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Journal Home Page Day 1, part 1: Earth Orbit and Translunar Injection

Apollo 11

Day 1, part 1: Launch

Corrected Transcript and Commentary Copyright © 2008-2021 by W. David Woods, Kenneth D. MacTaggart and Frank O'Brien. All rights reserved.
Last updated 2022-10-03
Index to events
F-1 ignition sequence begins T-8.9 seconds
Lift-off 000:00:00 GET
Pitch and roll maneuver 000:00:13 GET
End roll maneuver 000:00:34 GET
Abort mode I-B 000:00:42 GET
Max-Q 000:01:23 GET
Abort mode I-C 000:01:57 GET
S-IC inboard cut-off 000:02:17 GET
S-IC/S-II staging 000:02:44 GET
Interstage separation 000:03:13 GET
LET jettison & Abort mode II 000:03:17 GET
S-IVB to COI (Abort mode III) 000:05:27 GET
S-II inboard cut-off 000:07:42 GET
Mixture ratio change 000:08:22 GET
Abort mode IV 000:09:00 GET
S-II/S-IVB staging 000:09:15 GET
Parking orbit insertion 000:11:45 GET
The transcript begins at the start of a hold in the Apollo 11 countdown at the three-and-a-half-hour point before launch. The Apollo 11 spacecraft sits atop its Saturn V launch vehicle on Pad 39A at the John F. Kennedy Space Center and announcements on the progress of the countdown are made by the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) Jack King, the 'Voice of Apollo'. The record of communications between the crew and the Mission Control Center, through 'CapCom' (the Capsule Communicator) commences soon after lift-off. This section of the journal will follow the flight through the launch and staging of the Saturn V launch vehicle, and insertion into Earth orbit about 12 minutes later. It concludes with the confirmation of orbital parameters and the configuration of the S-IVB third stage for the Earth orbit phase of the flight.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're in a built-in hold at T minus 3 hours, 30 minutes and holding. We expect to resume our countdown at about 48 minutes from this time at 6:02 am Eastern Daylight Time. All elements of the Apollo 11 countdown are Go at this time. We're heading for a planned lift-off on the Apollo 11 mission at 9:32 am Eastern Daylight. The prime crew for Apollo 11; astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin; were awakened on time just about an hour ago, at 4:15 am Eastern Daylight. At this time, after successfully completing a [garble] determination, they're sitting down for breakfast. The breakfast menu, the usual astronaut fare on launch day of orange juice, tenderloin steak, scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee. Joining the prime crew for breakfast are two members of the Apollo 11 team who have worked with the astronauts during their preparation. The first is the Director of Flight Crew Operations, the astronauts' boss Donald K. Slayton, and the second member joining the crew for breakfast, astronaut Bill Anders. Bill Anders has served as the backup Command Module Pilot during all preparations for the Apollo 11 mission. Anders, of course, did fly the third seat on the first mission - manned mission to the Moon, Apollo 8, back last December. Anders was a member of that crew. Astronaut Bill Anders also shortly will assume the position as Executive Secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council. So astronaut - Director of Flight Crew Operations Deke Slayton and Backup Command Module Pilot Bill Anders having breakfast with the prime crew at this time. Following breakfast, the crew will go into their final preparations donning their space suits. They're not expected to depart from their crew quarters at the Kennedy Space Centre for the trip to the launch pad for another hour and 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile, here in Firing Room 1 at the Launch Control Center, Complex 39, all going well as the team here in the Firing Room continues to monitor the status of all the propellants aboard the Saturn V launch vehicle during this phase in the built-in hold. Shortly, a close-out crew of four crewmembers will be sent to the pad. They will go up to the 320-foot [97-metre] level where the Apollo 11 Command Module is located and proceed to open the hatch of the spacecraft which has been closed during the propellant loading phase of the launch vehicle. The crew, which includes astronaut, Fred Haise, will then make some preliminary preparations for the arrival of the prime crew for Apollo 11 who will come aboard later in the count. That is our status at this time, once again to repeat: the astronauts now sitting down for breakfast, having their usual breakfast of steak and scrambled eggs. Joining them, Director of Flight Crew Operations, Deke Slayton, and the backup Command Module Pilot for the Apollo 11 mission, astronaut Bill Anders. We're still in our planned built-in hold; 3 hours and 30 minutes and holding; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We remain in our built-in hold on the Apollo 11 countdown of T minus 3 hours, 30 minutes and holding. We plan to resume the count at two minutes after the hour. All elements of the countdown for Apollo 11 proceeding satisfactorily at this time. The prime crew for the mission; astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin; winding up breakfast at this point in their crew quarters here at the Kennedy Space Center. They're joined for breakfast by Director of Flight Crew Operations, Deke Slayton, and Bill Anders, the backup Command Module Pilot. Before proceeding to breakfast and sitting down for the usual astronaut menu on launch day of steak and scrambled eggs, the crew underwent a brief physical examination by doctors Alan C. Harter and John Teegan. The crew was described as appearing to be rested, fit as a fiddle and ready to go. Here in the Firing Room of Complex 39, the crew continuing to monitor the status of the propellants aboard the Saturn V launch vehicle. We've loaded more than three quarter of a million gallons of liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen aboard the three stages of the Saturn V since the countdown resumed late last evening. Weather forecast also very acceptable for a launch attempt this morning. The forecast called for scattered clouds at altitudes about 15,000 feet [4,500 metres] in the Kennedy Space Center area. Visibility will be 10-15 [nautical] miles [19-28 km]. Winds in the launch area at launch time, from the southeast at 5-10 knots. The sea state off Cape Kennedy is satisfactory. And weather in round the world track, the various contingency areas required during the powered phase of the mission, all weather conditions acceptable around the track. We are Go but we remain in our planned, built-in hold at this time. The astronauts, according to the countdown procedures, should be ready to depart from their crew quarters at about 6:25 am Eastern Daylight this morning to start the 8-mile [13 km] trip to their spacecraft located on the 320-foot level at the launchpad. We're at T minus 3 hours, 30 minutes in our built-in hold; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We remain in our built-in hold at T minus 3 hours, 30 minutes, and holding. Expecting to resume the count now about 22 minutes from this time at 2 minutes past the hour. All aspects of the countdown remain in a Go condition at this time. Latest report from the crew quarter here at the Kennedy Space Center, the prime crew; astronauts Armstrong, Collins, and Aldrin; now have completed their breakfast and are proceeding to the suit room which is on the west side of the crew quarters in the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building at KSC. Shortly, they'll be donning their flight suits and going through the regular checkouts of the suits in preparation for the departure for the launch pad which should come, according to the countdown schedules, shortly after 6:25 am Eastern Daylight Time. In preparation for the crew departure, the test supervisor, Bill Schick, just a short time ago, gave a Go for the closeout crew to proceed to the launch pad. This is a team of four individuals who will go up to the 320-foot level at the pad itself where the Apollo 11 spacecraft hatch is located. This hatch has been closed during the propellant loading procedures that have been in progress for most of the morning. The closeout crew consists of the pad leader, a Command Module technician, a quality control specialist, and the backup Lunar Module Pilot for the Apollo 11 mission, astronaut Fred Haise. Shortly after the hatch is opened, astronaut Haise will go aboard and make some preliminary checks in preparation for the arrival of the prime crew. Here in the firing room we continue to monitor the status of more than three quarter of a million gallons of propellants that have been brought onboard the Saturn V launch vehicle. The propellant loading, one of the major milestones over the final portions of the count, at least over the last 9 hours. This has been the major task that's been in progress since the count was resumed late last evening. All aspects of Apollo 11 countdown proceeding satisfactorily as we remain in our planned built-in hold at T minus 3 hours, 30 minutes. This is Kennedy Launch Control.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control; T minus 3 hours, 30 minutes and holding but we are about to resume our count shortly. We expect to resume the count a little less than 1 minute from this time. We’ve been in a planned built-in hold of 1 hour and 32 minutes duration and it appears that all aspects of the mission are ready to resume the Apollo 11 countdown shortly. Now about 25 seconds away. The astronaut crew for Apollo 11, Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin, in the suit room at the crew quarters here at the Kennedy Space Center, donning and checking out their pressure suits. At the launch pad, at the 320-foot level, the hatch of the Apollo 11 Command Module was opened about 10 minutes ago, the backup Lunar Module Pilot, astronaut Fred Haise, expected to go aboard the spacecraft shortly to make some preliminary checks. We’re going to resume our count shortly.
Mark, T minus 3 hours, 30 minutes and counting. We’re counting on Apollo 11, all elements Go at this time, aiming for a planned lift-off of 9:32 am EDT. The astronaut crew expected to depart from their quarters about 24, 25 minutes from this time, to start the 8-mile trip to the launch pad. They’ll be boarding the spacecraft starting about the T minus 2-hour, 40-minute mark in the count. All is Go with Apollo 11 at this time. At 3 hours, 29 minutes, 27 seconds and counting; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We just passed T minus 3-hours, 16-minute mark in our countdown and we are proceeding at this time. Here in the Control Center, the launch team continuing to monitor the status of the various propellants now all aboard the three stages of the Saturn V launch vehicle. The Apollo 11 prime crew of astronauts Armstrong, Collins, and Aldrin are finishing up their preparations in the suit room in the west side of the crew quarters here at the Kennedy Space Center. If the count continues to go well, it’s expected the astronauts will depart from the quarters some 10 minutes or so from this time to start the 8-mile trip to the launch pad, winding up at the 320-foot level at the pad, the location of the hatch for their Command Module. This is Kennedy Launch Control; T minus 3 hours, 15 minutes, 3 seconds and counting.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control; T minus 3 hours, 4 minutes, 32 seconds and counting. Right on time as far as the astronaut countdown is concerned, the prime crew now departing from their crew quarters here at the Kennedy Space Center. Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and then finally Mike Collins plus the two technicians and Director of Flight Crew Operations, Deke Slayton, now boarding the transfer van for the trip to the launch pad. Slayton, actually, will drop off from the transfer van as it passes by here at the Launch Control Centre. The trip in the transfer van should take some 15 minutes or so to reach the pad, at which time the astronauts board the first of two elevators for the trip to the 320-foot level at the launch pad where they will then proceed to ingress the spacecraft. At the present time, the backup Lunar Module Pilot, astronaut Fred Haise, is already aboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft performing some preliminary checks. This work includes checking the chlorine content of the water supply and adjusting the cabin lights inside the spacecraft in preparation for the arrival. We logged the departure from the building at about 6:27 am EDT. The transfer van now departing from the Manned Spacecraft Operations Building at the Kennedy Space Center on the start of its 8-mile trip to Launch Pad A here at Complex 39 where the Saturn V launch vehicle, now fully loaded with propellants and the spacecraft going through preliminary checkouts. Right now our count at 3 hours 3 minutes and counting aiming toward the planned lift-off time at 9:32 am Eastern Daylight Time. This is Launch Control.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. T minus 3 hours, 1 minute and counting. We are proceeding with the Apollo 11 countdown at this time. The prime crew for the mission; astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin; on the way to the launch pad in their transfer van. Just about 4 minutes ago, the crew boarded the transfer van at their crew quarters here at the Kennedy Space Centre to start the trip of about 8 miles to Launch Pad A, and finally to the 320-foot level above the launcher where their Command Module is located and where they will start a boarding process into the spacecraft at about 2 hours and 40 minutes in the count. Weather conditions are Go for the launch, the astronauts on their way to the launch pad. The crew here in the firing room continuing to monitor the status of almost a million gallons of propellants that are aboard the three stages of the Saturn V launch vehicle at this time. We're continuing to replenish the supply of the oxygen and hydrogen as we continue down the count. 2 hours, 59 minutes, 52 seconds and counting; This is Kennedy Launch Control.
The dialogue from the White Room and the Command Module during the time leading up to launch has been transcribed by journal contributor Frances Shefl. The transcript is currently not comprehensive nor continuous.
Speaker: Uh, TPI PS.
Speaker: Go ahead.
Speaker: Okay, we're ready to start on the switch.
Haise: Now the drink...
Speaker: Alrighty, LMP? Okay. Got the drink, got the gun.
Speaker: Right you finished down there.
Speaker: I can get you a switch right now.
Haise: Right, go ahead.
Speaker: Panel 3.
Haise: Go ahead.
Speaker: Fuel Cell B Main Bus B switch on up release.
Speaker: Okay, Fuel Cell 2 Main B on up release, verify again Master Alarm.
Haise: Uh, Roger.
Speaker: Okay, wanna reset your Master Alarm?
Haise: 'Kay it's reset and all three fuel cell caution lights are out now. Okay, and fuel cell 2 bus feed talkback is gray, verified. Fuel cell 2 Main Bus B is gray.
Speaker: And Fuel Cell Bus Disconnect light is off?
Haise: Fuel Cell Bus Disconnect light verified off.
Speaker: Okay, put your CW normal switch back to acknowledge.
Haise: Okay, CW switch gone acknowledge.
Haise: Okay that completes it.
Speaker: Uh, LMP, on panel 2, I want you to place the secondary coolant loop pump switch to AC1.
Haise: Okay, secondary coolant pump switch to AC1.
Speaker: Okay, go back to your drink gun now.
Haise: Okay.
Dialogue break.
MCC: Alright Pad leader, looks like the van has just now come to a pad stop at [garble] facility down there.
Dialogue break.
Speaker: UC? the buck? is complete up through 3-4.
Dialogue break.
Speaker: Roger.
Speaker: And TPE, this is, uh, LMP, uh.
Speaker: CPD have somebody verify that the one elevator [garble].
Speaker: That the water simplex deployed.
Speaker: Roger thank you.
Speaker: [Garble] you just c[garble] a second.
Haise: Okay, you can crawl down in the LEB and await for the crew ingress now I guess if there's nothing left.
Speaker: Okay.
Dialogue break.
Speaker: Uh, TPE, in ECS Pad Comm.
Speaker: Fred, ECS.
Speaker: Pad Comm 2-14 Fuel Cell and connection to the bus is complete.
Speaker: Roger, Copy.
Dialogue break.
STC: Pad Leader, STC.
Wendt: Uh!
Speaker: Okay, Guenter, soon as the crew gets out there, you have a Go on Ingress.
Wendt: Roger.
Speaker: Looks like they're coming around the best parts right now.
Speaker: Uh, copy.
Speaker: 3-85 is verified. 3-86 is verified.
Dialogue break.
Wendt: MCC, Pad Leader.
MCC: Go.
Wendt: Are we going to switch over to 2-12 [garble]?
Dialogue break.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control; T minus 2 hours, 45 minutes, 55 seconds and counting. As the prime crew for Apollo 11, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin, are on the terminal part of their trip to the launch pad in the transfer van, it's now making the curve toward the pad. We have discovered a problem at the launch pad itself as the crew is about to arrive. We have a leak in a valve located in a system associated with replenishing liquid hydrogen for the third stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle. This is a piece of ground support equipment, actually. It is not on the rocket itself. It's located on the tower of the mobile launcher at the 200-foot [61-metre] level. This valve is leaking. We had a problem with this same valve during our countdown demonstration test previously. We have sent a team of three technicians and a safety man to the pad and these technicians are now tightening bolts around the valve. Once the technicians depart, we will send hydrogen again through the system to assure that the leak has been corrected. The astronauts are now coming up toward the pad itself as the crew of several technicians at the 200-foot level proceed to tighten some bolts around a leaking valve. Once again, this valve is associated with the system that replenishes liquid hydrogen for the third stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle. Because of the extremely low temperatures of the hydrogen, it continues to boil off during these phases of the count, and we continue to replenish this supply down to the final moments of the count to assure that we have 100 per cent aboard. The crew is working on the valve at this time. The crew went in a short time ago, and they're going to be followed shortly by the astronaut team which has just arrived at the pad - the transfer van now backing up toward the elevator. In a matter of 5 minutes or so, we'll be ready for the spacecraft commander, Neil Armstrong, to come across the sill at the 320-foot level. That is our status at 2 hours, 43 minutes, 47 seconds and counting. This is Launch Control.
Wendt: MCC, Pad Leader. The van is coming up to the ramp.
MCC: Roger, we have 'em on TV.
Dialogue break.
Speaker: Yep.
Speaker: We're okay.
Speaker: [garble]-ed the Tower.
Speaker: Right.
Dialogue break.
CBTS: MSTC, CBTS on low.
STC: Go ahead.
CBTS: Be advised Astrovan's backing up the low rise elevator and I'll give you a call when they're in the Mobile Launcher elevator number one so you can advise spacecraft closeout crew for the camera.
STC: Understand. Thank you.
Dialogue break.
Wendt: MSTC, Pad Leader.
STC: Go.
Wendt: Are they on the elevator?
STC: No, they're getting back there now Gunter.
Wendt: Okay, let me know. [garble] out.
Dialogue break.
Speaker: Pad leader, you have somebody standing by to turn the camera on, right?
Wendt: Roger it's going on right now.
Speaker: Roger, [garble].
Speaker: They're on the low rise now.
Speaker: [Garble].
Dialogue break.
CBTS: MSTC, CBTS 111.
STC: Go ahead.
CBTS: Astros proceeding to 320.
STC: Understand. We'll get the camera.
Dialogue break.
Speaker: Okay, Guenter you can hit the switch on the camera.
Wendt: Roger, camera has been activated.
Dialogue break.
Wendt: Hello TC, Pad Leader, proceeding with the CDR Ingress.
Speaker: Roger, we copy.
Dialogue break.
Wendt: PCS? though is coming back up.
Speaker: Roger.
Speaker: [Garble].
Dialogue break.
Armstrong: [Garble] CDR?
Wendt: Rog, I copy you.
STC: CDR, STC, how do you read?
Armstrong: STC, loud and clear
STC: Good morning, Neil.
Armstrong: Good morning.
STC: Welcome aboard.
Armstrong: It's a good morning.
Dialogue break.
Speaker: [garble] LMP?
Speaker: Go ahead.
Haise: It looks to me as though, uh, we have the pull-to-release [garble] strut release there on the lower end got pulled up.
Speaker: It got what Fred?
Haise: Got pulled up here.
Speaker: All right, can you correct it?
Dialogue break.
Speaker: Okay, Fred, we'll see if we can't get somebody to help with that. OK, CDR, can you verify those switches for me now?
Armstrong: Roger
Speaker: Okay, on panel 8, verify float bag 1, 2, and 3 are vent.
Armstrong: They're verified in vent.
Speaker: THC good neutral and locked?
Armstrong: Neutral and locked.
Speaker: Panel 1 verify manual attitude roll is Rate Command.
Armstrong: Roll, Rate Command.
Speaker: Pitch, Accel Command?
Armstrong: Pitch, Accel Command.
Speaker: Yaw rate?
Armstrong: Yaw rate.
Speaker: SCS TVC pitch and way auto?
Armstrong: SCS TVC pitch and way auto.
Speaker: ELS auto switch on up?
Armstrong: ELS is on up.
Speaker: Delta-V CG CSM?
Armstrong: CSM.
Speaker: And your event timer reset and start switches should be center.
Armstrong: They're center.
Speaker: All right, thank you Neil.
Dialogue break.
Speaker: All right Fred, you haven't any [garble].
Dialogue break.
Wendt: MSTC, Pad Leader, you got a specialist on the line that could come up on the headset
STC: Uh, Roger, working on [garble].
Wendt: Rog.
Dialogue break.
Wendt: Okay, GCS Flow is coming back on.
Speaker: Roger.
Speaker: [Garble]ary on 2-14.
Speaker: Right, who's on 2-14.
Speaker: It's [garble]ary, Airframe
Speaker: Okay, Craig, we need to talk the backup pilot into rigging the strut lanyard.
Speaker: Alright backup pilot, can you give him a few words on- the situation now?
Dialogue break.
Wendt: MCC, Pad Leader.
MCC: Go.
Wendt: It's just the [garble].
