Apollo 9

This is Apollo Control, 157 hours, 50 minutes GET. Apollo 9 presently is over West Pakistan, about 1/3 of the way through the 100th revolution. The crew rest period has another 4 hours 9 minutes to run. The next station to acquire Apollo 9 will be the tracking station Guam in the West Pacific at 5 minutes past the hour. All is going well in spacecraft systems and crew status. The orange team of flight controllers have settled down for the night here in Mission Control. At 157 hours, 51 minutes GET. This is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control, 158 hours, 50 minutes GET. Apollo 9 has just begun the 101st revolution, is now over the northern portion of Argentina. The crew is still asleep. They have a little over 3 hours, 9 minutes remaining in their sleep period. The next station to acquire the spacecraft will be the Canary Island station, first pass of the morning, at 4 minutes past the hour. At 158 hours, 51 minutes GET, this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control, 159 hours, 50 minutes GET. Apollo 9 is presently just west of the island of New Caledonia in the southwest Pacific, midway through the 101st revolution. We've just had Huntsville two-way lock comment very weak signal, because it's toward the very ragged edge of Huntsville acquisition. As the various stations interrogate the telemetry of the spacecraft, and determined the status of the spacecraft systems, all seems to be quite normal this time of night. The crew is still asleep. All systems are functioning nominally. Some 2 hours and 9 minutes remaining in the crew sleep period. There is 79 hours even to retrofire or the SPS number 8 deorbit burn. The next station after the Huntsville tracking ship will be tracking ship Mercury, in approximately 5 minutes. At 159 hours, 51 minutes GET, this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control. 160 hours 50 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Apollo 9 presently is over the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea and has just begun the 102nd revolution, is in an orbit measuring 102.5 nautical miles at perigee. 115.1 nautical miles at apogee, spacecraft weight is 26 thousand 816 pounds. Next station to acquire Apollo 9 will be Honeysuckle at 20 minutes past the hour. The crew has approximately 1 hour and 9 minutes remaining in the rest period. All systems are functioning normally and at 160 hours 51 minutes Ground Elapsed Time this is Apollo Control.

