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Corrected Transcript and Commentary Copyright © 2008-2009 David Woods and Andrew Vignaux. All rights reserved.
[The Saturn V has inserted the spacecraft into Earth orbit.]
000:11:17 Scott: Houston, we've got 103 by 89.5.
000:11:22 Roosa: Roger, Apollo 9. Copy. [Pause.]
Public Affairs Officer - "That was Dave Scott giving the onboard orbital parameters, 103 [nautical miles, 191 km] by 89.5 [nautical miles, 166 km]. We will refine those later through tracking. FIDO says go."
[There is a greater than expected difference between the onboard orbital determination and the figures derived from the real-time ground tracking due to an incorrectly compensated bias of the X-axis accelerometer on the spacecraft. The bias error will be briefly mentioned to the crew before the SPS-1 burn at 005:03:00, discussed further at 007:18:48 and the bias compensation will be updated around 020:49:25.]
000:11:39 Roosa: And, Apollo 9, you are go in the orbit.
000:11:43 McDivitt: Roger.
000:11:47 Roosa: And your CMC is go; it is valid.
000:11:51 McDivitt: Okay.
000:11:56 Roosa: And, Apollo 9, the S-IVB has been safed.
000:11:59 McDivitt: Roger, safed. Do you have our apogee and perigee?
000:12:02 Roosa: Not yet, Apollo 9. Stand by.
000:12:06 McDivitt: Okay. [Long pause.]
[Communications have been switched to the tracking ship Vanguard.]
000:13:05 Roosa: Apollo 9, the S-IVB has been configured for orbit. It's looking real good, and your SPS helium is solid as a rock.
000:13:14 McDivitt: Roger, We copy. Thanks a lot.
000:13:16 Roosa: Roger.
Public Affairs Officer - "That's Astronaut Stu Roosa, the CAPCOM from the Houston Control Center talking to the crew."
Public Affairs Officer - "Apollo 9 out over the Atlantic now in contact with the tracking ship Vanguard. We're going to want it tracked Apollo 9 for a while before we come up with a fine tuned orbital parameter 103 [nautical miles, 191 km] by 89.5 [nautical miles, 166 km] was the onboard readout from the command module computer."
[Long comm break.]
[Communications have been switched to the Canary Island station.]
Public Affairs Officer - "This is Apollo Control at 17 minutes. Apollo 9 - now coming into contact at the Canary Island station. We'll stay up live."
000:17:09 Roosa: Apollo 9, Houston.
000:17:12 McDivitt: Roger. Go ahead, Houston.
000:17:14 Roosa: Roger, We've got Canaries here. You can configure Simplex Alpha. [Long pause.]
000:17:31 Roosa: Apollo 9, Houston. Did you copy? [Long pause.]
000:17:54 Roosa: Apollo 9, Houston. Do you read?
000:17:57 Scott: Roger, Houston. Five-by. How us?
000:18:00 Roosa: Okay. You're coming in five-square. We switched over all right, I guess, and everything looks good.
000:18:06 Schweickart: Roger. What kind of orbit did you get us in?
000:18:09 Roosa: We don't have it yet, Apollo 9. We are still running it through the computers.
000:18:15 Crew: Okay. [Long pause.]
Public Affairs Officer - "This is Apollo Control at 18 minutes 32 seconds. We've got the lift-off heart rates for the crew now from the Flight Surgeon Dr. Hawkins. He says they are within the range the medical officers expected, with Schweickart running a little lower than they expected. Jim McDivitt - 135, Dave Scott 120, Rusty Schweickart 72. Rusty normally runs in the mid to low 60's, Dave Scott in the high 60's to low 70's and McDivitt in the 70's to high 80's - to all 80's rather."
000:19:03 Roosa: Apollo 9. Houston.
000:19:07 McDivitt: Go, Houston. Apollo 9.
000:19:09 Roosa: Roger, with our S-band radar we're showing you 107 [nautical miles, 198 km] by 98.9 [nautical miles, 183 km] as the first cut.
000:19:21 Scott: Roger 107, 98.9.
000:19:26 Roosa: And we are continuing to massage this, Apollo 9, and we will keep you updated.
000:19:33 Scott: Roger. Understand.
Public Affairs Officer - "The first cut at the orbit from the ground shows 107 by 98.9. This - we haven't had too much tracking yet on this - we'll continue tracking."
[Long comm break.]
[S-II impact into the Atlantic at 31.4618°N, 34.0408°W occurred at 000:20:25.346 according to the Saturn V Evaluation Report.]
000:22:37 Roosa: Apollo 9, Houston. We've got 1 minute with you at Canaries, and we will see you over Tananarive at 37.
000:22:44 McDivitt: Roger. Tananarive at 37. Thank you,
000:22:48 Roosa: Roger. Out.
