This is Apollo Control; 185 hours, 41 minutes Ground Elapsed Time in the mission, Apollo 15. Command Service Module Endeavour, with all three crewman asleep at this time, now midway through the 55th lunar revolution. 21 minutes left before Loss Of Signal [LOS] on this revolution. Apollo 15 is now 55.4 nautical miles [102.6 km] above the lunar surface in an orbit measuring 52.2 [nautical miles, 96.7 km] at pericynthion and 66.7 [nautical miles, 123.5 km] at apocynthion. Current velocity 5,369 feet per second [1,636 m/s]. Spacecraft weighs 36,310 pounds [16,470 kilograms]. Earlier in this revolution the Lunar Module Pilot's heart rate was down in the mid 50s, which was a very good - fairly good indication that he was, if not asleep, almost asleep. Cabin pressure is holding at 5.2 pounds per square inch [35.9 kPa]; cabin temperature, 69 degrees [Fahrenheit, 20.5°C]. Some 7 hours and 47 minutes remaining in the crew sleep period. Currently in operation are several of the orbital science experiments in the so-called SIM bay, our Scientific Instrument Module in the Service Module of Apollo 15 spacecraft: the VHF bistatic radar experiment and the Gamma-ray experiment and the X-ray. At 185 hours, 43 minutes; this is Apollo Control.
This is Apollo Control at 189 hours, 59 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. Just had Loss Of Signal with Command Service Module Endeavour on the 57th revolution - nearing the end of the 57th lunar revolution. Current altitude: 52.4 nautical miles [97.0 km]. Endeavour now in a 66.9-nautical-mile by 52.3-nautical-mile [123.9- by 96.9-km] lunar orbit. Crew is still asleep at this time; some 3 hours, 29 minutes remaining in the scheduled sleep period. During the last front side pass, during revolution 57, the Lunar Module Pilot, the only one of the three instrumented for biomedical telemetry, showed a mean heart rate of about 54 - in the mid range of 50. Cabin pressure was holding slightly over 5 pounds per square foot - per square inch that is [34.5 kPa]. Temperature, 67 degrees [Fahrenheit, 19.5°C]. At 190 hours and 1 minute Ground Elapsed Time, this is Apollo Control.
This is Apollo Control at 191 hours, 44 minutes. Apollo 15 - Endeavour is nearing the end of the front side pass of the 58th lunar revolution. Crew is still asleep. 1 hour, 45 minutes left in this rest period. We have changed shifts here in the control center. Flight Director Gerry Griffin has relieved Flight Director Gene Kranz. CapCom now is astronaut Joe Allen. The Jack Schmitt news conference will begin in approximately 10 minutes in the main auditorium at MSC - let me correct that - it will be in the briefing room in the News Centre. The Jack Schmitt news conference on lunar surface activities will be in the News Center briefing room at 8:30 am Central Daylight Time, about 10 minutes from now. At 191 hours, 45 minutes; this is Mission Control, Houston.
This is Apollo Control at 191 hours, 57 minutes. The news conference with astronaut Jack Schmitt is beginning in the briefing room at the MSC News Center. News conference is beginning now.
The late jettison of the Lunar Module yesterday evening has delayed the crew's planned 9-hour rest period. Mission Control have cut them some slack because, at Al Worden's first call of the day, it is 9½ hours since he last spoke to them. Because of this late start, there are over three pages of Flight Plan activities which must be rescheduled or deleted.
192:45:16 Allen: Good morning, Alfredo. This is Houston.
192:45:22 Worden: Good morning, Dr. Joe. How are you?
192:45:29 Allen: Couldn't be better, Al. How's it going?
192:45:32 Worden: Just fine, Joe. You all talked out?
192:45:34 Allen: No, sir. Just getting ready to start. And, pleased to have a chance to talk to you.
Joe Allen was the EVA CapCom for Dave and Jim while they were on the surface and has had little chance to talk to Al over the past four days.
192:45:39 Worden: Very...
192:45:41 Allen: I've got all kinds of things for you, Al, when you...
192:45:43 Worden: Very good, Joe. Glad to be talking to you.
192:45:45 Allen: Okay. I've got all kinds of things for you, which I can start handing it up to you at your convenience, pretty much. We're going to change the Flight Plan around a little bit - primarily, lifting out things because of our getting a somewhat later start than normal, and a couple of other minor modifications. I also have a lot of news to read to you and some other good things you might be interested in. Over.
