Apollo 8
Day 4: Lunar Orbit 1
Corrected Transcript and Commentary Copyright © 2003-2021 by W. David Woods and Frank O'Brien. All rights reserved.
Last updated 2021-02-27
This is Apollo Control, Houston. We have a crew report of an orbit of 60.5 nautical miles by 169 nautical miles [112 by 313 kilometres]. Standing by, continuing to monitor. This is Apollo Control.
069:34:14 Borman (onboard): Are we on the High Gain, Jim? Bill?
069:34:18 Anders (onboard): Give me a Verb 64, Frank.
069:34:20 Borman (onboard): What are you doing here? Let's get rid of that.
069:34:26 Lovell (onboard): Houston, Apollo 8.
069:34:28 Borman (onboard): Verb 64.
069:34:30 Borman (onboard): I don't think we...
069:34:32 Lovell (onboard): Roger. You are coming in very weak. Our orbit is 169 by 60.5.
069:34:38 Borman (onboard): Give them the whole [burn] report there, Jim.
069:34:42 Lovell (onboard): I think I'm talking to myself.
069:34:44 Borman (onboard): Why don't you get a Roger for the [DSE] dump we sent then?
069:34:49 Anders (onboard): Okay, that's - Let me go into High Gain.
069:35:24 Carr: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Verify your evaporator water control [is] in Automatic. Over. [Long pause.]
069:35:31 Borman (onboard): Can you get them, Bill?
069:35:32 Anders (onboard): We got them.
069:35:35 Borman (onboard): Houston, Apollo 8. How do you read? How do you read Apollo 8, Houston?
069:35:37 Anders (onboard): They've got a ground problem.
069:35:43 Lovell (onboard): You taking that at one frame per second?
069:35:46 Anders (onboard): Yes, that's what it says to.
069:35:49 Borman (onboard): Houston, Apollo 8.
069:35:51 Borman (onboard): I hear - They're reading us now.
069:35:56 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Over. [No answer.]
069:35:57 Lovell (onboard): There we go. Houston, Apollo 8. Over.
069:36:08 Borman (onboard): Are we hooked on with the High Gain?
069:36:10 Lovell (onboard): Yes, sir.
069:36:09 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Over. [No answer.]
069:36:14 Lovell (onboard): They came through at one time, didn't they?
069:36:16 Borman (onboard): Yes.
069:36:24 Carr: Apollo 8. Apollo 8. This is Houston, Houston. Over.
069:36:30 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
069:36:32 Borman: Roger, Houston. We read you loud and clear. How do you read us?
069:36:35 Carr: Apollo 8, This is Houston. Reading you loud and clear now. And verify your evaporator water control panel switch to the Auto position. Over. [Long pause.]
069:36:48 Lovell (onboard): Is it?
069:36:49 Borman (onboard): It is in Auto.
069:36:50 Lovell (onboard): Roger...
069:36:51 Borman: Roger. I am sure it is in Auto.
069:36:53 Borman (onboard): Go ahead, Jim, with it.
069:36:58 Borman (onboard): Well, look here - this DSKY is way up.
Close-up photo of dual gauges from Panel 2 of the Main Display Console in the Apollo 13 Command Module Odyssey.
069:37:00 Lovell: Burn status report as follows: Burn on time. Burn time 4 minutes, 6½ seconds; V
GX, minus 1.4; attitude's nominal, no trim, V
GY was zero, V
GZ was plus 0.2, Delta-V
C was minus 20.2, orbit 169.1 by 60.5.
069:37:45 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Roger. The burn on time. Burn time of 4:06.5. V
GX is minus 1.4. [Long pause.]
069:38:05 Borman (onboard): Bill, how come this is so high here now?
069:38:08 Anders (onboard): [Garble.]
069:38:10 Borman (onboard): Huh?
069:38:12 Anders (onboard): I'm checking the fan out.
069:38:13 Borman (onboard): Is it alright?
069:38:14 Anders (onboard): I'll let you know.
069:38:19 Carr: Apollo 8. Houston. Verify your Evap. water control on panel 382 is Auto. Your Evap. Out temperature is high. Over.
Drawing of Panel 382 of the Environmental Control System.
069:38:33 Anders: Roger. Standing by. [Pause.]
068:38:40 Anders: Houston. Apollo 8. Roger. Primary Evap. is Auto. H
2 flow Auto. Do you recommend activating the secondary water boiler?
069:38:51 Carr: Roger. Copy. Stand by. [Long pause.]
This is Apollo Control Houston. The conversation taking place is with Bill Anders aboard the spacecraft.
069:38:57 Borman (onboard): Now, Jim, let's get this problem squared away here, or we won't be going anywhere.
069:39:03 Borman (onboard): We're not boiling, Ji - Bill?
069:39:04 Anders (onboard): No.