Dialogue break.
Speaker: Okay, right now the cover is raised on the lower left lanyard pull-to-release strut and won't go back down. And there's a roller assembly in there and I can't get it clear enough to, uh...
Speaker: [...]
Speaker: [garble] that rollers [garble] down and then [garble] the cover down [garble].
Speaker: Roger.
Speaker: He's trying it right now.
Dialogue break.
Armstrong: MCC, LMP's on the line but he can't read you - [garble] push to talk now.
MCC: Okay, understand, thank you Neil.
Dialogue break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control; T minus 2 hours, 40 minutes, 40 seconds and counting. At this time, the prime crew for Apollo 11 has boarded the high-speed elevator from inside the A level of the mobile launcher which is the second level inside the launcher. This is the high-speed elevator; 600 feet [180 metres] per minute, which will carry them to the 320-foot [98-metre] level, the spacecraft level. Shortly, we'll expect astronauts Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins to come across Swing Arm 9, the Apollo access arm, and proceed to the White Room and stand by to board the spacecraft. The third member of the crew, astronaut Edwin Aldrin, will be the last one to board the spacecraft, will stand by in the elevator seated in a chair while his two comrades first board the spacecraft. Once Armstrong, who sits in the left-hand seat, and Collins, who will sit in the right-hand seat during lift-off are aboard, then Aldrin will be called and he will take his seat, the middle seat in the spacecraft. The spacecraft commander Neil Armstrong and the Command Module Pilot Michael Collins now proceeding across the swing arm into the small White Room that attaches at the spacecraft level. In the meantime, about 100 feet [30 metres] below, we have a technician - a team of technicians working on a leaking valve which is a part of the Ground Support Equipment, a part of the system that's used to replenish the fuel supply for the third stage of the Saturn V rocket. He is proceeding to tighten a series of bolts around this valve in the hope that this will correct the leak. Once the technicians do depart, the hydrogen will again be flowed through the system to assure that the leak has been corrected. The spacecraft Commander Neil Armstrong and CMP, the Command Module Pilot Mike Collins, now standing by in the White Room. T minus 2 hours, 38 minutes, 45 seconds and counting; this is Launch Control.
Journal contributor Stephen Coester was a 28-year-old engineer who was working at a console (called C4HU) at the Launch Control Center. In a PDF file, Launching Apollo 11 to the Moon, he tells the story of this hydrogen leak.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control; T minus 2 hours, 34 minutes, 44 seconds and counting. The spacecraft commander Neil Armstrong now aboard the Apollo 11 spacecraft at the 320-foot level at the pad. We had it logged having the commander go over the sill into the cabin at 6:54am Eastern Daylight. Since that time, the commander has now been tied into the system and has checked in over the communication lines. He was wished a 'Good morning' by the Spacecraft Test Conductor Skip Chauvin and Armstrong in return said it looks like a good morning. In the meantime, 120 feet [37 metres] below him, the technicians continuing to work to tighten bolts around a leaking valve associated with the system that replenishes hydrogen fuel for the third stage. To repeat once again, this is not a problem on the launch vehicle itself, but on the ground support equipment associated with it. T minus 2 hours, 33 minutes, 45 seconds and counting; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control; T minus 2 hours, 30 minutes, 55 seconds and counting. Right on the hour, the Command Module Pilot, astronaut Michael Collins, who'll be sitting on the right-hand side of the spacecraft during lift-off, boarded the spacecraft. We had it logged at 7am Eastern Daylight Time. The third member of the crew, astronaut Buzz Aldrin, standing by in the elevator around the corner along the swing arm from the White Room and the spacecraft at the 320-foot level. 120 feet [37 metres] below, technicians still working on some bolts that surround a leaking valve that is associated with a system that replenishes the hydrogen fuel supply to the third stage of the Saturn V rocket. Our countdown proceeding at this time; coming up toward the 2-minute and 30-minute ma... 30-second... the 2-hour and 30-minute mark in the count. This is Kennedy Launch Control.
As the launch crew establish communication with the spacecraft, it should be noted that the seating positions on Apollo 11 were different to all the other Apollo missions. Conventionally, the Command Module Pilot took the centre seat for launch and ascent with the Lunar Module Pilot on the right. However, Mike Collins was a late addition to the Apollo 11 crew and by the time he joined, Buzz Aldrin had already trained for the centre seat during this phase of the flight. The decision was made to stick with that arrangement. Thus, in the communication that follows, Mike will use the moniker LMP, and Buzz, CMP.
Wendt: Airframe, Pad Leader.
Airframe: Go ahead, Pad Leader.
Wendt: He does not seem to be able to repress the roller - any suggestions?
Airframe: Yes, we'd like to send John Archer out there.
Speaker: We can't do that at this point in time. If you got something else we can try, let's do it.
Airframe: Uh, Yes, how about John Grissinger, can he go in there and try putting it down - he's familiar with it?
Speaker: No, we're trying to talk the backup pilot in if there's something else that can be done. Is Grissinger out there now?
Wendt: Uh, negative. He's out there, but he has not done it either.
Speaker: Alright Airframe, where we go next?
Collins: Pad do you read me?
Speaker: Pad Leader, Airframe.
Dialogue break.
Speaker: No I don't.
Collins: OK, I'm on push to talk, uh, MCC, LMP, how do you read?
T-002:25:42 MCC: [Garble] Okay, LMP, loud and clear. Good morning.
T-002:25:40 Collins: Okay, Fred, I've seen that done once before and it has to do with the positioning of that little central bar there. If the end doesn't do it, well, try bringing the central part out and the top part down and see if that'll do it.
T-002:25:16 Speaker: To extend the other way where the central part is out and the top part is flush in.
Speaker: Okay, nodding his head now.
T-002:25:08 Speaker: Thank you, Mike.
T-002:25:07 Collins: Now I'm not sure he's got it. I'm not sure that's going to work, but, uh, he's working the right direction.
Speaker: Wendt: MCC, Pad Leader.
T-002:24:57 Speaker: Go.
Wendt: We're proceeding with the CMP Ingress.
T-002:24:53 Speaker: Uh, roger, Alright, sequence 3-92 - BSC, how do you look?
T-002:24:45 Speaker: Right ECS, give me a reading.
T-002:24:42 Speaker: That looks good, Fred. Now try it.
T-002:24:26 Speaker: -02:24:26 Attaboy.
Wendt: Uh, LSC(?), Pad Leader.
T-002:24:15 Speaker: Go.
Wendt: He's got it snapped now.
T-002:24:12 Speaker: Okay, it's all rigged, ready to go.
Wendt: Roger, the LMP is in the spacecraft, CMP coming.
T-002:24:07 Speaker: Uh, Roger.
T-002:24:06 Speaker: Okay, Mike, can you verify some switches for me?
T-002:24:03 Collins: Collins: Yes, sir.
T-002:24:02 Speaker: Alright on panel 4, SPS gauging switch AC1.
T-002:23:58 Collins: Collins: AC1.
T-002:23:57 Speaker: ECS glycol pump select 1 AC1.
T-002:23:55 Collins: 1 AC1.
T-002:23:53 Speaker: Panel 3, VHF antenna select Service Module, Left.
T-002:23:50 Collins: Collins: Service Module, Left.
Speaker: SPS Quantity Oxidizer Flow Increase switch Normal.
Collins: SPS Oxidizer Flow Increase switch Normal.
Speaker: Alright your Main Bus A reset switch should be in center.
Collins: Okay, standby, Main Bus A reset is in the center.
Speaker: Okay, SPS Helium valve 1 and 2 should be auto.
Collins: Auto, auto.
Speaker: Main Bus B reset switch should be center.
Collins: Center.
Speaker: How you doing Pad Leader? Pad Leader how you doing?
Wendt: Uh, we have them inside now. We are coming up to the shut-off of the flow.
Speaker: [Garble] back on panel 3, S-band antenna omni Able to Baker
Collins: S-band Omni Antenna is uh to Baker
Speaker: And B to Omni?
Collins: And B to Omni.
Speaker: VHF beacon switch off?
Collins: Off.
Speaker: Power SCE switch normal.
Speaker: LMP, back on panel 3, your power SCE should be normal.
Collins: Alright, SCE normal.
Speaker: And your AC bus 1 and 2 reset switches should be center.
Collins: Center and center.
Speaker: Alright, thank you Mike.
Collins: Yes sir, I [garble]
Speaker: Pad Leader, you having a problem?
Wendt: Uh, Negative, we're [garble] putting [garble] helmet on.
Speaker: Ok, you got his suit power on yet?
Wendt: Repeat please?
Speaker: Do you have his suit power on yet?
Wendt: Wendt: Yes. Uh, CMP, can you [garble] copy us?
Aldrin: Pad Leader, CMP, loud and clear
Wendt: Roger
STC: CMP, STC, how do you read?
Aldrin: STC, CMP, loud and clear
STC: Good morning, Buzz.
Aldrin: Good morning, how are you gentlemen?
STC: Just fine, thank you.
Wendt: MSCC, Pad Leader.
Speaker: Go.
Wendt: Uh, we have completed the P- CMP Ingress. We are now starting on the sequence 3-96.
Speaker: Roger, give me a verification on the [garble] when you finish it.
Wendt: Roger, will do.
Speaker: Alright, CMP can you - switches for me?
Aldrin: I believe so.
Speaker: Alright, on panel 2, your abort system prop switch to bottom.
Aldrin: Roger. Propellant is dump auto.
Speaker: Caution & Warning boost.
Aldrin: Caution & Warning going to boost.
Speaker: [Garble].
Aldrin: Mission Timer is started, You want it reset?
Speaker: [Garble].
Speaker: No, it hasn't been started.
Speaker: [Garble].
Aldrin: Roger, water into auto 1.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control; T minus 2 hours, 23 minutes, 46 seconds and counting. The third member of the Apollo 11 prime crew now aboard the spacecraft. We had it logged at 7:07 am Eastern Daylight Time when astronaut Buzz Aldrin boarded the spacecraft. He'll sit in the middle seat during lift-off. As Lunar Module Pilot, his normal position would be on the right-hand side. However, due to crew preference, we have the commander of course, Neil Armstrong, sitting on the left-hand side. The Lunar Module Pilot for the overall flight, Buzz Aldrin, sitting in the middle seat, and the Command Module Pilot Mike Collins sitting in the right-hand seat at lift-off. Down below, at the 200-foot [61-metre] level, our technicians still hard at work tightening bolts around a valve associated with the system that replenishes the hydrogen fuel for the third stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle. This is ground support equipment located on the tower at the pad at the 200-foot level. He continues to work at the 200-foot level as the crew in the White Room does the same with the three astronauts aboard. We actually have a fourth astronaut still aboard the spacecraft at this time, astronaut Fred Haise, who is the back-up Command Module Pilot. He is in the Lower Equipment Bay of the spacecraft, giving a helping hand to the three prime crewmen as they start to perform some of their preliminary checks here as we head down over the final 2 hours - 2½ hours of the countdown. We're at T minus 2 hours, 22 minutes, 11 seconds and counting; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
In fact, Fred Haise is the back-up Lunar Module Pilot. The other back-up crew members are Commander Jim Lovell and Command Module Pilot Bill Anders.
When the crew arrived at the spacecraft they were already suited up and sealed off from Earth's natural atmosphere of nitrogen and oxygen. By the time they are ascending, they will have been breathing pure oxygen for about three hours and will have flushed dissolved nitrogen from their blood. This is to guard against the possible formation of nitrogen bubbles in their blood as the spacecraft air pressure drops to its nominal value of about a third of sea-level pressure, or in case of an unintended decompression of the spacecraft. Between the suiting-up room and the spacecraft, each crewman carried his own oxygen supply in a suitcase-sized unit.
Neil Armstrong leads his crew across Swing Arm 9 carrying his oxygen supply
KSC-69PC-399 - Neil Armstrong leads his crew across Swing Arm 9 carrying his portable oxygen supply.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We've just passed the 2-hour, 21-minute mark in our countdown and we are proceeding at this time. At the 320-foot level, all three astronauts now aboard the spacecraft. Just a few minutes ago, astronaut Buzz Aldrin came in and took the center seat to join Neil Armstrong on the left and Mike Collins on the right. These are the positions they will fly at lift-off. During the process of getting the astronauts checked into the spacecraft, communication cables must be attached to their suits. They also have to hook into the suit circuit system of the spacecraft that brings oxygen into their suits. They are helped by a fourth astronaut on board, the back-up Command Module Pilot, astronaut Fred Haise, who is in the Lower Equipment Bay, and one of the suit technicians, who's located behind them to give a hand as they check in. We've heard from Neil Armstrong, and now we've also heard from Mike Collins on comm checks, and we're standing by for further reports as the checkout continues. 120 feet [37 metres] down, the work continues on a leaky valve at the 200-foot level. This is ground support equipment. The technicians still hard at work tightening bolts around that valve at this time. 2 hours, 19 minutes, 45 seconds and counting; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
McCandless: Apollo 11, this is Houston on VHF Omni, how do you read over?
T-002:17:18 Aldrin: Alright Houston this is the CMP. I read you load and clear over.
McCandless: Roger. Reading you the same, CMP.
T-002:17:07 McCandless: Apollo 11 LMP, Apollo 11 LMP, This is Houston on S-Band. How do you read?
T-002:17:01 Collins: You're loud and clear Bruce, How me?
T-002:17:49 McCandless: Apollo 11 LMP, This is Houston on S-Band. How do you read? Over.
T-002:17:45 Collins: Houston, this is LMP on S-Band. Loud and clear Bruce, How me?
T-002:17:41 McCandless: Roger, reading you the same. Out.
T-002:15:41 Speaker: Did you verify 3-96?
T-002:15:36 Speaker: Okay, hold off on your D-2 just for a second.
T-002:15:29 Speaker: Uh, CMP, give me your suit compressor delta-P on the panel 2.
T-002:15:23 Aldrin: Roger, suit compressor Delta-P is .8.
T-002:15:19 Speaker: [Garble] C.
T-002:15:14 Speaker: Pad Leader, proceed with the D-2.
Wendt: Roger, proceeding with the D-10(?).
McCandless: Apollo 11 Commander, This is Houston, simultaneos VHF and USB, how do you read over?
T-002:15:06 Armstrong: Understand, Apollo 11 CDR, loud and clear.
McCandless: Roger, we're reading you the same, Neil.
Flight: MSTC, Flight. Voice Check, Go.
T-002:14:55 STC: That you Glynn [Lunney]?
Flight: Yes, it is.
T-002:14:53 STC: Good morning, Glynn.
Speaker: Cliff [Charlesworth] will be on shortly.
T-002:14:51 Speaker: Okay, babe, Thank you.
T-002:14:50 Speaker: 400 verified.
T-002:14:45 Speaker: 4-01 verified, 4-02's in work.
Wendt: MSTC, Pad Leader.
T-002:13:56 STC: Go.
Wendt: Sequence 402 - We are reading 19 percent NASA(?) verification.
STC: 16 Nancy.
T-002:13:49 Speaker: Secure the D2.
Wendt: Roger and what?
T-002:13:44 Speaker: Alright, Pad Leader, as soon as you get secured there, you can egress the suit tech.
Wendt: Roger, I [garble].
T-002:13:22 Speaker: ECS, you want to get me those readings now?
T-002:13:15 Speaker: 4-05 is verified. GMI on- GMI I'll have you verify 4-06. Okay, on the command decoder we'll be coming up/on(?).
T-002:13:04 Speaker: Okay, LMP, on panel 3, your Uptel command switch to Normal.
T-002:12:58 Speaker: Okay, Uptel command to Normal.
T-002:12:55 Speaker: Alright, Flight, you ready? Alright, Flight, execute H G&N Upline disable.
T-002:12:31 Flight: Uh, Roger. Okay, G&N, insert your Verb 34.
T-002:12:21 Speaker: Verb 34 is clean [or clear? This is faint in the audio].
T-002:12:18 Speaker: Uh, roger, 4-09 verified. Alright, Flight, insert Verb 34.
T-002:12:02 Flight: G& - Uh, roger 4-10 Verified.
T-002:11:59 Speaker: Alright, Flight, execute enter.
T-002:11:53 Flight: Alright, execute error reset.
T-002:11:45 Speaker: Okay, 4-11 verified. Alright, Flight, execute PCM Data Rate high.
T-002:11:34 Flight: Roger 4-12 verified. RAC verify no change.
T-002:11:28 Speaker: Right, CMP, panel 2, your Uptel Command Module switch to Block.
T-002:11:23 Aldrin: Roger, Uptel Command Module Block.
T-002:11:19 Speaker: Right, backup pilot?
Haise: Yep, go ahead.
T-002:11:13 Speaker: Okay, Fred, go to panel 10.
Haise: Okay.
T-002:11:08 Speaker: and turn the Pad Comm off. [Long pause.] You got it Fred?
Haise: Okay, the Pad Comm is off on panel 10.
T-002:10:42 Speaker: Okay, You can egress at this time, Fred. Thank you very much.
Haise: Okay.
T-002:10:36 Speaker: Alright. Pad Leader?
Wendt: [Garble].
Speaker: Okay, as soon as you get the suit tech out and the backup pilot out, you can proceed with the hatch closing.
Wendt: Roger, will do.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control; T minus 2 hours, 10 minutes, 35 seconds and counting. At the 320-foot level, the fourth astronaut aboard the spacecraft regretfully leaves at this time. Astronaut Fred Haise is about to come out after giving the three prime crewmen a hand in their preliminary checkouts aboard. Fred Haise will be coming out shortly. In the meantime, 120 feet [37 metres] below, where we had that problem with the leaking valve, the technicians have completed their work and they are in the process now of departing from the launch pad. In a short while, we'll start flowing hydrogen again back through the general replenishing system to continue the top-off - the supply of the hydrogen fuel in the third stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle. The spacecraft commander Neil Armstrong has completed a series of checks called abort advisory system checks. This is where certain key crewmen on the ground, members of the launch team, can send signals to the spacecraft - commander in the spacecraft; light cues that would indicate a difficulty during the flight in which he could take abort action if he determined that such action was necessary. These checks have been completed and Neil Armstrong confirmed that the lights came on in the console in front of him, the panel in front of him as these lights were operated from the ground here in the Launch Control Center. All still going well with our count. We will stand by as we again bring hydrogen back to the third stage. We'll see how that operates. We're now at T minus 2 hours, 9 minutes, 4 seconds and counting; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
Speaker: Okay, we'll pick up on sequence 4-16. CDR panel 8. EDS 1, 2, and 3 curcuit breakers closed.
T-002:10:00 Armstrong: CDR, say again?
Speaker: Okay, on panel 8, Neil, we want the EDS 1, 2, and 3 curcuit breakers closed.
Armstrong: Okay. [Long pause.] Stand By, that's, uh, not a real lighted opcheck(?).
STC: Pad Leader, STC.
Wendt: Go ahead now, STC.
STC: Okay, did you get the protective covers removed from the hatch counterbalance?
Wendt: At the moment we are going it right now. We are wiping the seal and, uh, I'll act to [garble] to close the hatch already with the inspection.
STC: Okay, give me a stat number on that counterbalance.
Speaker: [Garble - overlap] Verified - 16 amps.
Speaker: 4-35 verified.
Armstrong: CDR verifies that the EDS 1, 2, and 3 are closed.
STC: Okay, Neil. We'll be right back with you. Pad Leader, have your people stand away from the camera. Okay, back on sequence 4-16, CDR panel 7, EDS power switch on up.
Armstrong: EDS power going up now.
STC: On panel 2, EDS Auto switch, Auto.
Armstrong: EDS is in Auto. EDS mode 1, 2, 3 are on.
Speaker: Alright, the last part of that is verified.
Speaker: Okay, CDR, we're going into the abort request command checks. Same things we ran in CDDT. Okay, Pad Leader, I'm going to be talking quite a bit. You just go ahead and interrupt me when you get ready.