192:46:15 Worden: Okay, Joe. Let's - why don't you give me a couple of minutes here to get some pens and the Flight Plan out and - and in about 5 or 10 minutes or so, I'll have the guys put the headsets on and we'll all listen to the news.
192:46:30 Allen: Al, out of curiosity, is everybody awake up there?
192:46:37 Worden: Yeah, man.
192:46:39 Allen: Good morning, Davy...
192:46:40 Worden: Yes, Joe, sure are. We're just in the middle of breakfast.
192:46:45 Scott: Hello, Joe. How are you?
192:46:46 Allen: Well, I'm fine, D.R.; how are you today?
Allen is using the initials of Dave Scott's forenames, David Randolph. His middle name comes from the fact that he was born on Randolph Air Force Base on 6 June 1932.
192:46:50 Irwin: Morning, Joe.
192:46:51 Scott: Oh, we're in great shape. Hey, you sure did a fine job for us down there, Joe. Jim and I'd like to really thank you. That was a superfine job of taking care of everything for us.
192:47:01 Allen: I think the superfine job is the two of you; it was just most remarkable. Everybody down here is still floating so high, they're having a hard time getting down to all that data you gave us. And you'll be interested to know that - that we have sitting in front of us, a preliminary report from each EVA of the geology of the area that I would say is more complete than our 90-day preliminary reports which were issued on some of our other landings. It's just most exciting.
192:47:38 Scott: Well, it's because you've got the real professional backroom there. Those - those guys really know how to put - put it together. Especially with the way they were coming up with the new ideas while we were on the surface. That was really neat.
192:47:52 Allen: And, Dave, I do have to ask you one question. Is there a three-unit segment of deep core stems some place in that Command Module?
192:48:02 Scott: Joe, we wouldn't lose sight of that for all the tea in China. That's number 1 priority.
192:48:09 Allen: Yes sir. [Long pause.]
The deep core sample was one of the major frustrations for Dave on the surface as it proved very difficult to extract, costing both time and a trip to visit the North Complex at the Hadley landing site. In addition to the problems of trying to pull the core stem out, they found that a vice, mounted on the Rover for the specific task of dismantling the six half-metre sections, was fitted backwards and unable to grip the stem. By other means, Dave got three sections free but they collectively decided to bring the remaining 1½-metre length back to Earth intact. In view of how much Dave has invested in this section, he would not let it out of his sight.
192:48:37 Scott: Oh, as a matter of fact, Joe, we made a good thorough search of the LM before we let it go. We went from top to bottom to make sure we got everything, and I'm sure we got everything we brought up off the surface, and I'm pretty sure we did - did fairly well cleaning up the surface.
192:48:55 Allen: Okay, Dave. Good news; good news. Al, if you're ready, I'll start hitting you with a few things we're interested in knowing from you right away. And then, when we get those, I'll give you the general plan for the day. And I think, in some cases, we'll want to just talk you through some of the changes while you're making your front-side pass. There's no need to feed up all the data in detail to you at the beginning here. My first question: we need from you a configuration of panel 230, particularly - in fact, only really the Mass Spec. switches, could you - call out the settings for the Mass Spec., Experiment switch, Ion Source switch, Multiplier switch and Discriminator switch, please.
Panel 230 is the control panel for the SIM (Scientific Instrument Module) bay.
192:49:48 Scott: Okay, Joe, I'm right there. Experiment is up and On. Ion Source is centered. The Discriminator is Low and the Multiplier is Low.
192:50:03 Allen: Okay, thank you. That's - that's what we'd guessed. And, Al, I - I guess the first thing we want - we're going to want you to do today is to start to get ready to go plus-X forward, P20 option 5. We're going to want you to retract the Mass Spec. boom and close the X-ray and Alpha Particle cover.
Allen is covering some of the tasks which were in the timeline through which they have slept.
Overnight, Endeavour has been orbiting the Moon with its main engine facing the direction of flight, the so-called Minus-X Forward SIM Attitude. This attitude not only points the SIM bay at the surface below, it also aims the inlet of the Mass Spectrometer in the direction of flight so as to ram any molecules of the tenuous lunar atmosphere into the sensor. They are finished with this period of operation and want to change to a pointy-end-forward attitude with the SIM bay still looking down. This turnaround maneuver is always preceded by a manual roll of the spacecraft 40° clockwise. If they do not do this, there is a strong possibility that the turnaround will cause the IMU to enter gimbal lock, a condition that would cause it to lose its alignment.
