As their leisurely day continues, the Apollo 11 crew demonstrate their food and beverage preparation during a television transmission. They make some arrangements for their forthcoming return to Earth, then settle down for the night.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
154:40:58 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. Over.
154:41:05 Aldrin: [Faint] Go ahead, Houston.
154:41:07 Duke: Roger. Would you ver - We've lost comm with you for about the last 10 minutes. Would you verify that the S-band track switch is in Reacq? Over.
154:41:17 Aldrin: Negative. It's not. Last time we broke lock, we went to Auto, and I left it there. Sorry.
154:41:22 Duke: Rog. We'd like to - have you to put it in Reacq, and monitor. In about 2 minutes, we'll be coming up on the High Gain. Would you monitor the Reacq? If it doesn't take, acquire manually. Over.
Just under an hour ago, at 151:53:39, a request was sent for the High Gain Antenna to be placed in its Reacq mode. While Earth is in the articulation range of the antenna's mount, the antenna can automatically keep itself properly pointed even as the spacecraft rotates. In Reacq mode, if the antenna reaches its end stops, then it will move to angles that are preset on panel 3 in the spacecraft. At many times in the mission, like during PTC or in orbit around the Moon, the reacquisition angle can be calculated so that reacquisition can be automatic.
154:41:39 Aldrin: Okay. Say again the angles you'd like.
154:41:42 Duke: We'll - we'll try to switch it ourselves. Stand by on the angles.
154:41:52 Duke: Buzz, the - it's pitch plus 30, yaw 270. Over.
154:41:58 Aldrin: Roger. I got 'em.
154:42:01 Duke: Thank you.
Long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
154:46:11 Duke: Hello, Apollo 11. Houston. Would you please terminate battery charge now? Over.
The Command Module carries a total of five batteries. Two silver oxide-zinc batteries are mounted in the Lower Equipment Bay and are used only for energising the pyrotechnic devices for CM/SM separation, parachute deployment and separation, S-IVB separation, launch escape tower separation among other functions. They are not recharged.
Three more silver oxide-zinc batteries supplement the power from the fuel cells during busy periods such as engine burns and these are recharged from the fuel cells when demand is low. They also provide power for the CM after the SM has been jettisoned, through entry, landing and post-landing operations. The controls for the electrical system are on the right of the Main Display Console.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
154:50:51 Duke: Hello, Apollo 11, Houston. Any special attitude you'd like us to look at for the TV? Over. [Pause.]
154:51:09 Armstrong: I don't guess we have a requirement there, Charlie.
154:51:14 Duke: Roger. We have an attitude that we can get the Earth out of a window or the Moon. We're trying to look at - find one that we can get both, if that's what you'd like. Over. [Pause.]
154:51:33 Armstrong: Our 50-degree roll attitude will probably give us that, Charlie.
154:51:37 Duke: Rog. [Long pause.]
154:51:49 Collins: That's a good one because it puts the Earth out window 1 and the Moon out window 3 and puts the Sun down in the LEB, so the lighting in here remains relatively constant.
154:52:03 Duke: Rog. Well, we'll just stop on the 50 roll, then, and we'll give you the word when to do that. Over.
154:52:09 Collins: Okay.
Very long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control; 154 hours, 53 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. 40 hours, 9 minutes to entry. Apollo 11 homeward bound; 158,378 nautical miles [293,316 km] out from Earth. Velocity now 4,267 feet per second [1,301 m/s]. We have some 3 minutes of tape accumulated over the past half hour, of rather minor conversations with the crew of Apollo 11. We'll roll these tapes now.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control. That completes the accumulation of air to ground communications by means of tape recordings on the last half hour or so. It's quiet right now. No conversation going on between Spacecraft Communicator Charlie Duke and the crew of Apollo 11. And at 154 hours, 57 minutes Ground Elapsed Time; this is Apollo Control.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
155:23:08 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We'll have High Gain coverage about 155:30. At that time, you can turn on the TV if you desire, and continue your roll around 'til you get 50 degrees roll. Over.
155:23:26 Armstrong: Okay.
Long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control; 155 hours, 27 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Coming up now about 3 minutes away from the - tonight's television pass. It'll be through the 85-foot [26-metre] antenna at the Goldstone tracking station. The 210-foot [64-metre] dish out there is tied up tracking one of the Mars fly-by missions. We have some 20 seconds of tape accumulated. We'll play that back and rejoin the conversation live.
The Mars fly-by mission mentioned was one of the pair Mariner 6 or Mariner 7. At this time, 22 July, Mariner 6 was 9 days away from Mars encounter, and Mariner 7 was about 14 days away. With Mars looming ever larger in their cameras, these missions were being closely monitored prior to the intense activity of their encounter with Mars.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
155:28:25 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We were going to give you the All Star game tonight, but it was rained out. Over.
155:28:35 SC: [Faint garble].
Comm break.
155:30:05 Duke: 11, Houston. We're on the High Gain. You can warm up the FM amp if you like. Over.
Comm break.
This is Apollo Control; still standing by for the incoming television signal from Columbia. Still nothing but the color-bar test pattern as of now. Continuing to stand by on air-ground and television links.
155:32:45 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We see you coming up on 50 roll. How does that attitude look? Over.
Comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
155:34:52 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We're ready for the TV, we're all configured. At your convenience. Over.
Comm break.
This is Apollo Control. While we're waiting for the television pictures to come in, we have in the control room here, a vase full of long-stemmed red roses, the card saying: 'To one and all concerned. Job superbly done. From a moonstruck Canadian.' Continuing to stand by as we wait for the pictures to come from Columbia. Here they come.
This TV coverage begins at 155:36:16. This videoclip is provided courtesy of Mark Gray.
155:36:40 Armstrong: Are you picking up our TV signals?
155:36:42 Duke: That's affirmative. We have it up on the Eidophor now. The focus is a little bit out. We see Earth in the center of the screen. Still have a little white dot in the bottom of the camera, apparently. And see some land masses in the center, at least I guess that's what it is. It's very hazy at this time on our Eidophor. Over.
The Eidophor was a television projector used to make large images on a screen. They were in use from the 1950s until the 1990s and NASA had one in Mission Control.
155:37:06 Duke: Let me change...
155:37:07 Aldrin: Believe that's where we just came from.
155:37:10 Duke: It is, huh? Well, I'm really looking at the bad - at a bad screen here. Stand by one. [Pause.] Hey, you're right.
