Apollo 14
Day 4, part 5: Lunar Orbit Insertion and First Impressions
Corrected Transcript and Commentary Copyright © 2020 by W. David Woods, Ben Feist, Ronald Hansen and Johannes Kemppanen. All rights reserved.
Last updated 2021-01-07
This is Apollo Control. We have had Loss of Signal as Apollo 14 went around the corner of the Moon for the first time. Coming up some 12 minutes from now on lunar orbit insertion burn to recapitulate some of the numbers associated with this maneuver. The ignition time is 82 hours 36 minutes 46 seconds for burn time on the big engine, the
SPS engine of 6 minutes 12 seconds for a total velocity change in retrograde of 3022 feet per second [921 m/s]. Assuming a normal burn on time the spacecraft should be reacquired as it comes around the other side of the Moon by the ground station at 82 hours 56 minutes 27 seconds. Among those people in the viewing room behind mission control room here are acting NASA Administrator, George Low, Associated Administrator from Manned Space Flight, Dale Myers and Manned Spacecraft Center Director, Dr. Robert R. Gilruth.
Coming up on 11 minutes even until ignition for
LOI. Mark. 11 minutes until ignition Lunar Orbit Insertion burn. At 82 hours 25 minutes Ground Elapsed Time, this is Apollo Control.
082:24:00 Roosa (onboard): We're in ...
082:24:01 Shepard (onboard): Okay, within 1 second.
082:24:02 Roosa (onboard): Yes.
082:24:25 Shepard (onboard): I can see the [Garble] blowing at me.
082:24:31 Roosa (onboard): Double up [Garble.]
082:24:39 Mitchell (onboard): [Garble.]
082:24:49 Roosa (onboard): There's an eclipse after we get back.
082:24:51 Shepard (onboard): Okay.
082:24:56 MSFN (onboard): [Garble.]
082:25:01 Shepard (onboard): Okay. We're through the Flight Plan. We're on your card.
082:25:06 Mitchell (onboard): Okay.
082:25:15 Shepard (onboard): We'll wait until 54.
082:25:27 Mitchell (onboard): Man, there are a lot of stars out here in one sector of the sky.
082:25:33 Shepard (onboard): What sector are you looking at?
082:25:35 Mitchell (onboard): [Garble.]
082:25:50 Mitchell (onboard): I don't see a sector where there's not any. Usually I don't see them. Oh, the stars?
082:26:01 Roosa (onboard): Yes.
082:26:02 Mitchell (onboard): Yes. I've got the Big Dipper floating along beside me out here for some time. Could have gone on around Arcturus, Spica, and Gienah. And I can just barely see the Little Dipper up behind us.
082:26:20 Shepard (onboard): Okay. Which of those stars can you see now? Can you see the fifth-magnitude star?
082:26:24 Mitchell (onboard): Of the Little Dipper?
082:26:26 Shepard (onboard): Right.
082:26:28 Mitchell (onboard): Let's see. I can just barely see anything at all there.
082:26:32 Roosa (onboard): It goes 2, 3, 4, 5. Right?
082:26:36 Mitchell (onboard): No, I really can't say I can see it, Al. But ...
082:26:41 Roosa (onboard): 2.
082:26:42 Mitchell (onboard): ... it may be the angle ...
082:26:43 Roosa (onboard): 3, 4, 5.
082:26:44 Mitchell (onboard): ... It may be the angle that I'm - at the window, one reason.
082:26:53 Shepard (onboard): I think that's it. Anyway it's obvious, when you look at them, which it is.
082:26:57 Mitchell (onboard): That's the one you have to strain to make out.
082:27:08 Mitchell (onboard): I think this has been a long damn Sim. The son of a bitch.
082:27:31 Shepard (onboard): Showing about a degree drift in yaw. That deadbanding on the
GDC is [Garble.]
082:27:38 Roosa (onboard): It could be deadbanding up around half a degree. I'm not sure what it was then I - I mean, we could be a half a degree off from where I - gauged it.
082:27:55 Shepard (onboard): Okay.
082:27:57 Roosa (onboard): GDC's been on there now ever since we got the attitude, which has been a good while, 25 minutes or so. Okay. I'll go ahead and cage them up. I got to get back on my card here. align the
GDC after we - Can't do it now.
082:28:28 Mitchell (onboard): Huh?
082:28:29 Roosa (onboard): So, I'll do it now and then.
082:28:34 Shepard (onboard): Did it move at all?
082:28:35 Roosa (onboard): Yes, no trouble. A degree or so.
082:28:41 Shepard (onboard): [Garble.]
082:28:59 Mitchell (onboard): I can see the fifth-magnitude star now. Yes.
082:29:04 Shepard (onboard): Good - clear air here.
082:29:42 Shepard (onboard): Okay. About 1 minute to bus ties.
082:30:16 Roosa (onboard): Well. [Garble.]
082:30:19 Shepard (onboard): Okay. Why don't you go ahead and bring the bus ties on, Ed?
082:30:23 Roosa (onboard): We're 20 seconds early.
082:30:25 Mitchell (onboard): A is on. B is on.
082:30:29 Roosa (onboard): Is your intercom on?
082:30:32 Shepard (onboard): Okay ...
082:30:33 Mitchell (onboard): Yes.
082:30:34 Shepard (onboard): ...
TVC Servo Power 1, AC 1.
082:30:35 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
082:30:36 Shepard (onboard): 2, AC 2.
082:30:37 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
082:30:38 Shepard (onboard): RHC Power, Normal, two, AC; Direct, two, Off.
082:30:43 Roosa (onboard): Off.
082:30:44 Shepard (onboard): BMAGs, three, one-half.
082:30:46 Roosa (onboard): Okay. Go ahead.
082:30:48 Shepard (onboard): Okay. Spacecraft Control,
SCS; Rec 2, armed.
082:30:51 Roosa (onboard): SCS and
RHC, armed.
082:30:52 Shepard (onboard): Bring on number 1's.
082:30:54 Roosa (onboard): We're a minute early. Let's save a little more time [Garble.]
082:30:58 Shepard (onboard): Okay.
082:31:08 Roosa (onboard): Please don't wear them out until after
TEI (Yawn).
082:31:21 Shepard (onboard): [Garble.]
082:31:26 Roosa (onboard): By all means.