Terminating this use of the Mass Spectrometer includes the retraction of its boom, an operation which has been giving some problems on previous attempts.
192:50:21 Worden: Okay, Joe. We'll do all that. How about putting it on a - on a time basis for me so I can write it in the Flight Plan.
192:50:44 Allen: Okay, real fine. You can start that right now at - just put it in at 192:52, I guess. And also, right after that, list fuel cell purge, H2O dump and LiOH canister change. [Long pause.]
Allen is essentially trying to hustle Al through the most important housekeeping tasks that need to be done to cover the missed period between the planned and actual wakeup times.
Worden, from the 1971 Technical debrief: "You never know what the configuration of the SIM bay is. I think that's particularly true with the three of us in the CM and all of us operating the SIM bay. We never knew if the booms were in or out, whether the experiments were on or off, and just what was going on in the SIM bay. I think that added to some of the confusion."
Scott, from the 1971 Technical debrief: "That's right. And in retrospect, it seems to me the best plan, with three people in the CM running the SIM bay, is to assign one man to do nothing but SIM bay operations. Let him concentrate 100 per cent on SIM bay, and the other two people can do the stowage, cleanup, and fix the meals. With three trying to run the SIM bay, I'm sure we all weren't very well coordinated."
192:51:30 Worden: Okay, Joe. Understand. You want us to go ahead into plus-X P20 SIM bay attitude, and pull in the Mass Spec. and the Gamma-ray booms, and, I guess, turn off the Mass - turn the Mass Spec. to stand by.
192:51:46 Allen: Al, let me hit you with that last statement again. We want you to retract the Mass Spectrometer boom, but not the Gamma-ray, and close the X-ray and Alpha Particle covers. Retract Mass Spec. boom and close two covers. Over.
192:52:09 Worden: Okay, understand. You want us to pull in - to retract the Mass Spec. boom and close the X-ray [and] Alpha covers, then do the fuel cell purge, the water dump and a canister change.
192:52:22 Allen: That's affirm.
192:52:28 Worden: Okay, Joe. I'll get that in work. [Long pause.]
192:52:36 Allen: And one more item. You can start to charge Bat B at your convenience.
The CSM's online batteries are regularly recharged during the flight as they help cover extra power demands from the spacecraft's systems. At the end of the mission, they will be used to power the separated Command Module during the re-entry into Earth's atmosphere. This charge was due at 189:00. The replacement of the lithium hydroxide canister was due at 192:00 and requires that canister 16 replace number 13 in the A receptacle, 13 being stowed in compartment A3. The purge and dump were due in an hour.
192:52:46 Worden: Okay. [Pause.]
192:52:56 Allen: Okay, and looking downstream here, as soon as you get turned around, and these other good things done, we're going to ask you to open the X-ray and Alpha Particle covers. And for rev 60, the [current] agenda calls for an eat period for you. And Gamma-ray, X-ray and Alpha Particle data being taken during that time. Sounds like you've got your eat period pretty well out of the way.
192:53:27 Worden: Yeah, that's right, Joe.
Long comm break.
There is an eat period scheduled during rev 60 which lasts from 194:30 to 195:30. Allen seems to be confirming that they have just eaten their breakfast, presumably so that the later meal break can be used for rescheduling missed tasks.
192:56:40 Worden: Okay, Joe. While we're maneuvered here to a plus-X forward, how about reading some news to us?
192:56:45 Allen: Okay. Sure will. Let me - let me begin with just a note on that water dump. It'll take about 15 minutes to run, and they're interested in your dumping it to close to 10 per cent onboard reading. Over.
192:57:04 Worden: Roger, understand. Probably the same as we've been doing before. We dump down to 10 per cent, but not below 10 per cent.
192:57:12 Allen: That's correct. And I've got several things to read to you here. I have the official morning Gold Bugle Zeitung report and - that comes from two rows behind me here. And I've also got a telegram for you, Jim. And I have some history - a little bit of history that's been researched for you by the people at Honeysuckle concerning a small problem with a leak on the Endeavour about 200 years ago. And I'll start with whatever you'd like to hear first. [Long pause.]
192:58:07 Worden: Okay, Joe. Go ahead.