Laughter can be heard in the background in Mission Control as Duke realises his mistake.
155:37:34 Duke: [As if] it's not bad enough, not finding the right landing spot...
155:37:35 SC: Hey, it should be getting [garble]-er on your screen now.
155:37:42 Aldrin: It's not bad enough, not finding the right landing spot, when you haven't even got the right planet!
CapCom Charlie Duke has confused the Moon with Earth in the TV monitor, and is also referring to the continuing uncertainty about where Eagle actually landed. It will only be resolved after their return to Earth.
155:37:46 Duke: I'll never live that one down.
155:37:55 Collins: We're making it get smaller and smaller here to make sure that it really is the one we're leaving.
155:38:02 Duke: Aww, that's enough you guys. [Long pause.]
155:38:14 Duke: 11, that was a good picture there.
155:38:16 Collins: Okay. That's enough of the Moon.
155:38:20 Collins: Okay. That's enough of the Moon, Charlie. We're getting set up now for some inside pictures.
155:38:22 Duke: Rog.
Comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
155:40:32 Armstrong: We know there's a lot of scientists from a number of countries standing by to see the lunar samples, and we thought you'd be interested to see them as they really are here. These two boxes are the sample return containers. They - They are vacuum-packed containers that were closed in a vacuum on the lunar surface, sealed and then brought inside the LM and put inside these fiberglass bags, zippered and re-sealed around the out - around the outside and placed in these receptacles in the side of the Command Module. These are the two boxes, and as soon as we get onto the ship, I'm sure these boxes will immediately be transferred and delivery started to the Lunar Receiving Laboratory. These boxes include the samples of the various types of rock, the ground mass of the soil, the sand and silt and the particle collector for the solar wind experiment and the core tubes that took depth samples of the lunar surface.
155:42:07 Duke: Roger, Neil. Thank you much for that description. We've got a pretty dark picture down here. Could you check your f-stop? We'd like to have it - See if you can open it up a little bit. Over.
155:42:20 Aldrin: Okay. Our monitor showed that to be very bright.
155:42:22 Duke: Roger.
155:42:23 Collins:... We're down around between, well, around f:4, which we thought would be plenty light. Well, we'll lighten it up some more.
155:42:31 Duke: Well, we'd appreciate it. It's pretty dark on all our monitors here.
155:42:39 Aldrin: Okay. Fine.
155:42:43 Duke: That's looking a lot better now, Neil.
CapCom appears to mistakenly think that Armstrong has the TV camera.
155:42:49 Duke: There's Buzz. [Long pause.]
155:43:14 Duke: 11, Houston. We have an excellent picture now. Over.
155:43:19 Aldrin: Okay. How do you read me, Charlie?
155:43:21 Duke: Five-by now, Buzz. Over.
155:43:24 Aldrin: Okay. The more mundane affairs, now that we've left the Moon, I'd like to trace through them a little bit for you; developments that have taken place in the food department. I'm sure you've already [voice cut out] type of a drink container. A little later, Mike will show you how the water gun operates with its new filter to take out the hydrogen. Essentially, this water gun is put in in this end and fills up this bag with water, and the drink then dissolves in the water, and this end of the [voice cut out] outfeeding. Likewise, we have other foods that are more solid nature. You can probably see this shrimp cocktail meal. [Voice cut out] afternoon while the two of us had salmon salad. [Voice cut out] another early development was the use of bite-size food [voice cut out].
Buzz handles a wrapped food cube.
155:44:37 Duke: 11, Houston. Buzz, you're breaking up badly. Will you check your Vox? Over.
Normally the crew use a push-to-talk switch to speak with the ground. They also have the option of a voice-operated switch, so-called Vox mode, which operates the keyswitch electronically when it detects a voice. If the threshold of Vox is not set properly, it is possible for quieter speech to be cut out.
155:44:47 Aldrin: Roger. How am I coming through now, Charlie?
155:44:49 Duke: Rog. You're very clear when you come through. It's just that your Vox is not keying at every word. Over.
155:44:57 Aldrin: Okay. These bite-sized objects were designed to remove the problem of having so many crumbs floating around in the cabin, so they designed a particular size that would be able to go into the mouth all at once. I think since all of our experience, we've discovered that we can progress a good bit further than that, back to some of the type meals that we have on Earth. As a matter of fact, on this flight we've carried along pieces of bread, and along with the bread we have a ham spread. And I'll show you, I hope, how easy it is to spread some ham [in the] environment of zero g. [Long pause.]
155:46:17 Aldrin: I think we've discovered that it is quite easy to [voice cut out] all very familiar with. [Long pause.]
155:46:44 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We notice your roll rate increasing. Will you please see if you can bring that down to about zero for us or we'll be losing the High Gain shortly. Over. [Pause.]
155:47:03 Aldrin: You can also use zero gravity to demonstrate many things that we've all learned in school. I'd like to demonstrate briefly how easy it is to explain the action of the gyroscope. If I spin this can, we know that according to the equations of motion that we would expect that once this is given a spin, about - and has a spin axis in this direction, if we give it a particular torque, and if I - I'll do this by pushing my hands against it in this fashion once it's spinning. By the equations we can predict that, as I put this torque on it, it will in fact rotate this direction. Let's see how well this works out.
155:47:53 Aldrin: See that as I apply the torque this way, it's rotated this way. [Long pause.]
155:48:12 Aldrin: Too close, I think. [Long pause.]
155:48:32 Duke: 11, Houston. It's a pretty good demonstration. [Long pause.]
155:48:46 Collins: Houston, this next is a little demonstration for the kids at home, all kids everywhere, for that matter. I was going to show you how you drink water out of a spoon, but I'm afraid I filled the spoon too full and if I'm not careful, I'm going to spill water right over the sides. Can you see the water slopping around on the top of the spoon, kids?
155:49:07 Duke: That's affirmative, 11.
155:49:12 Collins: Okay. Well, as I said, I was gonna show you but I'm afraid I filled it too full and it's gonna spill over the sides. I'll tell you what. I'll just - I'll just turn this one over and get rid of the water and start all over again. Okay?
155:49:27 Duke: Okay. [Pause.]
155:49:35 Collins: And you can see, up here we don't know where over is. One up is as good as another. That really is water, though. I'll show you. [Long pause.]
Collins breaks the spoonful of water, which was held together by surface tension, into flying globules and catches some in his mouth. He then gets out the water spigot with attached hose.
155:50:04 Collins: That's really not the way we drink. We really have a water gun which I'll show you. [Pause.]