... 1 hour 57 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Apollo 9 is just beginning the 103rd revolution and within seconds will be acquired by the Antigua tracking station of the Eastern Test Range overlapping tracking ship Vanguard Canary Islands tracking station and Madrid for a total 20 minutes. The wake-up time is some 2 minutes away, remains to be seen whether the spacecraft communicator Stu Roosa will actually give them a call at the early part of this pass. Upon waking the crew will first be given the flight plan and consumables update and also routine block data for contingency landing areas for the day. At 6:58 Central Standard Time this morning in the Houston area, there is a slight possibility that one could view the spacecraft very low in the South, actually the southeast by south. A maximum elevation of 6.3 degrees which, with haze and smog, will be rather hard to see. This is during revolution 104. It will rise at 6:58 am at an azimuth of 160 degrees which is somewhat east of due south. Among the major activities of today's flight plan will be service propulsion system burn number 7, which is scheduled to take place now at 169 hours 38 minutes 59.3 seconds. This 11:38 am Central Standard, during revolution 107 over the Texas station. The burn will impart a velocity change of 653.3 feet-per-second, will raise apogee from 114 nautical miles to 250.7 nautical miles, lower perigee from 102 nautical miles to 98.1 nautical miles. Standing by for the first contact of the morning with the crew of Apollo 9. At 166 hours 30 minutes, there is scheduled in the flight plan a Go-NO Go from Mission Control Center here for landing area 122-1. Several sessions of the SO65 photography experiment are scheduled during the day and likely some targets of opportunity will be assigned for photography; terrain, geology, geographic study type photography. These have not been determined yet but will be passed onto spacecraft communicator by the flight activities officer as the day wears on. Apparently the crew will be permitted another 40 winks of sleep. Spacecraft communicator Stu Roosa has conferring with the flight director at the present time and is making no move toward coming up on the air-ground circuit to talk to the crew. We'll come back on the air when and if the wake-up call is made. At 162 hours 2 minutes Ground Elapsed Time, this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control 162 hours 50 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Apollo 9 is now over Central Australia in acquisition by the Carnarvon, Australia tracking station. Although the crew was to have been waked up, according to the flight plan, during the last stateside pass, it has been decided to let them sleep on until 165 Ground Elapsed Time which is about 2 hours 10 minutes from now unless they wake up on their own prior to that time. It is felt that the day's activities can be carried out without the necessity of waking them this early. The revised flight plan calls for Go-NO Go for 122-1 at 166 hours 30 minutes over Texas. IMU orientation during the 106th revolution over Carnarvon. Their maneuver update for SPS-7 which will take place over the States right at the end of the 106th rev with service propulsion burn number 7 taking place over Texas near the end of rev 108, as you were 107 at 169 hours 38 minutes 59 seconds. This will be a 653 foot-per-second posigrade burn with a slight out of plane component to raise apogee to 251 nautical miles and lower perigee to 98 nautical miles. Also in the flight plan is SO65 multispectral photography experiment over Mexico during the 110th - 109th revolution, over Brazil during the 110th revolution at 173 hours, over the Southwestern United States at the end of the 108th rev at about 171 hours 10 minutes, and power down of the spacecraft and go into drifting flight at 174 hours 20 minutes at the end of the 110th revolution. The rest period tonight will begin at 175 hours. As the crew wakes up and air-to-ground communications pick up, we will come back up with these conversations live. At 162 hours 53 minutes Ground Elapsed Time, this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control. 163 hours 50 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Apollo 9 is over North Central Africa. Within a few seconds of - going out of range of the tracking station at Madrid, still no contact has been made with the crew. They're getting an extra 40 winks of sleep. Prior to the rather leisurely work day it is estimated by the flight activities officer that if they sleep as late as 165 hours Ground Elapsed Time, another hour and 10 minutes, all of today's activities can be carried out without any crowding. Orange team flight Dynamics officer Maurice Kennedy, recently reported that the present period of revolutions, that is from crossing a certain meridian of longitude to crossing it again is 93 minutes 12 seconds. At 163 hours 51 minutes Ground Elapsed Time this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control, 164 hours, 16 minutes GET. Apollo 9 has just come in the range of the tracking station at Carnarvon, Australia. The crew has still not been contacted, nor has the crew of Apollo 9 contacted the ground, however the metrical telemetry shows that they have been stirring about somewhat in the spacecraft. Meanwhile the weather bureau space flight meteorology group here in Mission Control, headed up by Allen Sandy Sanderson, has issued a forecast for today's weather in the primary landing zone, as well as all the contingency landing zones. In the primary landing zone in the West Atlantic, centered about 800 miles east of Jacksonville, skies will be mostly cloudy and winds northwesterly at 18 to 25 knots. Seas about 5 to 7 feet are forecast with temperatures near 65 and 1/4. We're standing by for a call to the spacecraft.

This is Apollo Control to continue with the weather forecast while we wait to come up on Honeysuckle station. In the Mid-Pacific landing zone, centered about 600 miles northwest of Honolulu, mostly cloudy skies and widely scattered showers are expected, with southerly winds 15 to 20 knots. Seas will be 4 to 6 feet and temperatures 60 to 65 degrees. In the West Pacific landing zone, centered about 400 miles southeast of Tokyo, mostly cloudy skies will prevail with northeast winds at 18 knots. Seas will be 4 to 5 feet and temperatures 55 to 60 degrees. In the East Atlantic landing zone, centered about 500 miles southwest of the Canary Islands, scattered clouds with light and variable winds are expected. Seas will be 1 to 3 feet and temperatures near 72 degrees. Cloudiness may affect the scheduling of the multispectral photographic experiment over Texas and Mexico later today. People in the Houston-Clear Lake area may have a chance of spotting the Apollo 9 at 6:58 this morning when it will rise at an angle of southeast by - as you were southwest by south, but the maximum elevation angle will be only 6.3 degrees and depending on the amount of horizon haze and cloudiness, may or may not be seen, also ground - here goes some more air to ground.