Public Affairs Officer - "This is Apollo Control at 23 minutes. We've had tracking through the Canaries now and we've refined the orbital parameters better. We are now showing an orbit of 103 by 102.3 nautical miles [191 by 189.4 km], very close to what we were shooting for; we were shooting for 103 circular. We've had LOS at Canaries now; Tananarive will be the next station, in approximately 15 minutes. We have the tape of the entire powered portion of the flight; we'll play that for you now."
[The PAO may have misread the orbital parameter and skipped the .9 in the 103.9 figure which Roosa will read up to the crew at 000:37:15.]
[Very long comm break.]
000:33:59 McDivitt (onboard): It might help, Dave, I don't know. Dave, do you want the floodlights on?
000:34:02 Scott (onboard): Sir?
000:34:04 McDivitt (onboard): Do you want my floodlights on?
000:34:06 Scott (onboard): Yes, why don't you turn them on?
000:34:08 McDivitt (onboard): Hey, the sun's still shining on my side, Rusty.
000:34:09 Schweickart (onboard): Oh, it is really?
000:34:10 McDivitt (onboard): Yes.
000:35:15 Scott (onboard): Hey, they're not bad through the telescope, Jim.
000:35:17 McDivitt (onboard): They're not, huh?
000:35:18 Scott (onboard): Not bad at all.
000:35:19 McDivitt (onboard): Good. Got something you recognize?
000:35:20 Scott (onboard): Oh, yes. (garbled)
000:35:27 Scott (onboard): Let's get the first one in - Sirius.
[Communications have been switched to Tananarive.]
000:35:30 Roosa: Hello, Apollo 9. This is Houston. Do you read? [Comm break.]
000:35:37 Schweickart (onboard): Hey, I can see it. I can see the stars now.
000:35:40 Scott (onboard): Shoot, I got Orion.
000:35:42 Schweickart (onboard): Still daylight, Jim?
000:35:43 McDivitt (onboard): Heck, yes. I can see a star. How do you like that?
000:35:49 McDivitt (onboard): Your baby.
Public Affairs Officer - "This is Apollo Control at 36 minutes. We have AOS at Tananarive, now, we'll standby live through this pass."
000:36:06 McDivitt (onboard): Were they really?
000:36:07 Scott (onboard): Yes.
000:36:23 McDivitt (onboard): Can you really? Well, we're pitching around pretty fast.
000:36:26 Scott (onboard): Yes. I never got either one.
000:36:58 Roosa: Hello, Apollo 9. Houston through Tananarive. [Pause.]
000:37:09 Roosa: Apollo 9, this is Houston through Tananarive.
000:37:12 McDivitt: Go ahead, Houston.
000:37:15 Roosa: Roger, Apollo 9. Our Canary data shows your orbit at 103.9 [nautical miles, 192.4 km] by 102.3 [nautical miles, 189.4 km].
000:37:31 Scott: Roger. Understand 103.9 by 102.3.
000:37:37 Roosa: That is affirmative, and that changes slightly as the S-IVB vents, but that was a pretty good hack at it on Canary. [Pause.]
000:37:46 McDivitt (onboard): That's not a bad boost, then.
000:37:48 Schweickart (onboard): No, we had 88 [nautical miles, 163 km] by 138 [nautical miles, 256 km].
000:37:51 Scott (onboard): Gee, that's not too hot.
000:37:53 Roosa: And we'll have you here at Tananarive for about another 5 minutes.
000:37:58 McDivitt: Roger. You got the - you say that our SPS helium tank pressure looks good, huh? [Comm break.]
[The technical transcription has this transmission by Scott.]
000:38:05 Scott (onboard): Hey, Jimmy. There's the first one.
000:38:06 McDivitt (onboard): How about that!
000:38:07 Schweickart (onboard): Hey, look at that.
000:38:09 McDivitt (onboard): First star, huh? Stand by. David says his first star angle is five balls.
000:38:19 Schweickart (onboard): Great going, Dave.
000:39:03 Schweickart (onboard): Hey, Jim. (garbled) do a fine align.
000:39:08 Scott: Houston, Apollo 9. Did you copy the torquing angles?
[The technical transcription records this as "parking angles".]
000:39:10 Roosa: We have no data here at Tananarive, Dave. You'll have to read them to me.
000:39:14 Scott: Oh, very well. GET was 39:00; plus 00.116, minus 00.032, minus 00.108.
[Dave Scott has run P52 - IMU Realign, to realign the gyroscopically stabilised platform with the stars. The results of the realignment are presented on the computer display in Noun 93 shown in thousandths of a degree.]
000:39:30 Roosa: Roger, Apollo 9; this is Houston. I copy the time and the angles. Thank you.
000:39:36 Scott: Works like a charm.
000:39:38 Roosa: Roger, looks like the platform was right there. And that was a nice speedy job on that 52.