155:50:15 Collins: Here's the water gun. This cylindrical thing on the end of it is a filter with several membranes. One allows water to pass, but not any gas. The other allows gas to pass, but not any water. So, by routing the gaseous water which comes from our tank through this filter, we're enabled to drink purified water without the gas in it, filtered water. And, of course, all we do to - to get it started, is just pull the trigger. [Long pause.]
155:50:58 Collins: It's sort of messy. I haven't been at this very long. It's sort of the same system that the Spaniards used to drink out of wineskins at bull fights, only I think this is even more fun. Well, be seeing you, kids.
155:51:14 Duke: Thank you from all us kids in the world, here in the MOCR, who can't tell the Earth from the Moon.
155:51:23 Collins: Roger. Stand by one, and we'll get you that Earth quick.
155:51:29 Duke: Looks like you need a wine skin up there, Mike.
155:51:35 Collins: That'd be nice.
Comm break.
155:52:50 Armstrong: Okay.
155:52:54 Duke: Okay. 11, Houston...
155:52:55 Armstrong: You have a picture now, Houston?
155:52:56 Duke: That's affirmative. I refuse to bite on this one, though. You tell us.
155:53:02 Armstrong: Okay. This should be getting larger, and if it is, it's the place we're coming home to.
155:53:12 Duke: Roger. [Long pause.]
155:53:40 Armstrong: No matter where you travel, it's always nice to get home.
155:53:46 Duke: We concur, 11. We'll be happy to have you back.
155:53:53 Armstrong: This is Apollo 11. Signing off.
The TV show ends at 155:53:55.
155:53:56 Duke: Roger. Thank you very much, 11. That was a good demonstration and a good show. We appreciate it very much.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control. Still up live with the air-to-ground circuit to Apollo 11 homeward bound. Now in the Passive Thermal Control mode, or barbecue mode. Charlie Duke is going to make another call to the crew. Let's listen in, in a moment. He's discussing with Flight Director Pete Frank, who tonight is spelling Gene Kranz on this shift, although Gene is here. They're discussing some adjustments to the Passive Thermal Control mode. Apollo 11 has left the Moon some 53,666 miles [99,389 km] behind it. And relative to the Moon, Apollo 11 is traveling now at 4,306 feet per second [1,312 m/s]. Continue to monitor air-to-ground here till the crew settles down. They're not scheduled to go into their rest period until about another 4 hours from now.
155:57:25 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We were curious to see if there was any excess moisture up around the tunnel hatch area as we saw on 10. Over.
155:57:39 Collins: It just so happens that's what we were talking about now. There is a little bit of dampness around the outside edge of the hatch, but a very, very slight amount. We've got a hose up there that we're hoping will sort of help keep it a little bit dry.
155:57:58 Duke: Roger, Mike. Thank you much. Have you seen any more water collecting on the aft bulkhead? Over.
155:58:07 Collins: No, we haven't, as a matter of fact. It's been dry in that area since we got rid of that last time.
155:58:14 Duke: Rog. Thank you. [Long pause.]
155:58:47 Collins: Apollo 11 is back in PTC attitude. Standing by for thruster quieting.
155:58:53 Duke: Rog. We see that. Thank you much, Mike.
Long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Delta Launch Control. We have postponed the launch of the Delta vehicle tonight, the launch of Intelsat 3, 24 hours. The reason for this postponement is to examine the second stage propellant ground equipment. There is a slight chance that the acid used in the second stage for an oxidizer, inhibited red fuming nitric acid, could have contained an excessive level of contaminants. This possibility is remote but there is a desire to make the examination. During fueling today, it was noticed that the transfer of the inhibited red fuming nitric acid took longer than expected, or longer than normal. In examining the ground equipment, it was found that a filter element had dislodged and had traveled approximately 2 feet into the line. There is a need now to ensure that, in fact, the displacement of this filter was what caused the slowdown and also a need now to analyze the IRFNA, or inhibited red fuming nitric acid, to insure that no contamination is evident. The launch has been rescheduled for 24 hours from now, or 24 hours from 10:00 pm tonight. This has been cleared with the range. We have the same launch window tomorrow night, 10:00 pm to 11:10 pm. This is Delta Launch Control.
There were several telecommunications satellites of the Intelsat 3 type. Intelsat 3 F-5 is the one in question, which was launched on 26 July 1969 and was left in an unstable orbit due to a third stage malfunction in the launcher. NASA PAO chose to include the Delta PAO feed into the Apollo 11 feed for the press.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control. Apparently, there will be little conversation during the next half hour or so. Apollo 11 now 155 thousand... as you were - Yes, 155,906 nautical miles [288,738 km] out from Earth. Approaching at a velocity of 4,316 feet per second [1,316 m/s]. And at 156 hours, 6 minutes Ground Elapsed Time; this is Apollo Control.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
156:07:20 Collins: Houston, Apollo 11. Could you get a little summary of the evening news for us?
156:07:26 Duke: Yes, sir. We'll have it for you momentarily. Also, a little Flight Plan update, Mike. If you - On page 3-113, you can delete the O2 fuel cell purge. Over.
156:07:38 Collins: Will do. [Pause.]
156:07:45 Duke: There is a flurry of activity in the PAO site for the evening news.
156:07:52 Collins: Bully. [Pause.]
156:08:03 Collins: How's the weather down there? You got any rain?
156:08:05 Duke: Rog. We've been having a little bit, thunderstorm-type, in the last couple of days. We had a pretty good rain today, and it's been overcast. A slow storm system's been moving through the area in the last couple of days, and primarily evening and afternoon thundershowers.
156:08:26 Armstrong: Rog. We were watching a few clouds in your area through the monocular along the Texas Gulf Coast this afternoon, and we also noticed there were clouds over Baja California, which is a little bit unusual.
156:08:40 Duke: We - Rog. Thank you for the weather report. We can't quite see that far. Uh, the, uh, it seems to have cleared up outside now, uh, we - according to some of the people coming in. This constant overcast in the MOCR here is a little hard to see outside.
156:08:58 Armstrong: Yeah. We also noticed there was a little overcast down over - in the Antarctic ice cap, too.
156:09:05 Duke: Rog. It's apparently raining pretty hard up...
156:09:08 Collins: How's that for one-upsmanship? [sic]
156:09:10 Duke: Yeah. [Laughter].
156:09:16 Collins: He may know that, but he doesn't even know whether his grass is wet or dry. [Pause.]