192:58:09 Allen: Okay, let me just start with the morning's news. The weather report in Houston-Galveston area calls for showers and thunder showers through Wednesday. Today's temperatures will be in the lower 70s and upper 80s.
192:58:09 Allen: The United States will support Communist China's admission to the United Nations this fall, Secretary of State, William Rogers announced. The U.S. will also fight against expelling the Nationalist Chinese Government on Taiwan. U.S. Steel, the industry pace setter, announced a price hike averaging 8 per cent on virtually all its products and several other companies followed suit, as an aftermath of a new 3-year labor contract. Trainmen won pay increases of nearly a dollar and a half an hour, spread over a 42 months, in a nationwide contract settlement, and called off their crippling strike against ten railroads. The union yielded on the railroad's demands for some work-rule changes, yet to be worked out. Among those viewing Apollo 15 activities, Monday, in the MOCR was artist Robert McCall, designer of the commemorative stamp for Apollo 15. And just an editor's note here: He was also making sketches of the scenes down here as he saw them and he would turn them out almost as fast as the photographer would take pictures. It was most interesting. Turning to the sporting news, Don Wilson pitched a two-hitter and Jesus Alou drove home the winning run and then made a game-saving catch as the Houston Astros downed the Chicago Cubs, 2 to 1. And, apparently, rain is slowing up the Oilers' preparations for the Giants. The Oilers/Giant exhibition game is scheduled for Monday night in the Astrodome. And I've got a - the Monday's baseball scoreboard - which I'll run through quickly for you baseball fans. In the American League: Boston 7, Baltimore 4; New York 7, Cleveland 0; Oakland 2, Kansas City 1; Chicago 7, Minnesota 5; Detroit 11, Washington 7; California 3, Milwaukee 1. Readback.
Joe's excellent and quick sense of humour turns a list of baseball scores into another reading of Pre-Advisory Data (PAD) which are always read back to Mission Control for verification.
192:59:38 Allen: Disregard...
192:59:38 Worden: Roger, Joe. Copied all these off.
192:59:38 Allen: Roger. Okay. In the National League: Philadelphia 4, Atlanta 0; Cincinnati 4, New York 2; St. Louis 3, San Diego 1; and Los Angeles 5, San Francisco 4. And Lee Trevino added another thousand bills to his bank roll, Monday, by taking first place with the number - with a 7-under-par, 65, in the Colombus Invitational Pro-Am. Jack Nicklaus and Arnie Palmer teamed last weekend to close in on Trevino in professional golf's money-winning race, though. Nicklaus and Palmer won twenty thousand dollars each when they won the National Team Championship at - I guess Ligonier, Pennsylvania. Trevino leads for the year with a total of nearly two hundred thousand dollars.
193:01:36 Allen: And, I'll go over now to - Jim, a special telegram for you which reads, essentially: Mother, Dad, and your brother Charles are proud of you. We were thinking of our trip together on top of Mount Whitney and we are with you in spirit on the Moon. Love, Mother, Dad, and your crew. And I might add, that there - An occasional piece of mail for - for all of you that's starting to - starting to come in to the Manned Spacecraft Center, here. In fact, I think a truck pulled up there yesterday to deliver some of the first.
Woods, from 1999 correspondence: "Did NASA heap a lot of PR work on you when you returned or did they give you decent grace to debrief, unwind and get your bearings again after the flight?"
Scott, from 1999 correspondence: "The former - and I wish we had had the latter. But NASA was a very large organization, and we were essentially 'transferred' to the PR world after the flight; and during those days there was very little sensitivity to the issues you suggest. Actually, it would have been best if we had had a quarantine period of three weeks or so as did previous flights, just to rest up and get ready for the next push (which I requested of Slayton but to no avail). But no complaints really, we did get to go on some fabulous and memorable trips which we would trade for nothing."