This is Apollo Control with still about 3 minutes remaining in the pass over the Honeysuckle station. Will continue to monitor the air ground line to read any further conversation between Apollo 9 and spacecraft communicator Stu Roosa here in Mission Control Center.

This is Apollo Control. Apparently that concludes the conversation over Honeysuckle. Tracking ship Mercury next at 36 minutes past the hour. At 164 hours 31 minutes Ground Elapsed Time, this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control, 164 hours 36 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Within a few seconds, Apollo 9 will be acquired by the tracking ship Mercury in the South Pacific. Apollo 9 is midway through the 104th revolution. The retrofire countdown clock is now showing 74 hours 14 minutes. Here goes a call.

This is Apollo Control. Apparently we have had Loss Of Signal now at tracking ship Mercury. During that pass the consumables update and routine landing updates for contingency landing areas were read up to the crew. They were instructed also to conduct a fuel cell oxygen purge and change the carbon dioxide filters in the spacecraft. These items were scheduled in the flight plan prior to the time they actually woke up. At 57 minutes past the hour, the Texas station will acquire for the first of a series of long stateside passes. This pass overlapping several stations, Texas, Mila, Vanguard, Canary will last until 22 minutes past the hour - 22 minutes past the next hour. At 164 hours 46 minutes Ground Elapsed Time, this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control. 164 hours, 57 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Apollo 9 is nearing the end of the 104th revolution. Coming up on the Texas station within about 30 seconds. Here in Mission Control the White Team of flight controllers are taking over from the retiring Orange Team with numerous briefings going on in each console as each flight controller hands over to his successor. We'll standby for any continuing conversation between Spacecraft Communicator Stu Roosa and the crew of Apollo 9, as they update the flight plan for today's activities. We've had acquisition at Texas. We'll standby. It looks like Roosa is punching that to go out.

This is Apollo Control at 165 hours 22 minutes. Apollo 9 out of range at the Canary Islands station. There is a very low elevation pass at Tananarive this time. Acquisition for about a minute, but at only 3/10ths of a degree elevation, so we will attempt to converse with the crew at Tananarive. We will wait until we get to Carnarvon at 50 minutes past the hour. During this stateside pass, Apollo 9 crew reported their sleep last night and also on medication taken yesterday. Spacecraft commander Jim McDivitt reported 9 hours sleep, said he had taken one Actifed. That is a decongestant tablet and one vitamin pill. Command module pilot Dave Scott, 9 hours sleep and one vitamin pill. Lunar module pilot Rusty Schweickart, 8½ hours sleep and a vitamin pill. Stu Roosa also advised the crew on the configuration for the reaction control system plots. The packages on the service module that we desire to use for today's activities. We want to use quads B and C for roll maneuvers. We want B and D, and for the 18-second ullage maneuver to settle the propellants for the service propulsion system number 7 burn, we want to use B and D. If there is a call from the spacecraft during the Tananarive pass, we will come up then, otherwise we will until Carnarvon at 165 hours 50 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston.

This is Apollo Control at 165 hours 50 minutes. Carnarvon has acquired Apollo 9."

This is Apollo Control, the Carnarvon station has lost Apollo 9 signal, however, Honeysuckle will be acquiring in just a few minutes. We will continue to stand by through Honeysuckle."

This is Apollo Control at 166 hours, 4 minutes. Apollo 9 is beyond the range of the Honeysuckle station. A lot of conversation during this pass. The crew members asked Stu Roosa to call their wives, say good morning for them; we suspect that the wives may have heard the good morning first hand from their husbands however. They are following this mission with great interest. There was some discussion about the recovery area weather. The Bermuda area is rather stormy at the present time; we told the crew that we were not using the Bermuda tracking station at the present time because of 60 knot winds; Bermuda is having difficulty pointing their big antennas and locking on to the spacecraft because of high winds, and Cap Com Roosa suggested that Apollo 9 was the best weather reconnaissance vehicle aloft at the present time, and perhaps they could pick their own landing area. However, we promised not to plunk them down in the middle of the storm. Several days ago Stu reported to the crew that a commissary man aboard the USS Guadalcanal, the recovery carrier, is baking a 350 pound cake to present to the Apollo 9 crewman on recovery."

