (Noun 81), fps (m/s): x, +91.1 (+27.8); y, +204.1 (+62.2); z, +459.3 (+140.0). The change in velocity is resolved into three components which are quoted relative to the local vertical frame of reference.
Spacecraft attitude: Roll, 121°; Pitch, 153°; Yaw, 321°. The desired spacecraft attitude is measured relative to the alignment of the guidance platform.
HA, expected apogee of resulting orbit (Noun 44): Not applicable.
HP, expected perigee of resulting orbit (Noun 44): 21.2 nautical miles (39.3 km). The perigee distance is so low, it intersects Earth's atmosphere. What this really means is that the spacecraft will re-enter.
Delta-VT: 510.8 fps (155.7 m/s). This is the total change in velocity the spacecraft would experience and is a vector sum of the three components given above.
Burn duration or burn time: 1 minute, 17 seconds.
Delta-VC: 506.3 fps. Using its ability to independently measure acceleration, the EMS can shut down the engine in case the G&N system fails to do so. This figure, Delta-VC, is entered into the EMS's Delta-V counter (hence the 'C') and its value is slightly lower than Delta-VT because the EMS does not take account of the engine's tail-off thrust.
Sextant star: Star 26 (Spica, Alpha Virginis) visible in sextant when shaft and trunnion angles are 96.5° and 33.9° respectively. This is part of an attitude check.
Boresight star: Not applicable. This is a second attitude check which is made by sighting on another celestial object with the COAS (Crew Optical Alignment Sight) mounted in one of the two rendezvous windows. However, as these may face a nearby planet or because their view can be obscured by a docked LM, the boresight star is often not used.
The next five parameters all relate to re-entry, during which an important milestone is "Entry Interface," defined as being 400,000 feet (121.92 km) altitude. In this context, a more important milestone is when atmospheric drag on the spacecraft imparts a deceleration of 0.05 g.
Expected splashdown point (Noun 61): 15.57° north, 175.0° west; in the Mid-Pacific Ocean.
Range to go at the 0.05 g event: 1,099.9 nautical miles. To set up their EMS (Entry Monitor System) before re-entry, the crew need to know the expected distance the CM would travel from the 0.05 g event to landing. This figure will be decremented by the EMS based on signals from its own accelerometer.
Expected velocity at the 0.05 g event: 36,243 fps. This is another entry for the EMS. It is entered into the unit's Delta-V counter and will be decremented based on signals from its own accelerometer.
Predicted GET of 0.05 g event: 153 hours, 24 minutes, 11 seconds GET.
GDC Align stars: The stars to be used for GDC Align purposes are Sirius and Rigel. When these two stars are viewed through the telescope in the correct manner, the spacecraft will be in a known attitude, which gives the Gyro Display Couplers initial angles with which they can compute subsequent attitudes.
Additional notes in the PAD state that there would be no need to perform an ullage burn to settle the contents of the SPS tanks because they are full, the guidance platform is assumed to be aligned per the PTC REFSMMAT, the mass of the LM is 36,281 pounds (16,457 kg), and it is assumed that midcourse correction burn 2 has not been performed.
017:14:02 Fullerton: Okay. One correction on perigee of Noun 44. That's a plus 0021.2. [Pause.]
017:14:18 Schmitt: Okay; 0021.2 plus.
017:14:23 Fullerton: And one additional remark. This results in a 187-mile perigee - perilune. [Long pause.]
Were the flyby burn to be executed, their closest approach to the Moon would be 187 nautical miles [346 km] above the lunar far side.
017:14:58 Schmitt: Okay. I got that.
017:15:00 Fullerton: Okay. For general information, we're planning midcourse 2 tomorrow at about 35:30, and it should be about 10 feet per second [3 m/s]. [Pause.]
017:15:16 Schmitt: Okay. [Long pause.] Strange enough, that's even scheduled at 35:30.
017:15:35 Fullerton: Rog. [Pause.]
017:15:45 Fullerton: I have one reminder to open the Waste Stowage Vent valve as shown on the - at 17 hours there.
017:15:56 Schmitt: Oh, okay. We were just going back to clean up. I think we owe you a LiOH canister change, too.
017:16:09 Fullerton: Rog. We concur with changing it.
017:19:57 Evans: And Houston, Apollo 17. We'll maneuver to the optics calibration attitude now.