069:39:10 Carr: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Re-verify manual valve on panel 382, Evaporator water control, Automatic. Over.
069:39:22 Anders: Roger. Verified. [Long pause.]
069:39:25 Lovell (onboard): Any help down here?
069:39:26 Anders (onboard): Well, you might reverify it again. It's the one next to the secondary one that you had turned on.
069:39:32 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
069:39:36 Carr: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Recommend you activate your secondary water evaporator. [Long pause.]
069:39:54 Anders: Secondary Evap. coming online.
069:39:56 Carr: Roger. [Long pause.]
Apollo Control, Houston. Ground data closely coincides with that aboard the spacecraft.
069:40:01 Lovell (onboard): Secondary evaporator is in Auto.
069:40:03 Anders (onboard): Primary is the main one.
069:40:05 Lovell (onboard): In Auto.
069:40:07 Borman (onboard): It [the primary evaporator] dried up.
069:40:09 Lovell (onboard): Can you get water to it?
069:40:21 Borman (onboard): How's the secondary one - primary one doing - secondary one doing, Bill?
069:40:25 Anders (onboard): Secondary one is doing great.
069:40:27 Borman (onboard): It's operating?
069:40:40 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Turn off your DSE and we'll go to high bit rate. Over.
069:40:52 Carr: Apollo 8. This is Houston. I'll continue my readback of the burn status report. Copied V
GX, zero; V
GY, zero; V
GZ, 1.2; Delta-V Charlie, minus 20.2. Over. [Pause.]
069:41:15 Anders: Stand by; he's getting the chart out again.
069:41:21 Lovell: Delta-V
GZ was 0.2.
069:41:26 Carr: Roger. Understand; 0.2 on V
GZ. [Long pause.]
069:41:53 Anders: Houston. This is Apollo 8. We're on malfunction 1 of 6, going through step 1 to step 2. Over.
069:42:02 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Roger. Copy.
069:42:08 Anders: Correction. That's to step 4.
069:42:10 Carr: Roger. Copy. To step 4. [Long pause.]
069:42:41 Anders: Now to step 13.
069:42:44 Carr: Roger. Step 13. [Long pause.]
Apollo Control, Houston. What you are hearing here is checkout procedure of the Environmental Control System. The voice principally from the spacecraft, that of Bill Anders, the systems engineer member of the team aboard.
069:43:14 Anders: Now to step 14.
069:43:18 Carr: Houston, Roger. [Pause.]
069:43:25 Anders: Looks like the boiler dried out somewhere along the line.
069:43:28 Carr: Roger, Bill. [Long pause.]
Apollo Control, Houston. Our ground readings on this orbit; 168 nautical miles apolune, perilune of 60.4 nautical miles [311.1 by 111.9 km].
069:44:01 Borman: Houston, this is Apollo 8. I'd like to confirm that burn status report. V
GX was minus 1.4. V
GY, zero. V
GZ, 0.2, minus .2 that is. Delta-V
C was minus 20.2.
069:44:26 Carr: Apollo 8.
069:44:27 Borman: Apogee, 169.1; perigee, 60.5.
069:44:36 Carr: Apollo 8. This is Houston. Roger. I'll read back again. The burn was on time, 4 minutes and 6½ seconds; V
GX, minus 1.4; trim nominal; V
GY, 0; V
GZ, minus 0.2; Delta-V Charlie, minus 20.2. Over.
069:45:05 Borman: That's Roger.
069:45:06 Carr: Roger. We copy your apogee and perigee. [Long pause.]
069:45:24 Anders: Steam pressure's coming up.
069:45:27 Carr: Roger, Bill. [Long pause.]
This is Apollo Control, Houston. So you've had the first status report from an Apollo crew in lunar orbit. The unmanned Lunar Orbiter spacecraft traversed the Moon, perhaps 10,000 times but this is the first man aboard, in this case Frank Borman, reported to his compatriots here on Earth.
069:46:37 Anders: Step 15.
069:46:39 Carr: Roger. Concur.
069:46:41 Anders: Very good. [Long pause.]
069:46:58 Anders: Evap. Temps coming down.
069:47:04 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Roger. We concur. [Long pause.]
069:47:20 Anders: Okay. Houston, keep a good eye on it.
069:47:23 Carr: Roger, we're watching.
069:47:28 Anders: Okay. Nice job on the malfunction procedures.
069:47:32 Carr: Roger, Bill. Thanks. [Pause.]
069:47:39 Anders: You, too.
069:49:02 Anders: Give us a call when you think we ought to stop the secondary boiler, Houston.
069:49:06 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Wilco. [Long pause.]
069:49:40 Lovell: Houston, Apollo 8.
069:49:41 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Go.
069:49:47 Lovell: Roger. For information, we're passing over just to the side of the crater Langrenus at this time, going into the Sea of Fertility.