000:39:52 Scott: Good old Auto optics.
000:39:55 Roosa: I see. Copy. [Comm break.]
000:40:03 Scott (onboard): Hey, I've got the Moon out here.
000:40:04 Schweickart (onboard): Yes, man.
000:40:05 Scott (onboard): Oh, hey, isn't that pretty? Gee, hot diggity.
000:40:09 McDivitt (onboard): (Laughter)
000:40:11 Scott (onboard): That's really slick.
000:40:13 McDivitt (onboard): Jettison the dust covers; I think if we were flying over some storm now, I see some lightning out there. Jettison the dust covers; backup comm check. Have you done that, Rusty?
000:40:21 Schweickart (onboard): No, I haven't done that backup comm check --
000:40:23 McDivitt (onboard): Alright, that's Carnarvon.
000:40:24 Schweickart (onboard): That's Carnarvon.
000:40:26 McDivitt (onboard): Yes. And (garbled) purge checks, caution and warning system, SCS attitude reference comparison. Okay, wait just a minute.
000:40:39 Scott (onboard): That Moon really wipes out the star field. Ooh! (garbled)
000:40:48 McDivitt (onboard): These pencils are going to really be a bear.
000:40:50 Schweickart (onboard): The what is?
000:40:51 McDivitt (onboard): These pencils. The one I have doesn't have any Velcro on it. The Velcro's all worn off. Can you imagine that?
000:40:59 Schweickart (onboard): That's because you've been using it so much.
000:41:01 McDivitt (onboard): No, there's no knob - nub on it. Okay, we've got the - I'm going to go to the flight plan, here in a minute. I see I made a terrible mistake. I should have brought the whole mini-flight plan with me.
000:41:17 Schweickart (onboard): I - I got mine, Jim, if you need one.
000:41:20 McDivitt (onboard): I have the first day, but I should have brought the rest of it, too.
000:41:23 Schweickart (onboard): Main Bus ties are off. Okay.
000:41:30 McDivitt (onboard): Okay, we got to prepare the cameras - the Hasselblad and the sequence camera.
000:41:44 McDivitt (onboard): I'll unstow the checklist and the cameras. We don't need the checklist; we've got them - GDC align --
000:41:48 Roosa: And, Apollo 9, this is Houston. We are going to lose you here at Tananarive in about 45 seconds, and we'll see you over Carnarvon at 52.
000:41:58 Scott: Roger. 52 at Carnarvon. [Long comm break.]
000:42:02 Schweickart (onboard): Carnarvon at 52.
000:42:09 Scott (onboard): Okay, first star check on Regor. Right there.
000:42:14 McDivitt (onboard): Is it really? Great.
000:42:15 Scott (onboard): Regor has a little (garbled) on it.
000:42:17 McDivitt (onboard): You wouldn't recognize Regor if you saw it. (Laughter)
000:42:20 Scott (onboard): Hey, listen, Regor has a little tiny star right next to it.
000:42:23 McDivitt (onboard): I'll tell you, I wouldn't recognize Regor if (garbled)
000:42:42 Scott (onboard): That's (garbled) the checklist (garbled)
000:42:45 McDivitt (onboard): Oh, is that right?
000:42:48 Scott (onboard): Yes, should be 34 to 38.
000:43:04 Schweickart (onboard): A and B are 32. C is 37. Battery -
Public Affairs Officer - "Tananarive has lost the signal now. The next station to acquire will be Carnarvon at 52 minutes 11 seconds. At Carnarvon is the Go/No-go decision point for six revolutions. At 43 minutes 11 seconds, this is Mission Control, Houston."
000:43:12 Schweickart (onboard): Hey, Dave, are you in 4 Bravo down there?
000:43:18 Scott (onboard): No, 4 Bravo - What do you mean?
000:43:21 Schweickart (onboard): (garbled)
000:43:23 Scott (onboard): Oh, yes, sir.
000:43:25 Schweickart (onboard): Okay, what does it read?
000:43:27 Scott (onboard): 3.5 volts.
000:43:30 Schweickart (onboard): Oow! That's low!
000:43:31 McDivitt (onboard): What's that?
000:43:33 Schweickart (onboard): Battery relay bus. 3.5, huh?
000:43:45 Scott (onboard): 3.7 (garbled)
000:43:49 Schweickart (onboard): Oh, okay, that's because the main buses - the battery buses are low. Reading 32 like the battery buses.
000:44:03 McDivitt (onboard): Think you're sorry, we wasted all that time (garbled)?
000:44:07 Schweickart (onboard): No.
000:44:08 McDivitt (onboard): (Laughter)
000:44:09 Schweickart (onboard): I'm just so happy to be disappointed. Okay, I got the ECS monitoring check done, and everything looks good there. Dave, can I make (garbled) yet?