Wendt: Uh, Roger, let me make your last check here. CDR, LMP, and CMP are you ready for hatch closure? Any adjustment on your straps?
Speaker: Uh, CMP's, LMP's happy.
Speaker: Roger.
Speaker: Fine here.
Speaker: Okay, good luck.
Speaker: Thank you, Guenter.
Speaker: See you around, Guenter.
Speaker: Alright Pad Leader. Let's proceed.
Wendt: Roger, we are proceeding with closing the hatch.
Speaker: Alright LOM, are you with us?
LOM (Donnelly): LOM, stand by.
Speaker: Okay, LOM abort request A switch to on.
LOM (Donnelly): A switch on my mark. 3, 2, 1, Mark.
Speaker: Abort light.
Speaker: All lights are normal.
Speaker: Go(?) Press EMP light on.
Speaker: Right, CDR, did we get a verification from you?
Armstrong: Armstrong: Roger, abort light is On.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Alright LOM. Abort request A switch to Off.
LOM (Donnelly): 3, 2, 1 Mark. Lights normal.
Speaker: Was a test
Speaker: Yeah, I see [garble] abort light, that's one light I think
Speaker: Okay, real good.
Wendt: MSTC, Pad Leader. Verify a sequence 4-37 steps 1 through 9.
STC: Roger verify 16 Nancy.
Speaker: Roger, proceed Pad Leader.
Wendt: LMP, Pad Leader.
Aldrin: LMP.
Wendt: Press and hold the gearbox shear pin reset button.
Aldrin: It's pressed and held.
Wendt: LMP, Pad Leader. Release the shear pin reset button.
Aldrin: Release.
Wendt: Verify the shear pin indicator is in the white and shear pin is not sheared.
Aldrin: Guenter, is verified.
Wendt: Set the gearbox ratchet selector and the pump handle ratchet selector to unlatch position.
Aldrin: Okay, uh, unlatch on the gearbox. Unlatch on the pump handle.
Wendt: Now verify the gauge pressure of the counterbalance is indicating in the green.
Aldrin: Stand by. [Pause.] Verified in the green.
Wendt: Wendt: MSTC, Pad Leader
STC: Roger.
Wendt: Sequence 4-41. The CM hatch is closed.
Speaker: Uh, Roger. Alright Pad Leader, we...
Wendt: Wendt: [Garble.]
Speaker: Pad Leader, we verify the purge line hookup is complete.
Wendt: Wendt: As [garble] it is.
Speaker: Stamp.
Speaker: 16 Nancy.
Speaker: Okay, ECS. Want you to go over to your channel and perform a cabin purge leak check.
Speaker: Roger CDR panel 326 [means 325, an adjacent panel]. Cabin Pressure Relief valves right in to Dump.
Speaker: Roger, Stand by. [Pause.] It's in Dump.
Speaker: Roger.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control; T minus 2 hours, 7 minutes and counting. At this time we're just in the process of closing the hatch on the Apollo 11 spacecraft. Several of the close-out crew shook hands with the astronauts and then proceeded to close the hatch on direction from the Spacecraft Test Conductor Skip Chauvin. We had it logged as the hatch being closed and tightened - still being tightened right at this time which is 25 minutes past the hour. Once the hatch is closed, we will start a cabin purge to condition the cabin inside. The three astronauts, of course, are on pure oxygen in their space suits on the suit circuit. We will produce a cabin atmosphere in the spacecraft of a 60/40 combination; 60 per cent oxygen and 40 per cent nitrogen. This is the atmosphere used for lift-off. Once that is accomplished, the close-out crew will be ready to put the Boost Protective Cover on the hatch and continue with their close-out. The hatch being closed at this time. We are proceeding. We'll stand by to see how our hydrogen condition is, as far as replenishing the hydrogen fuel supply with the third stage of the Saturn V. 2 hours, 5 minutes, 50 seconds and counting; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
Speaker: Alright, Flight. You standing by.
Flight: [Garble.]
Speaker: Alright, Flight. Execute abort light system A to off.
Flight: A off, 2, 1, Mark.
T-002:04:36 Speaker: Lights out [garble] A, Off.
T-002:04:34 Speaker: LOM. Abort request B switch to On.
LOM (Donnelly): Yeah, on my mark, 3, 2, 1, Mark. Light's normal.
T-002:04:28 Speaker: Abort light's on.
Speaker: Abort A and B on.
T-002:04:24 Speaker: LOM. Abort request B, Off.
LOM (Donnelly): 3, 2, 1, Mark. Light's normal.
T-002:04:20 Speaker: Roger, one half the light's out.
Speaker: Abort A off.
T-002:04:16 Speaker: 4-20 verify. GMIL, reset request B received?
Speaker: Rog.
T-002:03:57 RTC: Flight, RTC.
T-002:03:55 Flight: Go ahead.
T-002:03:54 Speaker: You just returned toggle to neutral at the wrong time when you turned your abort B system off, you'll have probably have to hit your toggle twice.
T-002:03:52 Speaker: Understand, Flight. Execute abort light system B to Off.
T-002:03:46 Speaker: Hit it twice?
T-002:03:45 Speaker: Yeah.
T-002:03:44 Speaker: Okay.
T-002:03:43 Speaker: If it doesn't go in the first time, return neutral and then do it again.
T-002:03:41 Speaker: Okay.
T-002:03:39 Speaker: Flight, you copy that?
Flight: Negative, go ahead.
T-002:03:37 Speaker: -02:03:37 Alright. Execute abort light system B to Off.
Speaker: B Off. 2, 1, Mark.
Speaker: B...
T-002:03:27 Speaker: Abort light, Off now.
T-002:03:25 Speaker: Abort B, Off.
T-002:03:24 Speaker: Okay. 4-22 verifired.
T-002:03:21 Speaker: Right, Flight. Execute abort light system A to On.
Flight: Light A, On. 2, 1, Mark.
T-002:03:14 Speaker: Abort light On, one amp.(?)
Flight: Abort A, Up.
T-002:03:11 Speaker: Flight. Execute abort light system A to Off.
Flight: A, Off. 2, 1, Mark.
T-002:03:06 Speaker: Light's out.
Flight: Light A, Off.
T-002:03:03 Speaker: Flight. Execute abort light system B to On.
Flight: On my mark. 3, 2, 1, Mark.
T-002:02:56 Speaker: Abort light on B.
Flight: Abort B, On.
T-002:02:53 Speaker: Flight. Abort light system B to Off.
Flight: B, Off. 2, 1, Mark.
T-002:02:49 Speaker: Abort light out.
Flight: Abort B, Off.
T-002:02:46 Speaker: LOM, that completes the checks, thank you.
LOM (Donnelly): Roger.
T-002:02:43 Speaker: LMP, panel 3, Uptel Command switch to Off.
T-002:02:39 Collins: Uptel Command switch to Off.
T-002:02:34 Speaker: 4-29 is verified. [Pause.] Okay, we'll stand by here for a second and see if the launch vehicle is ready to go into the EDS test. Okay, uh, procedurally, we're at 1:50. The clock's running at 2 hours and 2 minutes.
T-002:02:16 Speaker: Okay, Sequencer, uh, Mace MGNR and MNQC, we're going to go to 2-23 for the EDS test and Neil, we'll get you over there just like we did before.
T-002:02:04 Armstrong: Uh, Roger.
T-002:02:01 Speaker: 4-30's Verified.
T-002:02:00 Speaker: CDR, panel 9. Your S-Band intercom and VHF to Off.
T-002:01:52 Armstrong: Roger, S-Band intercom and VHF going Off.
T-002:01:47 Speaker: Uh, LMP, panel 6 your Pad Comm switch to Off.
T-002:01:45 Collins: [Garble.]
T-002:01:42 Speaker: LMP, panel 6. Pad Comm, Off.
T-002:01:39 Flight: Alright, Stony.
T-002:01:37 Stony: Go ahead, Flight.
T-002:01:36 Flight: Alright. Put 2-23 on the umbilical.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're at T minus 2 hours, 55 seconds and counting. We're approaching the 2-hour mark in our countdown and we appear to be proceeding satisfactorily at this time. The crew aboard the spacecraft, the 320-foot level, the hatch is closed and we're beginning to purge the cabin to bring it to the proper atmosphere for launch which is a combination of oxygen and nitrogen; 60 per cent oxygen and 40 per cent nitrogen atmosphere. Of course, the astronauts themselves are breathing pure oxygen through their space suits. Coming up shortly will be another key test in which both the launch crew for the - the launch vehicle crew and the spacecraft team combine together with the commander Neil Armstrong to make a thorough check of the Emergency Detection System. This is the system that will signal the astronauts in the cabin if anything goes wrong below them. We used a ground-based computer to accomplish this test. It's rather lengthy as these tests go, using a computer. It will take some 30 minutes. Neil Armstrong will be doing most of the work in the spacecraft, responding as different cue lights, signifying different difficulties, are presented to him. The abort panel, of course, is across from the commander on the left-hand side, the left-front of the spacecraft. Our countdown continuing; T minus 1 hour, 59 minutes, 34 seconds and counting; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
Speaker: LMP, MLSC, you want to verify you get upper limit flows as we run our purges?
Speaker: I say, you're gonna purge 1, 2, and 3 sequentially or simultaneously?
Speaker: Sequentially.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: We'll purge hydrogen first.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: LMP, you copy?
Collins: LMP's [garble].
Speaker: [Garble.]
Speaker: We verified master alarm went off and we got Fuel Cell 1 on [garble].
Speaker: And hydrogen's slowly decreasing to normal.
Speaker: Fuel Cell number 2 hydrogen plus? CLI
Speaker: Understand.
T-001:55:33 Speaker: I say Fuel Cell 2 hydrogen flow return to normal. Fuel cell 3's good.
T-001:55:46 Speaker: Rog.
T-001:54:19 Speaker: Fuel Cell 3 hydrogen flow normal.
Speaker: Roger, now we'll start the O2.
T-001:54:04 Speaker: Fuel Cell 1 Oxygen flow going up. 1.1
T-001:53:03 Speaker: CMP and LMP, the IVB is gonna turn on their, uh, auxiliary pump down there. It may cause a little motion of the vehicle.
Speaker: Proceed.
T-001:52:54 Speaker: Got it.
Speaker: CDR, panel 326, Scale pressure release off.
T-001:52:50 Speaker: Alright, right, E - ECS?
T-001:52:47 Speaker: Roger.
T-001:52:46 Speaker: Uh, hold on a sec. You want it back to Boost Entry.
T-001:52:44 Speaker: That's Roger.
T-001:52:43 Speaker: Okay, he's on another channel. We'll get him.
T-001:52:15 Speaker: Okay, CS, you got [him/it]?
Speaker: Buzz?
T-001:52:02 Aldrin: Fuel Cell 1 Oxygen flow normal. Fuel cell 2, uh, 1.2.
Speaker: Rog.
T-001:51:17 Speaker: Go.
T-001:51:15 Speaker: Roger, understand.
T-001:51:11 Speaker: We got [garble] a Master Alarm in 3 seconds now.
T-001:51:08 Speaker: Understand.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control; T minus 1 hour, 50 minutes, 55 seconds and counting. We're proceeding with the countdown with the Apollo 11 mission at this time and it's going satisfactorily. At this point, the spacecraft commander Neil Armstrong in the process of working the Emergency Detection System test. This is a check of the Emergency Detection System working with the launch crew here in the firing room and also the spacecraft team in control rooms back at the Manned Spacecraft Operations building here at the Kennedy Space Center. All going well with these tests at the present time. We're flowing hydrogen back into the third stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle after having difficulty with that leaking valve. It appears that we are bypassing the use of the valve directly in loading the hydrogen aboard, but we are getting the hydrogen back in to replenish the supply. All appears to be going well at this time. Weather is Go. We're coming up on 1 hour and 50 minutes. This is Kennedy Launch Control.
T-001:49:36 Speaker: Fuel Cell 2 oxygen flow normal, and 3 pegged high.
Speaker: Uh, Roger.
MLSC: LMP? MLSC.
T-001:47:30 Collins: LMP, [garble].
MLSC: That completes your purges. Thank you.
T-001:47:26 Collins: [unclear] How you?
T-001:47:25 Speaker: Everything look Okay, uh LSC?
Speaker: Very good.
T-001:47:20 Speaker: Alrighty.
T-001:46:56 Speaker: Go.
T-001:46:53 Speaker: Uh, Roger, we going to get a Master Alarm?
T-001:46:49 Speaker: Oh, you started your pressure decay? Oh, okay.
Wendt: MSTC, Pad Leader.
T-001:44:51 STC: Go.
Wendt: Is there still another crew or have they left?
T-001:44:47 STC: They have gone.
Wendt: Thank you.
T-001:44:42 STC: Everything looks good.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control at T minus 1 hour, 40 minutes, 55 seconds and counting. The countdown still proceeding very satisfactory at this time as we lead up toward our planned lift-off time of 9:32 am Eastern Daylight. The spacecraft commander Neil Armstrong continuing this extensive series of checks with - of the Emergency Detection System, working with both the launch vehicle test crew and the spacecraft crew. This is a key test and a very thorough test to assure ourselves, before we commit to lift-off, that all the emergency detection techniques inside the launch vehicle are operating properly here on the ground, so if required in flight, the spacecraft commander and, of course, his two fellow astronauts could be signalled of a difficulty inside the rocket and could take proper abort action as required. Thus far, the three astronauts aboard the spacecraft have just been giving businesslike responses back to the directions and checks, working with the Spacecraft Conductor Skip Chauvin as he runs down his procedures as the countdown continues. T minus 1 hour, 39 minutes, 46 seconds and counting; this is Launch Control.
T-001:37:16 Speaker: Go.
T-001:37:13 Speaker: Okay, have you given instructions to disconnect?
T-001:37:07 Speaker: Okay, come back and let me know when that's all done.
T-001:34:26 Speaker: Go.
T-001:34:23 Speaker: Roger, you got that hatch all secured now?
T-001:34:18 Speaker: Roger. Alright proceed.
Wendt: LMP, Pad Leader.
T-001:34:11 Collins: LMP.
Wendt: Set the BPC hatch release selector a [garble] to BPC Jett.
T-001:34:05 Collins: -01:34:05 Okay, going to BPC Jett.
Wendt: Roger, thank you.
T-001:34:00 Collins: BPC Jett.
Speaker: ECS, I'm gonna go ahead and turn the cabin fans off, Okay?
Speaker: [Garble] T dub, STC.
Speaker: I'm gonna go ahead and turn the cabin fans off.
Speaker: Roger, Go.
Speaker: Alright, CMP, on panel 2, cabin fans 1 and 2 off.
T-001:32:16 Speaker: Roger, cabin fans 1 and 2 coming off.
Wendt: STC, Pad Leader.
T-001:32:06 STC: Go.
Wendt: Can I get a Go on 4-57?
T-001:32:04 STC: If you're ready for it, let's go.
Wendt: Roger.
T-001:32:01 STC: I need a stamp number when you finish.
Wendt: Will do.
T-001:31:55 Speaker: Sequencer?
T-001:31:50 Speaker: EDS [garble] proceed with 4 [garble]. [Pause.] [Garble] Able.
T-001:31:40 Speaker: Uh, Roger, Stony.
T-001:31:38 Speaker: Put 2-14 on the umbilical.
T-001:31:34 Speaker: CDR?
Armstrong: Go.
T-001:31:32 Speaker: Okay, on panel 9, your intercom, VHF, and S-band to T/R.
Armstrong: Intercom, VHF. And S-band going T/R.
T-001:31:22 Speaker: LMP. On panel 6, you can put your Pad Comm back to T/R.
T-001:31:19 Collins: Pad Comm, T/R.
T-001:31:17 Speaker: CDR. Panel 7, EDS power switch, Off.
T-001:31:12 Armstrong: EDS power going Off. EDS 1, 2, and 3 are Off.
T-001:31:06 Speaker: Okay, LMP on panel 3, give me your batt C voltage reading please.
T-001:31:01 Collins: Stand by - batt C - 37.5.
Speaker: CMP. On panel 2, Uptel IU switch to Accept.
Aldrin: Uptel IU to Accept.
Speaker: I'll stand by for a second here.
Speaker: [Garble - overlapping audio streams.]
Speaker: LMP, do you copy?
Speaker: That's a negative, LMP say again.
Speaker: [Garble] verify.
Speaker: Uh, CDR. Stand by to read your angle of attack meter on my mark.
Speaker: [Garble - overlapping audio streams.]
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
MP3 audio file. 1,507 kB.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control; T minus 1 hour, 30 minutes, 55 seconds and counting. All elements are Go with the countdown at this time, the countdown aimed at landing two astronauts on the Moon. At this time the Spacecraft Test Conductor Skip Chauvin going through some checks with astronaut Mike Collins aboard the spacecraft. We're winding up this important Emergency Detection System test that Neil Armstrong has been participating in. Meanwhile, at the 320-foot level, the close-out crew now placing the Boost Protective Cover over the hatch now that we have completed the cabin purge and have the proper environment inside the cabin. We have also performed leak checks to assure ourselves that the cabin atmosphere is valid. This Boost Protective Cover is used during the early phases of the powered flight and it is jettisoned with the escape tower shortly after second stage ignition. Here in the firing room, the launch vehicle test team's still keeping a close eye on the status of the propellants aboard the Saturn V launch vehicle. We're back to 100 percent supply with the liquid hydrogen fuel in the third stage. This problem with the leaking valve is no problem at this time. We've actually bypassed the valve but we are maintaining our hydrogen supply aboard the vehicle. All aspects Go. The weather is very satisfactory for launch this morning. A thin cloud cover about 15,000 feet [4,600 metres]. Temperature at launch time expected to be about 85 degrees. T minus 1 hour, 29 minutes, 30 seconds and counting; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
Speaker: Okay, Apollo 11. We're about, uh, 1, we're at about 1 hour and 13 minutes in the book and we're 1 hour and 28 minutes on the clock.
T-001:28:17 Speaker: Roger.
T-001:28:10 Speaker: Okay, Apollo 11, we have word that the launch vehicle is in good shape.
T-001:27:59 Speaker: Roger, Square deal.
T-001:27:47 Speaker: SCS. You want to go ahead and, uh, bring up the BMAGs?
T-001:27:42 Speaker: Okay Alright, 471 to verify.
T-001:27:40 Speaker: [Garble] 121.
T-001:27:36 Speaker: Alright. CDR on panel 2, Caution and Warning to Normal.
T-001:27:29 Armstrong: Caution and Warning, Normal.
T-001:27:27 Speaker: Alright. Verify your BMAG 1 and 2 Power, Off.
T-001:27:23 Armstrong: Verified, they're Off.
T-001:27:21 Speaker: Alright. CDR, panel 7, your FDAI GPI Power select to Off.
T-001:27:12 Armstrong: 'kay. FDAI GPI Power going Off.
T-001:27:08 Speaker: SCS Electronic Power select, GDC/ECA.
T-001:27:02 Armstrong: Going to GDC/ECA.
T-001:26:59 Speaker: BMAG 1 and 2 Power select to On.
T-001:26:48 Armstrong: BMAG 1 and 2 going On.
T-001:26:46 Speaker: Okay, SCL, record your time and let me know when you get your lights off.
Wendt: MSTC, Pad Leader
T-001:26:40 STC: Go.
Wendt: Verify completion of 24 5 7.
T-001:26:34 STC: Roger. Stand by.
T-001:26:31 STC: Okay, Guenter. On 470, give us a stamp number on the BPC.
Wendt: Roger. Stand by.
Speaker: CMP, CC1TC.
Aldrin: Go ahead.
Speaker: We're ready for one on a waf[garble].
Aldrin: Roger, verifies 16 Nancy.
T-001:26:05 Speaker: Alright. Uh, Pad Leader, proceed with your White Room securing. A report when you're complete and we'll need a stamp on then.