This morning Jim McDivitt reports that Rusty and Dave haven't stopped talking about the cake since they heard about it. We advised the crew on the configuration for the oxygen tanks, one was showing 51 percent in oxygen tank 2 remaining at 47 percent in oxygen tank 1, and we are going to use two mainly today to balance the tanks better. And there was considerable discussion about the upcoming SPS 7 burn. That burn is scheduled for an elapsed time of 169 hours, 38 minutes, 59 seconds. That's 11:38:59 AM Central Standard Time. Originally this was about an 8 or 9 second burn; it has been elevated to a 25 second burn so that we may do some trouble shooting on the pugs, the propellant utilization gaging system. During one of the earlier SPS burns, the crew experienced a caution and warning light during that burn; we determined that the pugs was not performing satisfactorily and we have not been using that system during subsequent burns. It's not a required system to burn the SPS engine; it is a gaging system. So, we shut down the pugs, but now we would like to do some trouble shooting on that, and we need at least a 20 second burn in order to properly trouble shoot this system. So SPS 7 will be a 25 second burn, Delta V of 653 feet per second. We expect the resulting orbit to be 250 by 98 nautical miles. Apollo 9 presently in an orbit of 114 by 102 nautical miles. So we advised the crew of this propellant utilization gaging system test, also advised them that it is possible that they might get a caution and warning light about 5 seconds into the burn. We are within a few seconds of acquiring at the tracking ship Mercury; we'll stand by for air to ground conversation over that ship."

This is Apollo Control at 166 hours 16 minutes and the Mercury has Loss Of Signal. The crew completing breakfast at this time and we've asked to do some photography over the United States during this present 105th revolution. Areas we asked them to photograph if possible, Corpus Christi, Texas; Galvestion, Texas; the Mississippi River delta; Mobile, Alabama; this using the 70 mm Hasselblad camera and then we would like some 16 mm movie footage across the continent of Africa and then on any daylight pass, we would like some movie footage of the Sun glinting off the ocean, about 5 minutes worth of that. We have 68 seconds worth of capability left in the service propulsion system. We plan to use 25 seconds of that for SPS burn number 7. At the present time, it looks like the deorbit burn, which will be SPS burn number 8, will be a duration of about 12 seconds, so that still gives us a good margin in the SPS system, even after taking into account both of these remaining burns. Hawaii is due to acquire Apollo 9. I beg your pardon, Apollo 9 misses Hawaii on this rev and the next station to acquire will be the tracking ship Redstone at 166 hours 23 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston at 166 hours 18 minutes."

This is Mission Control at 166 hours, 23 minutes. The Redstone about to acquire Apollo 9 and we will have continuous coverage through the Carnay Island station."

This is Apollo Control. Elin, to whom Stu Roosa referred a minute ago, a conversation with Rusty Schweickart, is Rusty's 7 year old daughter, who has won the science fair at her school. That's spelled ELIN. We don't have any details on what her project was; we'll try to find out and let you know as soon as we can. We also understand this is the second year in a row that she has been the winner at the science fair at her school."