017:20:04 Fullerton: Okeydoke. [Pause.]
017:20:08 Evans: It's funny eating potato soup, and all the soup is all around the outside of the bag. And you get a little hole right down through the middle of it. [Pause.]
017:20:22 Fullerton: How about that? [Long pause.]
017:20:42 Evans: It's just like in one g. The spoon isn't quite long enough to reach the bottom without getting your fingers on the side of the bowl.
017:23:53 Schmitt: Gordy, I don't know what your weather is like down there, but from here it looks like you're probably overcast today. Might even have a pretty good storm going.
017:24:04 Fullerton: Well, it's gray and cold and a little rain, so your - your call is correct.
017:24:14 Schmitt: Yeah, it looks like Mexico, in general, is pretty nice, although there is a band of east-west trending clouds that start from the - from the Gulf of California, across Sonora and probably up through New Mexico, and over into Texas as far around as I can see. Southern California looks like it's in pretty good shape today, but northern California looks like it's probably overcast. And a major system probably associated with that, that stretches into the northern western United States. [Pause.] But a band of clear weather looks like it stretches from Arizona right on up through, I would guess it - through Colorado and Kansas and probably into the Midwest pretty well.
017:25:24 Fullerton: Rog. You're a regular human weather satellite.
017:25:30 Schmitt: If Ron would just stop his maneuvers I'd tell you some more, but the Earth just set behind the LM.
017:25:38 Fullerton: Rog.
017:25:40 Schmitt: More specifically, it set behind the Rover, which may be a space first. [Long pause.] Pretty impressive storm system down off the west coast of Antarctica.
017:26:07 Fullerton: Roger.
Comm break.
017:27:11 Schmitt: And, Houston. The canister has been changed. Number 3 is in A as per the earlier Flight Plan instructions.
017:27:24 Fullerton: Okay.
017:27:26 Schmitt: Sorry we were late, but we got a little tired last night.
Comm break.
017:28:37 Fullerton: Jack, Houston. We'd like you to go ahead and get that Waste Stowage Vent open now, so we can keep to the schedule on cabin enrichment.
017:35:28 Evans: That the same as I had before? Ahh. [Long pause.]
017:35:50 Evans: Hey, that looks like a pretty good optics cal right there. That's three times. [Pause.] Okay. [Pause.] No, that's not very good. [Pause.]
017:36:09 Fullerton: Ron, we're copying your comments.
017:36:12 Evans: Okay. Think we'll use that one there for the optics cal.
017:36:20 Fullerton: Roger. [Long pause.]
017:36:41 Evans: Okay. Let's go to the old sighting attitude. Well, let's put the other thing in there first. [Sigh.]
017:39:59 - This is Apollo Control at 17 hours, 40 minutes. In Mission Control at the present time we're in the midst of a shift handover. Flight Director Gene Kranz and his team of flight controllers coming on now to replace Flight Director Gerry Griffin. The spacecraft communicator at the present time is astronaut Gordon Fullerton. For the crew aboard Apollo 17 this is scheduled to be a relatively short and - not too active period of time before they begin their next sleep period. They'll be performing a few midcourse navigation activities. Also doing some routine maintenance on the fuel cells. And not a great deal of additional activity scheduled for them.
017:40:44 Evans: Yes. That's a pretty good Verb 49. I got the - got an orange Earth in the sextant. Let me put up the old EMP now. [Pause.] If y'all don't need all that light in there, Jack, I could sure - Like the window shade might help a little bit, really. [Pause.] Not - not very much. [Pause.] Okay. Address 304, we want 06. Address 305, 24 44; 306, 60 06, Enter; 307 was 77. [Pause.] Okay, at address 310, we want 15 62, Enter; 311, we want a 52 05, Enter; 330, we'll Verb 30 37. Verb 25 Noun 26, Enter 1. [Pause.] Okay. R-2 is a 44, Enter. R-3 is a 140 - 5. Okay, Enter that. Now, we're ready to go on the first star here; 7 Enter; 23 Enter. [Garble] we don't want to do an optics cal. No, we don't want to do that, whatever. Enter. Okay, first star is 21. Enter. I am going to use the [garble] 110, Enter. Proceed. [Pause.] Son of a gun. [Pause.] Okay, we don't want to do the 180 option, so Enter that one; 19630 [garble] getting pretty close. Okay. Proceed. [Long pause.]