Wendt: Roger, will do.
Speaker: EC, this is SCS. Could you do 473?
T-001:25:40 Speaker: Roger, proceeding 473. CDR. Panel 7, FDAI GPI Power select to Both.
T-001:25:31 Armstrong: Okay. FDAI GPI power going Both.
T-001:25:27 Speaker: CMP. Panel 2, Caution and Warning to Acknowledge.
T-001:25:22 Aldrin: Thank you, [garble - could be a name].
T-001:25:20 Speaker: Alright. SCR, record your data there. Let me know when you're finished.
Speaker: Roger.
Speaker: SCS, complete.
T-001:24:58 Speaker: Okay, SCS, we'll stand by here for a second.
T-001:24:45 Speaker: Okay. We [garble].
T-001:24:43 Speaker: Okay. We'll proceed with the GDC power on sequence, 476. CDR. Panel 1, FDAI select to 1.
T-001:24:34 Armstrong: FDAI select, number 1.
T-001:24:32 Speaker: And source attitude set.
T-001:24:30 Armstrong: Att set.
T-001:24:28 Speaker: Attitude set, roll thumbwheel, 162.
T-001:24:23 Armstrong: And that's complete.
T-001:24:21 Speaker: Pitch, 090.
T-001:24:20 Armstrong: Complete.
T-001:24:19 Speaker: Yaw, 0.
T-001:24:18 Armstrong: Complete.
T-001:00:00 Speaker: -01:24:17 Okay, GDC Align until ball 1 is stabilized and your errors are null
T-001:24:13 Armstrong: Roger.
T-001:23:52 Armstrong: GDC Align's complete.
T-001:23:49 Speaker: Alright. Your attitude set roll thumbwheel, 168.
T-001:23:36 Armstrong: Roll thumbwheel, 168.
T-001:23:33 Speaker: Pitch 081.
T-001:23:23 Armstrong: 081 on the pitch.
T-001:23:21 Speaker: Yaw 355.
T-001:23:07 Armstrong: 355.
T-001:23:04 Speaker: 4 Roger. 476 verified.
T-001:23:01 Speaker: Alright, CDR, on your ball 1 errors, verify roll full right.
T-001:22:57 Armstrong: Verified.
T-001:22:56 Speaker: Pitch full up.
T-001:22:55 Armstrong: Verified.
T-001:22:54 Speaker: Yaw full right.
T-001:22:52 Armstrong: Verified.
T-001:22:51 Speaker: Select ball 2.
T-001:22:46 Armstrong: Ball 2.
T-001:22:45 Speaker: Okay, now verify that your ball 2 errors are the same as you had on ball 1.
T-001:22:42 Armstrong: Verified.
T-001:22:41 Speaker: Okay.
T-001:22:38 Speaker: Alright. CDR, panel 1, GDC Align until ball 2 is stabilized and your errors are nulled.
T-001:22:32 Armstrong: Roger.
T-001:22:22 Armstrong: That's complete.
T-001:22:20 Speaker: -01:22:20 Alright. CDR, panel 1, your attitude set roll thumbwheel 162.
T-001:22:13 Speaker: AST[garble] 2-14.
T-001:22:11 Speaker: Ah, you're on...
T-001:22:10 Armstrong: That's complete.
T-001:22:08 Speaker: Alright. Pitch, 090.
T-001:21:56 Armstrong: That's complete.
T-001:21:54 Speaker: Yaw, 0.
T-001:21:44 Armstrong: That's complete.
Speaker: SCS is Go.
T-001:21:38 Speaker: Okay, SCS. Uh, CDR. On your ball 2 errors, verify roll, full left.
T-001:21:32 Armstrong: Verified.
T-001:21:31 Speaker: Pitch, full down.
T-001:21:25 Armstrong: Pitch, full down.
T-001:21:24 Speaker: And yaw, full left.
T-001:21:23 Armstrong: Full left.
Speaker: SCL to full.
T-001:21:21 Speaker: Roger, Uh, CDR, panel 1, select ball 1.
T-001:21:10 Armstrong: [Garble]ger [doesn't sound quite like roger], select ball 1. Is that correct?
T-001:21:07 Speaker: Roger.
T-001:21:05 Armstrong: We have ball 1.
T-001:21:03 Speaker: -01:21:03 Okay, now verify your ball 1 attitude errors are the same as you had on ball 2.
T-001:21:00 Armstrong: -01:21:00 Verified
Speaker: GDC Align until ball 1 is set stabilized
T-001:20:43 Armstrong: That's complete.
Speaker: Okay, on your ball 1, total attitude verify roll, 162.
T-001:20:38 Armstrong: Verified.
Speaker: Pitch, 090
T-001:20:36 Armstrong: Verified.
Speaker: Yaw, 0.
T-001:20:34 Armstrong: Verified.
Speaker: Roger, next thing coming up is the gimbal drive and trim checks. We'll stand by here and get a status on the launch vehicle activities.
Wendt: STC, Pad Leader.
STC: Go.
Wendt: Sequence 4-70. All the steps are complete.
STC: Okay. Give me a stamp number.
Wendt: Pass verified 16N [or M].
STC: Okay, Pad Leader, we're running right now at about 1 hour 20 minutes. I think what we're going to do is keep you out there until about 1 hour, 5 minutes.
Wendt: Pad Leader. Copy.
STC: That'll be getting you out of there about ten minutes ahead of the [garble].
Wendt: Oh, Roger.
Speaker: Roger.
Wendt: [Garble] and the sky looks real pretty out here.
Speaker: It's beautiful.
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Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control; T minus 1 hour, 20 minutes, 55 seconds and counting. All still Go with the countdown for Apollo 11 at this time. At this point in the countdown, spacecraft commander Neil Armstrong once again appears to be the busiest worker in the spacecraft as he is performing a series of alignment checks associated with the guidance system in the spacecraft. He's working these checks with the Spacecraft Test Conductor as the Spacecraft Test Conductor reads out the various procedures and Armstrong responds to them. The astronauts aboard the spacecraft also were informed by the Spacecraft Conductor a short while ago that the launch vehicle is Go at this time. The hydrogen problem that we did encounter earlier has been solved. "That's real good news," said Armstrong and then he went back to work shortly thereafter. We're now coming up on the 1-hour, 20-minute mark in the countdown; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
T-001:18:42 STC: Okay, uh, CDR. We're about, oh, five minutes away from this, uh, angle of attack reading from the launch vehicle and, uh, I think I'll hold up on the gimble drive checks. Uh, I don't want to get in the middle of that and have to stop for the, uh, angle of attack reading.
T-001:18:25 Armstrong: Okay.
T-001:18:22 STC: We're in good shape, Neil.
T-001:18:21 Armstrong: -01:18:21 [Garble.]
T-001:16:51 STC: -01:16:51 Alright, sequence 468 is verified.
T-001:16:48 STC: -01:16:48 Right, CMP, on panel 2, your Uptel IU switch to Block.
T-001:16:43 Aldrin: -01:16:43 UpTel IU to block.
T-001:16:09 STC: -01:16:09 Alright. Pad Leader, STC.
Wendt: [Garble] STC.
T-001:16:04 STC: Okay, I have another, uh, step in here with some stamps, uh. We want you - when you leave, we want you to return one EAP(or EEP) QCS is 499.
Wendt: Roger, we will verify when we leave.
T-001:15:52 STC: Okay. And you verified your White Room securing was complete.
Wendt: Affirmative.
T-001:15:48 STC: Have you done your final inspection?
Wendt: Uh, we'll wait a couple more minutes on that.
T-001:15:43 STC: Okay. Let me know when that's finished and I need a stamp.
T-001:13:21 STC: Pad Leader, STC.
Wendt: Go ahead.
T-001:13:18 Speaker: Okay. We have a clearance to send you out at 1:10 as soon as you finish.
Wendt: Roger.
Wendt: MSTC, Pad Leader.
T-001:12:49 STC: -01:12:49 Go ahead.
Wendt: Sequence 2(or Q?) 4-99 complete.
T-001:12:45 STC: Stamp.
Wendt: That's a verify - 16 Nancy.
T-001:12:42 Speaker: Alright, Pad Leader. We'll keep you there for about three more minutes.
Wendt: Roger, standing by.
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Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control; T minus 1 hour, 11 minutes, 55 seconds and counting. The countdown for Apollo 11 still going very satisfactorily at this time. In most cases, we're a matter of 5 or 10 minutes ahead of the countdown procedures. The crew in the White Room at the 320-foot level who have been aiding the astronauts up to this time are just in the process of finishing up their work. They've been advised by the Spacecraft Test Conductor that they'll probably be able to move out in about 3 minutes or so. Once this is accomplished, once the close-out crew does depart, we'll be ready to move that swing-arm back, swing-arm 9. It will be moved 12 degrees away from the spacecraft hatch; this is about 5 feet [1.5 metres] away from the hatch. Once this is accomplished, we will arm the pyrotechnic systems in the spacecraft so in the event of a possible catastrophic condition below them with the launch vehicle, while still on the pad, the astronauts could fire that escape rocket and separate from the rocket in difficulty. The crew - close-out crew about to depart at this time. That swing-arm remains about 12 degrees away from the spacecraft hatch as mentioned - 5 feet or so until the 5-minute mark in the count when it's fully retracted to its fall-back position. The obvious reason here is in the event we do have to get the astronauts out in a hurry, the swing-arm is in a stand-by position and could be moved rapidly back to the hatch - to the hatch level, so the astronauts could depart in the event of an emergency. We're coming up on T minus 1 hour, 10 minutes and 20 seconds; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
STC: Uh, CDR, stand by to read your angle of attack.
T-001:11:34 Armstrong: Standby.
STC: One, Mark - read it.
T-001:11:27 Armstrong: Reading 83, 8 3.
STC: 83 copy, AMRAC(?).
Armstrong: AMRAC(?) reads fif-[garble].
STC: Alright, QC we'll pick up on 482. CDR, on panel 8, your SPS, Pitch 1, Batt Able, Closed.
T-001:11:01 Armstrong: SPS pitch 1 Batt Able. [Pause.] Stand by one.
STC: I've got another one for you up there also.
T-001:10:46 Armstrong: Okay. Pitch 1, Batt Able to In - Closed
STC: And Yaw 1, Batt Able, Closed.
Armstrong: They're closed
STC: Alright. Pad Leader, [garble].
STC: Pad Leader, STC. [Pause.] Pad Leader, STC. [Pause.] Pad Leader, STC 214. [Pause.] Pad Leader, STC 214.
STC: Uh, CDR, you still read?
Armstrong: Yeah, we read you loud and clear.
STC: Okay. I'm not getting through to the Pad Leader out there.
Armstrong: Okay. We'll...
Wendt: Uh, [garble] Pad Leader. We are copying you.
STC: Okay. Well, we sure didn't get an answer from you Guenter.
Wendt: Okay. Sorry
STC: Okay. You can clear the complex at this time.
Wendt: Roger. We will.
T-001:09:29 STC: Alright. LMP on panel 5, your Bus Ties on.
T-001:09:24 Collins: Bus Ties, Up and Up.
T-001:09:18 STC: CDR, panel 1, SCS TVC Pitch and Yaw to Rate Command.
T-001:09:11 Armstrong: Put in Rate Command.
T-001:09:09 STC: Alright. On panel 7, your TVC Servo Power 1 to AC1, Main A.
T-001:09:05 Armstrong: 1 going AC1, Main A.
STC: 2 AC2, main B.
Armstrong: 2 AC2, main B.
STC: Panel 1, your launch vehicle SPS indicator SII/SIVB to GPI.
Armstrong: Roger. It's in GPI.
STC: ROT controller power normal 2 to AC.
Armstrong: Roger. Going AC on number 2.
STC: Alright. Arm your ROT controller.
Armstrong: Alright.
STC: Alright. Start your primary motors.
Armstrong: Roger [Pause.] 'kay, I got the primaries on.
STC: Okay, check the [garble].
Armstrong: [Garble] verified.
STC: Alright. [Garble] off.
Armstrong: Complete.
STC: Alright. Check your MTVC verify response.
Armstrong: Verified.
STC: Okay. On panel 1, SCS TVC pitch and yaw to auto.
Armstrong: In auto.
STC: Alright. Start your secondary motors.
Armstrong: I have those secondaries on.
STC: Alright. Your, uh, T Controller clockwise and hold.
Armstrong: Okay. Understand Translation Controller clockwise and hold.
STC: Roger.
Armstrong: You got it?
STC: Yep.
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Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Launch Control at 1 hour, 7 minutes, 25 seconds and counting; countdown still proceeding satisfactorily. For those people who would like to synchronize their watches in relation to the count, we'll synchronize on 26 minutes past the hour, which is now about 65 seconds away. We'll count down the last 5 seconds to 26 minutes past the hour. We're now one minute away from 26 minutes past the hour. In the meantime, we do have information from the Civil Defense Agency in the area. The estimate is more than a million persons are in the immediate area in Brevard County to watch the launch. Now 40 seconds away from 26 minutes past the hour. Civil Defense Agency reports further that there is extensive heavy traffic, a number of traffic jams, particularly in the area of Titusville and the US1 and Route 50. Countdown still progressing satisfactorily. 15 seconds away from 26 minutes. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Mark. 8:26 am Eastern Daylight Time. We're now 1 hour, 5 minutes 55 seconds and counting as it was announced at that point. This is Kennedy Launch Control.
STC: Check your thumbwheel drive.
Armstrong: That's complete.
STC: Thumbwheel to zero.
Armstrong: Zero.
STC: Right. Check your TVC. Verify response.
Armstrong: Verified.
STC: Okay. Your SPS gimbal motor, uh, your secondary's Off
Armstrong: Secondary's coming off. [Pause.] Secondary's Off.
STC: Okay. 490 is verified.
STC: Okay. Check your MTVC and verify no response.
Armstrong: Verified
STC: Right, [garble]
Armstrong: Neutral
STC: Alright, want to know when that, when your [garble] cueball pitch and yaw needles are way off. Your pitch is -1.54
Armstrong: -1.54 (pause) Set.
STC: And yaw +1.32
Armstrong: got that
STC: Okay, primaries off
Armstrong: Right, primaries coming off. (pause) They're off.
STC: Alright, your ROT controller power normal 2 to AC/DC.
Armstrong: AC/DC
STC: SPS TCX pitch and yaw to rate command
Armstrong: They're in rate command
STC: Lock your RHC
Armstrong: Locked
STC: [Garble] your main bus ties off, set auto
Collins: main bus ties off to auto
STC: Okay, CDR panel 7, TVC servo power 1 and 2 off
Armstrong: servo power's going off
STC: panel 1 - launch vehicle - did you get both 1 and 2 off? Uh
Armstrong: Roger, 1 and 2 are off.
STC: Okay, panel 1, launch vehicle SPS indicator SII/SIVB to SII/SIVB.
Armstrong: In SII/SIVB
STC: On panel 1, FDAI select to one half.
Armstrong: We have one half.
STC: Source CMC
Armstrong: CMC
STC: Alright, on your ball 1, total attitude, verify roll 162
Armstrong: verified
STC: pitch 090
Armstrong: verified
STC: yaw 0
Armstrong: verified
STC: Okay, we'll go into the EMS RFI setup at this time. On panel 1, CDR, your entry EMS roll switch auto
T-001:04:45 Armstrong: EMS roll going on
T-001:04:42 STC: -01:04:42 Alright, push and hold your GDC Align
T-001:04:37 Armstrong: Uh, put 05-G switch on, turned it back off, and then turned EMS roll switch on.
STC: Okay, understand.
Armstrong: Okay, go ahead
STC: Push and hold your GDC Align
Armstrong: Complete
STC: Alright, are you still holding it Neil?
Armstrong: No, I'm holding it now. I came off of it for a second.
STC: Okay, now with your attitude set yaw thumbwheel, adjust through 45 degrees and observe the RSI does track.
Armstrong: Okay, 45 degrees.
STC: Alright, now adjust until the RSI points up.
Armstrong: Okay [Long pause.] That's complete.
STC: Okay, can release your GDC Align.
Armstrong: Roger.
STC: And Entry EMS roll switch to off.
Armstrong: It's off.
STC: Okay, we'll go ahead to the GDC to [garble] re-align. Panel 1, your FDAI select to one.
Armstrong: On one.
STC: Source attitude set.
Armstrong: Att set.
STC: Attitude set IMU.
Armstrong: IMU.
STC: Okay, with your attitude set [garble]
Armstrong: That's complete.
STC: Panel 1, attitude set to GDC.
Armstrong: Complete.
STC: Okay, do a GDC Align.
Armstrong: Complete.
STC: FDAI source to CMC.
Armstrong: Complete.
STC: Select one half
Armstrong: Complete.
STC: We're going into the EMS delta V set. On panel 1, your EMS mode switch to standby.
Armstrong: Standby
STC: EMS function select delta V set VHF Ranging
Armstrong: Going Delta-V set VHF raga(?)
STC: Okay. Want you to set in 6999.9
Armstrong: Rog. [Long pause.] That's complete.
STC: Okay. EMS function select to delta V.
Armstrong: Delta V
STC: Alright. 499's verified 500 is verified. CMP, panel 2, caution and warning to boost.
Aldrin: Caution and Warning to boost.
STC: [garble]
STC: Alright. George, release your VHF APS while, uh, the LMP is keyed.
Spreker: Roger that.
STC: Okay. LMP, we want you to depress your control hand transmit switch until we advise you to release while we make these readouts.
Collins: Okay
STC: Alright. Proceed.
Collins: Transmit switch is held down.
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Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control; T minus 61 minutes and counting - T minus 61 minutes on the Apollo 11 countdown, and all elements are Go at this time. Astronaut Neil Armstrong has just completed a series of checks on that big Service Propulsion System engine that sits below him in the stack. We want to assure ourselves before lift-off that that engine can respond to commands from inside the spacecraft. As Neil Armstrong moved his rotational hand controller we assured ourselves that the engine did respond by swivelling or gimballing. This is, of course, is important for maneuvers in space. The countdown is still proceeding very satisfactorily other than two minor problems since we picked up the count at 11pm Eastern Daylight Time last night, all has gone well. As we approach the one-hour mark now in the count, a series of radio frequency and telemetry checks will be in progress with the launch vehicle. We'll also check out the tracking beacons in the Instrument Unit that travels as a guidance system for the Saturn V during the powered phase of flight. Now 59 minutes, 48 seconds and counting; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
STC: Okay. Apollo 11, we've just passed, uh, 60 minutes on the clock and we're about 45 minutes to the procedure.
Speaker: Okay.
Speaker: Just as long as you don't launch us 15 minutes early.
STC: Okay, then. Uh, we will be going for an early, uh, swing arm retract, uh, Apollo 11.
Speaker: 'kay.
STC: Okay. Sequence 509, LMP on panel 3, your UpTel Command switch to Normal.
Collins: Okay, UpTel Command switch to Normal.
STC: CDR. Panel 7, EDS Power switch On, Up.
Armstrong: EDS Power, On, Up.
Armstrong: ES pull(?) 1, 2, and 3 are On.
STC: Roger. [Pause.] Okay, we're gonna to stand by here until, uh, the swing arm is retracted, then we'll get our buses armed.
Collins: That Up Telemetry, uh, switch went through Normal to Command Reset momentarily and then I pushed back to Normal, if that makes any difference to you, Skip.
STC: Okay. Thank you.
SMCSE: STC, SMCSE. LMP can release push talk button.
STC: LMP, copy?
Collins: Okay, push-talk release.
STC: LMP, a little reminder, when we get the swing arm to the parked position, we'll go to latch on your gear box.
Collins: Okay.
