Apollo 14

Al Shepard's reference to the antenna blowing over referred to the S-band erectable antenna on the lunar surface, and as on Apollo 12, when the crew fired the reaction control system jets to check them out, the thrust from those jets blew over the antenna. We're 53 minutes now from ignition, from lunar lift off. Progressing smoothly toward that event, about 10 minutes 25 seconds from reacquiring Kitty Hawk on its 31st revolution of the Moon.

This is Apollo Control at 141 hours 37 minutes, and we're now 48 minutes, 45 seconds from lunar lift off. The crew at this time, somewhat ahead of the Flight Plan, presently aligning the platform, on their Lunar Module guidance system, this is the stable reference number which is used by the onboard guidance system in determining spacecraft attitude. This is Apollo Control. We're about 50 seconds now from reacquiring Kitty Hawk, the Command Module in its 31st revolution of the Moon. We're using a dual capsule communicator set up in Mission Control at this time. Bruce McCandless is CapCom for the Lunar Module, Antares, and Ron Evans is CapCom for Stu Roosa in Kitty Hawk. At acquisition, Evans plans to pass along to Roosa, the fact that we do not expect to have Manned Space Flight Network relay of the ascent. Normally, when we have the high gain antenna operating properly on the Command Module, the Manned Space Flight Network would be used to relay communications from Antares to the Command Module. This will not be done because the Command Module high gain antenna is not locking up in narrow beam width. Roosa will get his communications from the Lunar Module, via the VHF communications circuit, which will be put into activation shortly after orbital insertion. And we have acquisition now of Kitty Hawk.

This is Apollo Control. We're now 33 minutes from lunar lift off. Aboard the Command Module Kitty Hawk, Stu Roosa at this time is getting suited up, and CapCom Ron Evans has advised Roosa that he will be relaying on the separate air to ground link the progress of the lunar lift off. Ed Mitchell and Al Shepard aboard Antares on the lunar surface have just completed the alignment of their guidance system platform, and CapCom Ron Evans will bepassing up to Stu Roosa some information on stowing the probe assembly in the Command Module. The plan is to return the probe and it will be stowed under one of the couches in the Command Module Kitty Hawk.

This is Apollo Control at 142 hours. We're coming up now on 25 minutes until lunar lift off, things progressing smoothly at this time. Mitchell and Shepard aboard Antares have switched to the guidance program, in their on board guidance system program 12 which will be used in the powered ascent from the lunar surface, and the Lunar Module ascent stage batteries, batteries 5 and 6 look good at this time. The voltages are normally and they're sharing the load well.

At this time aboard Kitty Hawk Stu Roosa is maneuvering the Command Module to the proper attitude for the LM lift off. He'll have the CSM apex pointed toward the lunar surface, and capcom Ron Evans has advised Roosa that the Lunar Module appears to be in good shape for lift off, with the one problem of the LM steerable antenna which may give some problem in tracking and if it does, we'll be switching to one of the omni antennas on the Lunar Module. This is Apollo Control at 142 hours 6 minutes we're coming up now on 20 minutes until lunar lift off, and aboard Antares, Shepard and Mitchell will shortly begin pressurizing the ascent propulsion system. Here in the control center, the large plot boards, which will be used primarily by the flight dynamics officer, and the guidance officer for the lunar ascent, has come up. One of these displays in particular will be crucial to the flight dynamics officer, and that's the display which shows him altitude versus the rate of altitude gain. FIDO will use this display in determining whether the LM guidance system is putting the proper amount of energy into gaining altitude as opposed to gaining velocity. Initially the engine will be putting a larger percentage of this energy into altitude gain, later on in the burn the LM will be pitching over and the rate of altitude gain should drop off as the velocity gain begins to increase at an ever growing rate.

This is Apollo Control, we're now 15 minutes from lunar lift off. Everything looks good at this time, and we've given the crew a go for a direct ascent rendezvous with a nominal lift off time. Our lift off time, 142 hours 25 minutes 42 seconds.