This is Apollo Control at 166 hours 55 minutes. Apollo 9 is out of range of the Canary Islands station. Flying over the continent of Africa taking 16 mm movie footage, clear across the continent on this 106th revolution. Jim McDivitt reporting the weather there good. During this long pass, which started at the tracking ship Redstone, between Hawaii and California, we received from Jim McDivitt a running weather report across the United States. He reported seeing a lot of snow along the east coast. Said he could see the whitecaps down on the storm-tossed Atlantic Ocean and in the Atlantic Ocean area, Jim gave a description of the weather pattern which fits perfectly with the weather map we have just received here, based on Tyros weather satellite photography. Tracking ship Vanguard in the Atlantic is experiencing 18 foot swells, 30 to 35 knot winds, which prompted Capcom Stu Roosa to observe that he was very glad that the Capcom stays in Houston now. Back in the earlier days of manned space flight, before all of the tracking stations and ships were configured to remote the signal to Houston, it was necessary to send a Capcom to each of the stattions. Apollo 9 has received a Go for 122 revolutions. And Stu Roosa informed Rusty Schweickart that Rusty's 7 year old daughter, Elan, has again won the science fair at her school. Elan's dad said to tell her he was very proud of her. Tananarive will acquire Apollo 9 at 167 hours 8 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston."

This is Apollo Control at 167 hours 8 minutes. Apollo 9 coming up on the Tananarive station."

This is Apollo Control. Tananarive has Loss Of Signal. We attempted to pass up the steps to this propellant utilization systems test that we plan during the service propulsion system number 7 burn. We'll check over Carnarvon, see whether the crew received all of this information. Carnarvon will acquire at 167 hours 24 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston."

This is Apollo Control at 167 hours, 24 minutes and Carnarvon has acquired Apollo 9."

This is Apollo Control. Carnarvon does have Loss of Signal. Honeysuckle will acquire the spacecraft in about a minute. During this pass you heard Stu Roosa discussing the propellant utilization gaging system test with the crew and explaining the ground's evaluation of prior caution and warning systems during SPS burns. Crew also reported that they could see Australian cities all lighted up and at the time they passed over Purth, Australia - the city of lights, Astronaut Dave Scott radioed a hello to Purth and said: Apollo 9 sends greetings to all the people of Purth. We have acquired at Honeysuckle now. We'll stand by."

This is Apollo Control; Honeysuckle has lost the signal but we're coming up very shortly on the Huntsville; we'll continue to stand by."

Astronaut Don Evans has taken over the CapCom duties from Astronaut Stu Roosa. And the dirty trick that Jim McDivitt referred to on the part of Ron last night as Ron left shift, he apparently described in detail the steak he was going to eat. Huntsville has acquired, we'll stand by."

This is Apollo Control, at 167 hours, 45 minutes. Apollo 9 out of range at the Huntsville. Communications very poor during this pass over the Huntsville. We're an hour and 52 minutes away from SPS burn number 7 now. Hawaii will acquire Apollo 9 at 167 hours, 51 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston."

This is Apollo Control at 167 hours 51 minutes. Apollo 9 is about to tag up at the Hawaii station. We will then have coverage clear across the United States and out through the Vanguard in the Atlantic. Hawaii has acquired now, we'll monitor."

CTE stands for central timing equipment."

This is Apollo Control, at 168 hours, 22 minutes; Vanguard has LOS. During this pass across the United States, we asked the crew to photograph the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and the intertropical convergence zone. And we've asked for photography of the Gulf of Guinea, off the Coast of Africa, which Apollo 9 is now approaching. The ground noted reset of the CTE or Central Timing Equipment during this pass, that's the onboard timer used to record the Ground Elapsed Time, or the time of the mission since liftoff. We noted a 2 second lag in the timer prior to reset, but this is well within the allowable tolerances of plus or minus 5 seconds. However, that timer has been reset to the proper time, now. And we asked for clarification of a report the Apollo 9 crew had given us yesterday on one of the cabin fans. They reported that cabin fan number 1 had heated up and would not run. In addtion, we gave the crew information to allow them to take a look at the weather and the planned primary recovery zone, at a time when they are closest approach on this revolution which was 224 nautical miles. We did not get a report from the crew however on what the weather looked like there. And we've gotten a little more information on the science fair winner. Elin Schweickart. Who is a first grader at the Webster, Texas elementary school. Her project was a pictorial display dealing with fractions. And as the first grade winner there, her display will now go to the Clearlake High School in League City, Texas to be entered in a more advanced portion of the fair. Tananarive will acquire Apollo 9 at 168 hours, 41 minutes. This is Mission Control, Houston."