000:44:21 Scott (onboard): Yes, go ahead.
000:44:23 McDivitt (onboard): Rusty, do you want to turn the cabin fan off (garbled)?
000:44:25 Schweickart (onboard): Okay, I'll try them both off.
000:44:34 McDivitt (onboard): (Laughter) Just because you're cold, huh? I'll probably find out that my green handles don't (garbled)
000:44:43 Schweickart (onboard): Did you get the GDC alignments all done, Jim?
000:44:45 McDivitt (onboard): Yes, I did. I got the GDC alignments done. Read the other one.
[The Gyro Display Coupler (GDC) provides a separate attitude reference via a set of strapped-down gyros.]
000:44:52 Schweickart (onboard): Uhh -
000:44:55 McDivitt (onboard): I got the service module RCS check done, the command module RCS done, the EMS check done.
000:45:04 Schweickart (onboard): Service module RCS monitoring - You got that?
000:45:07 McDivitt (onboard): I did that.
000:45:08 Schweickart (onboard): Command module RCS monitoring?
000:45:09 McDivitt (onboard): Did that.
000:45:10 Schweickart (onboard): Jet - jettison the dust covers - You got that done. I'm waiting for the backup comm check and 52 - P52. (garbled) PIPA bias (garbled)
000:45:34 McDivitt (onboard): (garbled) the flight plan (garbled) out, Dave, and see (garbled)
000:45:40 Schweickart (onboard): What the hell am I going to do with an update book. The problem is the whole - the whole (garbled) and we don't even (garbled)
000:45:48 Scott (onboard): Yes.
000:45:54 McDivitt (onboard): Oh, here. Let me - I'll just stick it temporarily. (garbled)
000:46:06 Schweickart (onboard): There it is. Now, I guess you could do your SPS attitude reference (garbled) DSKY.
000:46:21 Scott (onboard): Okay, the fuel cell purge check; I'm just going to check O2, right?
000:46:27 McDivitt (onboard): I don't know, Dave.
000:46:28 Scott (onboard): Fuel cell purge.
000:46:30 McDivitt (onboard): Check, yes.
000:46:37 Scott (onboard): (garbled) why don't we (garbled) -
000:46:42 McDivitt (onboard): Oh!
000:46:46 Scott (onboard): Well, all we're supposed to do is check it and see if it doesn't leak anymore.
000:46:50 McDivitt (onboard): I'll check it.
000:46:55 Scott (onboard): Okay, fuel cell 1 purge is okay; fuel cell 2 is - very good.
000:47:04 Schweickart (onboard): Okay. (garbled), Davey.
000:47:05 Scott (onboard): Alright.
000:47:06 Schweickart (onboard): Let me give you your (garbled)
000:47:13 Scott (onboard): This looks good.
000:47:16 Schweickart (onboard): Caution and warning checks. Stand by for Master Alarm - no sweat Master Alarm.
000:47:26 Schweickart (onboard): Okay, caution and warning lamp test, on. How many are we supposed to have out?
000:47:31 McDivitt (onboard): One, two, three, four - all on the bottom row. One, two, three, four are out.
000:47:36 Schweickart (onboard): That's good.
000:47:39 Scott (onboard): Did you get your - your Master Alarm, Jim, up there?
000:47:41 McDivitt (onboard): Yes.
000:47:42 Scott (onboard): Good.
000:47:46 Schweickart (onboard): Okay. That looks good - I got that.
000:47:56 McDivitt (onboard): I forgot to watch the altimeter during the launch to see if it works.
000:48:00 Schweickart (onboard): Okay, Power to off. Okay, caution and warning - checked that. Hey, you installing the optics there, Davey?
000:48:06 Scott (onboard): Yes, sir.
000:48:07 McDivitt (onboard): (garbled)
000:48:10 Schweickart (onboard): (garbled) You got the SCS AUTO reference comparison, Jim? Or are we going to do that?
000:48:14 McDivitt (onboard): On the - on the DSKY?
000:48:15 Schweickart (onboard): Yes.
000:48:16 McDivitt (onboard): I'll do that in just a second.
000:48:18 Schweickart (onboard): Okay, and I'm going to go on with the SPS monitor checks.
000:48:19 McDivitt (onboard): Anyone remember where we put the checklist?
000:48:21 Schweickart (onboard): Right here, I got it.
000:48:30 McDivitt (onboard): Okay, why don't you give me the bag, so you won't have to sit there and hold it? That's a good idea.
000:48:49 McDivitt (onboard): Oh, this is a heck of a lot harder to operate than the other one.
000:48:55 Scott (onboard): Well, you just can't put all these (garbled)
000:48:57 McDivitt (onboard): Yes, you just - can't sit on anything (garbled)
[Onboard transcription break.]