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Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We've just passed the 56-minute mark in our countdown. We're still proceeding in an excellent manner at this time. All elements reporting in that all systems continuing to look good at this point. We're still aiming toward our planned lift-off at the start of the lunar window, 9:32 am Eastern Daylight. A short while ago, in fact the Spacecraft Test Conductor Skip [Chauvin... break in recordings and transcript] ...we were doing quite well, in fact some 15 minutes ahead on some aspects of the preparation spacecraft-wise. Armstrong replied that was fine, just as long as we don't launch 15 minutes early, obviously referring to the start of the window. The countdown, still going well. T minus 55 minutes, 10 seconds and counting; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
Speaker: SPD to SMCT(?)
Speaker: Go ahead.
Speaker: We understand the LMP hit the Command Reset in the, uh, the, uh, in the EDL...
Speaker: It was the UpTel Command switch?
Speaker: Did he say he reset that?
Collins: That's affirmative. I went from off, uh, through Normal, to Command Reset, back to Off, or correction, back to Normal.
Speaker: Okay. That nullifies our sequence 4-12, STC.
STC: Your sequence 4-12.
Speaker: Roger that. We had a real time command set in there.
STC: Right. What do you need to do?
Speaker: Uh, we want to slash [garble] have Flight resend 64 and 71.
STC: Flight, you got that?
Speaker: Okay, CMP verifies no change in TCMA.
STC: Okay. Are you see - looking now, or uh, CMP?
Aldrin: Roger. We're okay now.
STC: Okay. Thank you.
T-000:52:43 STC: Okay. The swing arm will be coming back in about two and a half minutes. CQ, while we're waiting, we'll pick up on 5-25. [Pause.] Uh, CDR, I have an altimeter elevation setting for you.
T-000:52:26 Armstrong: Go ahead.
T-000:52:25 STC: 3770.
T-000:52:22 Armstrong: 3770.
T-000:52:21 STC: Roger. And the baro is 1945, QC.
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Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We've passed the 51-minute mark in our countdown. We're now at T minus 50 minutes, 51 seconds and counting. Apollo 11 countdown is still Go at this time. All elements reporting ready at this point in the countdown. The spacecraft - correction - the Test Supervisor Bill Schick has advised all hands here in the control center, and the spacecraft checkout people, that in about 30 seconds that big swing arm that has been attached to the spacecraft up to now will be moved back to a parked position some 5 feet [1.5 metres] away from the spacecraft. We alert the astronauts because there is a little jolt when the swing arm is moved away. It will remain in that position, some 5 feet away from the spacecraft, until the 5-minute mark in the count when it's completely pulled back to its retracted position. It's coming up now, in 5 seconds the swing arm will come back. Mark. The swing arm now coming back from the spacecraft. The countdown proceeding satisfactorily. We've completed our telemetry checks with the launch vehicle and, at this point, with the swing arm back, we arm the pyrotechnics so that escape tower atop the astronauts, atop their spacecraft, could be used if a catastrophic condition was going to occur under them with the launch vehicle from this point on down in the countdown. We have the high speed elevator located at the 320-foot level in the event the astronauts have to get out in a hurry. This is a special precaution. One of the members of the support team for Apollo 11, Astronaut Bill Pogue, is here in the firing room. He acts as the Capsule Communicator during the countdown. His call sign is Stoney. He controls that elevator. He now has it locked at the 320-foot level. These are special precautions for safety purposes during the final phase of the count. Now coming up on the 49-minute in the countdown, this is Kennedy Launch Control.
STC: On my mark, swing arm 9 will be retracted to the parked position. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Mark.
T-000:49:58 Speaker: Okay. The swing arm's coming back.
T-000:49:56 STC: I got - LMP, on your hatch gear box, go to latch.
T-000:49:54 Collins: Okay. Gear box to latch.
T-000:49:50 STC: Alright. [Garble] verify.
Speaker: Verify.
T-000:49:34 STC: 5-14 verified. CDR, panel 1, Command Module RCS Logic switch, On, Up.
T-000:49:27 Armstrong: CM RCS Logic going On, up.
T-000:49:21 STC: On panel 8, your SECS Arm A and B circuit breakers, Closed.
T-000:49:17 Armstrong: Okay. SECS Arm, uh, A and B circuit breakers, Closed.
T-000:49:08 STC: Logic A and B circuit breakers, Closed.
T-000:49:05 Armstrong: Logic A and B circuit breakers, Closed.
T-000:49:00 STC: Logic 1 and 2 switches, On, up.
T-000:48:58 Armstrong: Logic switches are On.
T-000:48:57 STC: Alright. Verify logic proceed's(?) light, Off, logic bus armed light is On. I'll verify the, uh, safe lights. Logic bus A 31. Logic bus B is 31.
STC: Alright. Sequencer, you go for power arm?
Speaker: Can we wait about 30 seconds to verify STS(?) safe?
STC: Why sure.
T-000:47:48 STC: Okay. Sequencer, we've got to get those buses armed.
T-000:47:45 Speaker: Alright. We're Go.
T-000:47:44 STC: Alright. CDR, panel 8, your SECS Pyro Arm A and B, Arm.
T-000:47:40 Armstrong: Roger. Pyros going armed.
T-000:47:35 STC: Sequencer?
Speaker: Uh, pyro bus safe light off, pyro bus [garble] armed, pyro bus A 37, B is 37.2.
T-000:47:23 STC: Alright. 5-18 is verified.
STC: CMP, panel 2, your H2 fans 1 and 2 to Off.
Aldrin: Roger. H2 fans, Off.
STC: Verify(?).
Aldrin: Roger, H2 fans, Off.
STC: Okay. Now your O2 fans 1, 2, Off.
Aldrin: Okay. Fans are off.
STC: Okay. RCS, you go for pressurization?
Speaker: Roger. Go.
STC: Alright. CMP, on panel 2, your Service Module RCS Helium 1; A, B, C, and D switches, On, up and release, verify grays.
T-000:46:49 Aldrin: Roger. Helium 1, A, B, C, and D coming On. (pause) And 4 gray.
T-000:46:40 STC: Alright. On your Service Module RCS helium 2 A, B, C, and D on up and release, verify gray.
T-000:46:36 Aldrin: Roger. Helium 2, four of 'em... are gray.
T-000:46:30 STC: Alright. On your secondary propellant fuel pressure A, B, C, and D, Close and release.
T-000:46:23 Aldrin: Secondary propellant, Close and release.
T-000:46:19 STC: Alright. RCS, Service Module RCS helium aux iso A, B, C, and D to on.
Aldrin: That's verified.
T-000:46:05 STC: Okay. We're going to have to hold up on arming the propellants until the clock catches up with us. We're about minus 20 minutes, uh, 25 minutes in the procedure and the clock's on about 45.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We've passed the 46-minute mark in our countdown. T minus 45 minutes, 52 seconds and counting. All elements still Go in the countdown at this time. The hard worker in the spacecraft at this point in the countdown, astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the middle seat. He's been working with the Spacecraft Test Conductor on setting up proper switch settings in preparation for pressurizing their Reaction Control System. These are these big thrusters on the side of the Service Module. There's actually 16 of them in 4 quadrants around the Service Module. They are used for maneuvers in space. We pressurize that system before lift-off. That particular operation will be coming up in some 5 minutes or so. In preparation for it, Buzz Aldrin, who has most of the switches in front of him, has been preparing for that particular event. The launch vehicle people keeping an eye on the status of the various propellants aboard the Saturn V launch vehicle. Just at lift-off, we will have a vehicle weighing close to 6 and a half million pounds on the launch pad. There's more than a million gallons of propellants aboard the three stages of the Saturn V. The reports here in the control center are the propellants are stable. We did take a look a little while ago at the RP-1, the high-grade kerosene fuel that's used in the first stage of the Saturn V, to make sure it was at its proper level. We keep an eye on these various aspects throughout the count, and use the aid of computers to keep an overall look on general status. So now at T minus 44 minutes, 21 seconds and counting; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
The lowest of the Saturn's main tanks was filled with 810,000 litres of RP-1 three weeks earlier. RP stands for 'rocket propellant' which in this case has been highly refined to minimise the fuel's sulphur content. The range of lengths of the molecule chains that make up the fuel was reduced to around 12 carbons to ensure more consistent and predictable combustion properties. The level in the tank was checked again at T-13 hours and again at T-1 hour.
All three stages use liquid oxygen (LOX) as the oxidiser component in the burning process. It has been rendered liquid by being cooled to about -183°C, just below its boiling point thereby allowing large quantities to be carried in huge tanks. At nine hours before launch, nitrogen gas is pumped through the tanks to purge out air and water vapour contaminants. Six and a half hours before launch, the tanks are precooled to prepare them for the loading of LOX. The S-IC requires 1.3 million litres, that for the S-II takes 331,000 litres and the S-IVB's LOX tank requires 77,000 litres.
Filling these tanks with such cold liquids requires a little finesse. Initially, the LOX is fed at a slow rate which furiously boils as it contacts the relatively warm tank structure. The vapourisation of the LOX takes heat away until a pool of liquid begins to form at the bottom. When enough liquid has collected, filling steps up to a fast rate until the tanks are nearly full. The slow rate is then reestablished to top them off. From then on, until three minutes before launch, the level is replenished as the volatile LOX continues to boil off from heat leaking into the tank.
The fuel for the S-II and S-IVB stages is liquid hydrogen (LH2). Like LOX, it must be cooled to render it liquid, this time to -253°C which is only 20K above absolute zero. Conditioning the LH2 tanks is more involved because all gases will freeze in the presence of liquid hydrogen except helium. Once clear of contaminants, the tanks are cooled to accept the propellants by first passing cold helium gas through the system then feeding propellant at a slow rate and allowing it to boil off, taking heat with it in a process similar to that for the LOX tanks. After filling at a fast rate, and to compensate for loss due to boil-off, both tanks are replenished until about three minutes before launch when the tanks are pressurised. Up to the launch, pressurising helium gas is supplied from the ground. After launch, the boil-off of the propellants is enough to maintain pressure. For the S-IVB, additional pressurising gas comes from a set of helium spheres mounted on the stage.
STC: Okay. Stony, STC.
Stony: Go STC.
Speaker: Uh, Stony, while we're waiting here, we're running some 20 minutes ahead right now, uh, let's do a quick little check on the astro launch circuit. Why don't you put the, um, put the umbilical on the astrolaunch and make quick check.
Stony: Okay.
STC: You okay?
T-000:44:24 Stony: CDR, read you loud and clear, Stony.
T-000:43:45 Armstrong: Reading you loud and clear.
T-000:43:40 Armstrong: STC, CDR. Loud and clear.
LOM (Donnelly): CDR, LOM. How do you read?
T-000:43:32 Armstrong: LOM, CDR. Loud and clear.
LOM (Donnelly): Roger. Stand by.
STC: Stony, we're back on 2-14.
T-000:43:13 Speaker: Okay, CDR. You back with us?
T-000:43:09 Armstrong: Yeah, we are.
Speaker: CDR, uh, you guys comfortable up there, suit temperature all right?
Armstrong: Very nice this morning.
Speaker: Very good.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We've passed the 41-minute mark in our count. T minus 40 minutes, 53 seconds and counting. We are continuing, and we're continuing very excellently at this time. There are no problems that have been reported in as the countdown continues to click down. We're still aiming for the start of our window on this, the first flight to land men on the Moon. Our - we're aiming toward our planned lift-off time of 9:32 am Eastern Daylight Time. Coming up shortly will be a key test here in the firing room, as far as the launch vehicle people are concerned. It's a - some final checks of the destruct system aboard the three stages of the Saturn V launch vehicle. In the event, during powered flight, that the vehicle strayed rather violently off course, the Range Safety Officer could take action to destroy the vehicle which obviously would occur after the astronauts were separated by their escape tower from the faulty vehicle. We make a check of the destruct system to assure that if a signal is required to get through, that, in fact, it will. This is what is coming up here in the control center at this time. All aspects of the mission still Go. We're at T minus 39 minutes, 47 seconds and counting. This is Kennedy Launch Control.
Range safety is concerned with ensuring that if the rocket were to go wayward, it would do so without threatening injury or death to those on the ground. The Saturn's propellant tanks have shaped explosive charges attached. In the event the launch vehicle cannot be controlled, these would be detonated to open the tanks and ensure their contents are dispersed while at altitude. The charges for the fuel tanks are placed on the opposite side of the vehicle from those for the oxidiser tanks so as to minimise the degree to which the propellants would mix as they are dispersing.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We've passed the 36-minute mark in our countdown; T minus 35 minutes, 48 seconds and counting. We've completed those range safety command checks. All still going well with the countdown. A short while ago Spacecraft Test Conductor Skip Chauvin asked Neil Armstrong if the crew was comfortable up there, and Neil reported back. He said its - "We're very comfortable - it's very nice this morning." For a status report, we'll now switch to Mission Control, Houston.
The next announcement comes from the PAO at Mission Control in Houston, rather than the Launch Control Center at Cape Kennedy, Florida.]
This is Apollo Mission Control. Flight Director Cliff Charlesworth's team is on station here in the Mission Operations Control Room, ready to assume the control of this flight at tower clearance. There is a possibility that Apollo 11 will check out the Command Module color TV camera during the first Earth revolution while in contact with the Goldstone station. If this checkout does occur, we acquire Goldstone at 1 hour, 29 minutes elapsed time. We have Loss Of Signal at 1 hour, 33 minutes, 50 seconds elapsed time. This TV camera checkout is a possibility. This is Mission Control, Houston.
The commentary now resumes with the PAO at Launch Control, Florida.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We've just passed the 31-minute mark in our count. At T minus 30 minutes, 52 seconds and counting; aiming toward our planned lift-off time of 32 minutes past the hour, the start of our launch window on this, the mission to land men on the Moon. The countdown still proceeding very satisfactorily at this time. We've just got by an important test with the launch vehicle checking out the various batteries in the three stages and Instrument Unit of the Saturn V. We remain on external power through most of the count to preserve those batteries which must be used during the powered flight. We've just taken a look at them by going internal and then switching back to external again. The batteries all look good. The next time we go internal will be at the 50-second mark with those batteries and they will remain, of course, on internal power during the flight. The Lunar Module, which has been rather inactive during these latter phases of the count also is going on internal power at this time on the 2 batteries on the ascent stage and the 4 batteries of the descent stage. For the next 20 minutes we'll take a look at some systems in the Lunar Module, then power down at about the 10-minute mark in the count, power down the telemetry to preserve the power of the LM. The Lunar Module on Apollo 11, of course, when it separates from the Command Module in lunar orbit, will have the call sign Eagle. The Command Module call sign, once the two vehicles separate, will be Columbia. Both Columbia and Eagle are Go at this time. At 29 minutes, 24 seconds and counting; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
Workers prepare the S-IVB for mating of the Instrument Unit
KSC-69-HC-339 - Workers prepare the S-IVB for mating of the Instrument Unit (pictured left). Photo filed 21 March 1969 - Scan by Kipp Teague.
At the very top of the launch vehicle, between the S-IVB and the spacecraft, is a ring, only 1-metre-tall, called the IU (Instrument Unit). The ring's diameter matches the rocket stage below it. It carries systems primarily concerned with the guidance and control of the vehicle. These include a digital computer, an analogue flight computer and an gyroscopically stabilised platform mounted within three gimbals. This platform's ability to stabilise itself is such that without external influence it would stay in a constant orientation with respect to the stars even while Earth turns and it would therefore appear to slowly rotate, even though it is actually Earth that is rotating. This is an effect known as gyrocompassing. However, while the launch vehicle is sitting on the pad, the platform must not gyrocompass. Instead, its pitch or Y axis should be at right angles to the intended heading of the vehicle, a heading which depends on the precise time of launch.
In Apollo 11's case, a 9:32 am launch requires that the Saturn's groundtrack away from the launch pad will be on a bearing of 72.058°. Therefore, the platform is aligned so that the minus-Z axis lies along that heading (or azimuth) and a servo system holds it there, not allowing it to respond to Earth's rotation. This is achieved using a theodolite located 210 metres directly south of the vehicle which shines a beam of light through a window in the skin of the IU and another in the casing that surrounds the platform. The platform's orientation with respect to the theodolite will be maintained until just 17 seconds before launch. After that, it is released and will maintain its orientation with respect to the stars.
When the Saturn V sits on the pad, its axes are aligned with the points of the compass. But in order to fly along the intended heading, it must carry out a roll manoeuvre as soon as it has cleared the tower. This will align the vehicle's coordinate system with that of the platform. From then on, simply by carrying out a pitch manoeuvre, the vehicle will begin its tilt towards the horizontal while flying along the desired heading.
STC: Alright. CMP, on panel 2, your Service Module RCS Propellant A, B, C, and D switches; On, up and release.
Aldrin: Roger. Service Module RCS Primary Propellant A, B, C, and D; open and release.
STC: Alright. Verify your primary and secondary grays.
Aldrin: Roger. Eight of 'em gray.
STC: Okay. Right, CMP. On panel 2, select Quad A and read it out for us.
Aldrin: Okay. Quad A is, uh, 78 degrees, 4,000, 185, 95 per cent.
STC: And your helium tank temp? [Pause.] CMP, your helium tank temp on Quad A?
Speaker: Uh, 72.
STC: Quad B?
T-000:29:00 Aldrin: Alright. Quad B 80 degrees, 4,100, 187, 94 per cent, and 68 degrees.
T-000:28:44 STC: Quad Charlie?
T-000:28:40 Aldrin: Okay. 79 degrees, 4,050, 190, and 100 per cent, and 72 degrees.
T-000:28:22 STC: Quad D?
T-000:28:17 Aldrin: Quad D 60 - make that 76 degrees, 4,050, 185, 98 per cent, 71 degrees.
T-000:27:56 STC: Alright. CMP, that looks good. Alright. 5-25 has been verified, MQLD, STC. MQLD, STC. 2-14. Alright, QLD verified sync on the S-Band PCM. And start your mag tape recorders and analog recorders. And the event also.
T-000:27:27 Speaker: Uh, Roger.
T-000:27:24 STC: Okay. Flight, STC, Alright verify no requirement for an update. Okay, if we need to make one later, we'll come back to that. 5-27 verified. 5-28 through 31 we will not do now. Alright, we have word from the launch vehicle, they have completed their transfer to internal power, per the test, and the LM is on internal power. Everything looks good. Okay, sequence 5-32, CDR on panel 8, we're going to set your auto RCS select switches.
T-000:26:42 Armstrong: Roger. Go.
T-000:26:41 STC: Alright. Your AC roll, all four off.
T-000:26:38 Armstrong: Four, Off.
T-000:26:37 STC: Your B and D roll, Baker 1 Main Able.
T-000:26:32 Armstrong: Main A.
T-000:26:30 STC: Dog 1, Main Baker.
T-000:26:28 Armstrong: Dog 1, Main B.
T-000:26:27 STC: Baker 2, Main Able.
T-000:26:25 Armstrong: Baker 2, Main Able.
T-000:26:23 STC: Dog 2, Main Baker.
T-000:26:20 Armstrong: Dog 2, Main B.
T-000:26:19 STC: On your pitch, Able 3, Main Baker.
T-000:26:18 Armstrong: Able 3, Main B.
T-000:26:16 STC: Charlie 3, Main Able.
T-000:26:12 Armstrong: Charlie 3, Main Able.
T-000:26:11 STC: Able 4, Main Able.
T-000:26:10 Armstrong: A 4, Main Able.
T-000:26:09 STC: Charlie 4, Main Baker.
T-000:26:08 Armstrong: Charlie 4, Main Baker.
T-000:26:06 STC: On your yaw, Baker 3, Main Able.
T-000:26:03 Armstrong: Baker 3, Main Able.
T-000:26:01 STC: Dog 3, Main Baker.
T-000:26:00 Armstrong: Dog 3, Main Baker.
T-000:25:59 STC: Baker 4, Main Baker.
T-000:25:57 Armstrong: Baker 4, Main Baker.
T-000:25:56 STC: And Dog 4, Main Able.
Armstrong: Dog 4, Main Able.