017:43:54 Schmitt: [Garble] mike [garble]. [Pause.]
017:44:02 Evans: Okay, we're CMC Optics Zero's Off and low. Now let's see if we can see the old star in there.
017:44:14 Schmitt: Gordy, this is Jack. You guys did a good job fixing that MAS - Master Alarm problem. What did you do? [Pause.]
017:44:28 Fullerton: Jack, did you call?
017:44:32 Schmitt: Yeah, I was wondering what you did to fix the Master Alarm problem. [Pause.]
017:44:39 Fullerton: Ah, let me check and see.
017:44:45 Evans: [Laughter.] Yeah, I've got to find the subsolar point. A little bit of an error looks like. [Pause.] Let me see, we'll fix it down a little bit. That really jars us back, doesn't it? [Long pause.]
017:45:16 - This is Apollo Control. The participants have left Mission Control for the news conference, a change of shift press conference which should begin in about 5 to 10 minutes in the MSC News Center Briefing Room.
017:45:25 Fullerton: Jack, I guess all we've done is wish it away, Actually, we think it's still there, and you may - you may get them here later after the waste stowage vent - O2 flow gets on up. [Pause.]
017:45:48 Schmitt: Okay, but those were associated with the accumulator as I recall. Yeah, the random ones is the ones I was interested in. They just seemed to stop. Of course, we haven't been moving switches on 2, but we were getting them without doing that also. [Long pause.]
017:46:13 Evans: Okay, there's the old star. Works just like the simulator; you can't see the star when it goes down in the Earth [laughter].
Ron is carrying out an exercise in spacecraft navigation using program 23. In simple terms, the idea is to measure the angle between Earth's horizon and a star. Near the Moon, it is just as valid to use the lunar horizon.
Diagram to show the principle of P23 cislunar navigation.
As the spacecraft moves away from Earth, the planet appears to muve against the stellar background. It stands to reason that an angle between planet and star measured at a stated time can only be valid for one particular trajectory. Thus the trajectory can be ascertained from a series of star/planet measurements. In fact, what is being determined with these sightings is the spacecraft's state vector, a collection of numbers that define its position and velocity in space at a stated time.
017:46:21 Fullerton: It's still being worked on, Jack. Though we don't have any real concrete story to give you on it yet.
017:46:31 Schmitt: Okay, it seemed to be pretty quiet last night, so that's the only problem.
017:46:37 Evans: Okay. Gene, you want to give me CMC Free?
017:53:07 Evans: Yes, I don't know what - what's...
017:53:44 Evans: Okay, those would punch a hole in it.
017:53:47 - This is Apollo Control at 17 hours, 54 minutes. The change of shift press conference is ready to begin at this time in the MSC News Center Briefing Room. We'll take down the live air-to-ground, record, and play back immediately following the press conference.
017:55:22 Evans: I think that's five on that star. Do you concur that that's five on that star, Houston?
017:55:31 Fullerton: Stand by. Let me check.
017:55:34 Evans: I think it was. I'll take another one just in case. [Long pause.]
017:56:15 Evans: Okay, Gene. CMC Auto.
017:56:18 Cernan: Roger.
017:56:20 Evans: Okay, Betelgeuse. All right. That's all right; don't move. [Long pause.]
017:57:11 Evans: 20. Okay. Earth's far horizon; 25 Enter. Plus 02745 Enter. Plus 99128; 28 Enter. Plus 12885 - 12885 - 12885. Okay. Hit. It's okay; want the 180 option, no? Computer [garble] Betelgeuse. Okay, that's Earth's far horizon. [Long pause.]
One of the issues that had to be dealt with when programming the computer for P23 was the fact that there was an evens chance that the planet's horizon nearest the star would be unlit and therefore impossible to sight on.
Diagram showing measurements to near and far planet horizons.
To cope with this, one of the steps the CMP had to do was to tell the computer whether he was measuring the angle between the star and the planet's horizon that is nearest the star, or the horizon that is furthest from the star.
017:58:30 Evans: Punch a hole in them. Yes. Good. Okay, says we're there - Okay. Says the old star comes at the substellar point. Okay, it's the far horizon, the double line is down in the - down in the Earth. Shaft 280; okay. Reach up a little bit here.