156:09:25 Duke: It's apparently raining fairly hard up in Washington where the All Star game was to be played tonight. They started out, I understand, and then it was rained out and they called it off.
156:09:36 Collins: They need a roof on their stadium so they can catch all those flies.
156:09:39 Duke: Rog.
156:09:41 Collins: In the rain.
156:09:43 Duke: Touché. [Long pause.]
156:10:01 Aldrin: Hey, Charlie, what's the preliminary outlook for the weather in our recovery area?
156:10:05 Duke: Stand by, Buzz. It looks pretty good as far as I can tell, We got the - along the tropical convergence line there, there's a few clouds shown on the weather map I'm looking at here, but nothing of significance. Right now - Stand by. Let's see, right now in the mid - yeah, at the MPL, we've got 3000 scattered, visibility 10, wave height 3 feet, is the present weather. I don't think there's anything forecast to be of significance. There are a couple of - Flight just informed me that what I just gave you was the forecast. There are a couple of tropical storms in the - well, not in the area of landing but in the Pacific. A storm called Claudia which is north - correction - about east of Hawaii. It's going northwest and dissipating. And there's one called Viola, which is out over Guam, and so they aren't any factor at all. It looks like it's going to be real nice for recovery.
156:11:35 Duke: Navy called up those special calm seas for you guys from up there on the Hudson.
156:11:40 Aldrin: Well, we might need it. We'll get a look at it tomorrow, I guess, though. We'll probably be giving it a pretty close eye.
156:11:46 Duke: Rog.
Comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control. After first saying that there would be very little conversation, it seems there's quite a flurry of conversation between the ground and Apollo 11. Let's play back tapes and catch up and go live.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
156:14:03 Duke: 11, Houston. The RETROs were wondering if you could fill us in on any non-nominal stowage that we have on board. Just the location and weight is about all they're interested in. Over.
156:14:32 Collins: Roger. We'll - we'll do some work on that and let you know, Charlie.
156:14:37 Duke: Thank you, sir. [Long pause.]
156:14:54 Duke: And, Apollo 11, Houston. Would you please place O2 Tank 1 Heater to Auto? Over.
156:15:05 Collins: Auto it is.
Comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
156:17:02 Collins: Houston, Apollo 11.
156:17:04 Duke: Go ahead. [Pause.]
156:17:10 Collins: What we'll do Charlie, tomorrow, is go through and reconfigure our stowage as closely as possible to nominal. Some things that will not be nominal are as follows: the EVA visors were brought back into the Command Module, and we have not yet found a home for them. We'll let you know where they go. In addition, there's about 5 pounds of miscellaneous weight from the LM in compartment Able-8, and it's taking the place of the LCGs which we moved from A-8 into the suit bag. We got rid of one miscellaneous trash bag, mostly old food wrapping and also old underwear and that helmet protective visor of the CMP's. We left all that with Eagle. And those are about the only off-nominals we have.
The '5 pounds of miscellaneous weight' is likely the Armstrong Purse, a collection of items from the LM that Neil brought back to Earth as mementos. Stored in a bag known as a MicDivitt purse (after being suggested by astronaut Jim McDivitt) and also known as a Temporary Stowage Bag (TSB), the collection included the 16mm Maurer movie camera that had shot the lunar descent, and a COAS (Crew Optical Alignment Sight) used primarily for docking alignment. These items only came to light shortly after Neil's passing in 2012.
156:18:07 Duke: Thank you very much. We appreciate it. Out.
156:18:12 Collins: Roger.
Long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
156:22:12 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We got the rates looking copacetic. You can go ahead and initiate PTC. Over.
156:22:22 Collins: Okay. Thank you.
156:22:24 Duke: And Buzz, we're still not getting any data from your EKG. It looks like the only way we're gonna be able to get any is if, at your convenience, you would take your - change out your EKG leads, which are the center ones that are connected to the blue pin. And there's a spare one in the medical box. Over. [Pause.]
156:22:55 Aldrin: Roger. How many do you want me to change?
156:22:57 Duke: Just the center ones. I'll get the right nomenclature from the Doc. Stand by. It's called the sternal EKG, which are the three center ones, and it's got - they lead into a - into the blue-stringed lead ones. Over. [Pause.]
156:23:24 Aldrin: Okay. There's three of them, is that right?
156:23:26 Duke: That's affirmative.
156:23:30 Aldrin: And you want me to change all three.
156:23:32 Duke: That's affirmative and they're all hooked together from the picture I'm looking at, and they go into the center belt signal conditioner, and it's got the blue strain relief on it.
156:23:46 Aldrin: Yes. I checked the connectors at both ends on that. I don't guess we have a spare signal conditioner or anything like that, do we?
156:23:52 Duke: No. We do not. [Pause.]
156:24:02 Aldrin: Well, I can assure you my heart's still working.
156:24:06 Duke: We believe it. [Long pause.]
156:24:23 Armstrong: Charlie, what we suggest here is, before we start that, turn our two suit powers off and plug his blue lead into my blue signal conditioner and see if we get his signal through my signal conditioner. Okay?
156:24:38 Duke: Roger. That's a good suggestion, Neil. We concur. Over.
Comm break.
156:26:23 Armstrong: Okay, Charlie. We're transmitting, and let's see if you get any EKG signal on the CDR at this point.
156:26:32 Duke: Roger, Stand by. [Pause.]
156:26:42 Duke: 11, Houston. We get some data, but it's got the same problem that we had through Buzz's signal conditioner, so apparently the lead is broken and we'd like you to change it out if you could. Over.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
156:38:12 Aldrin: Houston, Apollo 11.
156:38:14 Unidentified Speaker: Go ahead, sir.
156:38:17 Aldrin: Roger. I think the problem was that the - the center lead had dried out. I'll go ahead and put the new one on, and see how that works. Over.
156:38:32 Duke: Rog.
156:38:36 Aldrin: I can't tell you how good it feels to get it off.
156:38:38 Duke: Yeah. I can imagine.
Very long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
156:48:41 Aldrin: Houston, Apollo 11. Houston, Apollo 11.
156:48:42 Duke: Go ahead, 11. Over.
156:48:45 Aldrin: Roger. How do you read my EKG now?
156:48:48 Duke: Stand by. We'll let the docs look at it. [Pause.] Buzz, we're on low bit rate. We'll get you on the High Gain momentarily, and we'll let you know then. Over.
156:49:04 Aldrin: Okay. I got my High Gain Antenna coming out.