082:31:41 Roosa (onboard): Okay. Are you ready for number 1? [Garble.]
082:31:45 Mitchell (onboard): Any time.
082:31:46 Roosa (onboard): Okay. Pitch 1 is on.
082:31:48 Mitchell (onboard): You have it.
082:31:49 Roosa (onboard): Yaw 1 is on.
082:31:50 Mitchell (onboard): You have that one.
082:31:51 Shepard (onboard): Verify trim control and set. Plus 0.9.
082:31:54 Roosa (onboard): O.9.
082:31:55 Shepard (onboard): Minus 0.33. Verify
MTVC, both sides. Do you have them? Okay.
082:32:05 Roosa (onboard): No
MTVC.
082:32:05 Shepard (onboard): No
MTVC.
082:32:08 Roosa (onboard): Are you ready for number 2?
082:32:09 Mitchell (onboard): Bring them up.
082:32:10 Roosa (onboard): Pitch 2
082:32:11 Mitchell (onboard): You got it.
082:32:12 Roosa (onboard): Got them. Yaw 2.
082:32:13 Mitchell (onboard): You get that one.
082:32:16 Shepard (onboard): Okay. Set trim. Plus 0.9, minus 0.33.
082:32:22 Roosa (onboard): Okay. That's set.
082:32:23 Shepard (onboard): RHC, neutral. Verify no
MTVC and verify zero.
082:32:28 Roosa (onboard): Okay, no
MTVC.
082:32:31 Shepard (onboard): Very good.
082:32:32 Roosa (onboard): Verify zero.
082:32:33 Shepard (onboard): RHC Power, Normal, too, AC/DC.
082:32:38 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
082:32:39 Shepard (onboard): Direct, two, Main A/Main B.
082:32:41 Roosa (onboard): Main A/Main B.
082:32:42 Shepard (onboard): Okay.
BMAGs, 2.
082:32:43 Roosa (onboard): Okay. Right on through. We're okay.
082:32:54 Shepard (onboard): Okay. It's there, and steady.
082:32:56 Roosa (onboard): Not yet. Okay, the rates are coming off.
082:33:07 Roosa (onboard): Okay. It looks like it's pretty happy.
082:33:08 Shepard (onboard): Yes.
BMAGs, one-half.
082:33:10 Roosa (onboard): One-half, and let me
GDC align here.
082:33:12 Shepard (onboard): Okay.
082:33:15 Roosa (onboard): Okay. We got 000.
082:33:18 Shepard (onboard): Gimbal test option.
082:33:20 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
082:33:21 Shepard (onboard): Go.
082:33:22 Roosa (onboard): 2, 02, 0, up 2, down 2, 0.
082:33:33 Shepard (onboard): 0.9 and minus 0.33.
082:33:38 Roosa (onboard): Okay. She's at trim.
082:33:39 Shepard (onboard): Okay. She's in trim.
FDAI Scale, 5/5.
082:33:43 Roosa (onboard): 5/5.
082:33:46 Shepard (onboard): Rate, High.
082:33:47 Roosa (onboard): Okay. Rate is High.
082:33:49 Shepard (onboard): Check the
DET. Should be reading 25:07, 08, 09, 10.
082:33:56 Roosa (onboard): Okay. Half a second off.
082:33:58 Shepard (onboard): SPS Helium Valves, Ed. Check two, Auto. Verify.
082:34:02 Mitchell (onboard): Auto, barber pole.
082:34:03 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
082:34:04 Shepard (onboard): Check N
2 A and N
2 B.
082:34:06 Mitchell (onboard): They're both good. Helium's good.
082:34:10 Shepard (onboard): Okay. Waiting for 2 minutes.
082:34:15 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
082:34:29 Shepard (onboard): I think we're in good shape. Everything's in the right place.
082:34:34 Mitchell (onboard): Have you already called High - High Bit Rate?
082:34:38 Roosa (onboard): That's in 2 minutes; not yet.
082:34:39 Mitchell (onboard): Okay.
082:34:44 Shepard (onboard): Okay. Bring on bank A.
082:34:46 Roosa (onboard): Bank A is on.
082:34:48 Shepard (onboard): THC, Armed. We do not need that
RHC 2 Armed.
082:34:51 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
082:34:52 Shepard (onboard): Tape Recorder High Bit Rate, Record, Forward. Command Reset.
082:34:54 Mitchell (onboard): Okay.
082:34:57 Roosa (onboard): There's sunrise.
082:35:00 Mitchell (onboard): So it is.
082:35:03 Roosa (onboard): Okay. Okay.
082:35:07 Shepard (onboard): It looks about right. Right on time.
082:35:10 Roosa (onboard): You're High Bit Rate, Ed.
082:35:12 Mitchell (onboard): You got it.
082:35:13 Shepard (onboard): You got a gray.
082:35:14 Mitchell (onboard): Got a gray.
082:35:15 Shepard (onboard): Okay.
082:35:16 Roosa (onboard): I think I'll wait for the burn.
082:35:22 Shepard (onboard): Standing by for an
EMS Mode, Normal, [Garble] ...
082:35:24 Roosa (onboard): I think that's all we missed. Okay. One-half, ATT Set; Rate Command; Command's High:
THC Power there, there;
CMC, Auto; ATT 1/Rate 2,
BMAGs; looks good. There, and we have Servo Power.
082:35:36 Shepard (onboard): Okay. And there's to be no ullage.
082:35:39 Roosa (onboard): No ullage.
082:35:43 Shepard (onboard): And no trim.
082:35:48 Roosa (onboard): One minute to burn time, troops.
082:35:52 Shepard (onboard): Okay.
082:35:54 Roosa (onboard): Ten. [Garble] Is it 10 ...
082:35:58 Shepard (onboard): Ten seconds. [Garble.]
082:36:02 Mitchell (onboard): Okay. Nominal is 6 plus 12.
082:36:05 Shepard (onboard): Burn time plus 10.
082:36:06 Roosa (onboard): Okay. Crossover around 4 plus 10 [Garble] ...
082:36:10 Shepard (onboard): Okay.
DSKY is on time.
082:36:12 Roosa (onboard): [Garble.]
082:36:16 Shepard (onboard): Okay. Average g.
EMS Mode, Normal.
082:36:18 Roosa (onboard): EMS mode is Normal.