This is Apollo Control at 168 hours 41 minutes. Apollo 9 is within range of Tananarive. We will stand by."

This is Apollo Control. Tananarive has lost the signal. Carnarvon will acquire in about 6 minutes, at 168 hours 57 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston."

This is Apollo Control, at 168 hours, 57 minutes. Apollo 9 just about within range at Carnarvon; we'll stand by."

This is Apollo Control at 169 hours, 5 minutes; Carnarvon has LOS. Apollo 9 beyond range of that station. We miss Honeysuckle on this the 107th revolution and the next station to acquire will be the trakcing ship Huntsville, at 169 hours, 12 minutes. We've asked the crew to perform a fuel cell purge, exhaust temperatures on - the condenser exhaust temperatures on fuel cell 2 are higher than normal; it is not a problem, but we don't want the master caution and warning system on this fuel cell to be activated during the service propulsion system burn number 7, which will be performed over the United States during this revolution. We are about 32 minutes away from that burn, it's scheduled for an elapsed time of 169 hours, 38 minutes, 59 seconds, that's 11:38:59 AM Central Standard Time. Originally this burn of the big service module engine was planned for a duration of about 8 and a half seconds, and on the order of 220 feet per second. Now it's set for 25 seconds duration, and 653 feet per second. The crew got several caution and warning alarms on the propellant utilization gaging system during SPS burn number 3, although the engine was performing well, so at that time, the PUGS was disabled and it has not been used since. Propulsion system experts have been working on this PUGS problem, and they think they might have the answers, so they would like to perform a test of the system. They burn, an SPS burn of at least 20 seconds is required for this test. SPS number 7 will satisfy the original requirements for that burn of optimizing the reaction control system deorbit capability to the primary recovery zone on the revolution after the planned SPS deorbit. As well as satisfy the pugs PUGS test requirement. We expect an orbit following this burn of 250 by 98 nautical miles. The reaction control system deorbit mode is a backup in case the SPS deorbit burn cannot be performed. We like to stay in the proper posture to use the insurance burn, as well as staying in good posture for the primary deorbit burn. This is Mission Control Houston."

This is Apollo Control at 169 hours 12 minutes and the Huntsville has acquisition of Apollo 9."

This is Apollo Control. The crew is busy with preparation for this SPS number 7 burn. We're 24 minutes away from that burn now. Data from that pass just completed a few minutes ago at Carnarvon shows Apollo 9's cabin pressure 4.9 pounds per square inch, cabin temperature of 69 degrees F. We'll continue to monitor the Huntsville pass."

This is Apollo Control at 169 hours 18 minutes. Apollo 9 is beyond Huntsville's range. Next station to acqurie will be Hawaii at 169 hours 22 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston."

This is Apollo Control at 169 hours, 22 minutes and the first call has just gone up."

Ten minutes from SPS number 7."

This is Apollo Control. The purge of fuel cell number 2 - several minutes ago did bring down the temperatures in the condenser exhaust - as expected."

Five seconds away - five minutes away from the SPS number 7."

Two minutes."

One minute."

Ullage."

Ignition. It looks good."

Engine nice and stable. Rates are low, the G&C Officer says."

Engine off."

Initial look shows we're right on as a result of this burn. Right on what we were looking for."

This is Apollo Control. The Flight Surgeon lost data during that burn, but he has heartrate readings just prior to and just after the burn. For Jim McDivitt, before 92, after 95. For Dave Scott, before 60, after 70. And for Rusty Schweickart, before 58 and after 58."

And we've passed up preliminary orbital numbers to the crew of 253.1 by 97.9 nautical miles. Tracking, which is continuing through Antigua will further refine these figures."

This is Apollo Control at 169 hours, 53 minutes. Antigua has LOS. We got some readings on the propellant utilization gaging system for the people running that test. We passed up the crew's horoscopes. Jim McDivitt reported he did not get a chance to take a look at the weather in the recovery area on that last revolution - the one prior to the one they are in now. Apollo 9 is in the 108th revolution now. The crew performed very successful SPS - Service Propulsion System - number 7 burn and after doing that good job the pilots have started another meal. Ascension will acquire at 169 hours, 58 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston."