069:49:57 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Roger.
As you heard, Apollo 8 approaching the Sea of Fertility.
Crater Langrenus, as imaged from Earth by David Woods.
Apollo Control, Houston. Our first batch of ground tracking data shows agreement in velocity within one foot per second with that of the spacecraft.
069:51:04 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. What does the ole Moon look like from 60 miles? Over. [Pause.]
069:51:16 Lovell: Okay, Houston. The Moon is essentially grey, no color; looks like plaster of Paris or sort of a grayish beach sand. We can see quite a bit of detail. The Sea of Fertility doesn't stand out as well here as it does back on Earth. There's not as much contrast between that and the surrounding craters. [Pause.] The craters are all rounded off. There's quite a few of them, some of them are newer. Many of them look like - especially the round ones - look like hit by meteorites or projectiles of some sort. [Pause.] Langrenus is quite a huge crater; it's got a central cone to it. [Long pause.] The walls of the crater are terraced, about six or seven different terraces on the way down. [Long pause.]
069:52:35 Carr: Roger. Understand.
069:52:40 Lovell: And coming up now (in) the Sea of Fertility are the old friends Messier and Pickering that I looked about so much on Earth.
069:52:50 Lovell: And I can see the rays coming out of blaze [?] Pickering. We're coming up now near our P-1 initial site which I'm going to try and see. Be advised the round window, the hatch window, is completely iced over; we cannot use it. Bill and I are sharing the rendezvous window. [Long pause.]
069:53:15 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Roger. Got any more information on those rays? Over.
069:53:24 Lovell: Roger. The rays out of Pickering are quite faint from here; there are two different groups coming - going to the left, they don't appear to be - have any depth to them at all, just rays coming out.
069:53:45 Lovell: They look like just changes in the color of the mare. [Long pause.]
069:54:08 Carr: Bill, if you can tear yourself away from that window, we'd like you to turn off the secondary evaporator. Over.
069:54:16 Anders: Roger. Going Off. [Long pause.]
069:54:45 Carr: Apollo 8, this is Houston. You can leave that secondary pump on for just a few minutes. Over.
069:54:54 Borman: Stand...
069:54:54 Anders: Roger. Remind us. [Long pause.]
069:55:28 Lovell: Okay over to my right are the Pyrenees Mountains coming up and we're just about over Messier and Pickering [Messier A] right now. Our first initial point is easily seen from our altitude. We're getting quite a bit of contrast as we appear - as we approach the terminator. [Pause.] The view appears to be good, no reflection of the Sun back to our eyes; it appears that visibility at this particular spot is excellent. It's very easy to pick out our first initial point; and over this mountain chain we can see the second initial point, the Triangular Mountain. [Pause.]
069:56:33 Anders: Now we're coming upon the craters Colombo and Gutenberg. Very good detail visible. We can see the long parallel faults or grabens. [Pause.] And they run through the mare material right into the highland material. [Long pause.]
The principal speaker that you've heard during most of this discourse has been Jim Lovell but that last voice was that of Bill Anders.
SW Mare Fecunditatis, composited from AS08-13-2215 to AS08-13-2227.
AS08-13-2225 - Crater Goclenius and the rille system in SW Mare Fecunditatis.
069:57:41 Lovell: We're directly over our first initial point now for B-1. It's almost impossible to miss, very easy to pick out and we can look right over into the second initial point.
069:57:56 Carr: Roger, Jim. [Pause.]
069:58:04 Lovell: I can see very clearly the five crater star formation which we had on our lunar charts.
069:58:18 Lovell: And right now, I'm trying to pick out visually B-1. [Pause.]
069:58:28 Carr: Roger Jim. Bill, you can turn off the secondary Evap. pump now. [Pause.]
069:58:40 Borman: Houston, this is Apollo 8.
069:58:43 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Go.
069:58:47 Borman: Roger. How about giving us a system status, please?
069:58:51 Carr: Roger. [Long pause.]
069:59:19 Lovell: Okay. I've got B-1 in sight now, Houston.
The reference to B-1 is a landmark, a landmark which relates to a projected landing site.
069:58:30 Carr: Roger, Jim.
069:59:32 Lovell: It's very easy to spot. You can see the entire rims of the craters from here with, of course, the white crescent on the far side were the Sun is shining on it. The shadows are quite lengthy now. Maskelyne B has quite a few shadows off of it, but could be recognized. Just to the west of Maskelyne B, we start going to the terminator. The terminator is actually quite sharp over the Pyrenees, and it's - I can't see anything in Earthshine at this present time. Bill says that he can see things out the side window since he's not looking down on sunshine on the Moon. [Long pause.]
Apollo Control, Houston. As a matter of interest, spacecraft commander Frank Borman's heart rate has been ranging between 78 and 80 since we acquired.