082:36:20 Shepard (onboard): R
3 looks good.
082:36:22 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
082:36:25 Shepard (onboard): [Garble] three counts. 20 seconds.
082:36:35 Shepard (onboard): 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, Pro, 3, 2, 1 -
082:36:45 Shepard (onboard): 0. We have Ignition on time.
082:36:47 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
082:36:48 Mitchell (onboard): Okay. You have A and B.
082:36:49 Roosa (onboard): Okay. P
C is 96.
082:36:51 Shepard (onboard): Both tanks look good.
082:36:55 Roosa (onboard): Okay. Steering is good.
082:36:57 Shepard (onboard): Steering is good;
GDC ball's good; needle is good.
082:37:00 Roosa (onboard): She's steady as a rock. P
C's up to 100.
082:37:07 Mitchell (onboard): Okay. You're still in tight limits.
082:37:08 Roosa (onboard): We got the light before we got the bang that time. I saw it. I hadn't noticed that on midcourse 2. She's steady.
GDC BMAGs are good.
082:37:20 Shepard (onboard): Okay [Garble] ...
082:37:21 Mitchell (onboard): Okay. We're at loose limits - loose limits.
082:37:24 Roosa (onboard): Loose limits. Okay. P
C's 100.
082:37:28 Shepard (onboard): Loose limits. Give me a mark on 5 minutes to go, Ed.
082:37:32 Mitchell (onboard): Okay.
082:37:34 Roosa (onboard): P
C's 100. Steering is good.
082:37:37 Shepard (onboard): Yes. Steady as a rock.
082:37:42 Roosa (onboard): P
C's increasing. Coming up nicely.
082:37:51 Roosa (onboard): Smooth ...
082:37:52 Mitchell (onboard): Okay. Stand by.
082:37:56 Mitchell (onboard): Mark. Five minutes.
082:37:59 Shepard (onboard): Okay. Not bad -
CMC is within 4 seconds of that. Four seconds fast.
082:38:03 Note: BEGIN LUNAR REV 1.
082:38:10 Roosa (onboard): And P
C is steady. Steering good. We're oscillating in the roll deadband.
082:38:16 Shepard (onboard): Yes.
082:38:18 Mitchell (onboard): You're okay now.
082:38:20 Roosa (onboard): Yes.
082:38:25 Shepard (onboard): CMC and
EMS are together.
082:38:31 Mitchell (onboard): Okay, I shifted the Oxidizer Flow Valve. Should be seeing it.
082:38:38 Roosa (onboard): What did it stabilize at?
082:38:40 Mitchell (onboard): It stabilized about - oh, minus 150.
082:38:42 Roosa (onboard): Okay. Switch to 200.
082:38:43 Mitchell (onboard): 200.
082:38:44 Roosa (onboard): You're in Normal.
082:38:45 Mitchell (onboard): Yes.
082:38:46 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
082:38:49 Mitchell (onboard): Okay, I'm coming up on 4 minutes to go.
082:38:51 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
082:38:57 Mitchell (onboard): Mark; 4 minutes.
082:39:00 Shepard (onboard): Okay, about right on, as far as the
CMC is concerned. Okay,
CMC and
EMS are close together.
082:39:09 Roosa (onboard): She's really smooth, steady.
082:39:11 Shepard (onboard): Yes.
082:39:13 Roosa (onboard): Just like the
CMS. Only difference being out this window, why - I can see it with peripheral vision.
082:39:22 Shepard (onboard): Okay, we've got steering; you're down about a degree in pitch.
082:39:26 Roosa (onboard): All right. Sounds real normal.
082:39:29 Shepard (onboard): Okay.
082:39:32 Roosa (onboard): And the
GDC and the
BMAGs all agree with that. Everything's Go. [Garble.]
082:39:44 Shepard (onboard): Okay.
EMS and
Delta-V are together. Give me a mark on 3, Ed.
082:39:48 Mitchell (onboard): Okay. Stand by ...
082:39:57 Mitchell (onboard): Mark.
082:39:58 Roosa (onboard): Is the PU valve coming back toward [Garble]?
082:40:00 Mitchell (onboard): That's affirm. Bringing her back down.
082:40:04 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
082:40:05 Mitchell (onboard): You're in Max.
082:40:06 Roosa (onboard): I'm up to 105.
082:40:13 Shepard (onboard): Okay. Dead-banding in roll again; everything else looks good.
082:40:22 Mitchell (onboard): Okay, helium and nitrogen are Go.
082:40:26 Shepard (onboard): CMC and
Delta-V are within a couple of seconds of nominal burn time. We may be a little long by a couple of seconds. We'll see.
082:40:36 Roosa (onboard): Well, we had low, you know - It took the P
C a little while to get up there. I think you know that the pressures were down.
082:40:43 Shepard (onboard): Yes.
082:40:45 Roosa (onboard): I guess they're okay now. They increased much, Ed?
082:40:49 Mitchell (onboard): The pressures and ullage stayed just about the same; they haven't really moved.
082:40:52 Roosa (onboard): Okay, we should have crossover shortly.
082:40:54 Mitchell (onboard): Okay, we're getting it; and I'm seeing evidence of it now.
082:40:59 Roosa (onboard): Okay, I didn't really see a 2- to 3-psi increase here; did your valve go to Increase?
082:41:04 Mitchell (onboard): It's in Increase now.
082:41:05 Roosa (onboard): I meant the indicator.
082:41:07 Mitchell (onboard): Yes.
082:41:08 Roosa (onboard): It did?
082:41:09 Mitchell (onboard): Yes.
082:41:10 Roosa (onboard): Okay. We definitely had it. [Garble] didn't see that.
082:41:13 Mitchell (onboard): Yes, it's moving that way right now, Stu. You mean the balance indicator - Unbalance indicator?
082:41:18 Roosa (onboard): Yes.
082:41:19 Mitchell (onboard): No, it is not in Increase yet. Okay, I'm going to Normal.
082:41:38 Roosa (onboard): Judging from P
C I'd say we hadn't had crossover, but the time ...
082:41:41 Mitchell (onboard): Yes.
082:41:42 Roosa (onboard): ... we sure have.
082:41:43 Mitchell (onboard): The - time says we should have had ...
082:41:44 Roosa (onboard): Yes.