017:59:55 Evans: Okay. Didn't do such a hot job of putting them on there. You want to go to CMC Free. Okay. Give it a flip that way and a flip thataway and a yaw that way, two yaws that way.
018:02:06 Schmitt: Hello, Houston; 17. Are you reading?
018:02:09 Fullerton: Go ahead, Jack.
018:02:12 Schmitt: Yeah, you got any news today - to read up to us?
018:02:17 Fullerton: Ah, yeah. As a matter of fact, we have a little bit made up here. I guess along the personal line, we checked with Barbara and Jan and the kids, and they're all back home safe and sound and they mentioned that they're going into their own personal quarantine period, glued to the squawk box. Over.
018:02:48 Cernan: Okay.
018:02:48 Schmitt: I was afraid you were going to get too personal there, for a minute. [Laughter.]
018:02:55 Fullerton: I'll run down a few quick summaries of this morning's news. Former President Harry Truman has rallied slightly, despite his weakened heart and labored breathing. His doctors report that their main worry is whether his heart is strong enough to withstand the strain, the physical strain of 88 years. Despite the slight rally, Truman's condition is still considered critical. In Paris, Henry Kissinger met with Hanoi's Le Du Tho for four hours yesterday in planned secret talks. Paris newspapers report an imminent cease-fire, but neither Kissinger or Tho indicate that this is true. After the 4-hour talks, Kissinger shook hands; and his aid - got a little typo error here - but neither representative made any comment concerning their meeting. At Camp David, Maryland, President Nixon's press secretary, Ron L. Ziegler, said that Kissinger and Nixon are in close communication by cable concerning the secret peace talks. But Ziegler declined to provide more information about progress in the talks. President Nixon selected Claude S. Brinegar, a California oil executive and a doctor of economics, to be Secretary of Transportation succeeding John A. Volpe. Volpe will become the U.S. ambassador to Italy. Here's one concerning last night's launch. Mrs. Spiro Agnew reportedly made a wish on a falling star just before the delayed launch of Apollo 17. Sitting beside her at the VIP viewing site was Barbara Cernan, who said that she was nervous when the lift-off was postponed. She added, "But Al Bean was there with me. He said not to be concerned." Mrs. Cernan was accompanied by her daughter Tracy, and her mother, Mrs. Jackie Ashley. Mrs. Ron Evans, who saw the launch with her children, Jamie and John, said that she was never worried because everybody knew what they were doing.
018:07:36 Cernan: Good summary, Gordo. We thank you, and our best wishes for the return to health of Mr. Truman.
018:07:46 Fullerton: Roger.
018:07:50 Cernan: Gordo, we were figuring up here that we probably launched on the 6th of December in Houston and on the 7th of December in Florida.
018:08:00 Fullerton: That's right. You called it right.
018:08:06 Evans: Okay, CMC Auto there, Gene, please.
018:08:12 Evans: Oh, boy.
018:09:04 Evans: Okay, let's use the Verb 23, Enter. Oh, what did I do there. Enter, let's see, is a 110. There, okay. Verb 25 - Enter. Oh, Gamma Prime Leonis. [Coughing] Okay, minus 8490 - 84900, I mean; plus 40299 plus 40299 Enter; plus 34176, plus - 76, Enter; okay, Proceed. 202 [garble] 18, okay. There already. [Garble] I guess. We'll try that one more time. [Garble] CMC, Auto? 196306.
018:10:26 Schmitt: Gordy, you still there?
018:10:27 Evans: Okay; that's right.
018:10:31 Fullerton: Go ahead, Jack.
018:10:34 Schmitt: Yes, I mentioned to Bob yesterday how - when we moved away from the Earth - how fragile a piece of blue it looked to be, and that impression certainly grows the farther you get from it. I wish everybody could have a chance to get that impression. Things might go a little easier for us.
018:10:57 Fullerton: Roger. [Pause.]
018:11:06 Evans: Okay, Gene, [garble] CMC Free?
018:11:11 Evans: [Singing.] [Garble] must be making the vector worse and worse instead of better. [Laughter.] Well, it was on the substellar point that time except it was halfway through the Earth almost. Not really.