Public Affairs Officer - "This is Apollo Control at 52 minutes into the mission of Apollo 9. Apollo 9 coming up on Carnarvon right now. We will stand by through Carnarvon and Honeysuckle."
[Communications have been switched to Carnarvon.]
000:53:25 Schweickart: Hey, Houston. How do you read Apollo 9.
000:53:28 Roosa: Apollo 9, this is Houston. Reading you loud and clear through Carnarvon.
000:53:32 Schweickart: Okay. I'm presently in a backup comm check - step five there on LMP 1-2, and I'm on line 5. I got the initial contact, and I got my S-band volume up.
000:53:46 Roosa: Roger, Understand you are in step 5 and stand by one here.
000:54:00 Schweickart: Roger. And I'm standing by for a go for the backup voice check.
000:54:05 Roosa: Roger. We will give you a go on that in about 30 seconds here.
000:54:10 Schweickart: Okey-dokey.
000:54:26 Roosa: Okay. Apollo 9, this is Houston. We are standing by for your voice check on the S-band. Let her rip.
000:54:48 Roosa: Okay, Apollo 9, this is Houston. I did not copy anything. I got one blast in there sounded like you keyed, and that was all.
000:55:48 Roosa: Apollo 9, this is Houston on the VHF. Do you read?
000:56:03 Roosa: Apollo 9. Apollo 9, this is Houston on - via the VHF. Do you read?
000:56:09 Schweickart: Roger, Houston. We read you on VHF. I gave you a call on Downvoice Backup, and evidently you are not reading on it. However, I'm reading you up on the S-band.
000:56:19 Roosa: Okay, and we confirmed with the site that we did not get an S-band downlink on that one, Rusty.
000:56:28 Schweickart: Roger. We will be standing by for suggestions. Let me just give you my configuration here, if you want to copy that.
000:56:35 Roosa: Go.
000:56:38 Schweickart: Okay. I'm on the primary transponder, and I'm reading you okay - up okay. Everything else is in Normal there. Going across, I've got the ranging switch off, I've got the S-band Aux Tape in Downvoice Backup. I've got the power PMP back up to Normal, and everything else is vanilla.
000:57:03 Roosa: Roger. I copy that, Apollo 9. Let us mull that over. We are going to have you here about another minute at Carnarvon, and then we are going to pick up over Honeysuckle at about 50 - it'll be just about on the hour, so have your S-band volumes up at that time.
000:57:23 Schweickart: Roger. And be advised, we are rushing on through all our checklist here, and we've got most everything done. The fuel cell purge check checked out okay.
000:57:32 Roosa: Roger, Sounds great and, Apollo 9, you are go for 6-4.
000:57:38 Schweickart: Roger. Go for 6-4.
000:57:54 Schweickart: And, Houston, be advised that I'm going to go out of this backup comm check configuration here and go back to Normal.
000:58:01 Roosa: Roger, Let's meet you over Honeysuckle in normal configuration just about on the hour.
000:58:10 Schweickart: Roger.
Public Affairs Officer - "Carnarvon has had loss of signal now. We've got about a minute and a half gap between Carnarvon and Honeysuckle. We will come back up at acquisition at Honeysuckle."
[Comm break.]
[Communications have been switched to Honeysuckle Creek.]
Public Affairs Officer - "This is Apollo Control. Honeysuckle has acquired the Apollo 9; we will stand by for conversation through that station."
001:00:12 Roosa: Apollo 9, this is Houston through Honeysuckle.
Public Affairs Officer - "This is Apollo Control. We are showing cabin temperature 70°F [21°C], cabin pressure 5.5 pounds per square inch [37.9 kPa]."
001:00:50 Roosa: Apollo 9, this is Houston through Honeysuckle.
001:00:56 Schweickart: You're 5-square on S-band, Apollo - or Houston.
001:01:00 Roosa: Roger. You're - that's really great, Rusty. You're coming in, and if you want to try this backup comm check again, we can support it. It's dealer's choice. And just as we were leaving Carnarvon, the downlink appeared to be coming through on the backup.
001:01:20 Schweickart: Okay. Why don't we forego it right now, and we'll try to check that at some quiet period.
001:01:25 Roosa: Roger. We concur. [Long comm break.]
001:01:29 Schweickart (onboard): Here, let me see if that (garbled) gauge - No, N2A and N2B look okay, and it's just the SPS pressure that's down.
001:01:37 McDivitt (onboard): Okay, that sounds like we've got a good (garbled) bad news if (garbled)
001:01:50 Scott (onboard): Yes, that would have been bad news, we'd really (garbled)
001:01:54 Schweickart (onboard): Yes, wouldn't it?
001:01:56 Scott (onboard): Whether we (garbled) it or not. Well, I guess there's no sense in monitoring that thing.
001:02:04 McDivitt (onboard): No (laughter). (garbled) I don't know whether it was the (garbled) coming off or what it was. I think it came out of that hole up there.