193:02:17 Allen: I'm going to go on, if you're still listening, to read some history that was sent to us by the Honeysuckle people. And the subject is "A Leak on the Endeavour at 62 hundred GET." Following the above incident and the wonder from the Apollo 15 crew whether Captain Cook's Endeavour had ever sprung a leak, staff at Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station has searched the records and come up with the following incident, which may be of interest. Information has been extracted from an old newspaper article and an entry in Captain Cook's log book. "It was 11 pm on June 11, 1770, a clear moonlit night, when His Majesty's Ship, Endeavour, under the command of Captain James Cook, sailed serenely under fully furled sail within the waters of the Great Barrier Reef off Australia's northeast coast. Then disaster struck. The ship had got upon the edge of a reef of coral rocks which lay to the northwest of us, having come in places [sic] run the ship 3 or 4 fathoms and in others about as many feet." And I'm quoting James Cook's diary here. "But about a hundred feet from her starboard side, she, laying with her head to the northeast, were 7, 8, and 10 fathoms." With a grind and a roar, the Endeavour rose in the bow, and came down hard. Empty water casks broke their lashings and lay in a tangle with the rigging on the deck. The captain, clad only in drawers, which I guess is a Constant Wear Garment, rushed on deck. He summoned all hands to the pumps, and ordered all unnecessary stores to be thrown overboard. Such items as iron, and stone ballast from deep in the hold, casks, hoops, stays, oil jars, decayed stores, and then six cannons, which fired 4-point shot. (Probably one cannon to fire long, one cannon to fire short and two to fire for effect.) These, in fact, are the cannons discovered in 1969, off the coast of northeastern Australia by a team from the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Science. And, after restoration, one each was presented by the Australian - to - by the Australian government to the U.S., British, and to New Zealand. The remaining three cannons are in Australia. The original Endeavour was finally freed from the reef by means of oakum and wool, wrapped in a sail, being sunk under the ship and plugged into the hole in hope that it would be sucked into the leak and would close the leak. The experiment was entirely successful and, I quote again, from Cook's diary, "In about a quarter of an hour to our great surprise, the ship was pumped dry and upon letting the pumps stand, she was found to make very little water." Subsequently, the Endeavour arrived at the Australian mainland, the landing place is now called Cooktown, by the way, and after two months the damage had been repaired and the ship returned to England. And that's the end of your history lesson for today. Over.
This is Apollo Control at 193 hours, 4 minutes. We are in conversation with the crew. We had a call from Al Worden at 192 hours, 45 minutes, 22 seconds; shortly after Acquisition Of Signal on the 59th revolution. And the conversation has been fairly consistent since then. We've accumulated a fair amount of tape and we'll play that back for you now.
193:05:43 Scott: That's quite an analogy, isn't it.
193:05:48 Allen: Quite an analogy, Dave. Certainly is.
Journal reader, Andrew Field, points out that Captain Cook's Journal is available online from the National Library of Australia. From this resource, we can get exact quotes for the passages given above. For the entry where the ship is grounded, it says "Before 10 oClock we had 20 and 21 fathom and continued in that depth untill a few Minutes before a 11 when we had 17 and before the Man at the lead could heave another cast the Ship Struck and Stuck fast. Emmidiatly upon this we took in all our sails hoisted out the boats and sounded round the Ship, and found that we had got upon the SE edge of a reef of Coral rocks having in some places round the Ship 3 and 4 fathom water and in other places not quite as many feet, and about a Ship's length from us on our starboard side / the ship laying with her head to the NE / were 8, 10 and 12 fathom." When the crew try to lighten the load, it says "We not only started water but throw'd over board our guns Iron and stone ballast Casks, Hoops staves oyle Jars, decay'd stores &ca, many of these last articles lay in the way at coming at heavyer. All this time the Ship made little or no water."
Allen (continued): Back to reality. Al, I have a CSM consumables update for you, if your interested in that. And let's see - the other item on my desk - Well, I'll get to it a little later. I'll be standing by for your go-ahead on the CSM consumable update. [Pause.]
193:06:17 Worden: Okay, stand by, Joe. [Garble], wow!
193:07:36 Worden: Houston, 15. I'm ready to copy the consumables, Joe.
193:07:40 Allen: Okay, Alfredo. GET 191 plus 25; RCS total, 47 [per cent]; quad A: 50, [B] 47, [C] 46, [D] 47; H2 tank 1: 56, [2] 53, [3] 42; O2 tank 1: 64, [2] 67, [3] 54.
193:08:19 Worden: Rog, understand, Joe. At 191:25, RCS total, 47; quad A: 50, 47, 46, 47; H2 is 56, 53, 42; O2 is 64, 67, 54.
Though the major events of the flight have passed, they have barely used half of their critical consumables. This reflects the margins built into the system to cope with credible emergency situations. For example, if there had been an Apollo 13-type abort or the CSM had been called on to rescue the LM from an off-nominal orbit.