018:12:41 Cernan: Hey, Gordy, we haven't really had a clear and detailed description of what you or somebody else saw at the launch, in terms of the lighting around the countryside, the state of the flame, and how long the - exhaust was under the S-IC. Do you have anything to add to that?
018:13:12 Fullerton: Well, I can give you my feelings, anyway. It was a spectacular sight, and no doubt about it. I'd say the level of illumination would have made it easy to - to read a newspaper or anything like that from my vantage point near the VAB. The - the plume itself actually looked no larger or - or even any brighter, really, except in contrast, than it does on a day launch by comparison. But - well, the effect, I guess, was about what I expected just trying to extrapolate previous launches into a nighttime situation. The weather was very clear. That was one advantage gained by delaying the launch the 2 hours and 40 minutes that you did. By that time, there were very few clouds around at all. And we could see a brilliant flash there when the first stage cut off and the second stage ignited. And I lost you visually probably, oh, 4 to 5 minutes into the second stage, as best I can remember. Part of the problem was the brightness of the plume during the first stage, it kind of burned a spot on my eye; and so then I was - had reduced efficiency at looking for a small point of light from there on out. Stu's here with me and he was watching it, too. I'll see if he has anything to add.
018:15:14 Cernan: Stu who? [Pause.]
018:15:19 Fullerton: He said after that comment he has no comment.
018:15:23 Cernan: [Laughter.] I'm sorry, Stu.
018:15:28 Schmitt: I can't believe that; Stu always has something to add.
018:15:32 Evans: [Singing.] Houston, in case you just noticed, I forgot the Verb 67 until just now. Although, in reality, all we're trying to do here is get a Delta-H measurement anyhow. And, Houston, do you have any feel yet for what the Delta-H is - line has been?
018:15:59 Fullerton: Stand by, Ron. [Long pause.]
An issue with sighting on a planet's horizon is determining exactly where that horizon is. Like a mariner's sextant, the spacecraft's version had two lines of sight, one fixed and one movable. When viewing through the sextant, the CMP's task was to rotate the spacecraft in order to bring the appropriate horizon into view of the fixed line of sight. A dense filter dimmed this image so as not to outshine the image of a star. He then used the movable line of line of sight to superimpose the image of the required star onto the horizon. The problem was that Earth's atmosphere blurs the exact limb of the planet and so the astronaut has to select a level within the layers of atmosphere upon which to mark, and to do so consistently. To this end, CMPs trained on a special simulator at MIT using photographs of the horizon to get a feel for this part of the job.
One of the reasons for this exercise is to give Ron practice with a real planetary limb, then to calibrate where he keeps placing the star. At this stage, the ground controllers know very well where Earth's real horizon is and they can therefore compare that with the height off the planet's surface that Ron is consistently placing the star. This yields a difference in height (or Delta-H) between the two which can be stored and factored into later P23 exercises.
At this stage of the flight, P23 is a secondary means of navigation with radio techniques used from the ground being primary. Ron is merely keeping his hand in. But should a problem arise with the spacecraft's radio systems, he would be able to navigate the crew to a safe landing on Earth.
018:16:14 Fullerton: Ron, this is Houston. We're not going to be able to give you a handle on the Delta-H until they have a chance to take all the data and reduce it and work it around a little.
018:16:28 Evans: Okay, that's mighty fine.
018:16:32 Evans: Okay, Geno, CMC Auto? Let's see what's on this star here. Kalinan [sic] - that's Menkalinan, I guess. Okay, Earth far horizon; 23, Enter; 120, Enter; 25, Enter [garble] [Coughing] [Singing] Plus - 7073, Enter; plus 70644, Enter. Okay, that is the unit vector of the star.
Ron is working through the P23 exercise on pages 3-18 and 19 in the Flight Plan. These pages include notes on stars he should use for his sightings.
Coded into the computer's fixed rope memory are the positions of 37 stars, the Apollo star code list. Each has a numerical designation in octal (base eight).
The Apollo star code list
This P23 exercise is using stars that are not part of the pre-programmed list so their details are included in the Flight Plan. Ron has just mentioned the one at the top of page 3-19, number 106, Menkalinan. Also included are the numbers that define where in the sky it is (a vector towards that star) and a note of the fact that the angle measurement needs to be made to Earth's far horizon with respect to the star.