This is Apollo Control at 169 hours, 59 minutes, and Ascension has just acquired Apollo 9."

This is Apollo Control at 170 hours, 7 minutes. Apollo 9 is out of range at Ascension. Will acquire Tananarive at 170 hours, 14 minutes - make that 15 minutes - 170 hours, 15 minutes. And the Apollo 9 crew should be in the process now of unstowing and installing the battery of four cameras that make up the equipment for the SO65 Multispectral Terrain Photography. Several photographic runs with that equipment will be made this afternoon. This is Mission Control Houston."

This is Apollo Control at 170 hours 15 minutes and Tananarive has acquisition of Apollo 9."

This is Apollo Control at 170 hours 23 minutes. Apollo 9 is out over the Indian Ocean out of range of the Tananarive station. Carnarvon will acquire at 170 hours 30 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston."

This is Apollo Control, at 170 hours, 35 minutes. We have some orbital figures just handed to us by Dave Reed, the Flight Dynamics Officer, based on tracking and the orbit is 250 by 98 nautical miles, which is what we were looking for with this SPS burn number 7. Meantime, Carnarvon has acquired Apollo 9, and Astronaut Ron Evans has been updating the crew on the SO 65 experiment. Here's that conversation."

This is Apollo Control, at 170 hours, 41 minutes. Carnarvon has LOS on Apollo 9. Next station to acquire will be Guam, at 170 hours, 44 minutes. During this pass at Carnarvon, we asked for some SO 65 and multrispectral terrain photography at the mouth of the Amazon River. Flight Activities Officer Tom Holloway reports that it is clear there today, which is a rarity for that area. And we asked for some sequence camera photography high oblique photographs over the Continental United States. This is Mission Control, Houston."

This is Apollo Control at 170 hours 44 minutes and Guam has acquired Apollo 9."

This is Apollo Control at 170 hours 52 minutes. Apollo 9 passing on over the Pacific, out of range at Guam, heading toward Hawaii. Acquisition at Hawaii at 170 hours 57 minutes. Capcom Ron Evans just informed the crew that Apollo 9 has expended a total of 10,515 feet per second in the maneuvers of the combined spacecraft, the LM and command and service module. Rusty Schweickart's response was that he thinks they should get some kind of a pin for passing the 10,000 foot per second mark. This is Mission Control Houston."

This is Apollo Control at 170 hours, 57 minutes and Apollo 9 is within range of the Hawaii station."

This is Apollo Control. Apollo 9 is about midway through the Hawaii pass. The libration points that Rusty Schweickart has inquired about are the points between the Earth and Moon at which gravity is essentially neutral and stabilized as cosmic dust and other particles become tripped there."

This is Apollo Control. That was Jim McDivitt asking for additional information on these sequence camera high oblique photographs that we have asked them to take over the United States."

The Nadir is a straight line running from the spacecraft to the ground."

This is Apollo Control at 171 hours, 29 minutes, and Ascension has Loss Of Signal. From Dave Scott's comments it sounds as if all three crewmen are busy taking pictures. They took sequence pictures over the United States and the Caribbean area, and we're taking the SO65 photography experiment photographs of the mouth of the Amazon River, where it's very clear today. In addition Jim McDivitt asked if we'd like to get some regular Hasselblad photographs of that area, since it is somewhat of a rarity for it to be so clear there. We told him that we would like to have some if they thought they could handle it and he indicated that they could take pictures out of most every window and remarked that "You wouldn't believe how much gear we have in here." referring to all of the camera equipment. Ascension will be the next station to acquire. Acquisition there at 171 hours, 35 minutes. This is Mission Control Houston."

This is Apollo Control at 171 hours 36 minutes. Apollo 9 is within range of the Ascension Island station."