156:49:11 Duke: Roger. Just leave it on Reacq. We'll get you.
Long comm break.
During that exchange, the signal was weakening. After a while, it suddenly strengthens and the noise goes away. Presumably this is when the HGA had locked on, allowing a high-bit data rate to Earth and a chance for the Surgeon to get a good look at the quality of the signal coming from Buzz's biomedical sensors.
156:52:38 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. Buzz, your EKG looks good now. The doc said thanks a lot.
156:52:47 Aldrin Okay. They're welcome.
Very long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
157:03:55 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. Based on our tracking since the midcourse, we're showing a gamma of minus 6.57. This is preliminary, though, and we think that after some more tracking it should come on in, and we could tweak it right on into the corridor. We're just about in the center of the corridor. Everything's looking fine. We'll have you an Entry PAD in a couple of hours before you go to sleep. And from our friends in the Public Affairs, a few headlines, other than your flight. You're still dominating the news. However, there are some other things of interest for you. As I mentioned earlier, the All Star game was rained out. It's going to be played tomorrow. However, President Nixon will not be able to see it as he planned. We'll keep you posted on results. And also, the weathermen are going to be good to you. Our forecast is - looks like it's holding good for the recovery area; it should be real fine out there. President Nixon, as he prepares to fly out to greet your return, predicted that within 31 years, man will have visited at least one other planet bearing some form of life. 'In the year 2000, we, on this Earth, will have visited new worlds where there will be a form of life,' he told 2,000 foreign exchange students at the White House. Before he left for his week-long trip, the President sent Congress his proposal for organizing - reorganizing the Interstate Commerce Commission. He also conferred with chairman Earl Wheeler of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on his return from Vietnam, and the launch of Intelsat was scrubbed and has been rescheduled for 10pm, Eastern Daylight Time on Wednesday. The second stage fuel ground support system showed some contamination.
For a normal entry into Earth's atmosphere, the RETRO flight controller is interested in an angle, labelled gamma. This is the angle between the spacecraft's flight path and the local horizontal and it is calculated for a point when the spacecraft reaches an altitude above Earth of 400,000 feet (121.92 km). This point is known as Entry Interface and it is entirely a mathematical construct. The ideal figure for gamma is -6.5° and -6.57° is very close, given that they have a ±0.5° tolerance.
157:05:50 Duke: And back in Washington, the House Ways and Means Committee agreed to tax changes affecting oil companies, banks, and utilities that could add nearly 2 billion a year to federal revenue. And, also today, NASA announced that it will launch a large orbital workshop in 1972, with a cut-down version of the Saturn V. And your television pictures attracted a lot of interest. They were shown live throughout just about the whole world, and - but we're expecting hundreds of telephone calls from mothers all over the world complaining that their youngsters are trying to drink milk from spoons, thanks to you, Mike. [Pause.]
157:06:37 Collins: I take it all back.
157:06:40 Duke: You need more practice.
Very long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control. Things are beginning to quieten down aboard Apollo 11 as they get nearer their sleep period. [There] probably won't be too many more exchanges between spacecraft communicator Charlie Duke here in Mission Control and the crew aboard Columbia. Entry countdown clock now showing 37 hours, 53 minutes. This may be refined a few times between now and splash time, or entry. Apollo 11 now is 153,080 nautical miles [283,504 km] out from Earth, approaching at 4,373 feet per second [1,333 m/s]. And at 157 hours, 10 minutes Ground Elapsed Time; this is Apollo Control.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
157:53:37 Duke: Hello, Apollo 11. Houston. Buzz, you brought the surgeon right out of his chair. We see you exercising. Over.
157:53:49 Armstrong (may be Collins): Say again.
157:53:50 Duke: We see you exercising. Is that correct, Buzz?
157:53:54 Armstrong (may be Collins): Yeah, that's right. Buzz is.
157:53:57 Duke: Rog. We've got his heartbeat way up.
157:54:03 Armstrong (may be Collins): Right. He's sort of out of shape.
157:54:06 Duke: Yeah. That's what we thought.
Comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
157:56:32 Collins: White Team's really got a busy one tonight, huh, Charlie?
157:56:36 Duke: Say again, Mike. Over.
157:56:41 Collins: Say, the old White Team's really got a busy one tonight, huh?
157:56:43 Duke: Oh, boy. We're really booming along here with all this activity. Can barely believe it.
157:56:51 Collins: What are you doing? Sitting around with your feet up on the console drinking coffee?
157:56:55 Duke: [Laughter.] You must have your X-ray eyes up. You sure can see a long way.
157:57:05 Collins: Yeah. We're watching you as well, you know.
157:57:08 Duke: All right. [Long pause.]
157:57:27 Collins: Two people in the viewing room and that's more than is in the trench. [Long pause.]
The Trench is the front row of the MOCR (Mission Operation Control Room). Excluding the Booster console, which is only occupied during the early stages of the mission, the Trench contains the flight dynamics controllers like RETRO and FIDO, people who are concerned with where the spacecraft is going. GUIDO sits beside them, keeping an eye on where the spacecraft is at any moment.
157:57:43 Duke: We've got eight in the viewing room, and let's see, about six in the trench right now. And this is the highlight of the day, Buzz's exercise for the surgeon.
157:58:10 Duke: 11, you copy? Over.
157:58:15 Armstrong: Roger. 11.
157:58:17 Duke: Rog, Neil. The highest heartbeat ever seen on a manned space flight, and we just went low bit rate. The surgeon is about to die. [Laughter.]
157:58:35 Collins: We're - I measured it up here. It came out to be 247.
157:58:45 Duke: Boy, that's super.
157:59:01 Collins: The units on that, furlong per fortnight.
157:59:04 Duke: Rog. We copy that. EECOM says if you keep that up, you're going to have to change your CO2 canister.
157:59:15 Collins: You were going to make me do that in another 45 minutes anyway.
157:59:19 Duke: That's true.
157:59:26 Collins: That's the highlight of my day. I'm really looking forward to that. [Long pause.]
158:01:00 SC: [Music: Radar Blues from Music Out of the Moon by Harry Revel, Leslie Baxter & Dr. Samuel J. Hoffman, 1947, using a Theremin.]
158:01:03 Duke: Thank you, 11. We appreciate you turning that off. [Laughter.]
Comm break.