018:22:14 Evans: Okay, it's a 180 option we don't want. [Garble] the real option. [Laughter.] I guess they're getting - Houston, you must be getting all the good data without the High Gain, huh?
018:22:38 Fullerton: That's affirmative, Ron.
018:22:40 Evans: Okay. Okay, let's Enter that. [Long pause.]
018:22:55 Evans: Okay, Gene, you go CMC Free now? Yeah, that's about a half a sextant diameter above the - above the horizon. Substellar point looks pretty good, though.
018:28:58 - This is Apollo Control at 18 hours, 29 minutes. During the change of shift press briefing, Flight Director Gene Kranz reviewed the status of the mission with each of his flight controllers. Everything essentially normal at this point. The Flight Dynamics Officer reported that they have not yet gotten sufficient tracking on the S-IVB trajectory to give an impact point based on tracking. We should - we should have that in a matter of hours. And we'll get a report as soon as a set of coordinates for the S-IVB impact are available. Also, CapCom Gordon Fullerton read up a news report to the crew. And it's been relatively quiet for the past 5 or 10 minutes on the air to ground line. We'll replay the accumulated tape and as soon as we've caught up with the tape we'll stand by for live conservations with the crew.
018:36:43 Evans: 30 Enter - oops! CMC Auto [garble] Now, last star. Oh, that was it. I'm going to go back to the calibration attitude.
018:38:04 Evans: Okay, CMC auto engaged, and away we go. [Pause.]
018:38:11 Evans: Okay, we got to dump the waste water, too. 10 per cent. [Pause.]
018:38:21 Evans: 164, 301, and 318 - that's the optics calibration attitude that we want to start with. Put the landmark line of sight mark on star 22. And also the optics line of sight, with optics zero. Let's see, I'll the optics, I guess first.
018:45:43 Evans: Okay, Houston, looks like optics calibration here is 89995 - I get that half the time and 997 the rest. So [laughter] we'll use 995, I guess.
018:45:57 Fullerton: Roger. [Pause.]
018:46:07 Schmitt: Okay, Houston, you ready for some purges and dumps?
018:46:11 Fullerton: Let me make sure here. We're standing by.
018:46:43 Schmitt: Okay. I'll get going on the O2 purges on the fuel cell.
018:46:43 Fullerton: Okay.
Comm break.
The Apollo fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen in such a way that a large fraction of the energy that comes from this reaction is expressed as electricity instead of heat. The electricity powers the spacecraft and the water produced can be consumed by the crew or can help to cool the electronics. A problem with the cells is that their reactants are not 100-per-cent pure and contain trace amounts of other gases. As these gases do not take part in the reaction, they can buld up on the electrodes, inhibiting proper operation of the cells and must therefore be occasionally purged. This is achieved by increasing the flow rate of the reactant gas through the cell for a time; 80 seconds for hydrogen and 2 minutes for oxygen.
018:49:28 Schmitt: Well, I had my clock on the wrong scale. Is that about 2 minutes, Houston? [Long pause.]
018:49:48 Roosa: That's good, Jack. [Long pause.]
018:50:09 Roosa: Did you copy that, Jack? They said that was fine.
018:50:13 Schmitt: Yes, sir, Stu; I copied that. How are you?
018:50:16 Roosa: Okay; swinging.
018:50:21 Schmitt: That's good to hear.
018:50:24 Roosa: Sure am enjoying your descriptions. [Pause.]
018:50:31 Schmitt: Well, if I could get Ron off his - work with the optics, we'd look at the Earth some more. But that'll come. Right now I'm seeing all sorts of little ice crystals of various compositions, [laughter] that are moving around, and every one of them bounces off the LM that I can see. No, none of them stick. I noticed that some of them will go into a corner with a fairly high velocity and either be turned around by a double bounce, or just get lost in the corner and have very low velocity when they come out.
018:51:10 Roosa: Roger. [Long pause.]
018:52:06 Schmitt: Most of them look like they have at least a foot or two per second. [Pause.]
018:52:13 Roosa: Roger. [Pause.]
018:52:24 Roosa: Hey, Jack, I was surprised when you said when you got Ron off the optics. Don't tell me that Ron is going to let you look through his optics.
018:52:33 Schmitt: Oh, heavens no! We just move the windows. [Laughter.]