070:00:50 Carr: Apollo 8, this is Houston. All systems are Go. We're evaluating the strip charts on your SPS burn and we'll give you a read-out on that shortly. Over.
070:01:03 Borman: Roger. Thank you. It's seemed smooth. Do you need high bit rate anymore? [Pause.]
070:01:15 Carr: Roger. We'd like high bit rate. We have dumped your DSE, and we'd like to stick with high bit rate for a while.
070:01:26 Borman: Roger. [Long pause.]
070:01:45 Lovell: Well, we're just about over Maskelyne B now, and our target is just directly below us. [Long pause.]
070:02:32 Carr: Apollo 8, this is Houston. If you want the recorder now, it's yours. [Pause.]
070:02:41 Anders: Roger. Thank you. [Long pause.]
Apollo Control, Houston. Our tracking data from the ground still compares very well with the guidance and navigation computer on the spacecraft.
070:02:58 Anders (onboard): We completed target 72 strip and target 90 strip and the terminator photography to the south.
Montes Pyrenaeus and Crater Capella, composited from AS08-13-2228 to AS08-13-2237.
070:03:13 Lovell (onboard): Okay, we're going to get updates. And a P52.
070:03:17 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. MSFN [Manned Spaceflight Tracking Network] tracking is comparing very well with your onboard nav.
070:03:26 Borman: Roger. [Pause.]
070:03:29 Anders (onboard): Can I have the other lunar flight plan there, Jim?
070:03:31 Borman: Houston, for your information,...
070:03:33 Lovell (onboard): Yes.
070:03:34 Borman: ...we lost radio contact at the exact second you predicted.
070:03:40 Carr: Roger. We concur. [Pause.]
The reference there was to Loss Of Signal as they went over the back side of the Moon.
070:03:47 Borman: Are you sure you didn't turn off the transmitters at that time?
070:03:52 Carr: Honest Injun, we didn't. [Pause.]
070:04:00 Borman: While these other guys are all looking at the Moon I want to make sure we got a good SPS. How about giving me that report when you can?
070:04:06 Carr: Sure will, Frank. [Pause.]
070:04:14 Borman: And we want a Go for every rev, please; or otherwise, we'll burn in TEI-1 at your direction.
070:04:21 Carr: Roger. I understand.
070:04:36 Borman (onboard): Are we on high gain, Bill?
070:04:38 Anders (onboard): Yes.
070:04:42 Borman (onboard): Well, this is [garble] see if I can [garble].
070:04:44 Anders (onboard): Yes.
070:05:04 Lovell (onboard): Here's the - I'll bet you that's what we're supposed to do.
070:05:09 Borman (onboard): I wouldn't know.
070:05:11 Lovell (onboard): [Garble.]
070:05:15 Borman (onboard): Have you got the Delta counter over there, please?
070:05:58 Anders (onboard): Those two strips and the terminator photography on camera I were taken on magazine E which is now reading 29 exposures.
070:06:17 Borman (onboard): How are you doing, Bill?
070:06:18 Anders (onboard): Getting it done.
070:06:21 Lovell (onboard): [Garble.]
070:06:31 Lovell (onboard): I don't think so. Okay, I'm going out [garble].
070:06:36 Anders (onboard): What did you take a picture of, Frank? Do you remember?
070:06:43 Anders (onboard): And Frank took a took a picture on camera 2, magazine A, which is now reading 40.
070:07:04 Anders (onboard): Now we're going to change - take off magazine A.
070:07:10 Borman (onboard): Jim, didn't I hand you 4 magazine over there?
070:07:14 Lovell (onboard): Yes, I [garble].
070:07:18 Anders (onboard): Okay, what I meant for you to do [garble].
070:07:22 Carr: Apollo 8. This is Houston. Are you eating?
070:07:28 Borman: Negative. [Pause.]
070:07:35 Lovell (onboard): Okay, we have [garble].
070:07:39 Carr: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Are you eating dinner?
070:07:45 Borman Negative. We'll have breakfast in a little while here.
070:07:49 Carr: Roger. [Long pause.]
070:08:00 Carr: Apollo 8, this is Houston. When you go into the dark in about 7 or 8 minutes, I have some words for you on the filters for the wide-angle lens, for your TV camera. Over.
070:08:19 Borman: We're in the dark now.
070:08:23 Borman (onboard): Well, it looks - sure looks that way.
070:08:23 Carr: Roger. Let me know when you are ready to copy. [Long pause.]
070:08:33 Lovell (onboard): 13. Capella.
070:08:36 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Any words on Earthshine? Over. [Long pause.]
070:08:48 Borman (onboard): What was it, Bill?
070:08:50 Anders (onboard): Capella.
070:08:53 Lovell (onboard): Okay.
070:09:01 Borman (onboard): Have you charged these batteries, Bill?
070:09:03 Anders (onboard): Never did [garble].