Neil took a cassette tape of the music album Music Out of the Moon to listen to during quiet parts of the mission. Journal contributor Kevin White, a music educator from Nashville, adds some context about the track we have just heard, the album as a whole and its primary instrument, the Theremin. On Radar Blues: "As a 'Blues' piece, this song has roots in a uniquely American art form. This represents racial inclusion and pride for African Americans." On the Theremin: "Radar Blues as well as the whole album dominantly feature the 'Theremin'. Leon Theremin's instrument was praised by Vladimir Lenin in 1922. Theremin then moved to the the United States and his instrument went into production with RCA. This instrument in time became well known in America and closely associated with 'futuristic' sounds."
In all, about 90 seconds of Radar Blues was played on the downlink.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control, 158 hours, 1 minute Ground Elapsed Time. There's been a certain amount of conversation between Charlie Duke here in Mission Control and the crew of Apollo 11. We'll play back the accumulated tape at this time and then rejoin the conversation when it does resume on a live basis. Let's roll the tape now.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
158:03:24 Armstrong: Charlie, could you copy our music down there?
158:03:28 Duke: Did we copy what, Neil?
158:03:32 Armstrong: Did you copy our music down there?
158:03:34 Duke: Rog. We sure did. We're wondering who selected - made your selections?
158:03:41 Armstrong: That's an old favorite of mine, about - It's an album made about 20 years ago, called Music Out of the Moon.
158:03:49 Duke: Roger. It sounded a little scratchy to us, Neil. Either that or your tape was a little slow.
158:04:01 Aldrin: It's supposed to sound that way.
158:04:03 Duke: That's one of those...
158:04:04 Collins: ...it sounds a little scratchy to us too, but the czar likes it.
158:04:09 Duke: That's what we figured. He and his 40,000 votes.
158:04:24 Duke: For your info, we got you - It looks like around 150,000 out now.
158:04:33 Collins: It's getting appreciably larger now. It's looking more like the world.
158:04:38 Duke: Rog. I'm looking at the right side of the screen this time.
158:04:42 Collins: How's everything going on the - Say again, Charlie?
158:04:46 Duke: Oh, just - I - I'll never hear the last of that one about that Earth/Moon business during the TV there, and I was just saying that I was looking at the right side of the board here, so you are going towards the Earth. What are - What were you going to say, Mike?
158:05:01 Collins: You'll have - You'll have fun at the press conference after this shift then, won't you?
158:05:06 Duke: It's 2.30. Everybody will be asleep. I going to sneak off through the back way.
158:05:13 Collins: Okay. I was just wondering how everything is going at the home front. All the wives and kids in one piece?
158:05:19 Duke: Rog. Sure are. Everything's doing fine. All the gals are having a little party tonight, as far as I know.
158:05:27 Collins: Oh, good. Glad to hear it.
Very long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
158:20:40 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. I was just reading some of the transcripts of earlier today about this earlier PTC that we attempted, and when you keyed in the Verb 24 and did the two Enters, it took off on you. I think we got a story on that, if you'd like to listen to why it had such a high rate, Mike. Over.
Verb 24 means 'Load components 1, 2' which will enter data into R1 and R2 of the DSKY.
158:21:06 Collins: Yeah. I'm all ears.
158:21:08 Duke: Okay. I think it'd be better if you got your checklist out on 9-7, and we could walk you through it, and that way I could probably get the story straight. Over.
158:21:22 Duke: Okay, Mike, what happened is, you know, you were sitting there monitoring Verb 16, Noun 20, and at step 7 you went into Verb 24, Noun 01, and keyed in the address and then Information, Information. And on the final Enter of that 35400 Enter, right after that, it - that didn't put you back into the 16, Noun 20. Then when you did the Verb 24 Enter, you were really entering the information in the actual CDUs, and when you got the two entries in in register 1 and 2, it was an instantaneous change in the actual CDUs, and the CMDAC looked at that and saw what it thought it had - My gosh, I got a 600-degree-per-second rate, and it turns on the jets to try to take that rate out, and the rate filters that it's looking at, well, the rate it's looking at is filtered, so it doesn't really sense the actual rate until the thing is already built up and then it starts reading the rate filters and it says - well, I really didn't have 600 degrees, so then it turns it off and tries to slow it down, but until that happens, and it is some time lag and that's why the rate was building up. The jets were on and they were going to stay on due to that instantaneous 600 - suspected 600-degree-per-second rate. Over.
158:22:48 Collins: Okay. I got you.
Verb 16 Noun 20 means 'Monitor decimal values' and the values represent the angles of the gimbals in the IMU. This is essentially the spacecraft's attitude with respect to the platform as decoded by the CDUs, the Coupling Display Units which convert the angle measurements to numbers that the computer can make sense of. It seems that Mike had been using V16 N20 to monitor the gimbal angles rather than just relying on the rate pointers on the FDAI displays. This appears to have had an knock-on effect that he wasn't prepared for. Note that the page from the flown checklist has a note saying not to monitor V16 N20.
The roll rate of +0.3°/second is arrowed and this is the information that Mike wanted to enter using V24 N01. In this, he entered the appropriate address (3125) then two items of information (00012 and 35400). However, after that, the computer returned to V16 N20 - monitoring the CDUs - and by going to the next stage (V24 Enter) he began entering numbers directly into the CDUs. The unexpected roll rate was a reaction to that erroneous info.
158:22:50 Duke: Rog. [Long pause.]
158:23:24 Aldrin: Hey, Charlie, are you saying that for a short period of time, he actually loaded Noun 20 with some value other than what's being read by the CDU?
158:23:34 Duke: I think I got that, Buzz. That's affirmative. But when he did that second Verb 24, you were - the Noun was 20, so when he did the 3175 and then a 002 Enter, what he actually did there was load the first two actual CDU locations, and the computer looked at it - the DAP looked at it as an instantaneous change in the actual CDU. Stand by on your comments. We're switching antennas...
158:24:03 Aldrin: Rog.
158:24:05 Duke: ...You're very scratchy.
158:24:08 Aldrin: Okay. [Long pause.]
158:24:48 Duke: 11, Houston. We got you back now on the High Gain. Did you copy all that, Buzz? Over.
158:24:51 Aldrin: Yeah, I think so. I - I thought maybe that Noun 20 was one of those that you could never load from the DSKY, and that still may be. Maybe it was loaded just for a short period of time, and then when the counters read the - the gimbal angles, why they changed it back to what they actually are. But in the meantime, the DAP saw this different number. Is that right?
158:25:17 Duke: Well, our guidance guy was telling me that you can actually load those ACDUs, the actual CDUs, but we'll - we're checking on that. Over.