082:41:48 Mitchell (onboard): It was a nice smooth one [Garble] ...
082:41:49 Shepard (onboard): Give me a mark at 1 min?
082:41:51 Mitchell (onboard): Okay. Stand by.
082:41:55 Mitchell (onboard): Mark; 1 minute.
082:41:56 Shepard (onboard): Right on.
082:41:57 Mitchell (onboard): Okay ...
082:41:58 Roosa (onboard): What's - Ed, what's the balance meter read?
082:42:01 Mitchell (onboard): Balance is zero, and I'm going to Increase and leave it there for the last part of the burn.
082:42:05 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
082:42:08 Shepard (onboard): Okay. Looks like the
CMC's right on.
082:42:12 Mitchell (onboard): Okay.
082:42:14 Shepard (onboard): We're Go for
CMC cut-off. Okay, Ed, counting down to zero.
082:42:20 Mitchell (onboard): All right.
082:42:25 Mitchell (onboard): Mark; 30 seconds.
082:42:27 Shepard (onboard): Okay, it's going to be real close.
082:42:28 Mitchell (onboard): Yes. We're in tight limits [Garble] I'm going to go all the way.
082:42:33 Shepard (onboard): Okay, cut down - count down to zero.
082:42:35 Mitchell (onboard): All right.
082:42:45 Mitchell (onboard): Ten seconds.
082:42:47 Shepard (onboard): Going to be a little bit early on the cut-off.
082:42:49 Mitchell (onboard): 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 -
082:42:55 Mitchell (onboard): Mark.
082:42:56 Roosa (onboard): Okay, we've had Shutdown.
Delta-V ...
082:42:57 Shepard (onboard): Okay,
CMC blanks.
082:42:58 Roosa (onboard): ... Thrust A and B, Off.
082:42:59 Mitchell (onboard): Okay. Everything's good over here.
082:43:01 Roosa (onboard): Stand by for gimbal motors.
082:43:09 Mitchell (onboard): Got it.
082:43:10 Roosa (onboard): Yaw 2.
082:43:11 Mitchell (onboard): You got it.
082:43:12 Roosa (onboard): Pitch 2.
082:43:13 Mitchell (onboard): You got it.
082:43:14 Roosa (onboard): Yaw 1.
082:43:17 Mitchell (onboard): You're too fast for me.
082:43:18 Roosa (onboard): Okay, Yaw 1 back on.
082:43:20 Mitchell (onboard): I got it.
082:43:21 Roosa (onboard): It's on now; are you ready?
082:43:23 Mitchell (onboard): Okay.
082:43:24 Roosa (onboard): Yaw 1.
082:43:25 Mitchell (onboard): Okay.
082:43:26 Roosa (onboard): You ready - Pitch 1?
082:43:27 Mitchell (onboard): Yes.
082:43:28 Roosa (onboard): Pitch 1.
082:43:29 Mitchell (onboard): Okay.
082:43:30 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
TVC Servo Power, 1, 2, Off.
082:43:32 Mitchell (onboard): 1 and 2's Off.
082:43:34 Shepard (onboard): Main Bus Ties, Off, Ed.
082:43:36 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
082:43:38 Mitchell (onboard): [Garble] 0.3 residual.
082:43:40 Shepard (onboard): Bus Ties are Off.
082:43:43 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
Delta-V to Standby; Off,
082:43:44 Mitchell (onboard): Okay, Roll.
082:43:47 Shepard (onboard): Oh, beautiful!
082:43:49 Roosa (onboard): Look at those residuals.
082:43:50 Mitchell (onboard): Plus 0.3, 0, and 0.
082:44:02 Shepard (onboard): [Garble] How about them apples!
082:44:05 Mitchell (onboard): Oh, man, look what's out that window, too.
082:44:08 Unknown crew member (onboard): [Garble.]
082:44:14 Roosa (onboard): Hey, let's - let's wrap up the checklist ...
082:44:15 Shepard (onboard): Yes.
082:44:16 Mitchell (onboard): Yes.
082:44:17 Roosa (onboard): ... and then we'll get to an attitude.
082:44:18 Mitchell (onboard): Yes.
082:44:20 Shepard (onboard): Okay, let's see. We don't [Garble] We do not null; we recorded that;
EMS Function; you got all that.
082:44:24 Roosa (onboard): PCM Bit Rate, Low, Ed.
082:44:26 Mitchell (onboard): I'm on Low.
082:44:27 Roosa (onboard): All right. Okay, a Verb 66.
082:44:33 Shepard (onboard): Okay, you got - That's on Off. All right [Garble.] direct [Garble] ...
082:44:37 Roosa (onboard): I got Direct Ullage.
082:44:38 Shepard (onboard): Okay.
082:44:39 Roosa (onboard): Pitch 1 and Yaw 1 are open; I got
BMAG to Rate 2; and Ed's on Low. Okay. Verb 48 Enter.
082:44:44 Mitchell (onboard): You got a Verb 66, huh?
082:44:46 Roosa (onboard): Roger. Verb 21 Enter, 21111, right?
082:44:51 Mitchell (onboard): Right.
082:44:52 Shepard (onboard): And we're still B/D Roll, too.
082:44:53 Roosa (onboard): B/D Roll. [Garble] Pro, Pro, Pro. Okay.
082:44:59 Shepard (onboard): Comm attitude. Did you get an update on this yet?
082:45:04 Mitchell (onboard): On comm attitude? No.
082:45:05 Shepard (onboard): Okay. Load plus 0, plus 176, 0 - all zeros.
082:45:11 Roosa (onboard): Yes. I think it was ...
082:45:16 Shepard (onboard): Plus 176, 00, plus all zeros.
082:45:24 Roosa (onboard): Okay, 00, 176, 0.
082:45:27 Shepard (onboard): Yes, that's it.
082:45:28 Roosa (onboard): CMC; Rate 2; Rate Command. Next maneuver.
082:45:31 Shepard (onboard): Okay.
082:45:36 Roosa (onboard): Okay. Wide deadband, I'll take in a minute.
082:45:43 Shepard (onboard): You have Delta-T
ig of zero; burn time was about 1 second short, I'd say, huh? [Garble.]
082:45:54 Mitchell (onboard): Burn time - I had it 1 second early.
082:45:59 Shepard (onboard): Plus 11. Okay.