001:02:29 Scott (onboard): Rusty, do you have any (garbled)?
001:02:32 Schweickart (onboard): Yes, I got a bag.
001:02:33 Scott (onboard): Let me (garbled)
001:02:34 Schweickart (onboard): Hey, I love that! Here goes one - (garbled) and I already have it.
001:02:42 Scott (onboard): Hey, you know you can see the Earth real good now. My God!
001:02:44 McDivitt (onboard): See the what?
001:02:45 Scott (onboard): Earth. See it?
001:02:46 McDivitt (onboard): Let me turn my floods down (garbled) Hey, we're coming back into some daylight.
001:02:54 Schweickart (onboard): Dave, that backup - that data is on the back of that sheet. Yes, you see how to write it into the block update stuff here?
001:03:03 Scott (onboard): I'll just (garbled) right here.
001:03:06 Schweickart (onboard): Okay, (garbled)
001:03:07 Scott (onboard): Okay, here is some (garbled)
001:03:17 McDivitt (onboard): Okay, let's do the PIPA bias (garbled)
001:04:18 Schweickart (onboard): Yes, you want to store the COAS (garbled) Yes, you've got to get the ORDEAL and (garbled)
001:05:04 Roosa: And, Apollo 9, this is Houston. We are going to lose you here at Honeysuckle in about 40 seconds, and we will see you over Huntsville in about 3 minutes.
001:05:14 Schweickart: Roger.
Public Affairs Officer - "This is Apollo Control, 1 hour, 5 minutes and we have had LOS at Honeysuckle. To summarize briefly, Apollo 9 was inserted into an orbit very near what we were shooting at; we were shooting at 103 [nautical miles, 191 km] circular. Tracking through the Canaries showed the insertion orbit to be 103.9 [nautical miles, 192.4 km] 102.3 [nautical miles, 189.4 km]; that's changing a little bit due to venting from the S-IVB, but that was expected; we are well within where we want to be to continue this mission. Apollo 9 has been given a Go for 6 revolutions. We are now showing cabin pressure 5.4 pounds per square inch [37.2 kPa], temperature 67°F [19.4°C], and at 1 hour, 6 minutes, this is Mission Control Houston."
001:05:25 McDivitt (onboard): Did you get the fuel cell purge checked, Rusty?
001:05:28 Schweickart (onboard): Yes.
001:05:30 McDivitt (onboard): (garbled)?
001:05:31 Schweickart (onboard): Yes, (garbled) S-band (garbled)
001:05:40 McDivitt (onboard): You did the SPS monitor check which (garbled)?
001:05:42 Schweickart (onboard): Right. I got to find some stupid place to put my helmet now.
001:05:54 McDivitt (onboard): Okay, let me recap. That's the end of the checklist as far as I can see. We haven't done the PIPA bias check. You've done the P52, and that's good. You've done your backup - No, you haven't done that yet.
001:06:17 Schweickart (onboard): That's not a very good place to - Yes, it is.
001:06:19 McDivitt (onboard): Rusty, did you get the ECS monitor check?
001:06:21 Schweickart (onboard): Yes, I did. [Long pause.]
001:08:11 Schweickart (onboard): How about the water gun - is that working?
[Communications have been switched to the tracking ship Huntsville. The transcription sequence is hard to piece together during this pass.]
001:08:25 Roosa: And, Apollo 9, this is Houston through the Huntsville. [Long pause.]
001:08:38 Schweickart (onboard): Let's see, Dave, I've got to help you (garbled)
001:08:40 Comm Tech: Huntsville cannot maintain valid two-way range, so we lost signal bearing in advancing.
001:08:50 McDivitt (onboard): Is it turned off? Okay.
001:09:04 McDivitt (onboard): Roger, Houston. Read you loud and clear. How about us?
001:09:08 Roosa: Hello, Apollo 9, this is Houston. You read through the Huntsville? [Long pause.]
001:09:11 Schweickart (onboard): You are?
001:09:13 McDivitt (onboard): Houston, this is Apollo 9. Do you read us?
001:09:28 Schweickart (onboard): You sure get a lot of - a lot of gas in that. (garbled) This tastes better.
001:09:39 Scott (onboard): Hey, look at that sunrise. Pretty! God, that's beautiful! Oh!
001:09:40 Comm Tech: Huntsville is valid in two way (garbled)
001:10:03 Roosa: And, Apollo 9, this is Houston through the Huntsville.
001:10:08 McDivitt: Roger, Houston. This is Apollo 9. Do you read me?
[The technical transcription has this transmission by Scott.]
001:10:12 Scott: Houston, Apollo 9. You're coming through weak, but clear.
[The technical transcription records this as "coming through garbled".]