070:09:06 Lovell (onboard): Okay, I'll [garble] lights out [garble] I could just mark them without even...
070:09:13 Anders: Earthshine is about as expected, Houston. Not as much detail, of course, as in the sunlight, but you can see the light craters quite distinctly, and you can see the albedo contacts quite distinctly. And, also, the - there's a good three-dimensional view of the rims of the larger craters.
070:09:42 Lovell (onboard): [Garble]. Wait a minute.
070:09:43 Carr: Roger. Bill. [Pause.]
070:09:54 Anders: I think our high-speed film will be able to pick some of this stuff up quite well.
070:10:03 Borman (onboard): Oh, right over [garble].
070:10:24 Anders (onboard): Have you got your camera [garble]?
070:10:33 Borman (onboard): All balls.
070:10:43 Lovell (onboard): Okay. Minus 0077, plus 0017, Plus 0065.
070:11:07 Borman (onboard): Okay, the next thing we put up is my [garble].
070:11:13 Anders (onboard): Okay, Jim, go ahead and eat.
070:11:16 Lovell (onboard): Okay, let me see whether I have this [garble].
070:11:21 Anders (onboard): [Garble] are okay, Frank?
070:11:28 Anders (onboard): EPS [Electrical Power System] is alright?
070:11:38 Anders (onboard): [Garble] should expect my [garble] later.
070:11:49 Anders (onboard): This thing must be [garble]. Oh no, don't tell me the thing dried out.
070:11:55 Anders (onboard): No, the boiler isn't acting up; it just dried out.
070:12:30 Borman (onboard): Did you verify all the systems?
070:12:33 Anders (onboard): Yes. We have sunset at...
070:12:35 Borman (onboard): Not too long.
Apollo Control, Houston. (As) Apollo 8 passes over the night portion of the Moon, the guidance and navigation - the platform is to be aligned. This during period of darkness, as the spacecraft remains in an inertially fixed attitude for this procedure. This leaves lunar daylight periods for maneuverability needed for photography and visual observations. At 70 hours, 12 minutes; continuing to monitor. This is Apollo Control, Houston.
070:12:44 Borman: Go ahead with your information on the filter, Houston.
070:12:49 Lovell (onboard): Boy, that...
070:12:47 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Roger. We recommend you use a wide-angle lens on this particular TV run. You can use a telephoto lens with the same setup as yesterday's TV show. However, we recommend a wide-angle lens. Step number 1, tape the single red filter to the red filter on the red/blue filter holder; do it so that the filter slide still functions. Over. [Long pause.]
070:13:38 Anders: Go ahead.
070:13:40 Carr: Roger. Step number 2, attach the filter holder to the lens with tape on the top and bottom. Do this with the slide forward. Over. [Long pause.]
070:14:04 Borman: Go ahead.
070:14:05 Carr: Roger. Then at the end of your second rev TV pass, or on request from here, we would like you to remove that red filter from the holder and transmit briefly with it that way, then slide it over the blue side for your final transmission. Over.
070:14:27 Borman: We got you.
070:14:28 Carr: Okay, Frank.
070:14:28 Lovell (onboard): [Garble] wrong with the TV picture [garble].
070:14:40 Anders (onboard): Now don't - Let's not even screw with the telephoto, okay, Frank?
070:14:45 Borman (onboard): Right.
070:14:47 Lovell (onboard): Well, ought to use that wide angle. Then you could really...
070:14:49 Anders (onboard): Jim? Have you got time to get that red filter out of there or not?
070:14:53 Lovell (onboard): Out of where?
070:14:54 Anders (onboard): Out of that other - I'll get it; I'll get it.
070:14:58 Lovell (onboard): Did you see that other map around here someplace?
070:15:00 Borman (onboard): Yes, the - the flat, one?
070:15:02 Lovell (onboard): No, I've got the flat one; the other - folded one.
070:15:26 Lovell (onboard): Well, I'm not worried about these [garble], but I am about the other two.
070:15:35 Borman: Houston, Apollo 8. Standing by to record TEI-1 and TEI-2.
070:15:40 Carr: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Your TEI-1 and -2 PADs you received last pass are still good. Using these PADs, your next midcourse will be less than 20 feet per second. Over.
070:15:56 Borman: Roger. Understand. [Long pause.]
070:16:03 Lovell (onboard): Where is the Flight Plan?
070:16:12 Borman (onboard): You're getting that red filter?
070:16:15 Lovell (onboard): Yes, I got it.
070:16:14 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. We have all the SPS experts looking at your data now. The preliminary look is very good, and we'll give you some final words later.
070:16:28 Borman: Roger. We could feel the chug when we threw in bank B - not a chug, but we could feel additional thrust.
070:16:36 Lovell (onboard): Here you go.
070:16:37 Carr: Roger. Copy. [Pause.]