082:46:06 Mitchell (onboard): Okay. Your fuel - oxidizer and fuel?
082:46:09 Shepard (onboard): Yes.
082:46:10 Mitchell (onboard): I have - fuel is 35.1; oxidizer, 34.9; and about a minus 40 - decrease.
082:46:22 Shepard (onboard): 40 decrease.
082:46:26 Roosa (onboard): Looks like a plaster-of-paris cast.
082:46:28 Mitchell (onboard): It sure does, doesn't it?
082:46:29 Roosa (onboard): It doesn't even look real.
082:46:33 Mitchell (onboard): [Garble.]
082:46:36 Shepard (onboard): It's absolutely [Garble.]
082:46:40 Roosa (onboard): I wish there was some other word besides "fantastic" to describe it. But it does, it looks like somebody has made a cast and poured it out there.
082:46:51 Mitchell (onboard): It's really there.
082:46:52 Shepard (onboard): Really wild.
082:46:53 Roosa (onboard): Man, I'll tell you, at this Sun angle, I won't have any trouble recognizing my landmarks. I haven't set myself up yet, but ...
082:46:59 Mitchell (onboard): Are we maneuvering?
082:47:01 Roosa (onboard): Yes, we're maneuvering.
082:47:02 Shepard (onboard): That had to be a hell of a good burn; we figured that tailout was going to be 7.0 - it was 7.3 ...
082:47:09 Roosa (onboard): And you know, I - I saw it slip once ...
082:47:12 Shepard (onboard): And we had plus 0.3 to go; so that means ...
082:47:15 Roosa (onboard): I saw it slip once, so it's probably 7.2 ...
082:47:18 Shepard (onboard): Yes.
082:47:19 Roosa (onboard): ... at least ...
082:47:20 Shepard (onboard): Yes. That's sighting with an 0.3 on the V
GX.
082:47:24 Roosa (onboard): Not bad.
082:47:30 Mitchell (onboard): What are you looking for?
082:47:31 Roosa (onboard): Yes, that map. Let's see, what was 180 [Garble] time [Garble] Al?
082:47:37 Mitchell (onboard): I'll check. 38:30.
082:47:44 Roosa (onboard): 38:30. We're about 9 minutes.
082:47:52 Mitchell (onboard): Not quite - Yes. Almost 10 minutes; 9 minutes and 20 seconds. Did you find the location?
082:48:18 Roosa (onboard): Okay.
082:48:40 Roosa (onboard): Oh, brother. [Garble.]
082:48:54 Roosa (onboard): Okay, there are the Loveletts. See, right straight over your head, there's two craters that got sort of - You have to look - You can probably see them out your window, Ed. The two complete craters with the ridges in the bottom? Yes.
082:49:15 Mitchell (onboard): Yes.
082:49:16 Roosa (onboard): Those are called the Loveletts.
082:49:17 Shepard (onboard): [Garble.]
082:49:19 Roosa (onboard): Yes, from the copulating craters. Off to your right, you'll see Mendeleev, the big huge ...
082:49:31 Mitchell (onboard): Yes. Let's see. Turn around and look back along the track now, 180.
082:49:41 Roosa (onboard): Okay, let me turn over [Garble.]
082:49:59 Shepard (onboard): [Garble.]
082:50:01 Mitchell (onboard): Pardon?
082:50:07 Roosa (onboard): Well, I can't see the Loveletts yet; I'll just turn over here.
082:50:15 Mitchell (onboard): Okay, did anybody start a time?
082:50:19 Roosa (onboard): Huh?
082:50:20 Mitchell (onboard): That's Mendeleev back - that we've already crossed over, isn't it? Right back ...
082:50:25 Roosa (onboard): Yes.
082:50:26 Mitchell (onboard): ... there - that big son of a gun.
082:50:28 Roosa (onboard): Say, Ed.
082:50:29 Shepard (onboard): Yes [Garble] the crater [Garble]?
082:50:30 Mitchell (onboard): Yes.
082:50:32 Roosa (onboard): Which way are we going?
082:50:33 Mitchell (onboard): We're going this way.
082:50:34 Shepard (onboard): Yes, okay.
082:50:40 Mitchell (onboard): And, let's see, you should have Tsiolkovsky over on your - your side here very soon, Stu. Right?
082:50:51 Roosa (onboard): Yes. Well, in a little bit.
082:50:53 Mitchell (onboard): It's - Yes, we're not quite there yet. Did you start a clock? I'm sorry.
082:51:03 Shepard (onboard): No.
082:51:05 Mitchell (onboard): Okay, I'll see if I can start one.
082:51:09 Shepard (onboard): Well, we can start one.
082:51:10 Mitchell (onboard): Let's start one just to keep track. And set it on - We'll set it on the time from 180, Al.
082:51:21 Shepard (onboard): Okay [Garble.]
082:51:25 Mitchell (onboard): Yes, 38:30. Set it on - set it on 15 minutes, or 14 minutes - 38.
082:51:35 Shepard (onboard): Hey, wait a minute; we got the damn clock running at 14. How about that? Can you give me a mark on 15? [Garble] It's beautiful.
082:51:44 Mitchell (onboard): Okay; 12:38 - Let's see - Time is 38:30. So, if I take ...
082:51:59 Shepard (onboard): It would be [Garble.]
082:52:02 Mitchell (onboard): Yes. Why don't you get it 14 if you got - get it at 30 seconds.
082:52:06 Shepard (onboard): Okay.
082:52:17 Shepard (onboard): Fourteen.
082:52:18 Mitchell (onboard): Stand by, You've got 15 seconds.
082:52:32 Mitchell (onboard): Mark.
082:52:34 Shepard (onboard): Okay, we got
GET running.
082:52:41 Roosa (onboard): GET from the 180?
082:52:44 Mitchell (onboard): Yes.
082:52:45 Shepard (onboard): Yes.
082:53:42 Mitchell (onboard): Man, oh man.
082:53:54 Roosa (onboard): Tsiolkovsky's coming up on this window.
082:53:56 Mitchell (onboard): Tsiolkovsky's coming up on that one?
082:53:58 Roosa (onboard): Yes.
082:54:43 Shepard (onboard): There's Mendeleev. [Garble.]