001:10:18 Roosa: Okay, Apollo 9, this is Houston. You're breaking up pretty badly. We don't have much to pass you here - we're only going to have you for about another minute and a half, and we'll talk to you as you come across the States and pass the data to you then.
001:10:26 Scott (onboard): Get the data book!
001:10:30 Schweickart (onboard): I haven't got it. Dave, let me see. What am I doing? I'm trying to find a checklist, huh? Yes, well, here's (garbled) it's got the flight plan, procedures book, and crew log (garbled)
001:10:35 Scott: Roger. [Long pause.]
[The technical transcription records this as "Alright".]
001:11:16 Roosa: And, Apollo 9, this is Houston if you can read me. We'll see you over the Redstone at about 24.
001:11:25 Scott: Roger. [Very long comm break.]
001:11:30 Schweickart (onboard): Boy, the sun's come up like thunder over Galway Bay, or something.
001:11:38 Scott (onboard): Yes, (garbled)
001:11:43 Scott (onboard): Okay.
001:11:46 Schweickart (onboard): Man, oh man, it's daytime again.
001:11:52 Scott (onboard): (garbled) checklist (garbled)
001:12:03 Schweickart (onboard): Okay, (garbled)
001:12:11 Schweickart (onboard): (garbled) break lock, isn't it? Pretty definite.
001:12:17 McDivitt (onboard): Let's see how the windows are doing.
001:12:20 Schweickart (onboard): Mine looks pretty good. I've got - (garbled)
001:13:00 Comm Tech: Huntsville LOS.
001:13:51 Schweickart (onboard): Well, Dave, it's supposed to be in the data card - cloth bag.
001:14:15 Scott (onboard): I'll be damned if I can't get my temporary stowage bag open for anything!
001:16:36 Scott (onboard): Oh, hey, let's get these Mae Wests off before we (garbled) down.
001:16:40 McDivitt (onboard): Oh, that's a good idea.
001:16:42 Scott (onboard): Hey, hey, hey.
001:16:43 McDivitt (onboard): As a matter of fact, I'll even stow (garbled)
001:16:47 Scott (onboard): Okay, you - you're pretty safe until about -
001:16:50 Schweickart (onboard): Okay. I'll get my - Cabin pressure's now 5.4 [psi, 37.2 kPa] by the way.
001:17:10 Schweickart (onboard): Not me, not me!
001:17:12 Scott (onboard): That sounds like a McDivitt talking.
001:17:13 McDivitt (onboard): No, I haven't done it yet. I'm going to save mine up. When I go, buddy, you're going to know it.
001:18:04 McDivitt (onboard): Yes, and I'm going to get some (garbled)
001:18:14 McDivitt (onboard): We should get one out of (garbled) set.
001:18:18 Scott (onboard): Well, at least that's why (garbled) for me.
001:18:30 Schweickart (onboard): It's hard as heck to get this thing out of these (garbled), isn't it, Jim?
001:18:33 McDivitt (onboard): Yes, I'm going to lose all this stuff (garbled) I've got some time.
001:18:41 Schweickart (onboard): Dave, if you got those cameras all (garbled)
001:18:50 McDivitt (onboard): Would you believe it's getting very difficult to see the numbers over there on the EMS Delta-V counter? It really is. (garbled)
001:18:57 Scott (onboard): Let's see.
001:19:00 Schweickart (onboard): Yes.
001:19:08 Schweickart (onboard): Dave, you got to move it down (garbled)
001:19:10 Scott (onboard): Whoo! Yes, (garbled) move around a little (garbled)
001:19:37 McDivitt (onboard): Yes, you're able to move around a little bit. I don't have to worry about sticking my feet through the instrument panel.
001:19:40 Schweickart (onboard): Boy, that - that damn hardware (garbled)
001:19:43 McDivitt (onboard): Dave, you want to take your Mae West off?
001:19:45 Scott (onboard): Yes.
001:19:53 Schweickart (onboard): Okay, I'm going to put the lights (garbled)
001:20:11 Schweickart (onboard): Dave, you got another - another clip?
001:20:20 McDivitt (onboard): Well, maybe we ought to just get them all out, Dave.
001:20:22 Schweickart (onboard): Yes, let's just get them all out.
001:20:38 Schweickart (onboard): Photo (garbled) plan - photo (garbled) plan, it says on day 1.
001:20:49 McDivitt (onboard): Hey, if somebody spits, it (garbled) right on (garbled) stuff.
001:20:53 Schweickart (onboard): (Laughter)
001:21:06 Schweickart (onboard): (garbled) a roll of tape out (garbled) and stick it up here where (garbled)
001:21:09 McDivitt (onboard): Hey, I wonder if we ought to tape up our pens.
001:21:17 Schweickart (onboard): Tape up our pens?
001:21:18 McDivitt (onboard): Yes, tape up our spare pens, so it doesn't evaporate, dry out.