This is Apollo Control at 142 hours 16 minutes, and we're coming up now on 10 minutes until lunar lift off. it's been relatively quiet here in the control center, also relatively little communications with Antares at this time. The powered ascent burn, scheduled to last about 7 minutes 12 seconds. At the end of that burn we should have achieved a velocity of about 55 hundred 43 feet per second. The electrical systems engineer, here in the control center, for the Lunar Module reports that those ascent batteries on the LM, which were a source of some concern prior to the power descent and the landing look good at this time. This is Apollo Control, now 5 minutes from lunar lift off. Everything still looking very good for that lift off and direct ascent rendezvous. At the time of lift off Stu Roosa in Kitty Hawk should be about 67 nautical miles behind the Lunar Module, and I have orbit insertions on 7 minutes 12 seconds later. The Command Module will be leading by about 135 nautical miles. Shortly before lift off Shepard and Mitchell aboard the Lunar Module are scheduled to make a VHF voice check with Roosa in the Command Module. We're now coming up on 4 minutes until lunar lift off.

FIDO says we look good, all sources.

Trajectory looks good. We're at 12,000 feet.

Velocity 1100, altitude 1600 - 16,000...

Coming up on 22,000 feet. The steerable antenna tracking very well.

Altitude 47,000 feet now. Velocity reading 3,500 feet per second.

About 65 miles to go. FIDO says we're looking real good.

FIDO says the burn looks good. We're shooting for a 51 by 9 orbit.

That tweak burn will touch up the orbit to get us in the desired 51 by 9.

That tweaking over performed with the reaction control system thrusters on the LM have put the spacecraft in the proper position for the transfer phase initiation and the direct descent rendezvous. We'll be standing by for the report from the FIDO on initiation time for the TPI burn and also the velocity required.

This is Apollo Control, at 142 hours, 43 minutes and we're now about 12 minutes 30 seconds from losing contact with the Command Module. We'll lose contact with the LM as it goes behind the Moon about one minute earlier due to the fact that the LM is in a lower orbit than the Command Module, Kitty Hawk.

This is Apollo Control at 142 hours 46 minutes and we're now about 8 minutes from loss of signal with the LM. Stu Roosa aboard the Command Module, Kitty Hawk, now has gotten VHF lock up with the Lunar Module and has ranging to the LM and the Lunar Module is also getting range information on Kitty Hawk. The transfer phase initiation maneuver at about 100 feet per second will be performed while the spacecraft is behind the Moon and when we reacquire they should be beginning the breaking phase on the direct approach to the Command Module and the final portion of the rendezvous and we'll begin station keeping as the spacecraft comes back around and into contact with Mission Control.

As you've heard in that last exchange with Ed Mitchell on Antares, we've had a dropout of the LM steerable antenna. We're now using the Omni antennas on the Lunar Module. And at the present time, our data here in Mission Control shows the two spacecrafts to be about 75 miles apart.

We've had loss of contact now with Antares. We'll be loosing contact with Kitty Hawk in about 45 seconds. This is Apollo Control at 142 hours 59 minutes. We'll be reacquiring the Lunar Module, Antares in about 43 minutes 40 seconds. We'll pick up the Command Module a bit earlier, again because of the higher orbit that the Command Module is in, reacquiring Kitty Hawk in about 42 minutes. By the time that we acquire, the crew will have performed the transfer phase initiation burn. That will be about 85 feet per second, performed with the ascent propulsion system engine. It'll be a posigrade maneuver, and as we reacquire the spacecraft, that will be on the line of sight closing, preparing to do their braking maneuvers, and shortly after reacquiring, they should begin station keeping. At the present time, our displays predict that the separation distance between the 2 spacecraft is about 51 nautical miles, closing at a rate of about 231 feet per second. At 143 hours this is Apollo Control, Houston.