This is Apollo Control, 82 hours 55 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. About 52 seconds away from acquisition of signal here as Apollo 14 comes around the Moon on it's first lunar orbit. We're standing by as we await word of lockup with the signal from the spacecraft by the stations in the manned space flight tracking network. 30 seconds, 20 seconds, they've had
AOS in Honeysuckle.
082:55:11 Mitchell (onboard): I want to get around here and get a burn report off.
082:55:32 Mitchell (onboard): 56, 1 minute.
082:55:45 Shepard (onboard): Minus 15 seconds.
082:55:47 Mitchell (onboard): Okay. That's where we've got it.
082:55:51 Shepard (onboard): [Garble.]
082:55:59 Roosa (onboard): [Garble] by number 1 zero-phase target.
082:56:04 Shepard (onboard): Did you?
082:56:05 Roosa (onboard): Yes. [Garble] you can see, bigger than shit.
082:56:07 Shepard (onboard): Not zero-phase right now?
082:56:08 Roosa (onboard): No, but - I mean that ...
082:56:09 Mitchell (onboard): [Garble.]
082:56:13 Roosa (onboard): [Garble] say something to accommodate [garble.]
082:56:28 Shepard: Houston, Apollo 14.
082:56:32 Haise: Go ahead, 14.
082:56:36 Shepard: Okay, Freddo. We had an extremely fine burn, the burn report as follows: burn time, 6 plus 11; residuals, 0.3 plus zero, and zero;
Delta-Vc, minus 7.3; 0351; oxidizer, 349. [Long pause.]
082:57:22 Haise: Okay, 14. We copied. Wonder if you can give us a reading on the unbalance.
082:57:33 Shepard: Okay. It was decrease 40, 4 0.
082:57:40 Haise: Roger, Al. Decrease 4 0.
082:57:47 Shepard: Roger. This is really a wild place up here.
082:57:56 Roosa: Hey, Ron, you're not going to believe this. It looks just like the map.
082:58:04 Haise: Hey, that's great, Stu.
083:01:01 Roosa: Houston, 14.
083:01:03 Haise: Go ahead.
083:01:08 Roosa: Okay, Freddo; you might tell Ron there that, at this Sun angle, things look real good. Picked up that landmark 1 on the zero phase. Our zero phase target, no sweat, and landmark 2, I got the A part of that one, at least. [Long pause.]
083:01:32 Haise: Hey, Stu, that sounds great, by golly. It looks like our orbit - orbital science is off to a good start then.
083:01:42 Roosa: Yes. For now, anyway. I think we'll probably get better as time goes on, but it really looks - it really looks great as far as picking up all the targets that we looked at so long.
083:03:58 Shepard: Houston, 14.
083:03:59 Haise: Go ahead, 14.
083:04:04 Shepard: Well, this really is a wild place up here. It has all of the grays, browns, whites, dark craters that everybody's talked about before. It's really quite a sight. Ed and Stu are looking at the landmarks to the map, picking up landmarks very easily as we go along the way. And, of course, in the type of orbit we are, the fact that we're climbing away from the surface is very obvious. Of course, that brings more and more of the area in detail. It really is quite a sight. No atmosphere at all; everything is clear up here. Really fantastic. [Long pause.]
083:05:03 Haise: Roger, Al. We copied, and I think you covered all bets with the colors there.
083:05:15 Haise: Al, I expect that you guys ...
083:05:16 Shepard: That's because they're all here, Freddo.
083:05:24 Haise: Al, I expected you to invent a new one on this flight.
083:05:30 Shepard: Give us - give us a little time. We'll think up something. [Long pause.]
083:05:57 Haise: 14, Houston.
083:06:02 Mitchell: Go ahead, Freddo.
083:06:04 Haise: Ed, can you verify the Flow Valve is in Increase now?
083:06:13 Mitchell: That's verified. It's in Increase. And I put it in Increase about 50 seconds before the end of the burn, and left it there.
083:06:21 Haise: Roger. [Long pause.]
083:06:32 Mitchell: Freddo, the - I think the best description - the description that comes to my mind, we mentioned this when we first looked at this thing, is that it looks like a plaster mold that somebody has dusted with grays and browns, but it looks like it's been molded out of plaster of paris. [Long pause.]
083:06:58 Haise: Roger, Ed.
This is Apollo Control at 83 hours 8 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Our display here in Mission Control shows that Apollo 14's present orbit is 58.4 pericynthion by 168.6 apocynthion. Continuing to monitor air ground.
083:09:24 Haise: 14, Houston.
083:09:28 Mitchell: Go ahead, Houston.
083:09:31 Haise: Okay. The
S-IVB impact should occur in about 8 minutes. We'll give you the word on that, when it happens. And the first look at trajectory says you're in a 169.6 by 58.9. [Long pause.]
083:09:59 Roosa: Okay, Freddo. We copy that. And looking out of my rendezvous window now, we've just passed over Sklodowska, and those rays coming out of that bright crater that Ron and I talked about - stand out a lot better than what I expected to see them, Ron.
083:10:19 Haise: He's listening. [Long pause.]
083:10:30 Shepard: Freddo, I copy 168.6 by 56.9. Is that correct?
083:10:36 Haise: No. The numbers were 169.6 by 58.9.
083:10:45 Shepard: Okay. 169.6, 58.9. Thank you. [Long pause.]
083:11:39 Roosa: And, Freddo, you might pass on to Ron there, while he's listening, that I was on the wrong side of the cockpit there for old King. I couldn't tell anything about the rays coming down from Bruno. Maybe next time around.
083:13:15 Roosa: Okay, we're just now passing over Ansgarius and La Prouse. The cone in Behaim is more rounded, I guess, than what I expected - expected to see. [Garble], you know, was talking about it being large and quite rounded. It is that - it's a little more subdued than what I expected to see. [Long pause.]
083:13:40 Haise: Roger, Stu. [Long pause.]
083:13:54 Roosa: And I can see off to my right here Humboldt coming up, and it's just as impressive as it is in the pictures. One thing that strikes me about it is, the dark areas aren't quite as dark, I guess, as I thought, but we're moving in with a reasonably high Sun here, so they're kind of washing out. [Long pause.]
083:14:54 Haise: And, 14; Houston. Hate to pull you away from the window, but I got a map update and a flight-plan update when you get a chance.
083:15:05 Shepard: Okay, go ahead.