158:25:30 Aldrin: Okay. [Long pause.]
158:25:42 Duke: 11, Houston. Buzz, the word from the back room is that you can actually load the Noun 20, but you should not.
158:25:55 Aldrin: Yeah. I got that. Thank you.
158:25:57 Duke: You're welcome.
Long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
158:33:30 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. We got a recommendation for you on your stowage of the LM E - VVAs. [means LEVAs] Over.
158:33:39 Aldrin: Go ahead.
158:33:41 Duke: Okay. We'd like - the SPAN guys say it looks - they think that one would go on the helmet that you're going to have in B1, and you could put the other one on Mike's helmet, which will be in the sleep restraint. Over. [Pause.]
158:34:01 Aldrin: I doubt if it will fit on the helmet in B1. The other one might - might go in the sleep restraint. We've got them in their helmet bags, and I guess we're going to have to keep the helmets in the helmet bags, and the LEVAs in the LEVA bags.
158:34:20 Duke: Roger.
158:34:22 Aldrin: Yeah. I've been thinking maybe they ought to stay sealed up.
158:34:26 Duke: Okay. We...
158:34:27 Collins: It won't hack B1, Charlie, with the cover. I tried it already.
158:34:31 Duke: Okay. Fine. We weren't sure of that. It was just a suggestion. We thought we'd - You could check it out. Sounds like you've already done that, so I guess whatever you can come up with, just let us know. Over.
158:34:44 Aldrin: Okay. There's no problem. We'll let you know where they end up.
158:34:47 Duke: Rog.
Very long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control. We've had no communications with Apollo 11 in the last several minutes. So at this time; 158 hours, 45 minutes Ground Elapsed Time; we will take down the circuit and come back up when and if conversation resumes prior to the time the crew starts their rest period, which tonight is scheduled for 10 hours. 158 hours, 46 minutes Ground Elapsed Time, this is Apollo Control.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control; 159 hours, 49 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Apollo 11 crew is giving their final report prior to their starting their 10-hour rest period. We've got a little accumulation of tape, then we'll join live. Let's roll the tape now.
159:49:04 Armstrong: Hello, Houston. Apollo 11.
159:49:06 Duke: Go ahead, 11. Over.
159:49:10 Armstrong: Okay. Crew status report. Radiation: CDR 11020, CMP 10022, LMP 09024. No medication.
159:49:28 Duke: Roger. Copy.
159:49:35 Duke: And, Neil, we got - we'd like your onboard read-outs of batteries and RCS. Over.
Comm break.
159:50:54 Armstrong: Okay, Charlie. Ready to copy?
159:50:56 Duke: Rog. Go ahead. Over.
159:50:59 Armstrong: Okay. Batt C, Pyro Batt A, and Pyro Batt B are 37.0. RCS A, 51. B, 63. C, 63. D, 59. Go.
159:51:14 Duke: Roger. Copy all that, Neil. And we got an Entry PAD if you're ready to copy. Over. [Long pause.]
159:52:00 Aldrin: Houston, Apollo 11. Ready to copy. Over.
159:52:02 Duke: Rog, Buzz. It's an Entry PAD, MPL; starting with roll 05, 35 - correction - 359, 152, 001. GET 194:46:03; 267, plus 11.02, minus 172.03, 06.8. Noun 60; 36194, 6.56, 1189.4, 36275, 195:03:03, 00:27. Noun 69, all four lines are NA. Picking up with D zero; 4.00, 02:09. RET of blackout; 00:17, 03:38, 08:20. Sextant star; 02, 094.5, 14.9. Boresight star is Scorpii Theta, that's Scorpii Theta. Up 315, right 35, lift vector up. And the comments: This Entry PAD assumes no Midcourse 6. And for your information, looking at it right now, based on all the tracking we got, that maneuver would only be a tenth of a foot per second so we'll probably skip it. We'll let you know more about that later. Okay. Your horizon check at EI minus 30 minutes, GET of 194:33:03, gives you a pitch angle of 298. Okay. The GDC, your back-up align - Your set stars for the Entry REFSMMAT are Deneb and Vega; 079, 234, 340. Standing by for your readback. Over.
Before interpreting this Entry PAD, an explanation of some of the terminology may be useful. The first important concept is that of Entry Interface, a completely arbitrary event which is defined as the moment when the spacecraft (by then only the Command Module) reaches an altitude of 400,000 feet (65.83 nautical miles, 121.92 km). This point is only a mathematical construct, chosen as a reference altitude against which the trajectory conditions can be tested. Those conditions, like flight path angle to the horizontal, can be calculated by working forward from the spacecraft's current state vector. Entry Interface not depend on the vagaries of the atmosphere.
A second concept is the 0.05g event. This is the point at which the increasing drag of the atmosphere's outer fringes causes a deceleration of a twentieth of a g. For calculation sake, prior to entry actually occurring, it is taken to occur at an altitude of 297,432 feet (48.95 nautical miles, 90.66 km) but it will occur when the spacecraft's guidance system detects a change in velocity of 0.49 m/s2 (0.05g). Detection of 0.05g triggers a change in the entry program run by the computer. It also triggers the EMS (Entry Monitoring System) to begin to monitor the spacecraft's passage through the atmosphere.
Note that some events in the PAD are related to the Entry Interface event, others to the 0.05g event. The data passed up for the entry PAD is interpreted as follows:
Purpose: Entry.
Landing target: The landing target is the MPL, the Mid-Pacific Landing area.
IMU gimbal angles required for trim at 0.05g: Roll, 359°; pitch, 152°; yaw, 001°. Essentially, this is the attitude that the CM should be in with respect to the guidance platform, itself aligned per the entry REFSMMAT.
Time of the horizon check: 194 hours, 46 minutes, 3 seconds GET. Earth's horizon should be at a predefined angle mark in the window at this time, 17 minutes prior to Entry Interface.
Spacecraft pitch at horizon check: 267°.
Splashdown point: 11.02° north latitude, 172.03° west longitude.
Entry flight path angle at Entry Interface: 6.56°.
Range to go to splashdown point from 0.05g event: 1,189.4 nautical miles. To set up their EMS (Entry Monitor System) before re-entry, the crew need to know the expected distance the CM would travel from the 0.05g event to landing. This figure will be decremented by the EMS based on signals from its own accelerometer.
