Apollo 14

This is Apollo Control. 78 hours 57 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Apollo 14 some 3 hours 26 minutes from loss of signal as it passes behind the Moon on the first coasting in to Lunar Orbit Insertion burn coming up later this evening. Lunar Module Pilot Ed Mitchell crossed over into the Lunar Module earlier and just - has completed a checkout of the electrical system in the Lunar Module in which the concern is on the low ... In which the concern was on the low voltage reading of about 3 tenths of a volt under normal of ascent battery number 5. By selectively switching the various loads back and forth between this battery and the other ascent battery, measuring the load sharing capability, the voltage readings with the various loads, it was determined as mentioned by the acting spacecraft communicator, Joe Engle, that the battery looks okay at this time, and as of now they're go for continuing toward a lunar landing mission. There's an extensive checkout of Lunar Module systems prior to the undocking and our descent maneuver on up till landing, but as of now, the ascent batteries, especially battery number 5 is go at this time. Some gee whiz numbers, would you believe they've disappeared from my display. At 78 hours 59 minutes Ground Elapsed Time this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control at 79 hours, 51 minutes GET. The countdown clock showing 2 hours and 45 minutes, 37 seconds until lunar orbit insertion ignition and 2 hours, 32 minutes until the spacecraft passes behind the Moon on the beginning of the first revolution. Earlier, you heard the spacecraft communicator pass up to the crew all the numbers necessary for the lunar orbit insertion burn, which is now scheduled for Ground Elapsed Time of 82 hours 36 minutes 46 seconds with a retrograde of velocity decrease of 3020 feet per second [920 m/s]. The Lunar Module Pilot, Ed Mitchell went into the Lunar Module earlier in the evening and checked out the electrical system and in watching the telemet - telemeter displays here in Mission Control, Apollo program Director Rocco Petrone made the following comment: "We are happy with what we saw. We haven't found anything to preclude descent. Other ground tests are under way to further verify battery performance. During the test, battery 5 shared the loads applied very well without draining power from battery 6. The battery recovered readily after the load was removed. At one time the load was pushed to 30 amps during the test. The entire LM battery system will be thoroughly checked out during the power up of the Lunar Module on descent day. We did however, determine that the .3 of a volt low reading recorded earlier in the mission was not an instrumentation fault." Presently Apollo 14 is 6,863 nautical miles [12,710 km] out from the Moon increasing in velocity as it falls inward toward lunar orbit. Velocity now reading 4,083 feet per second [1,244 m/s]. At 79 hours, 53 minutes Ground Elapsed Time, this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control 81 hours 27 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Still 1 hour 9 minutes out from lunar orbit insertion maneuver which will be service propulsion system burn behind the Moon. To recapitulate the maneuver PAD or the numbers used by the crew in loading the - conversation here, stand by.

At any rate picking up again, and recapitulating the maneuver PAD for Lunar Orbit Insertion. The time of ignition will be 82 hours 36 minutes 46 seconds, burn time 6 minutes 12 seconds. Total delta V or change of velocity retrograde, 3022 feet per second [921 m/s]. This is calculated to produce an elliptical lunar orbit with a pericynthion of 58.1 nautical miles [107.6 km] and an apocynthion of 169.3 nautical miles [313.5 km]. Assuming the normal burn for lunar orbit insertion, the spacecraft will again be acquired by the ground tracking stations at 82 hours 56 minutes 27 seconds Ground Elapsed Time. But without a burn the AOS time will be 82 49 15. Apollo 14 will settle into a lunar orbit after the LOI burn with a velocity in orbit of 5548 feet per second [1,691 m/s]. Another event coming up is the S-IVB impact at around 82 hours 37 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. The S-IVB stage will thump into the Moon at about 8347 feet per second [2,544 m/s], which should give the seismometer at the Apollo 12 site a pretty good workout. Present altitude above the Moon 2858 nautical miles [5,293 km], velocity continuing to increase as the spacecraft nears the Moon, now showing 4941 feet per second [1,506 m/s]. At 81 hours 30 minutes Ground Elapsed Time this is Apollo Control.