083:15:07 Haise: Okay, on the map update, Rev 2, 180 degrees at 84:44:53. [Long pause.]
083:15:27 Shepard: Okay, I show 084:44:53 for Rev 2 on the map.
083:15:36 Haise: Roger. That's correct, Al, and in the Flight Plan at 88:30 - [Long pause.]
083:15:59 Shepard: Okay, go ahead.
083:16:01 Haise: Okay, change the
LTC attitude to roll, 352; pitch, 146; yaw, 355. [Long pause.]
083:16:19 Shepard: Okay,
LTC attitude 88:30, 352, 146, 355.
083:16:28 Haise: Okay, and the reason for the big change is the other angles were for
SEF and they should be for
BEF, and that's what I just gave you. Next change is at 89:08.
083:16:45 Shepard: Okay, go ahead.
083:16:47 Haise: Okay, High Gain angles should be Pitch, minus 46; Yaw, 194. [Long pause.]
083:17:01 Shepard: Okay, I show minus 46 and 194.
083:17:06 Haise: Okay, that's it, Al.
083:17:10 Shepard: Thank you, Freddo. [Long pause.]
083:17:50 Mitchell: Freddo, as interesting as this is from orbit, it sure makes one eager to get - to want to get at Cone Crater now. I'll bet it's wild down there.
083:18:07 Haise: Okay, I missed your first there, Ed. What'd you say about Cone Crater?
083:18:13 Mitchell: I said, as interesting as this is from orbit, all it does is whet your appetite to get to Cone Crater.
083:18:21 Haise: Roger, Ed.
083:18:29 Shepard: I guess in 3 days I haven't brainwashed him where the real science is done, Freddo.
083:18:46 Shepard: His arms aren't long enough to bring him back from there.
083:18:49 Roosa: Okay, you can really get the attitude rate as we're climbing up here to apogee, Houston, and we're climbing right up with Langrenus there.
083:19:02 Haise: Roger, Stu. And we just had
S-IVB impact.
083:19:10 Roosa: Okay. [Long pause.]
083:19:33 Roosa: And we're - you get the feeling here, climbing up, that we're almost going up vertically here over Langrenus. It's staying right in the window and that rooster tail coming out of Petavius B is very evident as it swings up across and passes up by Langrenus.
083:19:55 Haise: Roger, Stu. [Long pause.]
083:20:36 Mitchell: From this particular location, looking out the window number 5, you can see the upper end of the Sea of Fertility, and it's interesting that the only way I can tell the demarc - line of demarcation is an albedo change. At this moment, I can't tell you what causes the albedo change except - it's not apparent - except that the Sea of Fertility is much darker and then it changes into the much lighter region up to the north. [Long pause.]
083:21:13 Haise: Roger, Ed.
083:22:50 Mitchell: Say, Ron, old Goclenius looks just like the picture. You can see the rille going right across the rim and stretching on up; [Garble] did his job well.
083:24:36 Haise: 14, do you read Houston?
083:24:40 Roosa: Go ahead, Houston; you're loud and clear.
083:24:42 Haise: Okay. Just radio check, Stu.
083:24:48 Haise: We lost our displays down here, and just want to make sure we hadn't lost anything else.
083:24:57 Roosa: [Garble] - okay [Garble] -
083:24:58 Mitchell: Al's trying to get us to get on with it; we're trying to gawk at the same time. [Long pause.]
083:25:35 Roosa: Okay, we're just starting to pick up the edge of Nectaris now, coming across with the - can't quite see up far enough to - oh, yes, there's ole Daguerre 66, just like - just like a neon sign out there.
083:25:55 Haise: Okay, Stu, and we're looking at the tracers on the Apollo 12 seismometer, and it's essentially still looking undamped. [Long pause.]
083:26:12 Mitchell: Still vibrating ...
083:26:13 Roosa: [Garble] Great.
083:26:14 Mitchell: Hello, Freddo.
083:26:15 Haise: Yes, that's right, Ed.
083:26:24 Roosa: Is it essentially like neutral stability, Fred, or they coming down on it?
083:26:31 Haise: It looks like, if anything, Stu, maybe they're still building a little bit.
083:26:42 Roosa: Ah so. [Long pause.]
083:27:05 Mitchell: There's Theophilus, Stu, there at the top of the window; can you see it?.
083:29:52 Mitchell: You know, Fred, I get the impression that, just from looking at the real thing, these craters are a lot fresher than the photographs led me to believe. I'm very surprised at how fresh many of them look.
083:30:07 Haise: Roger, Ed.
083:31:22 Mitchell: We've just been remarking up here, Freddo, how easy it is to find these landmarks. They just stand right out for you. It's really magnificent.
083:31:31 Haise: Let's hope Cone and Triplet and Doublet show up the same way.
083:31:41 Mitchell: You're right.
083:32:52 Roosa: Hey, Freddo, my first impression as I - How do you read, Fred?
083:33:00 Haise: I read you loud and clear, Stu. Go ahead.
083:33:05 Roosa: Okay. First impression of the Theophilus and Cyrillus is - much difference in age than what I expected. Of course, Theophilus being the younger, but it's much more so than what I really expected - to see, and we hope to get some good photos of the line between the two there; but it's pretty amazing how much more subdued Cyrillus is. [Long pause.]
083:33:45 Haise: Okay, we copied that, Stu. And, we're up with you on the chart now, too.
083:33:54 Roosa: Okay. [Long pause.]
083:34:07 Roosa: Okay. And we're just approaching Descartes now, Freddo. I'm looking out of my rendezvous window, and four of those too-bright craters on either side of the landing site. Just - it's so plain. I guess I'm surprised at the detail - that you can see. Of course, the Sun angle is dropping down a little here, but I thought probably at Descartes, the two bright lead-ins - but - you can see many, many of the fine - the fine craters in between them. And, of course, Dollond, Dollond E, and Kant, they're all just very vivid. But, the - the detail you can see from this altitude of the Descartes sites are rather amazing. [Long pause.]
083:34:57 Haise: Roger, Stu. I hope the
LTC captures the same detail, a little greater maybe.
083:35:08 Roosa: Roger. And it'll he a little lower, too.
083:37:31 Roosa: Freddo, I - At this point, we're start to pick up a few shadows on the edges of the craters, but the crater chain coming out of Abulfeda - really can't see much difference in albedo between the crater itself and a good bit of the surrounding territory.