070:16:44 Anders: Houston, be advised on this red/blue filter technique on the TV. You cannot slide the two filters out of the way with them taped onto the TV camera. So I suggest we do red, blue, and then take them off. [Pause.]
070:17:06 Carr: Roger. We concur, but make sure that the little red filter is taped over the big one. Over. [Pause.]
070:17:14 Lovell (onboard): Did you use 83?
070:17:16 Borman (onboard): Huh?
070:17:17 Lovell (onboard): Did you use Verb 83?
070:17:20 Anders: Rog. You don't want the red fil - you want the blue by itself. Is that correct?
070:17:25 Carr: That's affirmative, Bill. [Pause.]
070:17:33 Carr: Bill, we'd like you to use the double red filter for the first transmission. Over. [Pause.]
070:17:43 Anders: Roger. In work. [Long pause.]
070:17:45 Anders (onboard): Tape, Jim, please.
070:17:46 Lovell (onboard): Tape?
070:18:02 Lovell (onboard): You got enough there?
070:18:11 Anders (onboard): Now give me an [garble].
070:18:19 Lovell (onboard): Here - I got [garble].
070:18:28 Anders (onboard): Frank, what else have you got, [garble].
070:18:38 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston.
070:18:43 Anders: Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.
070:18:45 Carr: Apollo 8, this is Houston. If you should decide that you want to roll heads up on rev 2, one thing to remember, be sure you yaw 45 degrees right in order to maintain your High Gain Antenna comm. Over.
070:19:01 Borman: We will not do that; we're going to stick with the Flight Plan and make the best we can here.
070:19:06 Carr: Roger, Frank. [Pause.]
070:19:12 Borman: As usual, in the real world, the Flight Plan looks a lot fuller than it did in Florida.
070:19:18 Carr: Roger. Understand.
Apollo Control, Houston. A period of relative quiet; perhaps the crew has decided to start their first meal in lunar orbit.
070:19:26 Lovell (onboard): [Garble.]
070:19:29 Anders (onboard): Well, I know we may need it. I got some more for you. [Garble] remember...
070:19:36 Lovell (onboard): Huh?
070:19:37 Anders (onboard): Did you bring the temporary stowage bag?
070:19:39 Lovell (onboard): [Garble]. Here it is. Yes. (Laughter) [Garble].
070:19:46 Anders (onboard): What other crises by the board?
070:19:49 Anders (onboard): I don't need any if you want to know. After what I've got in my pocket, I (laughter) can go anyplace for a while.
070:19:56 Lovell (onboard): Well, how could they [garble]?
070:20:08 Anders (onboard): Well, that kind of makes [garble].
070:20:22 Anders (onboard): How about just holding that [garble] tape [garble]. The thing is, the damn thing has 16 moving parts.
070:20:39 Anders (onboard): Well, I got it, but [garble] I'll bet - You can just put a piece of tape on it so it stays [garble].
070:20:59 Lovell (onboard): Okay, what's this coming up [garble]? [Garble] coming up here.
070:21:03 Lovell (onboard): At 71 hours - exactly - it's 70:21 right now. The realignment has been completed already. It's an eat period for Bill, eat period for myself; prepare to do GDC align to the IMU [Inertial Measurement Unit]. Okay, at 70:55...
070:21:23 Borman (onboard): [Garble].
070:21:25 Lovell (onboard): Okay, yes, let me [garble]. At 70:55, you're going to pitch up. Your ORDEAL, 180, 250, and 00.
070:21:37 Lovell (onboard): Okay. And we're going to have to share a window here, Bill at 71...
070:21:47 Anders (onboard): [Garble].
070:21:49 Lovell (onboard): Yes, because - I've got to get out the [garble].
070:22:01 Anders (onboard): Orbital photos.
070:22:21 Anders (onboard): Well, I was real worried about the evaporator.
070:22:44 Anders (onboard): Frank, that's the best I can do for you. If you can just hold it and - like that and take the picture.
070:22:52 Anders (onboard): Okay, now look, can you - could you stick that [garble] stick it in the holder behind your head. I'll take that film out of your way - ...get a chance, stow it, that'll be the best thing to do.
070:23:36 Anders (onboard): Okay.
070:23:46 Anders (onboard): Jim, did you get that Flight Plan?
070:23:48 Lovell (onboard): Yes, I got it right down here [garble].
070:23:56 Anders (onboard): Why don't we keep it right in here, I guess and...
070:23:59 Lovell (onboard): Well, listen, how about - now [garble]. Okay, [garble].
070:24:04 Anders (onboard): We could use Frank on the keypunch for the control point.
070:24:07 Lovell (onboard): Yes, either way, it makes no difference because you have that...
070:24:10 Borman (onboard): I've got a keypunch here. I [garble].