193:08:49 Allen: Copy, Al. And I'll be right back.
193:08:54 Worden: Okay, Joe. [Long pause.]
193:09:37 Allen: Endeavour, this is Houston again.
193:09:42 Worden: Go ahead, Houston.
193:09:44 Allen: Okay, Al. Let me lay some more words on you concerning your Flight Plan, when you're - you're ready to talk about that.
193:09:55 Worden: Roger, Joe. Go ahead.
193:09:58 Allen: Okay. You'll be in the configuration plus-X forward, and will be taking Gamma-ray, X-ray and Alpha Particle data, data during rev 60. We want you to do, at 193 plus 45, a P52 option 3. And we're going to add a Map and Pan Camera pass sometime during rev 60. And I'll be coming at you with the necessary data for that. Also...
Allen is replacing the P52 guidance platform realignment scheduled for 190:15. This will realign the platform to the orientation of the landing site at the time of lift-off, known as the lift-off REFSMMAT. During the three hours this morning when the crew caught up on their rest, periods of photography by the Mapping and Panoramic Camera were also scheduled which must now be given time later.
193:10:51 Worden: Roger, Joe; understand.
193:10:53 Allen: Okay, Al. Now I guess a - a word about biomed configuration, today. In order to get some very interesting baseline data, medical data on you, Al - and, Jim, for your EVA coming up later - we're requesting that the two of you give us that biomed data today. I think, Dave, you were scheduled for it, but I guess we'd prefer Jim on the line with Al to get baseline data for later. Now, Al, let - let me run through in just some blocks here, [of] the next revs as we see them, and the approximate activities. And then I'll come up with specific data concerning those revs later on, perhaps actually during the revs. On rev 61, we're going to have the UV...
The requirement for Jim to wear his biomedical sensors may be linked to heart irregularities spotted by the Flight Surgeon while on the Moon.
193:12:54 Worden: Roger that.
193:12:54 Allen: Okay. On rev 61 will be UV photography of the lunar mare. We're coming up on, I guess, an hour of light flash experiments, and it's pretty much dealer's choice between Dave and Jim, who - whichever one of you would like to do that. Rev 62 will be a crew exercise period, science photos, and science visuals. And we'll be taking the Mapping Camera and Laser Altimeter data during rev 62. And it will end with terminator photos. On rev 63, more Mapping Camera, Laser Altimeter, and a burst of the Pan Camera. UV photos and terminator photos again. Rev 64 will be eat period, boom photos, LiOH canister change; and that brings us to about 204 hours, and it'll be time to go to bed again. Over.
This outline roughly follows the Flight Plan anyway.
193:13:08 Worden: Okay, Joe. Understand in the Flight Plan that the object is going to be to get us back to the - to the printed Flight Plan as much as possible.
193:13:18 Allen: That's exactly right, Al. And you'll be coming on to it kind of as the day progresses. We're just going to pick up a few quick items that we've missed over the past 2 hours and mainly just lift - lift out other sections, as I understand it. But you'll be back on the Flight Plan shortly.
193:13:40 Worden: Okay, Joe. Fine. Thank you.
193:13:41 Allen: Rog. And...
193:13:42 Scott: And, Joe, let me request that Jim be...
193:13:48 Allen: Go ahead, Dave.
193:13:51 Scott: I'd like to say that I'd like to have Jim without his sensors on today. That 3 - 4 days in a row is pretty tough with those things on. I think probably, if we get him tonight, you could probably get your data, don't you think?
193:14:10 Allen: Stand - stand by, Dave, and I'll - let me double check,
193:14:26 Scott: Say, as a matter of fact, Joe, why don't you give Jim and Al both a break today on the sensors, and I'll stick mine on, because I've had them off since we got back yesterday. And then if you want us to have some particular data-gathering periods, why don't we take a look at that starting tonight, huh?
193:14:46 Allen: Okay, Dave. That sounds good.
193:14:51 Scott: Okay. And concerning the light flash things - Jim and I both saw light flashes while we were on the surface, as a matter of fact.
193:20:51 Allen: Good ship Endeavour, this is Houston. [Pause.]
193:20:59 Scott: Go ahead, Houston.
193:21:02 Allen: Roger. On our downlink data, we see indications of High Gain Antenna yaw fluctuations. Wonder if you could glance over at your onboard indication and see if you see it there as well. And, also we're standing by for crew status reports, when you're ready to give it.