STC: Okay. We're at minus 15 minutes in the procedure and we're greater [garble].
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're just passed the 26-minute mark in the count; T minus 25 minutes, 53 seconds and counting; still proceeding very satisfactorily. At this time Spacecraft Test Conductor Skip Chauvin working with astronaut Buzz Aldrin in the middle seat covering the final pressurization of the Reaction Control System for the spacecraft. These are those big thrusters on the side of the Service Module that are used for maneuvers in space. Each one of these thrusters is capable of 100 pounds of thrust [445 newtons]; there are 16 of them located in 4 quadrants around the Service Module. We pressurize the system with helium prior to launch to make sure that all will be in readiness for use in space.
The countdown still proceeding satisfactorily. It picked up at the T minus 9-hour mark at 11:00 pm Eastern Daylight last evening. We've just had two comparatively minor problems since that time. The major portion of the countdown during the early morning hour; some five hours of work was taken to load the various propellants aboard the stages of the Saturn V launch vehicle. As we came into the count this morning, we did already have the fuel aboard the first stage, but it was necessary to bring the liquid oxygen aboard all three stages and the liquid hydrogen fuel aboard the second and third stages. Close to three-quarters of a million gallons of propellants were loaded during these 5 hours. Following that, the astronauts, the prime crew, were awakened at 4:15 am Eastern Daylight as planned in their countdown, and proceeded to have a physical examination in which they were declared flight-ready. They sat down for the normal astronaut fare on launch day, as far as breakfast is concerned; orange juice, steaks, scrambled eggs, toast and coffee. The three pilots were joined by two of their colleagues at breakfast, Director of Flight Crew Operations Deke Slayton, and the backup Command Module Pilot Bill Anders, who has been named the Executive Secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council. The astronauts departed from their crew quarters - After checking out their suits, they departed from the crew quarters at 6:27 am and some 27 minutes later, 8 miles away from the crew quarters at the Kennedy Space Center atop the launch pad at complex 39, 6:54 am, the commander, astronaut Neil Armstrong, was the first to board the spacecraft. He was followed about 5 minutes later by Mike Collins, and finally Buzz Aldrin, the man who is sitting in the middle seat during lift-off, was the third astronaut to come aboard.
Two minor problems have been encountered during the count. Early in the count, a malfunction light came on here in the control center indicating that we might have a communication problem at the launch pad. Nothing to do with the spacecraft, but it indicated we possibly might not be able to talk to some key technicians we had at the pad. The problem turned out to be very minor; a simple adjustment of some equipment beneath the pad remedied the problem. There was no, in fact, no equipment problem involved. The second problem, we did encounter a leaky valve in part of the equipment that's used to replenish the hydrogen fuel supply on the third stage of the Saturn V launch vehicle. A team of technicians were sent out to the launch pad at about the time the astronauts were traveling to the pad. They tightened some bolts and we were able to bypass this valve and proceed with our countdown. The weather is certainly Go. It's a beautiful morning for a launch to the Moon. We expect a temperature of about 85 degrees in the Kennedy Space Center area. The wind's about 10 miles - 10 knots, rather, from the southeast, and the weather conditions in the round-the-world track, according to reports from the Manned Space Flight Meteorology Group, indicate all weather conditions are acceptable for launch. That's our general status. We've just passed the 22-minute mark in the count. 21 minutes, 55 seconds and counting; this is Kennedy Launch Control.
STC: CBTS, MSTC111.
CBTS: Comm STC.
STC: Will spacecraft be going to full internal power right after we get our CTE update at T minus 15 minutes?
CBTS: CBTS, copies. Thank you.
STC: Rog.
T-000:18:00 Speaker: Minus 18 minutes.
CBTS: LOM, CBTS111.
LOM (Donnelly): Go.
CBTS: Go to channel 2-14 for astro-launch comm checks.
LOM (Donnelly): Strato by 2-14.
STC: MSTC copies that CBTS.
CBTS: Roger.
T-000:16:43 Speaker: They're not configured yet. They're waiting on MSTC to tell them to go.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We're now less than 16 minutes away from the planned lift-off of the Apollo 11 space vehicle. All still going well with the countdown at this time. The astronauts aboard the spacecraft have had a little chance to rest over the last few minutes or so. At least they haven't been busy with procedures with the Spacecraft Test Conductor. In the meantime we have been performing final checks on the tracking beacons in the Instrument Unit which is used as the guidance system during the powered phase of flight. Once we get down to the 3-minute-and-10-second mark in the countdown, we'll go on an automatic sequence. As far as the launch vehicle is concerned, all aspects from there on down will be automatic, run by the ground master computer here in the firing room. This will lead up to the 8.9-minute [means 'second'] mark in the countdown when the ignition sequence will begin in those five engines of the first stage, the S-IC stage of the Saturn V. At the 2-second mark we'll get information and a signal that all engines are running, and at the zero mark in the countdown, once we get the commit signal, the signal that says that the thrust is proper and acceptable, we then will get a commit and lift-off as the hold-down arms release the vehicle. We have some 7.6 million pounds of thrust pushing the vehicle upward, a vehicle that weighs close to 6½ million pounds. We're now at 14 minutes, 30 seconds and counting; and this is Kennedy Launch Control.
Speaker: Okay. INCO, Flight, standing by for you.
T-000:15:15 Speaker: Minus 15:15. Stand by for CTE update.
Speaker: CT- CTE update will go on my mark. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Mark.
T-000:14:59 Speaker: MRI sig.
Speaker: REC verifies CTE update.
Speaker: CTE update.
T-000:14:54 Speaker: Roger. 5-35 verfied, 5-36 verfied.
T-000:14:51 Speaker: CTE Service Module Motor switch closed to Off.
T-000:14:48 Speaker: Off now.
T-000:14:47 Speaker: Verify your light, get your [garble].
T-000:14:42 STC: Alright. LMP, on panel 3, your Batt Charlie, give me your voltage.
T-000:14:37 Collins: Stand by. Charlie, 35 Volts.
T-000:14:34 STC: That was 3-5?
T-000:14:32 Collins: 3-5.
T-000:14:31 STC: Alright. Return your selector to Main Able.
T-000:14:28 Collins: Able.
T-000:14:27 STC: APE power supply B to bus B off.
T-000:14:25 Speaker: Off now.
T-000:14:24 STC: Power supply B DC off.
T-000:14:22 Speaker: Off now.
T-000:14:21 STC: Power supply B AC start off.
T-000:14:19 Speaker: Off now.
T-000:14:18 STC: BPE power supply 2, 3, 4, 7 and 8 commit lockout on.
T-000:14:15 Speaker: Roger. Inserted.
T-000:14:14 STC: Execute verify.
T-000:14:11 Speaker: Executed now. Verified.
T-000:14:09 STC: CDR. On panel 1, on your ball 1 total attitude, verify roll 162.
T-000:14:03 Armstrong: Verified.
T-000:14:02 STC: Pitch, 090.
T-000:14:01 Armstrong: Verified.
T-000:14:00 STC: Yaw, 0.
T-000:13:59 Armstrong: Verified.
T-000:13:58 STC: BMAG mode roll, pitch and yaw to Rate Command, standby Rate 1.
T-000:13:54 Armstrong: Roger. BMAG mode's going Rate 1.
T-000:13:51 STC: Alright. FDAI scale to 55.
T-000:13:49 Armstrong: 55.
T-000:13:45 STC: Alright. CDR, panel 1, rate switch high.
T-000:13:42 Armstrong: Rate switch high.
Speaker: I'll verify the light.
T-000:13:38 STC: Right. CDR, and CMP, arm your ROT controllers and verify 'em.
T-000:13:29 Armstrong: CDR verified.
T-000:13:26 Aldrin: CMP verified.
T-000:13:25 STC: CDR, panel 1, ROT Controller Power, Direct 1 of 2, Main A, Main B.
T-000:13:21 Armstrong: Roger. Complete.
T-000:13:18 STC: CMC mode, Free.
T-000:13:15 Armstrong: CMC mode, Free.
T-000:13:14 STC: Trans Controller Power switch, On, up.
T-000:13:12 Armstrong: Trans are up.
T-000:13:10 STC: 5-46 verified. Alright. Stony, put the astro-launch on VHF.
Stony: Roger. CDR, Stony. How do you read?
T-000:12:57 Armstrong: Uh, Stony, CDR. Loud and clear.
Speaker: Roger. [Garble] how do you read?.
T-000:12:50 Speaker: 11. Loud and clear.
Speaker: And STC. How do you read?.
T-000:12:42 Speaker: Uh, CDR reads STC loud and clear.
T-000:12:28 Armstrong: Uh, Stony. Apollo 11 reads you loud and clear.
T-000:12:20 Speaker: LOM. Apollo 11 reads you loud and clear.
Speaker: Astronaut verifies.
Speaker: Pad 49 [garble].
T-000:12:04 Speaker: Stony. You have us in?
T-000:12:00 Speaker: Stony. You have it there?
Stony: Roger. Stony verifies.
T-000:11:56 Speaker: Okay, Stony.
T-000:11:52 Speaker: Okay. Flight, perform your comm check and verify completion.
Flight: Wilco.
McCandless: Apollo 11 CMP, Apollo 11 CMP, this is Houston on VHF, how do you read?
T-000:11:30 Aldrin: Uh, Roger, Bruce. Read you loud and clear.
T-000:11:28 Aldrin: Apollo 11 reads you loud and clear.
Speaker: Roger. Reading you the same, out.
T-000:11:25 McCandless: Apollo 11 LMP, this is Houston on S-Band, how do you read, over?
T-000:11:20 Collins: Houston, you're loud and clear. How me?
T-000:11:18 Speaker: Roger. Read you the same, out.
Flight: MSTC, Flight. We're reconfiguring, stand by.
T-000:11:13 STC: Understand.
T-000:11:00 Recovery: Flight, Recovery.
Flight: Go ahead.
Recovery: All launch abort recovery forces on station and ready to support.
Flight: Roger.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We've passed the 11-minute mark. Now T minus 10 minutes, 54 seconds on our countdown for Apollo 11. All still Go at this time. The astronauts in the spacecraft busy again. The Commander Neil Armstrong has performed some final switch settings for the Stabilization and Control System of the spacecraft. The spacecraft also now is on full internal power. This came shortly after the 15-minute mark. Spacecraft now on the full power of its fuel cells. Up to this time, it had been sharing the load with an external power source. Both Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin have armed their rotational hand controllers - the controllers they use in flight - and we have now gone to automatic system with the Emergency Detection System. That system would cue the astronauts if there's trouble down below with the Saturn V rocket during the powered flight. We're now coming up on the 10-minute mark. Ten minutes away from our planned lift-off. Mark, T minus 10 minutes and counting, T minus 10. We're aiming for our planned lift-off at 32 minutes past the hour. This is Kennedy Launch Control.
Speaker: We're configured, Flight.
Flight: Apollo 11 CDR, this is Houston on VHF and S-Band. How do you read? Over.
T-000:10:14 Armstrong: Houston, Apollo 11 CDR. Loud and clear.
Flight: Roger. Reading you the same, Neil. Out.
Flight: MSTC, Flight.
T-000:10:08 STC: Go.
Flight: 5-52 complete.
STC: Roger.
STC: CDR, panel 1, SCS switch, Normal.
Armstrong: SCS [garble] switch is Normal.
STC: Delta V thrust A and B off guarded.
Armstrong: Delta V thrust A and B are off and guarded.
STC: [Garble] Alpha to Alpha.
T-000:09:29 Armstrong: Roger, it's in Alpha.
T-000:09:27 STC: CMP. Panel 2, EDS Auto switch, On, up.
T-000:09:21 Telcom: Flight, Telcom.
T-000:09:20 Flight: Go.
T-000:09:19 Telcom: 11, Telemetry off. All look good.
Speaker: Re-repeat that please?
STC: Your - On panel 2, your EDS Auto switch, On, up.
Aldrin: EDS Auto huh.
STC: Abort systems launch vehicle rate auto.
Aldrin: It's in Auto.
STC: 2 engine out auto.
Aldrin: In Auto.
STC: RCS Command switch, O-F-F and release.
Aldrin: RCS Command, Off and release.
STC: CDR, panel 7, D-TVC servo power 1 to AC 1.
Speaker: CDC servo power 1 to main A.
STC: [garble] power to off.
Speaker: 2 AC to main B.
STC: CMP, on panel 3, your fuel cell reactant switch to latch.
Speaker: fuel cell reactant's on latch.
STC: HFC to O52 emergency stop to arm.
Speaker: Roger, armed now.
STC: LMP, panel 2, your secondary coolant loop pump to off.
Speaker: secondary coolant loop pump off.
Speaker: uh, Roger.
Speaker: alright, all control room personnel, recorders to 5mm per second minimum.
Procedures: Flight, Procedures, make sure - we're going to secure the MOCR main doors at five minutes.
Speaker: All stations, stand by for final go/no go.
Speaker: [garble] Canary Islands [garble] coming [garble].
Speaker: [garble] LPTS [garble] SRO Prep.
Speaker: [garble].
Speaker: Go.
Speaker: Booster.
Booster: Go.
Speaker: G&S.
G&S: Go.
Speaker: SCS.
SCS: Go.
Speaker: FTS.
FTS: Go.
Speaker: RCS.
RCS: Go.
Speaker: REC.
REC: Go.
Speaker: CFC.
CFC: Uh, stand by SPC, we don't have VHF or S-Band uplink going. We're checking.
Speaker: Firing azimuth 72 degrees 03 minutes 34 seconds.
Speaker: [garble] 72 degrees 03 minutes 34 seconds.
Speaker: That's already [garble].
Speaker: [garble].
Speaker: CMB.
CMB: Go.
Speaker: CDR.
Armstrong: Go.
Speaker: Flight dynamics.
Speaker: CMP.
Speaker: Tell em Flight to say again.
Speaker: [garble] I know.
Speaker: Houston Flight, EECOM [garble].
Speaker: Flight.
Speaker: Go ahead.
Speaker: Alright, TPE.
TPE: Go.
Speaker: System flight [garble].
Speaker: CFAT(?)
CFAT: Go.
Speaker: Go ahead, CBTS.
CBTS: You get the Firing azimuth?
Speaker: Affirmative.
Speaker: Yep, Joe{?}, can you hear me now?
Speaker: Propulsive prep's complete.
Speaker: [garble] CMP?
Aldrin: [garble] CMP. Go ahead.
Speaker: Have you been firing?
Speaker: Negative, not yet, uh, how about having CFCL checking his panel configuration?
Speaker: Roger. [Garble] configuration.
Speaker: [Garble] also verify [garble].
Speaker: [Garble] checklist complete.
Speaker: Okay, he should have VHF on channel 2-14 and that's our problem.
Speaker: [Garble] say again.
Speaker: Can you also verify [garble]?
Speaker: [Garble] VHF on 2-14, Stony.
Speaker: FM?
Speaker: Okay, we should be good now.
Speaker: [Garble] beacon. Can you give me a Go now?
Speaker: Go ahead.
Speaker: CMB [garble].
Speaker: [Overlapping garble].
Speaker: Sounds good.
Speaker: Uh, Roger.
Speaker: Go.
Speaker: Snoopy.
Speaker: Snoopy's Go.
Speaker: [Garble] life support.
CBTS: Flight, CBTS, all up.
Flight: Go ahead.
Speaker: Verify Go/No-Go for start automatic flight sequence.
Speaker: [Garble underneath].
Speaker: Verified Go.
Speaker: Sequence 5-61 verified.
Speaker: CSAT spacecraft ready switch, On.
Speaker: Switch is On. Verified light.
Speaker: Uh, Roger. 5-63's verified.
STC: CBTES MSTC 111 spacecraft ready for launch. Ready switch is On.
Speaker: [Garble] verified launch circuit at T minus 4.
Speaker: [Overlapping garble].
Speaker: [Garble] Guidance.
T-000:06:26 Speaker: Alright. At minus 5 minutes, we'll go to full retract on the swing arm.
Speaker: [garble] inhibit switch selectors and reset counters.
T-000:06:20 Speaker: Alright. CDR at minus 4 minutes and 10 seconds, all your launch vehicle engine lights will come on.
T-000:06:14 Armstrong: Uh, Roger.
Speaker: TON, COPC(?) will you verify [garble] satisfactory.
T-000:06:09 Speaker: Stony. Are you set up for, uh, minus 4? You all ready to go?
Stony: Primed and ready to go.
T-000:06:04 Speaker: Okay, then, by the clock.
CBTS: CSM9, CBTS111.
CSM9: CSM9, Go.
CBTS: Retract swing arm 9 per the clock at T minus 5 minutes. Report on retract.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Saturn Launch Control. We've passed the 6-minute mark in our countdown for Apollo 11. Now 5 minutes, 52 seconds and counting. We're on time at the present time for our planned lift-off of 32 minutes past the hour. Spacecraft Test Conductor, Skip Chauvin, now has completed the status check of his personnel in the control room. All report they are Go for the mission, and this has been reported to the Test Supervisor, Bill Schick. The test supervisor now going through some status checks. Launch Operations Manager Paul Donnelly reports Go for launch. Launch Director Rocco Petrone now gives a Go. We're 5 minutes, 20 seconds and counting. Coming up shortly, that swing arm up at the spacecraft level will come back to its fully retracted position. This should occur at the 5-minute mark in the count. In the meantime the Lunar Module telemetry has been powered down. We took a good look at Eagle, and it looks good. The Spacecraft Test Conductor for the Lunar Module reported that Eagle was Go. The swing arm now coming back to its fully retracted position as our countdown continues. T minus 4 minutes, 50 seconds and counting. Skip Chauvin informing the astronauts that the swing arm now coming back. The astronauts will have a few more reports coming up in the countdown. The last business report will be from Neil Armstrong at the 45-second mark in the count when he gives the status on the final alignment of the Stabilization and Control System. We're now passing the 4-minute, 30-second mark in the countdown - still Go at this time.
Speaker: This is Director CBTS111.
Speaker: Go.
Speaker: Verify Go for launch?.
Speaker: Go for launch.
Speaker: [garble] Alright Test conferencing.
Flight: Booster, Flight.
Speaker: WSS. Verify Go for launch.
CTSF: CTSF. Verified Go for launch.
Speaker: CTSC. Verify Go for launch.
Speaker: Booster, Flight.
CTSC: CTSC. Verified Go for launch.
Speaker: SRO. Verify Go for launch.
SRO: SRO. Verified Go for launch.
Speaker: LM. Verify Go for launch.
LM: LM. Go for launch.
Speaker: [Garble]. Verify Go for launch.
Speaker: [Garble]. Go for launch.
Speaker: CBTS.
Speaker: Swing arm 9, we'll be retracted to fully retracted position on my mark. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Mark.
T-000:05:00 Speaker: Minus 5 minutes.
T-000:05:52 Speaker: That's 5-64 verified.
T-000:04:48 Speaker: Okay, the swing arm is gone to full retract at this time.
T-000:04:33 CSM9: CBTS, this is CSM9, arm 9 is retracted.
T-000:04:28 CBTS: Stand by [garble].
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
Four minutes, 15 seconds - the Test Supervisor now has informed Launch Vehicle Test Conductor Norm Carlson, you are Go for launch. From this time down, Carlson handles the countdown as the launch vehicle begins to build up. We're now hitting the 4-minute mark. Four minutes and counting. We are Go for Apollo 11. We'll go on an automatic sequence as starting at 3 minutes and 7 seconds.
T-000:04:11 Flight: Okay, all flight controllers. Coming up on auto sequence. Booster how you?
T-000:04:09 Booster: We're Go, Flight.
T-000:04:07 Flight: EECOM.
T-000:04:06 EECOM: Go, Flight.
T-000:04:05 Flight: G&C.
T-000:04:05 G&C: Go, Flight.
T-000:04:04 Flight: Telcom.
T-000:04:03 Telcom: Go, Flight.