070:24:14 Lovell (onboard): Yes, I think, Frank, [garble] the attitude.
070:24:22 Anders (onboard): Okay, Frank, you want to configure your 16-millimeter camera as follows: you've got two thirds of a magazine in there.
070:25:05 Anders (onboard): Okay, we're sticking - magazine J onto the 16-millimeter camera, and removing magazine H. We had magazine H running at one frame per second, and what was the f-stop - you remember? F/8 all the way through the pass; we didn't get around to changing the f-stop.
070:25:28 Borman (onboard): Alright, through the pass.
070:25:32 Anders (onboard): Okay, now it starts at f/2.8, 1/250th of a second. Sorry, but I got the wrong [garble].
070:25:44 Lovell (onboard): [Garble].
070:25:45 Anders (onboard): One - f/2.8, one frame per second.
070:25:49 Borman (onboard): 2.8?
070:25:50 Anders (onboard): Right.
070:25:55 Borman (onboard): Go ahead?
070:25:56 Lovell (onboard): Yes.
070:26:01 Anders (onboard): Well, Frank, I'm going to have to give you - Would you remind me to give you new exposures every now and then as on this map? I'll have - I'll have the map right in front of me so I can ... without any trouble. The only thing is you have to remind me.
070:26:22 Lovell (onboard): Okay. Tell them I've got the earth in the sextant.
070:26:48 Anders (onboard): Okay, Frank? Would you start the 16-millimeter camera when you're coming across the terminator with the pass. Okay?
070:26:57 Anders (onboard): I'll take the spotmeter readings and be able to tell you what the [garble] when we're all set for TV, and then [garble].
070:27:12 Anders (onboard): I'm ready for a map update.
070:27:18 Lovell (onboard): Man, this is really exciting.
Apollo Control, Houston. We're now less than (break in recording) away from our LOS time on this the first revolution in lunar orbit. Continuing to monitor; this is Apollo Control, Houston.
070:27:19 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. We need an O
2 purge now. [Pause.]
070:27:27 Anders: Roger. And we're standing by for a map update.
070:27:31 Carr: Roger. [Long pause.]
070:27:43 Lovell: Houston, Apollo 8. Just for your information, after we completed P52, I've acquired the Earth in the sextant. It's quite a sight from here.
070:27:57 Carr: Roger. Bet it is. [Long pause.]
070:27:56 Lovell (onboard): Okay, O
2 purge set.
070:28:11 Borman: How are the systems experts on the SPS coming, Gerry?
070:28:16 Carr: They are still working, Frank; another five or ten minutes.
070:28:24 Borman: Roger. [Long pause.]
070:28:32 Borman (onboard): Let's put that over there.
070:28:38 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Your SPS data; looking real good. It is just a matter of getting it all in from the site and getting it looked at.
070:28:48 Borman: Thank you.
070:28:49 Carr: So far everything looks copacetic.
070:29:08 Borman (onboard): [Garble]. You've been living on emotions [garble].
070:29:11 Lovell (onboard): [Garble].
070:29:21 Borman (onboard): [Garble] those last two REV's [garble].
Apollo Control, Houston. We've just received data from our Flight Surgeon that Frank Borman's peak heart rate at LOI-1 read 130. The same reading he had, as a matter of fact, that he had at lift off. We would pass that along, continuing to monitor. This is Apollo Control.
070:30:42 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. We would like to take about five minutes of high bit rate. Over.
070:30:50 Borman: Roger. Five minutes of high bit rate coming on.
070:30:56 Borman: You got it.
070:32:14 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston, with a map update.
070:32:15 Borman: Stand by one. [Long pause.]
070:32:52 Borman: Go ahead with the map update.
070:32:55 Carr: Roger, Frank. Map update. Rev 1/2, no change; rev 2/3 follows: 73:04:57, 73:09:37, 73:19:01, 73:48:53, 74:24:23. Remarks: Bravo one, 74:16:24. Over.
070:33:49 Borman: Roger. Copy.
070:33:52 Carr: Roger. We show you 23 minutes to LOS.
070:33:59 Anders: Roger. Are you going to dump the tape? [Long pause.]
070:34:41 Carr: Apollo 8, this is Houston. You are Go for Rev 2. All systems are Go. SPS evaluation is still underway and looking good. Over. [Pause.]
070:34:56 Borman: Understand; Go for Rev 2. Thank you.
070:35:00 Carr: Roger, Apollo 8. We're still using the tape recorder. We'll dump it in a little bit. [Long pause.]
Apollo Control, Houston. You just heard that Go for Rev 2. Flight Director Glynn Lunney...
070:35:35 Carr: Apollo 8, this is Houston. The recorder is yours. You can go to low bit rate.
070:35:43 Borman: Thank you.