083:37:48 Haise: Okay, Stu.
083:39:52 Mitchell: Okay. We're crossing over Albategnius and we can look up and see Ptolemaeus; yes, it's coming in to the hatch window now. That's very stark. I'm very impressed by the different - by albedo differences here, Freddo, that I - that I assume from photographs are really more Sun angle problems or photographic problems. But, by golly, there's some that are really here that I never expected. They must indicate contacts of some sort that may be very subtle on the surface; but I actually believe they're there, if one can find them. [Long pause.]
083:40:39 Haise: Roger, Ed. Do you mean - you talking in terms of large scale or small scale, like within crater floor?
083:40:53 Mitchell: No, I'm thinking of a little larger scale than that. But there are some in the crater floors that are very surprising, too. There's so many things that I assumed from maps were more photographic peculiarities rather than real life, but, by golly, I think they're here.
083:41:11 Haise: Roger, Ed.
083:41:20 Mitchell: I think, given time, we could find flows and different units that may very well be covered with a great deal of regolith that we - we're seeing suggestions of them in albedo differences and textural differences that are clearly visible from this altitude.
083:41:41 Haise: Okay. [Long pause.]
083:41:53 Roosa: I've noticed some lineations in some of the - the big craters that are suggestive of - well, I'm not sure it's of the sloping type of circular lineations that you see in craters. I guess, to be safe, I ought to guess that - so I'll be safe and not say any more. I did see lineations that were surprising to me. [Long pause.]
083:42:21 Haise: These close to the wall, Ed, or down within the floor of the crater itself?
083:42:28 Mitchell: Well, all up and down the wall of a few craters; I don't recall which ones now - back along our track here a few miles. [Long pause.]
083:43:07 Mitchell: Looking down at the Crater Herschel, for example, Freddo, on the - Let's see, on the western wall. To me, it appears as though it's really a solid chunk from - the rim down to the first slope, or the - where it breaks slope. Of course, this is a long ways away to be talk - making talk like that. However, it seems - it gives one the impression of being very hard solid rock [Garble.] [Long pause.]
083:43:39 Haise: Okay, we copied, Ed. Herschel's west wall looks like essentially one unit.
083:43:50 Mitchell: That's affirmative.
083:45:05 Haise: And, 14; Houston. The 12 seismometers are still going. The traces right now look maybe to be almost neutral.
083:45:20 Roosa: Okay. [Long pause.]
083:45:52 Roosa: Okay, Freddo. We just passed over Mösting A, which we'll get a better look at next time around, and the Davy crater chain stands out real vividly and just starting to get a pretty low Sun angle here, so any albedo differences about those will be hard to tell now. You can see the dark halo spots along the rilles in Alphonsus, however, very vividly. [Long pause.]
083:46:23 Haise: Roger, Stu. [Long pause.]
083:46:44 Mitchell: As we approach the terminator, Freddo, with some fairly high crater walls and high country - with these long shadows, it really looks rugged. [Long pause.]
083:47:10 Haise: Roger, Ed. [Long pause.]
083:47:21 Haise: Yes. Guess right about the terminator; you're starting to look into the eastern edge of the Fra Mauro formation. Is that what it looks like, Ed?
083:47:32 Mitchell: Yes, that's it. That's affirmative, Freddo. Unfortunately, the landing site, I think, is definitely in darkness. It's probably a little bit too far to the south for us to even see that area too well. A crater, Gambart, we can just see the - the Gambart - we can just see the eastern rim of it. The western rim is just barely lighted, but the rest of it's in darkness.
083:48:00 Haise: Roger, Ed.
083:48:06 Shepard: Of course, this Sun angle makes it pretty obvious [Garble] deposit of some kind. You can see the difference in texture very easily from a low Sun angle.
083:48:17 Haise: Roger, Al.
083:48:20 Mitchell: That's affirmative. You can see the streaks - the streaks that we've talked about are really there. They seem to lead right back toward the Imbrium area and the Copernican area. [Long pause.]
083:48:39 Mitchell: That's the most stark - desolate-looking piece of country I've ever seen.
083:48:51 Haise: Roger, Ed.
083:49:57 Mitchell: We're almost directly over the terminator now, Freddo. And looking right down into these craters and these features that are right on the terminator. And even knowing it, it is a terminator, and knowing what you're supposed to see, it's very difficult to make out exactly what you are looking at.
083:50:18 Haise: Roger, Ed. [Long pause.]
083:51:03 Mitchell: With our current dark adaptation, it looks like you could walk along that surface into the darkness and fall into nothing. There's absolutely nothing there. Perhaps when we are some - a little better dark adapted, you see Earth - features in Earthshine, but we can't right now.
083:51:20 Haise: Roger, Ed. [Long pause.]
083:51:47 Roosa: Hey, Freddo, we sure picked a clear day to arrive; there's not much haze in the air at all. We can see all the way to the horizon.
083:51:56 Haise: Incredible. [Long pause.]
083:52:47 Mitchell: I guess we better make the boss happy and get on with the chow. [Garble] knock off our descriptions at this point.
083:52:57 Haise: Okay, Ed, you'll get another chance to look at it a couple of REVs later, a little lower.
083:53:08 Mitchell: Roger. There sure is a lot to see. You could spend a lot of time talking about it.
084:19:12 Mitchell: Houston, Apollo 14.
084:19:16 Fullerton: Apollo 14, Houston. Go ahead.
084:19:21 Mitchell: Oh, hello, Gordon. Any words for us before we go over the hill?
084:19:30 Fullerton: Yes, sir. Just getting ready to call you. The Orange Team is now at your service. And I have a change - slight change, to the
TEI-4 pad. If you'll get that one out, I'll give them - give you the change numbers.
084:19:39 Roosa: Hey, Gordon, I'm having an orange drink in favor - in honor of the Orange Team.
084:19:43 Fullerton: Very good. [Long pause.]
084:20:29 Fullerton: Ed, if you're ready to copy, we have about 1 minute to get this in.
084:20:34 Mitchell: Go ahead.
084:20:36 Fullerton: I'll just read the change numbers. The weight changed slightly, new weight is 38230; new T
ig. time, 091:16:06.90; Noun 81, plus 3907.1.