Predicted inertial velocity at 0.05g event: 36,275 feet/second. This is another entry for the EMS. It is entered into the unit's Delta-V counter and will be decremented based on signals from its own accelerometer.
Time of Entry Interface: 195 hours, 3 minutes, 3 seconds GET.
Time from Entry Interface to the 0.05g event: 27 seconds.
Skip-out parameters (including Noun 69): All not applicable. This entry PAD does not include the use of P65, the program that controls a skip out phase.
Planned drag level (deceleration) during the constant g phase: 4.00g.
Time from Entry Interface until their velocity slows sufficiently to allow a circular orbit around Earth: 2:09. The practical implication of this is that this is the "capture point" where the CM will no longer be able to skip off the atmosphere and go into an orbit. Since the spacecraft will already be within Earth's sensible atmosphere at this point, drag will continue to slow the spacecraft and the return to Earth is assured.
Time from Entry Interface that the communications blackout begins: 0:17.
Time from Entry Interface that the communications blackout ends: 3:38.
Time from Entry Interface that the drogue parachutes will deploy: 8:20.
Sextant star: 02 (Diphda, Beta Ceti.)
Sextant shaft angle at Entry Interface minus 2 minutes: 94.5°.
Sextant trunnion angle at Entry Interface minus 2 minutes: 14.9°.
The next three items refer to an attitude check made using the COAS sighted on a star two minutes before Entry Interface.
Boresight star: Theta Scorpii.
Boresight Star pitch angle on COAS: Up 31.5°.
Boresight Star X position on COAS: Right 3.5°.
Lift vector at Entry Interface: Up. Since the direction of the lift vector is towards the crew's feet, they will re-enter in a heads-down attitude.
There are additional comments to the PAD. The trajectory used in the calculation of the re-entry timings does not include any changes brought about by a further midcourse correction burn. Since the trajectory is nearly perfect, such a burn is likely to be dropped. A further check of their guidance system takes place at 30 minutes prior to Entry Interface. This probably consists of pitching the CM to align a mark on the window with Earth's horizon and seeing what the pitch reading is. The final note concerns their technique for aligning their secondary gyro system in case the IMU fails.
GDC Align stars: Stars to be used for GDC Align purposes are Deneb and Vega. These two stars would be viewed through the telescope in a certain way, placing the spacecraft into a known attitude. The given angles then align the GDCs per the current REFSMMAT.
Note that this PAD is very preliminary and will change markedly so that the spacecraft can avoid a storm.
159:55:27 Aldrin: Roger. Lunar entry, MPL: 359, 152, 001. 194:46:03; 267, plus 11.02, minus 172.03, 068. 36194, 6.56, 1189.4, 36275, 195:03:03; 00:27. Four NA. 4.00 02:09. 00:17, 03:38, 08:20. 02, 094.5, 14.9. Scorpii Theta. Up 315, right 35, up. Assumes no MCC-6. Horizon at EI minus 30, 194:33:03, and pitch 298. Set stars Deneb and Vega; 079, 234, 340. Over.
159:57:04 Duke: Roger. Very good readback, Buzz, and for your communication setup for tonight's sleep, we'd like Omni to Omni - Stand by.
Comm break.
159:58:51 Duke: Apollo 11, Houston. If you didn't copy that, Buzz, it was a good readback on the PAD. We've got a clock update for you that we'll have to you as soon as we can get it out to the site. It's - We're in the process of handing over to Honeysuckle, and it'll be a couple of minutes. Over.
159:59:11 Aldrin: Okay. You want the computer to Block?
159:59:15 Duke: We'll call you. You can stay Block right now. We'll give you a call.
Comm break.
160:00:54 Duke: Hello, Apollo 11. Houston. Would you please give us P00 and Accept? We've got a clock update for you. [Long pause.]
160:01:13 Collins: Go ahead, Charlie. We're P00 and Accept.
160:01:21 Duke: Roger.
Comm break.
160:03:19 Duke: 11, Houston. We've got the load in. You can go back to Block. Over.
160:03:26 Aldrin: Roger.
160:03:27 Collins: Thank you. [Pause.]
160:03:32 Duke: And 11, Houston. One final thing. We'd like you to select your Omni to Omni, Omni A to Bravo, High Gain track to Manual, and beam Wide. Your angles are 270 in yaw, pitch minus 50. Over.
160:03:56 Aldrin: Roger. 50 and minus 70.
160:04:04 Duke: The angles, Buzz, were yaw 270, pitch minus 50. Over.
160:04:13 Aldrin: Okay. Yaw 270, pitch minus 50.
160:04:19 Duke: That's Rog. [Pause.]
160:04:27 Duke: And Apollo 11, it's good night from a sleepy White Team. Over. [Pause.]
160:04:39 Aldrin Rog. Thank you very much. We're not as sleepy tonight as we were last night.
160:04:46 Duke: Yeah. I guess you guys were pretty tired last night after that busy day.
160:04:54 Collins: That's affirmative. I couldn't even find the chlorine.
160:04:57 Duke: [Laughing] Yeah.
Very long comm break.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control. Crew of Columbia at this time should be getting ready to start their 10-hour rest period after having been tucked in by spacecraft Communicator Charlie Duke here in Mission Control. At 160 hours, 10 minutes Ground Elapsed Time; this is Apollo Control.
160:25:45 Duke: Hello, Apollo 11. Houston. Sorry to bother you, but we'd like to have you do a Verb 34 to get the Noun 65 off of there. Over.
Download MP3 audio file. PAO loop. Clip courtesy John Stoll, ACR Senior Technician at NASA Johnson.
This is Apollo Control; 161 hours, 28 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. The crew of Columbia is now in a 10-hour sleep period. The official time they went to sleep according to the Surgeon, Dr. Ken Beers, is 160 hours, 42 minutes Ground Elapsed Time; almost an hour ago. The Columbia now is 141,369 nautical miles [261,815 km] out from Earth, approaching at a velocity of 4,628 feet per second [1,411 m/s]. Entry clock now showing 33 hours, 34 minutes to entry or 400,000 feet altitude. Here in Mission Control, the Black Team of flight controllers headed up by Glynn Lunney is moving in to take over for the next eight hours or so. Spacecraft Communicator Charlie Duke, will be replaced by Ron Evans, who just entered the room. And at 161 hours, 29 minutes Ground Elapsed Time; this is Apollo Control.
With the crew of Apollo 11 in their second last sleep period before splashdown, the spacecraft continues to function extremely well, now overseen by the Black Team of Flight Controllers.