Flight Director Glynn Lunney crossed checked with EECOM and Flight and Guidance Control Officers, and told our Capsule Communicator, Jerry Carr, to pass along that Go for Rev 2.
070:37:55 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Request Biomed switch, Center. Over. [Pause.]
070:38:04 Borman: 3, 2, 1...
070:38:11 Carr: Roger, Mark.
070:43:50 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Put your Telemetry Input switch to Low. Over.
070:43:57 Borman: Roger. Go in Low. [Long pause.]
070:44:38 Borman: Houston, Apollo 8. We're in the process of preparing meal 4, day - correction - day 4, meal A.
070:44:47 Carr: Roger, Frank.
070:45:29 Borman (onboard): [Garble] get me the hot water [garble].
070:45:44 Lovell (onboard): [Garble] the sextant [garble].
070:46:06 Lovell (onboard): How's that Flight Plan looking [garble]?
070:46:29 Borman (onboard): A little bit of - a little bit of - Left yaw - a little bit.
070:47:16 Anders (onboard): [Garble] we'll just have to get one. But you can't for 30 minutes [garble]. Well, you can [garble].
070:47:28 Lovell (onboard): Who wants hot water, quick?
070:47:29 Anders (onboard): I do. [Garble].
070:48:13 Anders: Houston, Apollo 8. Over.
070:48:15 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. Go.
070:48:20 Anders: Are you going to be able to dump that tape prior to LOS? [Pause.]
070:48:30 Carr: Roger. Bill, they say they have already dumped the tape, and it's almost totally clean.
070:48:42 Anders: What does that mean? [Pause.]
070:48:52 Carr: That means you have got about 2 minutes of low bit rate on there, but the rest is clean. Over.
070:48:59 Anders: The high bit rate of the burn wasn't on there?
070:49:03 Carr: Negative. We've already dumped and got that. [Long pause.]
070:49:18 Anders: Okay. Let me know when you're going to dump it next time, Gerry. I understand we are Go now for the DSE. Have you got any voice off of it?
070:49:26 Carr: That's affirmative. We did.
070:49:31 Anders: Okay. Thank you. [Long pause.]
070:50:10 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. The voice quality on your tape was just sort of middling. We were able to monitor your burn and hear most of that pretty well.
070:50:27 Anders: Roger. Did you get a report of the photography accomplished, or is that on the tape at present?
070:50:36 Carr: Negative. We haven't heard that.
070:50:42 Anders: Okay. We'll put it on the tape now.
070:50:48 Anders (onboard): This is a report of the photography accomplished on Rev 1. We got target 68 [Langrenus], target 72 [craters near Colombo], target 90 [Capella], and the terminator photography - near-side terminator, Rev 1, south. I had cameras 1 and 2 configured properly. Camera - camera 2 now reads - simply one exposure on Mag G. That's the high speed; we've had zero exposures on Mag G.
This is Apollo Control, Houston. Now less than 5 minutes away from Loss Of Signal on our first revolution.
070:51:53 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. You are 4 minutes and 40 seconds from LOS. I would like a reconfirmation on your S-band Aux switch in the Downvoice Backup position. Over.
070:52:09 Borman: Negative; it is in Normal voice. We will go Downvoice Backup.
070:52:17 Carr: Roger. Request you leave it there forever. Over.
070:52:22 Borman: Roger. In Downvoice Backup now. [Long pause.]
070:52:44 Carr: Apollo 8, this is Houston. All systems are Go. You're still Go for rev 2. Over.
070:52:53 Borman: Thank you.
070:54:22 Anders (onboard): Okay, that's up to the right.
070:54:43 Lovell (onboard): Okay, at 70:55, we're going to pass over - [Garble].
070:54:51 Borman (onboard): We've got to get the TV going here now [garble].
070:54:54 Anders (onboard): Okay, Mag D - was on camera 2.
070:54:58 Lovell (onboard): What?
070:55:03 Anders (onboard): One exposure - two exposures at this time. We had one exposure on Mag A.
070:55:25 Anders (onboard): Mag E was used for the targets previously mentioned, and is now indicating 30 - 30 exposures; that's Mag Echo.
070:55:32 Carr: Apollo 8. Houston.
070:55:37 Borman: Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.
070:55:39 Carr: Roger. One minute until LOS
070:55:44 Borman: Thank you. [Long pause.]
070:55:55 Anders (onboard): Magazine - magazine J was on the 16-millimeter camera, run at one frame per second, starting about 10 minutes after LOI...
070:56:19 Lovell (onboard): Okay, this is [garble].
070:56:25 Carr: Apollo 8, Houston. 10 seconds to LOS. All systems Go.
070:56:32 Anders (onboard): Thank you.
Apollo Control, Houston. 70 hours, 56 minutes into the flight. We have had LOS with Apollo 8. At this time we would like to play back those historic first words of insertion into lunar orbit as we heard them here at Mission Control.