This is Apollo Control at 171 hours 43 minutes. Ascension has Loss Of Signal, Tananarive will acquire Apollo 9 at 171 hours 51 minutes. Dave Scott reporting on this pass that the photography at the mouth of the Amazon River was accomplished, although to the crew the Amazon looked cloudy, rather than clear as it was reported supposedly to have been. This is Mission Control Houston.

This is Apollo Control at 171 hours, 51 minutes. And the tracking station at Tananarive is about to acquire Apollo 9."

This is Apollo Control at 172 hours. Tanarive has LOS. CapCom Ron Evans passed up 3 photographic targets of opportunity. The active volcano in Costa Rica, weather photography over the West Coast of Columbia, and Reo Madara in Brazil, both geology and weather photography there. The Carnarvon station will acquire Apollo 9 at 172 hours, 7 minutes. This is Mission Control, Houston."

This is Apollo Control 172 hours 7 minutes. And the Carnarvon station has acquired Apollo 9."

This is Apollo Control at 172 hours 15 minutes and the Carnarvon station reports Loss Of Signal. The next station to acquire will be Guam at 172 hours 19 minutes. During this pass at Carnarvon, we gave the crew another SO65 photography experiment location, Toluca, that is T-o-l-u-c-a. And Rusty Schweickart inquired whether they should also shoot SO65 photographs over that Costa Rican volcano. They have already been asked to do some regular photography, target of opportunity photography there. We are inquiring of the experimenters now whether they would also like photography of this area. We will probably pass that information up to the crew at one of the next several stations. This is Mission Control Houston."

This is Apollo Control at 172 hours, 20 minutes and Guam has acquired Apollo 9."

This is Apollo Control at 172 hours, 28 minutes. Apollo 9 beyond Guam's range. We have an ARIA here though that we are trying to raise."

The block data just passed up gives the Apollo 9 crew reentry information for each of the revolutions 111 through 118, in case of contingency reentry."

Apollo 9 is in the 109th revolution at the present time."

And Hawaii has acquired Apollo 9."

This is Apollo Control. Hawaii has had Loss Of Signal; however, the Redstone will acquire Apollo 9 momentarily and we'll continue to stand by."

And the Redstone has acquired."

This is Apollo Control at 172 hours, 46 minutes. Very little conversation with the crew as the Apollo 9 crew is busy getting ready for the series of SO 65 experiment photography plus the targets of opportunity photography that was requested. The SO 65 photography in Mexico should have been completed by now. And very shortly, the Apollo 9 crew will be photographing the active volcano in Costa Rica; weather photography off the West Coast of Columbia, and Rio Madara in Brazil. We are in acquisition through the Guaymas station now; we'll continue to stand by."

This is Apollo Control at 172 hours, 55 minutes and the Corpus Christi, Texas station has LOS. Rusty Schweickart reports that the area in Mexico, the SO 65 photographic experiment area, a volcano was in the clear and they believe they got some very good photographs. They'll be going down there now, getting the active volcano in Costa Rica and the other photography in South America. The Gold team is in the process of relieving the White team here in the mission control room. The next station to acquire will be Tananarive as Apollo 9 is in that part of the day where the orbits go down over South America, out of range at the Atlantic tracking stations. Tananarive will acquire at 173 hours, 28 minutes. This is Mission Control, Houston."

This is Apollo Control at 173 hours 8 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Good afternoon from the Gold Team under Jerry Griffin, the Flight Director. Spacecraft at the present time is over South America and will be acquired by the tracking station at Tananarive at 27 after the hour. An administrative announcement follows. That is we estimate the change of shift press conference to start in Houston at 3:30, that's 3:30 central standard time. At 173 hours 9 minutes GET, this is Apollo Control."

This is Apollo Control at 174 hours, 12 minutes into the flight of Apollo 9. During the press conference we recorded some air-to-ground transmission over the station at Tananarive and likewise over the tracking station at Guam, and then also a small bit of recorded information from an ARIA aircraft that was flying out in an area out west of Hawaii. We're prepared to play that tape with you now so let's roll the tape."