T-000:04:02 Flight: Control.
T-000:04:01 Control: Go.
T-000:04:00 Flight: Network, you got it in, got it all? Everything up?
T-000:03:56 Network: That's affirmative, Flight.
T-000:03:54 Speaker: Reading you loud and clear.
T-000:03:53 LOM (Donnelly): Apollo 11, this is the Launch Operations Manager. The launch team wishes you good luck and Godspeed.
T-000:03:46 Armstrong: Ah, thank you very much. Know it'll be a good one.
Three minutes, 45 seconds and counting. In the final abort checks between several key members of the crew here in the control center and the astronauts, Launch Operations Manager Paul Donnelly wished the crew, on the launch teams' behalf, "Good luck and Godspeed."
Three minutes, 25 seconds and counting; we're still Go at this time. We'll be coming up on the automatic sequence about 10 or 15 seconds from this time. All still Go at this time. Neil Armstrong reported back when he received the good wishes: "Thank you very much. We know it will be a good flight." Firing command coming in now. We are on the automatic sequence. We're approaching the 3 minute mark in the count. T minus 3 minutes and counting. T minus 3 - we are Go with all elements of the mission at this time. We're on an automatic sequence as the master computer supervises hundreds of events occurring over these last few minutes.
T-000:03:45 STC: Right(?). CDR, STC. How do you read me?
T-000:03:42 Armstrong: STC, loud and clear.
T-000:03:40 STC: Okay, Neil, have a good one.
T-000:03:39 STC: Alright. CMP, on panel 2 DSKY, verify program 2.
T-000:03:34 Aldrin: Program 2.
T-000:03:32 STC: Alright, CMP, on panel 2 DSKY, insert Verb 75 and do not Enter.
T-000:03:24 Aldrin: Verb 75. Standing by.
T-000:03:21 STC: LMP on panel 3, tape recorder go to forward [garble].
T-000:03:18 Collins: Tape recorder going forward.
T-000:03:16 STC: Verify grey.
T-000:03:14 Collins: Grey is verified.
T-000:03:09 STC: Start sequence initiated.
T-000:03:01 Speaker: Auto Sequence, Flight.
T-000:03:00 Speaker: 3 minutes.
T-000:02:59 Speaker: Roger.
T-000:02:56 Flight: Okay, all flight controllers. We're in Auto Sequence. Stand by.
T minus 2 minutes, 45 seconds and counting. The members of the launch team here in the control center monitoring a number of what we call red-line values. These are tolerances we don't want to go above and below in temperatures and pressures. They're standing by to call out any deviations from our plans. Two minutes, 30 seconds and counting; we're still Go on Apollo 11 at this time. The vehicle starting to pressurize as far as the propellant tanks are concerned, and all is still Go as we monitor our status board. Two minutes, 10 seconds and counting. The target for the Apollo 11 astronauts, the Moon, at lift-off, will be at a distance of 218,096 [nautical] miles [403,914 km] away. We just passed the 2-minute mark in the countdown. T minus 1 minute, 54 seconds and counting. Our status board indicates that the oxidizer tanks in the second and third stages now have pressurized. We continue to build up pressure in all three stages here at the last minute to prepare it for lift-off.
T-000:02:35 STC: Okay, CDR. You got a panel 325 coming up.
T-000:02:32 Armstrong: Roger.
T-000:02:16 STC: CDR. Panel 325, Primary Glycol To Rad valve, Pull to Bypass.
T-000:02:10 Armstrong: It's in Bypass.
T-000:02:00 Speaker: 2 minutes.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
T minus 1 minute, 35 seconds on the Apollo mission, the flight to land the first men on the Moon. All indications coming in to the control center at this time indicate we are Go. One minute, 25 seconds and counting. Our status board indicates the third stage completely pressurized. Eighty-second mark has now been passed. We'll go on full internal power at the 50-second mark in the countdown. Guidance system goes on internal at 17 seconds leading up to the ignition sequence at 8.9 seconds. We're approaching the 60-second mark on the Apollo 11 mission.
T-000:01:18 Speaker: IVB pre-press complete, Flight.
T-000:01:17 STC: LMP, Bus Ties on.
T-000:01:14 Collins: Bus Ties on.
T-000:01:12 Speaker: EB proceed.
T-000:01:05 Speaker: S-II pre-press complete, Flight.
T-000:01:03 Speaker: Roger.
T-000:01:02 STC: CDR and LMP. Panels 6 and 9, PAD Comm, Off.
T-000:00:58 Armstrong: PAD Comm, going Off.
T-000:00:57 Collins: And my PAD Comm, going off. Sure have been a nice smooth countdown, Skip.
T-000:00:53 STC: Ah, thank you babe.
T minus 60 seconds and counting. We've passed T minus 60. 55 seconds and counting. Neil Armstrong just reported back: "It's been a real smooth countdown". We've passed the 50-second mark. Power transfer is complete - we're on internal power with the launch vehicle at this time. 40 seconds away from the Apollo 11 lift-off. All the second stage tanks now pressurized. 35 seconds and counting. We are still Go with Apollo 11. 30 seconds and counting. Astronauts report, "It feels good". T minus 25 seconds.
T-000:00:52 STC: LMP, VHF increase a little bit.
T-000:00:46 Collins: LMP, copy.
T-000:00:44 Speaker: Roger, (we're on the dial?).
T-000:00:43 STC: Okay. And CDR, GDC Align.
T-000:00:41 Armstrong: Roger.
T-000:0034: Speaker: S-I pre-press.
T-000:00:33 Speaker: Roger.
T-000:00:30 Speaker: 30 seconds.
T-000:00:29 Speaker: MC, we're [garble].
T-000:00:27 Speaker: GDC is good.
Twenty seconds and counting.
T-000:00:15 Speaker: 15.
T-000:00:12 Speaker: GRR.
T-000:00:11 Speaker: Roger, GRR.
T minus 15 seconds, guidance is internal.
The phrase 'guidance is internal' refers to the moment at T minus 17 seconds that the Saturn V's guidance system is no longer held in an orientation with respect to Earth. It is now inertial and holds an orientation with respect to the stars. It has already been prealigned to a azimuth of 72.058°, the rocket's intended heading. Soon after launch, the vehicle will roll around in order to match that orientation before commencing a preprogrammed pitch manoeuvre to send it heading for low Earth orbit. This moment is more formally called Guidance Reference Release or GRR. GRR begins a 16-second period that inhibits the first of the Saturn V's control timebases.
Twelve, 11, 10, 9, ignition sequence starts...
T-000:00:10 Speaker: 10, 9, 8, 7...
The F-1 engine has a complex ignition sequence which will be described here. First, a description of the engine.
Labelled diagram of the F-1 engine. (Click image for a larger version.)
A large combustion chamber and bell have an injector plate at the top, through which RP-1 fuel and LOX are injected at high pressure through 2,816 holes. Above the injector is the LOX dome which also transmits the force of the thrust from the engine to the rocket's structure. A single-shaft turbopump is mounted beside the combustion chamber. The turbine section of this turbopump is at the bottom and is driven by the exhaust gas from burning RP-1 and LOX in a fuel-rich mixture in a chamber called the gas generator. After they power the turbine, these gases pass through a heat exchanger, then to a wrap-around exhaust manifold which feeds them into the periphery of the engine bell. The final task for these hot gases is to cool and protect the nozzle extension from the far hotter exhaust of the main engine itself.
Directly above the turbine, on the same shaft, is the fuel pump with two inlets from the fuel tank and two outlets that feed high pressure fuel, via shut-off valves, to the injector plate. A line from one of these feeds supplies the gas generator with fuel. Fuel is also used within the engine as a lubricant and as a hydraulic working fluid, though before launch, RJ-1 ramjet fuel is supplied from the ground, it being more suited for this purpose. At the top of the turbopump shaft is the LOX pump with a single, large inlet in-line with the turboshaft axis. This pump also has two outlet lines, with valves, to feed the injector plate. One line also supplies LOX to the gas generator.
The interior lining of the combustion chamber and engine bell consists of a myriad of pipework through which a large portion of the fuel supply is fed. This cools the chamber and bell structure while also pre-warming the fuel. To ensure ignition, a cartridge of fluid sits in a branch of the high pressure fuel circuit. It has burst diaphragms at either end and its own inject points on the face of the injector plate. This fluid is triethylboron with 10-15 per cent triethylaluminium (known as TEA/TEB) and it is pyrophoric (i.e. self igniting) in the presence of liquid oxygen. Older documents refer to this substance as being hypergolic.
At about T minus 8.9 seconds, a signal from the automatic sequencer initiates a number of automatic operations in the engine which includes the firing of four pyrotechnic devices. Two of them are mounted inside the nozzle extension and cause the fuel-rich turbine exhaust gas to ignite when it enters. Another two initiate combustion within the gas generator. Links are burned away by these igniters to generate an electrical signal to move the start solenoid. The start solenoid directs hydraulic pressure from the ground supply to open the main LOX valves. LOX begins to flow through the LOX pump, causing it to begin slowly rotating' The LOX then flows through the injector into the combustion chamber. The opening of both LOX valves also causes another valve to allow fuel and LOX into the gas generator, where they ignite and their exhaust gas cause the turbine to accelerate. Fuel and LOX pressures rise as the turbine gains speed. The fuel-rich exhaust from the gas generator ignites in the engine bell to prevent backfiring and burping of the engine. The increasing pressure in the fuel lines opens a valve, the igniter fuel valve, which lets fuel pressure reach the igniter cartridge which promptly ruptures. TEA/TEB fluid, followed by fuel, enters the chamber through its ports where it spontaneously ignites on contact with the LOX already in the chamber.
...6, 5, 4...
T-000:00:06 Speaker: 6, 5, 4...
Rising combustion-induced pressure on the injector plate actuates the ignition monitor valve, directing hydraulic fluid to open the main fuel valves. These are the valves in the fuel lines between the turbopump and the injector plate. The fuel flushes out ethylene glycol which had been preloaded into the cooling pipework around the combustion chamber and nozzle. The heavy load of ethylene glycol mixed with the first injection of fuel slows the build-up of thrust, giving a gentler start. Fluid pressure through calibrated orifices completes the opening of the fuel valves and fuel enters the combustion chamber where it burns in the already flaming gases. The exact time that the main fuel valves open is sequenced across the five engines to spread the rise in applied force that the structure of the rocket must withstand.
...3...
Graph of engine thrust rise during F-1 startup.
This diagram shows how the thrust rose during the start-up of each engine. It takes two seconds for full performance to be attained on all engines once the first has begun to increase. The engines are started in a staggered 1-2-2 sequence so that the rocket's structure would be spared a single large load increase, with the centre engine being the first to start. The outboard engines exhibit a hiccup in their build-up due to the ingestion of helium from the pogo suppression system installed in each one. The centre engine does not have this installed.
As the flow of fuel and LOX rises to maximum, the chamber pressure, and therefore thrust, is monitored to confirm that the required force has been achieved. With the turbopump at full speed, fuel pressure exceeds hydraulic pressure supplied from ground equipment. Check valves switch the engine's hydraulic supply to be fed from the rocket's fuel instead of from the ground.
The Apollo 11 space vehicle at the moment of ignition
KSC-69PC-443 - The Apollo 11 Saturn V at the moment of ignition. 16 July 1969. Scan by Kipp Teague.
T-000:00:03 Speaker: Ignition, Lift-off.
...2, 1, zero, all engine running...,
Public Affairs Officer Jack King, whose coolness is legendary, finally succumbs to the tension and is clearly heard to say "all engine running" instead of "all engines running".
The Apollo 11 space vehicle at the moment of ignition
S69-39525 - Seconds after first-stage ignition for the launch of Apollo 11. 16 July 1969. Scan by Kipp Teague.
LIFT-OFF! We have a lift-off, 32 minutes past the hour. Lift-off on Apollo 11.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
Download MP3 audio file. The entire air/ground audio during ascent to orbit, but without the PAO's commentary.
Flight Plan, page 3-1.
The Apollo 11 space vehicle moments after lift-off
KSC-69PC-442 - The Apollo 11 space vehicle moments after lift-off. 16 July 1969. Scan by Kipp Teague.
As the vehicle begins to rise, disconnection of an umbilical triggers the start of time base 1 in the Saturn V's control system. This sequence of events is concerned with the operation of the S-IC (except guidance) through most of its powered flight.
The Apollo 11 space vehicle rises from the launch pad
S69-40640 - The Apollo 11 space vehicle rises from the launch pad. 16 July 1969. Scan by Kipp Teague.
000:00:04 Armstrong: Roger. Clock.
Tower cleared.
As planned, control of the flight now passes from the Launch Control Center at Cape Kennedy, Florida to the Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas. There, communication with the crew is handled by an astronaut sitting at the CapCom console; in this case, Bruce McCandless. The PAO also switches, and Jack King relinquishes the commentary to the Houston PAO, whose voice is heard from now on.
000:00:13 Armstrong: Roger. We got a roll program.
000:00:15 McCandless: Roger. Roll. [Long pause.]
Neil Armstrong reporting their roll and pitch program which puts Apollo 11 on a proper heading. Plus 30 seconds.
The Saturn V's body coordinate system with respect to the launch pad
When it sat on the launch pad, the space vehicle's coordinate system matched the cardinal points of Earth's geographic system. Its X-axis pointed straight up and its Y-axis pointed to true north. The third component of this system, the Z-axis, therefore was pointed directly west. Before it begins to tilt over, the vehicle needs to roll 18° around the X-axis so that the minus Z-axis, previously facing east, faces along the planned heading, in this case 72° east of north. Then the tilt motion will be a simple pitch motion around the Y-axis.
Prior to the roll manoeuvre, the vehicle executed a small yaw manoeuvre to deliberately lean away from the launch tower during its first few seconds of ascent.
20.6 seconds after launch, time base 1 aims the four outboard engines slightly away from the centreline of the vehicle. This is in case an outboard engine fails whereupon the resultant off-centre thrust vector would be nearer to acting through the centre-of-mass of the rocket.
000:00:34 Armstrong: Roll's complete and the pitch is programming. [Pause.]
The Apollo 11 as seen from the Firing Room
KSC-69PC-387 - Apollo 11 Saturn V from the Firing Room at the Kennedy Space Center after rising about ten times its own length. Scan by Kipp Teague.
000:00:44 Armstrong: One Bravo. [Long pause.]
One Bravo is a abort control mode.
Like the Space Shuttle that came after it, the flight of a Saturn V had defined times during which the means by which the crew could escape from a failing vehicle were defined. Unlike the Shuttle with its solid rocket boosters which gave no escape option during their operation, the Saturn had so-called 'abort modes' throughout its ascent, even during first stage boost. One of the advantages of liquid-propelled rockets is that they can be shut down. Solid motors will burn until they are done.
For the first two abort modea, one-alpha and one-bravo, rotation rates exceeding ±4° per second in pitch and yaw, ±20° per second in roll will entail an abort.
The first 42 seconds are flown in abort Mode One-Alpha. If things went wrong with the launch vehicle during this time, the Launch Escape Tower (LET) would lift the Command Module away from the booster. However, at this early stage, the CM needs to be taken away out to sea as the vehicle has not yet imparted much horizontal velocity. To achieve this in a One-Alpha abort, a small 'pitch control' motor would additionally fire to send the CM away from the vicinity of the impending conflagration. The CM then goes through an automatic sequence to carry out a safe landing on Earth.
Mode One-Bravo is similar except the pitch control motor would not be required since the vehicle would have tilted over enough to aim an escaping CM out to sea. Instead, during a One-Bravo abort, a pair of canards at the tip of the LET would deploy to force the CM-tower combination to adopt a CM-first attitude. This was because hypersonic testing had shown that the CM-LET combination had a stable tower-first attitude. This mode extends to about 35.5 km altitude.
Altitude's 2 [nautical] miles [3.7 km].
000:01:02 McCandless: Apollo 11, Houston. You're good at 1 minute.
000:01:06 Armstrong: Roger. [Long pause.]
Apollo 11 after pitchover
KSC-69PC-397 - Apollo 11 after pitchover. Note the condensation cloud that has formed in air expanding aft of the first-stage/second-stage transition. 16 July 1969. Scan by Kipp Teague.
Downrange 1 [nautical] mile [1.8 km], altitude 3, 4 [nautical] miles [7.4 km] now. Velocity 2,195 feet per second [669 m/s].
We're through the region of maximum dynamic pressure now.
As it flies through the air, the rocket must withstand an aerodynamic pressure imparted by its speed through the molecules of the atmosphere. This is like the pressure felt on a hand stuck out of the window of a fast-travelling car. In the rocketry situation, two things are happening to vary this pressure: the vehicle's rising speed makes it higher; the rapidly thinning atmosphere brings it down. The interaction of these two variables leads to a point in the ascent when the aerodynamic pressure, denoted by the letter 'Q', reaches a peak. This is known as Max-Q and is the point when weaknesses in the rocket's structure are most likely to be found out, especially if it has any slight sideways motion through the air. Max-Q occurs at 1 minute and 23 seconds into the flight.
Eight [nautical] miles [15 km] downrange, 12 [nautical] miles [22 km] high, velocity 4,000 feet per second [1,219 m/s].
000:01:54 McCandless: Stand by for Mode One-Charlie.
000:01:57 McCandless: Mark.
000:01:58 McCandless: Mode One-Charlie.
000:01:59 Armstrong: One-Charlie.
Cliff Charlesworth taking a staging status.
Mode One-Charlie begins at an altitude of about 30.5 km. At this altitude and beyond, the air is too thin for the LET canards to be effective so after an abort, the tower and BPC would be jettisoned and control of the CM's attitude would go to the its manoeuvring thrusters. The acceptable range of vehicle rotation is altered and is now ±9° per second in pitch and yaw, ±20° per second in roll.
000:02:03 McCandless: Apollo 11, this is Houston. You are Go for staging. [Pause.]
000:02:17 Armstrong: Inboard cut-off.
Inboard engine's out.
000:02:19 McCandless: We confirm inboard cut-off. [Long pause.]
135 seconds after the start of time base 1, its programming shuts down the central or inboard engine of the Saturn V in order to limit the vehicle's rapidly rising acceleration. There are two reasons for this rise. The first and dominant reason is that the mass of the vehicle as a whole is dropping by over 13 metric tons every second. As a result, the engines have a decreasing mass to push against. A lesser factor is the rising efficiency of the engines as they ascend out of sea-level air pressure into the near vacuum of the upper atmosphere. At sea level, the atmosphere acts somewhat as a cap on an engine's nozzle, getting in the way of the exiting gases. In a vacuum, the exhaust gases can exit without hindrance. The result on the F-1 is a 20 per cent rise in thrust. As the acceleration nears 4g, the shutdown of the inboard engine reduces it by one fifth.
Graph of Saturn V acceleration.
This graph is redrawn from the AS-506 Flight Evaluation Report. It shows how the acceleration experienced by the crew varies over the course of the Saturn's ascent. The key events in the graph are:
  1. Lift-off under S-IC power. Note how the acceleration rises rapidly as the propellant tanks empty and the engines increase in efficiency.
  2. Cut-off of the central or inboard engine engine of the S-IC as acceleration nears 4g.
  3. Cut-off of the remaining four outboard engines of the S-IC at a peak of 4g.
  4. S-II stage ignition. Note the reduced angle of the graph. Although the mass of the first stage has been discarded, the thrust of the S-II stage is one ninth of the final S-IC thrust.
  5. Cut-off of the inboard engine of the S-II at a peak of approximately 1.8g.
  6. Change in mixture ratio caused by the operation of the PU valve. The richer mixture reduces the thrust slightly but also increases engine efficiency.