018:52:37 Roosa: [Laughter.] Okay.
018:52:38 Evans: That's for sure. [Long pause.]
018:52:47 - The CapCom at the present time is Astronaut Stuart Roosa, backup Command Module Pilot for Apollo 17.
018:53:08 Schmitt: Stu, apparently you get - do get some particle/particle collisions, because some of the trajectories are back towards us. [Pause.]
018:53:22 Roosa: Okay; we're waiting for the explanation of that. [Pause.]
018:53:29 Schmitt: Well, I think it's because the particles are - some of them, you know, are bouncing off the LM and get out into the stream, which normally would have no collisions. How's that? [Pause.] You can say it's not very good. I don't care.
018:53:55 Roosa: Got to use tact here.
Comm break.
018:54:32 - That animated description of the behavour of a cloud of ice crystals drifting along with spacecraft is coming from Jack Schmitt. Apollo 17 at this point is 81,654 nautical miles [151,223 km] from Earth, traveling at a speed of 5,972 feet per second [1,820 m/s]. And we see from the telemetry data that the fuel cell purge called for in the Flight Plan at this time is progressing. This involves flowing, in this case, oxygen at a high rate through the fuel cell for a short period of time to remove any build-up of contaminants. And, as a routine maintenance or housekeeping procedure, same thing is also done periodically for the hydrogen.
019:06:58 - This is Apollo Control at 19 hours, 7 minutes. The crew aboard Apollo 17 has completed the next item in the Flight Plan in the way of housekeeping duties aboard the spacecraft. That involved dumping waste water. Water is accumulated in a 7- to 8-gallon tank on the spacecraft which is produced as a by-product of generating electricity in the fuel cells. These fuel cells generate quite a bit more water than the spacecraft is able to consume for cooling and for crew drinking purposes. The excess goes into a waste water tank and periodically it's dumped down to about 10 per cent, and the crew has just completed that activity. We're going to take advantage of a relatively quiet time in the Flight Plan at this time to replay a portion of the air-to-ground conservations with the spacecraft which included among other things a rather detailed description of Earth given by Jack Schmitt; some weather patterns. This replay is necessitated by a problem that we had with a portion of the public affairs release circuit between 4:40 and 5:05 pm Central Standard Time this afternoon in which a portion of the release circuit did not receive the air-to-ground and for the benefit of those people who missed that portion of air-to-ground, we'll replay the tapes at this time.
019:14:06 Fullerton: You have 10 per cent waste water now. You can terminate the dump.
019:14:12 Schmitt: Okay. We're just about there. [Long pause.]
019:15:07 Evans: Okay, the old Image Motion is Off.
019:15:12 Fullerton: Roger.
019:15:13 Evans: Data Systems are going On. Aux TV is going to Scientific.
019:15:23 Fullerton: Jack, we'd like Auto and Narrow on the High Gain.
019:15:38 Schmitt: There you go. Okay?
019:15:41 Fullerton: Thank you.
019:15:43 Evans: Okay. SM/AC Power is coming On. Mapping Camera is going to Standby; talkback's gray. Pan Mode is verified in Standby. Pan Camera Mode? Yeah. Okay Pan Camera is going to Power - now. Barber pole.
019:16:19 Schmitt: Okay, the Pan Camera just went to Power. Okay, Ron's talking to you. Didn't know that.
019:16:28 Fullerton: Roger.
019:16:31 Evans: Pan Camera Self Test has gone to Heaters.
019:16:38 Schmitt: High bit rate. Okay; waiting your cue, Gordy.
019:16:45 Fullerton: Okay, stand by.
019:16:50 Fullerton: Okay, Ron, we're ready for the film cycle. [Long pause.]
019:17:45 Evans: Okay, Mapping Camera is going On. [Long pause.]
019:18:15 Evans: Okay, Pan Camera Self Test is going to Self Test. Talk back's barber pole. Okay, I forgot to time it, yeah.
019:19:08 Evans: Okay, talkback went gray on the Pan Camera.
019:19:12 Fullerton: Roger. [Long pause.]
019:19:27 Evans: Okay, Pan Camera Power is Off. [Long pause.]
019:19:54 Evans: Okay, Mapping Camera is going Off. [Long pause.]
019:20:34 Evans: Okay. SM/AC Power is coming Off, huh?