001:21:20 Schweickart (onboard): Yes, I know.
001:21:41 Schweickart (onboard): Boy, we've been up here an hour already. (garbled) Post-insertion unstowage, mount and initialize ORDEAL, SPS monitor check - Shoot, we're way the hell ahead of schedule. Extend the docking probe (garbled) The next thing that I can see (garbled) that's at 41 - 48 or so.
001:22:20 McDivitt (onboard): Maybe you ought to get the big flight plan.
001:22:31 McDivitt (onboard): Okay, is the tape recorder on, Mr. Schweickart?
001:22:33 Schweickart (onboard): Yes, I guess so (garbled)
001:22:37 McDivitt (onboard): Where's that other one? The other one's --
001:22:40 Schweickart (onboard): You want the little one?
001:22:41 McDivitt (onboard): Well, I wanted to do that - debriefing on tape.
001:22:47 Scott (onboard): I'll get the little one for you.
001:22:50 Schweickart (onboard): What else do we need - a camera.
001:22:56 McDivitt (onboard): (garbled) The most important thing we need right now is a camera (garbled) so that we have them -
001:23:05 Schweickart (onboard): (garbled) Hasselblad, and that's got Mag A on it --
001:23:14 McDivitt (onboard): Let's see. Turn the tape recorder on (garbled) During the boost, lift-off was noticeable (garbled) vibrations (garbled) vibrations 1 or 2 seconds. At T minus - T plus 12 minutes, (garbled) roll was noticeable and giving oscillations on the ratemeter of about 1 degree per second (garbled) vibrations and oscillations (garbled), and no problems during the (garbled) --
[Communications have been switched to the tracking ship Redstone.]
001:23:57 Roosa: Apollo 9, this is Houston through the Redstone. Standing by. [Long pause.]
001:24:02 McDivitt (onboard): Roger. Thank you.
001:25:08 McDivitt (onboard): It was very quiet up until about 50 seconds and (garbled) high peak (garbled) vibrated (garbled) not bad at all (garbled) quiet out again about (garbled) --
001:24:25 Roosa: Apollo 9, this is Houston through the Redstone.
[Onboard transcription break.]
001:24:30 Schweickart: Roger, Houston. Apollo 9. How do you read?
001:24:32 Roosa: You're clear as a bell, Apollo 9; this is Houston.
001:24:38 Schweickart: Roger.
001:24:42 Roosa: And, Apollo 9, we'd like to confirm that you are in Omni Baker and primary S-band transponder.
001:24:54 Schweickart: Let me do that for you. [Comm break.]
001:26:48 Roosa: Apollo 9, Houston.
001:26:51 Schweickart: Go ahead.
001:26:53 Roosa: Roger. It may be a coincidence, but we lost data just about the time I gave you that transmission to clarify that Omni Baker. Did you change configuration then?
001:27:05 Schweickart: That's affirmative. We are - we were on Delta and I just switched it to Omni [Baker] for you.
001:27:15 Roosa: I understand you did go from Delta to Baker and the primary transponder was on. You didn't need to change that, did you?
001:27:23 Schweickart: That's a negative. The primary was on.
[The PAO transcription records this as "primary was off".]
001:27:31 McDivitt: How are you doing down there, Smokey?
001:27:33 Roosa: We're pressing along, Jim. And we're - you can anticipate we'll probably have a state vector we want to uplink over Bermuda or Vanguard - 5 or 10 minutes, and for Rusty's benefit, the backup comm check over Carnarvon was 5-square. It came in - we had a momentary dropout there, but we got it real good.
001:27:56 Schweickart: Goody. We'll write that one off then.
001:27:58 McDivitt: Okay. We have got all of the checklist done except the glycol and some things that we're going to do right now. And we haven't taken the PIPA bias check either. I guess you guys want to do that.
001:28:10 Roosa: Roger. We'll try it. We have no data right now, 9.
001:29:12 Roosa: And, Apollo 9, this is Houston. For your info we do have our data coming in now solid. And Jim - for the bias check - we really will get a good one on you after TD&E. [Comm break.]
001:31:55 Scott: And, Houston, Apollo 9.
001:31:57 Roosa: Go, Apollo 9.
001:31:59 Scott: Roger. We just got a Master Alarm cryo press here on the number 1 H2 tank. It's just off the lower limit here. You might want to take a look at that.
001:32:11 Roosa: Roger, Apollo 9. We copy. We'll see what we can do for you.
001:32:26 Scott: Okay, and the heater just came on, and it's going back up again. It looks like it's just tickling the Master Alarm there before it decides to heat up.
001:32:36 Roosa: Roger, Apollo 9. Copy.
001:33:01 Roosa: And, Apollo 9, Houston. That's probably SimSup just playing with the tolerances a little bit.
001:33:06 Scott: Yes, could be.
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