  7. Outboard engine cut-off of the S-II at approximately 1.7g.
  8. S-IVB stage ignition. Note again the reduced angle of the graph caused by the thrust being cut by a fifth.
  9. With the cut-off of the S-IVB's first burn, the vehicle is in orbit and the acceleration drops to zero.
The 4g experienced at the end of the S-IC burn is the highest that will be reached during ascent. The only time a greater g-force will be experienced during the mission is upon re-entry at the end when over 6g will be imparted on the crew.
With the shutdown of the centre engine, the IU looks to see that the vehicle has gained sufficient velocity. If it has, then it begins time base 2 which will coordinate the end of the S-IC's flight, first by arming the separation pyrotechnics and by enabling the systems that detect the depletion of the S-IC tanks.
The Saturn's guidance computer then performs 'tilt arrest'. Throughout the S-IC burn (and for the start of the S-II), the vehicle has been flying a series of pre-programmed manoeuvres called the tilt sequence. The yaw at launch and the roll to align the rocket with the launch azimuth were two of these. The major manoeuvre of the tilt sequence has been a slow tilt around the pitch axis towards horizontal as the vehicle climbs. Note that this form of guidance is not trying to aim for a particular point. Though it is taking account of where it is and how any wind is affecting it, it is not attempting to correct for it and so it is described as open-loop guidance. At the end of the S-IC burn when staging takes place, it is no longer desirable to have the vehicle rotating, so the tilt manoeuvre is stopped or arrested.
Downrange 35 [nautical] miles [65 km], 30 [nautical] miles [56 km] high. Standing by for the outboard engine cut-down [means "shutdown"] now.
When level sensors detect that the S-IC tanks are about to empty, a signal is sent to shut down the four remaining F-1 engines. This signal also initiates time base 3 which will coordinate all the events surrounding staging and the flight of the S-II (apart from guidance).
000:02:44 Armstrong: Staging.
The S-IC first stage has shut down and separated from the S-II second stage.
The sequence for separation is as follows: Half a second after shutdown of the first stage, four ullage motors mounted around the interstage are ignited. One fifth of a second later, a command is sent to fire the first separation explosive charge and to ignite eight retro rockets mounted in the conical fairings near the base of the S-IC. This results in two sets of rockets firing in opposite directions to pull the two sections of the vehicle apart once they are physically separated. 0.7 seconds later, the J-2 engines on the S-II stage receive their start command.
The interstage ullage rockets were eventually deleted from the later Saturn Vs. Ullage is a brewer's term for the space in a barrel taken up by air rather than liquor. The rocket people modify its use to mean the establishment of a similar non-liquid space at the opposite end of a tank from the outlet so that only liquid leaves the tank with a degree of pressure to help it flow to the engine. This is usually achieved by firing small rockets to settle the tank's contents to one end.
000:02:46 Armstrong: And ignition. [Pause.]
The S-II stage carries five uprated J-2 engines which burn LH2 and LOX to produce a total of 5,141 kN (1,155,859 pounds) thrust. The engine design allows for restarting in flight but this feature is only implemented in the single engine used in the S-IVB.
Labelled diagram of the J-2 engine.
(Click image for a larger version.)
The thrust chamber and bell of each engine is fabricated from stainless steel tubes brazed together to make a single unit. Supercold LH2 is pumped through these tubes to cool the thrust chamber and simultaneously turn the fuel to a gas. The engine carries two separate turbopumps, both powered in turn by the exhaust from a gas generator which burns the stage's main propellants. The hot gas exhaust is fed from the gas generator, first to the fuel turbopump, then to the LOX turbopump before being routed to a heat exchanger and finally into the engine bell where its partial combustion is completed. The fuel and LOX outputs of both turbopumps are fed, via main control valves, to the thrust chamber injector via the LOX dome. Unlike the copper-faced injector of the F-1, the J-2 injector face is fabricated from layers of stainless steel mesh sintered into a single porous unit. A solid LOX injector behind this has 614 posts which pass LOX through holes in the injector face and into the combustion chamber. Each post has a concentric fuel orifice around it and these orifices are attached to the porous injector. The gaseous fuel passes around each LOX tube, atomising the liquid as it emerges. Delivery is arranged to ensure that about 5 percent of the gaseous hydrogen seeps through the injector face to keep it cool, the rest passing through the annular orifices.
Valves are provided to bleed propellant through the supply system well before ignition to chill all components to their operating temperatures otherwise gas would be formed which would interfere with the engine's use of propellant as a lubricant in the turbopump bearings. The ASI (Augmented Spark Igniter) is mounted in the centre of the injector face and fed with propellant. Energised by sparks at the start of a burn. it provides a flame to initiate and maintain full combustion.
A tank of gaseous helium is fabricated within a larger tank of gaseous hydrogen. This is the Start Tank. The helium provides control pressure for the engine's valves while the hydrogen is used to spin up the turbopumps before the gas generator is ignited. A PU (Propellant Utilization) valve on the output of the LOX turbopump can open to reduce the LOX flowrate. This adjusts engine thrust during flight to optimise stage performance.
To start the J-2 engine, spark plugs in the ASI and gas generator are energised. The Helium Control and Ignition Phase valves are actuated. Helium pressure closes the Propellant Bleed valves, it purges the LOX dome and other parts of the engine. The Main Fuel valve and the ASI Oxidiser valves are opened. Flame from the ASI enters the thrust chamber while fuel begins to circulate through its tubular walls under pressure from the fuel tank. After a pre-set delay to allow the thrust chamber walls to become conditioned to the chill of the fuel, the Start Tank is discharged through the turbines to spin them up. This delay depends on the circumstances of the engine and the upcoming burn. A one-second delay is used for the S-II engines by virtue of them cooling each other in the confined space of the interstage. Half a second later, the Mainstage Control Solenoid begins the major sequence of the engine start. It opens the control valve of the gas generator where combustion begins and the resultant exhaust supplies power for the turbopumps. The Main Oxidiser valve is opened 14° allowing LOX to enter the combustion chamber and begin to burn with the fuel which has been circulating through the chamber walls. A valve which has been allowing the gas generator exhaust to bypass the LOX turbopump is closed allowing its turbine to build up to full speed. Finally, the pressure holding the Main Fuel valve at 14° is allowed to bleed away and the valve gradually opens, building the engine up to its rated thrust.
As the thrust of each second stage engine reaches 65 per cent, it causes its indicator light on the Main Display Console to be extinguished.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
000:02:55 McCandless: 11, Houston. Thrust is Go, all engines. You're looking good.
000:02:59 Armstrong: Ah, Roger. You're loud and clear, Houston. [Pause.]
At 3 minutes; downrange, 70 [nautical] miles [130 km]; 43 [nautical] miles high [80 km]; velocity, 9,300 feet per second [2,835 m/s].
000:03:13 Armstrong: We got skirt sep.
000:03:15 McCandless: Roger. We confirm skirt sep.
Between the first and second stages is a large ring with a height of 5.5 metres and 10 metres in diameter to match the stages above and below. This ring, the interstage, is there to make room for the S-II's engines which protrude some distance below the bottom edge of the stage's wall. The interstage, or skirt, exists in its form because of the need to separate the two stages across two planes.
Were the interstage to stay with the S-IC, there is a danger that any slight rotation of the massive first stage would cause contact between the giant ring and the engine bells on the S-II. Therefore the first cut is made directly above the S-IC using a shaped explosive charge to sever tension ties that join the stages. This leaves the interstage attached to the S-II. However, the ring imposes a significant mass penalty on the second stage. So much so that it is considered a mandatory abort if the interstage doesn't separate. Once 30 seconds has passed after the first separation, enough time for the second stage engines to establish smooth acceleration with minimal rotation, another explosive charge severs the ties that hold the interstage just below the S-II's tank assembly.
It is interesting to note that the interstage failed to separate on the Saturn V that lofted Skylab to space. Nevertheless, controllers allowed the S-II stage to continue and it successfully inserted the orbital workshop into orbit, benefitting from the lower overall payload that Skylab represented.
000:03:17 Armstrong: Tower's gone.
000:03:19 McCandless: Roger, tower. [Pause.]
Neil Armstrong confirming both the engine skirt separation and the launch escape tower separation.
000:03:28 Armstrong: Houston, be advised the visual is Go today.
000:03:32 McCandless: This is Houston. Roger. Out.
000:03:36 Collins: Yeah, they finally gave me a window to look out. [Pause.]
Although Armstrong as commander has his own window through the Boost Protection Cover attached to the Launch Escape Tower, and Aldrin in the center couch can see through the hatch window above his head, Collins in the right-hand couch has had his windows covered up to this point.
These two videos, kindly donated by Stephen Slater, show the separation of Apollo 4's S-IC stage from its S-II across both planes. They were taken using film cameras mounted on either side of the S-II thrust structure, upper and lower. The cameras were ejected and, having parachuted into the ocean, were located by radio.
H.264 MP4 video file.
H.264 MP4 video file.
Both videos are presented here at 23.976 frames per second, a standard film frame rate. However, they were shot at about 4 times this rate, probably 96 frames per second. Therefore, although in real time 30 seconds elapse between each plane separation, the same events in these versions are separated by two minutes.
With the loss of the escape tower, the flight moves to abort mode two. Now if the vehicle goes awry, the CSM would separate from the Saturn and either the Service Module's main engine or its small thrusters would be used to gain distance before the CM continues to a normal landing in the sea.
Six seconds after the jettison of the escape tower, the guidance mode of the Saturn changes from dumb to smart, from open loop to closed loop. This is the Iterative Guidance Mode (IGM) whereby the guidance system is now actively plotting a course to the point in space and velocity where it will insert the vehicle into orbit. While the Saturn was in the thicker parts of the atmosphere, it was undesirable to allow it to make large attitude changes, hence the pre-programmed tilt sequence. Now that the vehicle is essentially in a vacuum, the computer can react to its actual position and velocity and issue steering commands to the engines as required to reach its goal.
000:03:44 McCandless: 11, Houston. Your guidance has converged; you're looking good.
000:03:52 Armstrong: Roger. [Pause.]
Downrange, 140 [nautical] miles [259 km]; altitude, 62 [nautical] miles [115 km]; velocity, 10,300 feet per second [3,140 m/s].
000:04:01 McCandless: 11, Houston. You are Go at 4 minutes.
000:04:04 Armstrong: Roger. [Long pause.]
Apollo 11 right on the ground track.
190 [nautical] miles [352 km] downrange now, 72 [nautical] miles [133 km] high, velocity 11,000 feet per second [3,353 m/s].
Booster says it's looking good at 5 minutes.
000:05:03 McCandless: 11, Houston. You are Go at 5 minutes.
000:05:06 Armstrong: Roger. It'll - Apollo 11. Go. [Pause.]
Downrange, 270 [nautical] miles [500 km]; altitude, 82 [nautical] miles [152 km]; velocity, 12,472 feet per second [3,801 m/s].
000:05:21 McCandless: Stand by for S-IVB to COI capability.
COI is Contingency Orbit Insertion. It is essentially abort mode three and means that if the S-II were to fail, the S-IVB would have the capability to add sufficient speed for the Service Module's large main engine to complete the job and place the CSM in Earth orbit. Of course, the spacecraft would not be able to depart for the Moon as the S-IVB's power would have been consumed in reaching orbit. Instead, the spacecraft would embark on a planned for, but hopefully never used Earth orbit mission.
000:05:25 Armstrong: Okay.
000:05:27 McCandless: Mark. S-IVB to COI capability.
000:05:30 Armstrong: Roger.
Apollo 11 could now get into orbit using the S-IVB if necessary.
000:05:35 Collins: You sure sound clear down there, Bruce. Sounds like you're sitting in your living room.
000:05:39 McCandless: Ah, thank you. You all are coming through beautifully, too. [Long pause.]
Everyone is reporting Go here in the Control Center.
000:06:00 Armstrong: We're Go at 6 minutes. Starting the gimbal motors.
In case the Service Module's engine has to be used in the event of an abort, power is applied to two gimbal actuators containing motors, clutches and jack screws that will rotate the engine in its mount so that its thrust can be applied through the spacecraft's centre of mass.
000:06:03 McCandless: Roger, 11. You're Go from the ground at 6 minutes. [Long pause.]
000:06:20 McCandless: Apollo 11, this is Houston. Level sense arm at 8 plus 17; outboard cut-off at 9 plus 11. [Long pause.]
Level sense arm is the sequence that arranges the staging between the second stage and the third stage. The fuel uncovers a sensor starting that sequence. Predicting that will be uncovered at 8 minutes, 17 seconds with outboard engine cut-off 9 minutes, 11 seconds on the second stage.
000:07:01 Armstrong: Apollo 11's Go at 7 minutes.
000:07:04 McCandless: 11, this is Houston. Roger. You're Go from the ground at 7 minutes. Level sense arm at 8 plus 17; outboard cut-off at 9 plus 11.
000:07:09 Armstrong: Roger. [Long pause.]
Downrange, 530 [nautical] miles [982 km]; altitude, 95 [nautical] miles [176 km]; velocity, 17,358 feet per second [5,291 m/s].
Apollo 11 is still right down the ground track. Still Go at 7 minutes, 41 seconds.
000:07:42 Armstrong: Inboard cut-off.
000:07:45 McCandless: Roger. We confirmed. [Long pause.]
Inboard engines are out, on the second stage as planned.
Actually, it's just the one engine, the central engine in the cluster of J-2s. On earlier Saturn V flights, it was noted how severe vibrations would build towards the end of the S-II burn. This was caused by the centre engine, mounted on a set of cross beams, setting up a longitudinal vibration in those beams. The solution adopted from Apollo 10 onwards was to shut that engine down before the vibrations were expected.
Apollo 11 Go on all sources.
000:08:19 McCandless: Apollo 11, Houston. You are Go at 8 minutes.
000:08:22 Armstrong: Ah, just got the mixture ratio shift.
000:08:24 McCandless: Roger. We got PU shift down here, too. [Pause.]
The J-2 engine included a valve that allowed the mixture ratio (MR, the ratio of oxidiser to fuel) to be altered during the burn. This MR change was made to maximise propellant utilisation, hence the name PU shift.
On the S-II, the strategy was for most of the burn to be made at a high MR of 5.5:1 which also yielded the stage's maximum thrust. Once a specific velocity had been reached, which occurred 5 minutes, 31.8 seconds after the engines were commanded to start, the MR for the remaining four engines was reduced to 4.34:1 for the rest of the burn. The effect of this was two-fold: it reduced the thrust from the stage by a quarter but it also increased the specific impulse and therefore the efficiency of the engines. If engineers had the timing of the MR change right, the intention was that both the LH2 and LOX tanks should both be as close as possible to depletion when sensors indicated it would be prudent to shut down the stage.
On the very early Saturn V flights (Apollos 4, 6 and 9), the timing was based on a closed-loop decision. Level gauges within the tank monitored how the propellants were being consumed and the change made based on that data. However, mathematical modelling had shown benefits to an open-loop decision, one based on the change in MR occurring when a specific velocity had been reached.
000:08:34 Collins: Well, it looks like a nice day for it. These thunderstorms downrange is about all.
000:08:52 McCandless: 11, this is Houston. You are Go for staging. Over.
000:08:56 Armstrong: Understand, Go for staging. And...
000:08:57 McCandless: Stand by for Mode IV capability.
000:08:59 Armstrong: Okay. Mode IV.
000:09:00 McCandless: Mark.
000:09:01 McCandless: Mode IV capability. [Long pause.]
Mode IV on Apollo 11 could get into orbit using the Service Propulsion System now. Altitude is 100 miles, downrange is 883 miles. Outboard engine cut-off.
The signal to shut down the S-II's outboard engines also initiates time base 4 in the IU. Like the previous time base, this will coordinate the events around staging and the subsequent control of the third stage. In particular, time base 4 will shut down the S-IVB stage when orbital velocity has been reached.
000:09:15 Armstrong: Staging, and ignition.
000:09:19 McCandless: Ignition confirmed. Thrust is Go, 11. [Long pause.]
And we have a good third stage now.
The sequence of events for the first ignition of the single J-2 engine in the third stage is essentially the same as for the engines in the S-II (see earlier description). The main change is that the supercold fuel is allowed to flow through the walls of the thrust chamber to condition it for three seconds, instead on one, before the Start Tank discharges through the turbines, spinning them up in preparation for operation. Although the engine is enclosed in its own interstage structure, its isolation from other cold engines means it needs a little longer to chill the thrust chamber. For its next burn in over two hours time, it will have been exposed to the Sun's heat amd will require 8 seconds to chill the pipes.
This well-known footage shows the separation of an S-IVB second stage from an S-IB first stage during the ascent of AS-202, a Saturn IB launch vehicle, on 25 August 1966. It is the only time an S-IVB was successfully filmed separating and igniting. Two details distinguish this stage from an S-IVB that was part of the Saturn V launch vehicle. This type had three solid-fuelled ullage motors mounted on its aft skirt whereas a Saturn V's S-IVB had just two. The three exhaust fans emanating from these three motors are very apparent. Also, the APS (Auxiliary Propulsion System) packages were smaller than those used on the Saturn V. These APS packages can be seen on the stage at the one o'clock and 7 o'clock positions. If one looks carefully, the roll thruster of the upper package can be seen operating as the stage departs.
H.264 MP4 video file.
After the film was exposed, the camera was ejected and parachuted into the ocean, to be located by radio and recovered.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop.
Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
Velocity is 23,128 feet per second [7,049 m/s]. Downrange, 1,000 [nautical] miles [1,852 km]; altitude, 101 [nautical] miles [187 km].
000:10:01 McCandless: Apollo 11, this is Houston. At 10 minutes, you are Go.
000:10:06 Armstrong: Ah, roger. 11's Go. [Long pause.]
Capcom Bruce McCandless giving the reports here from the Control Center.
000:10:24 McCandless: Apollo 11, this is Houston. Predicted cut-off at 11 plus 42. Over.
000:10:29 Armstrong: 11:42. Rog. [Long pause.]
Downrange, 1,175 [nautical] miles [2,176 km]; velocity, 24,190 mile - feet per second [7,373 m/s]; altitude, 102 nautical miles [189 km].
Apollo 11 still Go on all sources.
000:11:03 McCandless: Apollo 11, this is Houston. You are Go at 11.
000:11:08 Armstrong: That's a Go. [Long pause.]
We're predicting third stage shutdown at 11 minutes, 42 seconds. Velocity 25,254 feet per second [7,697 km]. Downrange, 1,400 [nautical] miles [2,593 km] now. Altitude 102.8 nautical miles [190.4 km].
000:11:42 Armstrong: Shutdown.
Shutdown right on time.
The signal to shut down the S-IVB's first burn also initiates time base 5. This will control the transition of the S-IVB to the upcoming period of orbital coast.
000:11:45 Collins: SECO. We are showing 101.4 by 103.6.
000:11:51 McCandless: Roger. Shutdown. We copy 101.4 by 103.6 [nautical miles, 187.8 by 191.9 km].
000:12:06 McCandless: Apollo 11, this is Houston. You are confirmed Go for orbit.
000:12:12 Armstrong: Roger. [Long pause.]
We show insert...
000:12:24 McCandless: Apollo 11, this is Houston. The booster is safe.
000:12:29 Armstrong: Ah, roger. [Long pause.]
We show velocity at insertion, 25,568 feet per second [7,793 m/s].
000:13:27 McCandless: Apollo 11, this is Houston. The booster has been configured for orbital coast. Both spacecraft are looking good. Over.
000:13:35 Armstrong: Roger. [Long pause.]
000:14:33 McCandless: Apollo 11, this is Houston. Vanguard LOS at 15:35. AOS Canaries at 16:30. Over.
000:14:43 Armstrong: Okay. Thank you.
Comm break.
This is Apollo Control. Based on a vector from the Instrument Unit of the third stage of the Saturn V, here on the ground we're showing an orbit of 102.5 by 99.7 nautical miles [189.8 by 184.6 km]. The Flight Dynamics Officer Dave Reed wants to get some radar tracking to refine this orbit. He will report a refined orbit after more radar tracking.
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