019:20:42 Schmitt: Okay, Houston. Film cycling's complete.
019:20:45 Fullerton: Okay. It looked real good on both cameras.
019:29:20 Evans: Houston, Apollo 17. Any recommended quads for damping the PTC rates?
019:29:29 Overmyer: Stand by on that, Ron. We'll give it to you in a minute.
019:29:39 Overmyer: Ron, we're recommending A B for damping and Bravo Delta for roll spinup. I'll say again. Alpha Bravo for damping and Bravo Delta for roll spinup.
019:29:52 Evans: Okay, Robert, and welcome back aboard.
019:29:55 Overmyer: Roger, sir.
019:30:01 Evans: You know, this eating in zero G is not so bad if you keep your bags right side up. If you keep them that way, you get the right perspective. It's sure something funny, if you turn the bag upside down, and it still doesn't fall out, you know.
019:33:00 - This is Apollo Control at 19 hours, 33 minutes. That completes our replay of the segments of the air-to-ground that were lost on a portion of the Public Affairs Release Network earlier today. During that replay, we accumulated about 5 or 6 minutes of additional tape with the - with the crew, the activities involved during that period of time or completion of waste water dump, the crew dumping excess water produced by the fuel cells and stored in a storage tank on the spacecraft, and they dump it down to about 10 per cent of its quantity, or its capacity. And also completed one other routine housekeeping activity. That was cycling the film in the panoramic and mapping cameras contained back in the Service Module Scientific Instrument Module bay. That bay, of course, still has the door over it. The door will be jettisoned before going into orbit around the Moon exposing those cameras for use in lunar orbit taking high-resolution and very accurately controlled mapping cameras - mapping photos of the lunar surface. The cycling of the film is made necessary by the fact that the film is under some tension in the magazine in the transport mechanism. This tension tends to put pressure on the emulsion, and if the film is not advanced, oh, four or five cycles, at least once every 24 hours, it tends to create striations in the emulsion, and this is done during the translunar coast when the cameras are not being used periodically, once a day to prevent these striations from developing in the emulsion of the film. We'll replay that accumulated tape for you and then continue to stand by live.
019:42:07 - This is Apollo Control. That completes our replay of accumulated tape. We'll now stand by for any live conservations with the crew. One thing additionally that we get out of cycling the cameras, the panoramic and mapping cameras, is an indication of how they are performing mechanically. As you heard, based on the telemetry data that we got here on the ground, both cameras appear to be functioning properly tucked away in the Scientific Instrument Module bay of the CSM. You also heard some conservation with Jack Schmitt who is wearing the biomedical harness during sleep periods. It's customary for one of the three crewman only to wear the biomedical harness which allows us to get heart rate during the sleep period, and the crewman take turns wearing that biomedical harness and during the sleep we are getting good biomedical data - good heart rate data on Schmitt at the present time. Also, Ron Evans commented on getting the spacecraft in the PTC attitude. Essentially, this attitude has the spacecraft oriented at right angles to it's direction of travel. Right angles to the Earth-Moon plane so that the Sun is essentially shining on the sides of the vehicle of the CSM and LM. And then, using the Reaction Control System thrusters on the Command Module, they set up a slow roll rate so that the two vehicles docked together are rotating at the rate of about three revolutions per hour. And, if this is done properly, and it's a tricky maneuver - usually crews get more and more experienced at it as they go through the mission, and tend to have the most problems early on in getting it set up - but if it is set up with all of the rates damped and everything very stable when the roll is started it will maintain this roll without wobbling out of it throughout the rest period. The purpose of this is to maintain proper thermal equilibrium on the spacecraft so that the heating on one side from the Sun, the cooling of the other as it is exposed to the black of space, is uniform and nothing gets too hot or too cold. At the present time, Apollo 17 is 84,482 nautical miles [156,461 km] from Earth and the velocity continuing to decrease gradually; down to about 5,824 feet per second [1,775 m/s], just a little over one mile per second. We'll continue to stand by live now for any conversations with the crew. This could continue to be a relatively quiet period based on Ron Evans - or Jack - it was Jack Schmitt's comment that Evans was in the kitchen leads us to believe that they are probably getting ready to eat. This is Apollo Control at 19 hours, 45 minutes.