193:21:31 Scott: No, we - we see no oscillations up here, Joe.
193:21:34 Allen: Okay, thank you.
Comm break.
193:22:38 Allen: Al, this is Houston. With a TEI-62 PAD, when you're ready for that. We also have a question. How did the Mass Spec. boom retraction go? And we've got a switch setting for your Mass Spec. when you're ready.
193:22:58 Worden: Okay. Jim will be ready to copy a TEI PAD here in a minute. And Mass Spec. boom retracted without a hitch this time, Joe. Sorry I didn't get the time on it, but it was very close to the nominal time, and apparently it didn't hung up this time.
193:23:15 Allen: Okay, fine, Al. Thank you. We'd like the - I guess the Mass Spec. placed on Standby, please. And that's the Experiment switch.
193:23:26 Worden: Okay. Mass Spec. on Standby. Yeah, that's verified on standby, Joe.
193:23:38 Allen: Thank you. [Pause.]
193:23:47 Irwin: And, Joe, I'm ready to copy that TEI PAD.
193:23:51 Allen: Okay, Jim, good morning. We need Accept, and we're going to uplink a new state vector to you.
The state vector is a collection of seven values stored within the computer which define the spacecraft's position and velocity along three orthogonal axes at a specified time. The computer uses it to do calculations concerning the spacecraft's motion. After a time, small errors in these calculations build up and at regular intervals, Mission Control compare the spacecraft's state vector with one they calculate themselves based on radar tracking from Earth. If necessary, they can upload a revised state vector to the CSM by having the crew place the Up Telemetry switch from Block to Accept.
Allen (continued): And here comes the TEI-62 PAD. SPS/G&N; 36310; plus 0.61, plus 0.92; 200:10:34.64; plus 2928.4, plus 0190.3, minus 0043.5; 180, 106, 006. The rest is NA. No comment. Ullage: Four jets, 12 seconds. Over.
An interpretation of the PAD follows:
Purpose: This PAD details a burn which would, in an abort situation, be made to return Apollo 15 to Earth. It would occur towards the end of the 62nd orbit.
System: The burn would be with the SPS engine under the control of the Guidance & Navigation System.
CSM Weight (Noun 47): 36,310 pounds (16,470 kg).
Pitch and yaw trim (Noun 48): 0.61° and 0.92°. These are the angles for pointing the SPS engine bell to ensure its thrust acts on the spacecraft's centre of gravity.
Time of ignition, TIG (Noun 33): 200 hours, 10 minutes, 34.64 seconds.
Change in velocity (Noun 81), fps (m/s): x, +2,928.4 (+892.6); y, +190.3 (+58.0); z, -43.5 (-13.3). Velocity components are expressed with respect to the local vertical frame of reference.
Spacecraft attitude: Roll, 180°; Pitch, 106°; Yaw, 6°. These attitudes are expressed with respect to the lift-off REFSMMAT.
Final notes intimate that other items in the standard form are not applicable (NA) to this burn, and that SPS propellants are settled in their tanks by firing the plus-X thrusters on all four quads around the Service Module for 12 seconds.
193:24:57 Irwin: Okay, Joe. The readback on TEI-62. SPS/G&N; 36310; plus 0.61, plus 0.92; 200:10:34.64; plus 2928.4, plus 0190.3, minus 0043.5; 180, 106, 006; four jets, 12 seconds.
193:25:28 Allen: Okay, Jim. Readback correct. And how are you doing this morning?
193:25:37 Irwin: Fine, Joe. Had a good night's sleep.
193:25:42 Allen: Super. [Pause.]
193:25:49 Worden: Okay, Joe, I've got a clear status report for you.
193:25:52 Allen: Go ahead.
193:25:58 Worden: Okay. Longest 9 hours sleep in one period there, Joe, to begin with. And the PRDs are 25024, 08031 and 23175.
193:26:19 Allen: Okay, Al, copy that. And assume there was no medication.
This is Apollo Control at 193 hours, 34 minutes. We're back live on air/ground now. The briefing on the subsatellite, which was scheduled for 10 am today at the News Center briefing room, has been postponed until approximately 10:30 am this morning. That briefing will be carried on the release line while Endeavour is behind the Moon.
193:35:44 Worden: Houston, 15. Go ahead with your Mapping and Pan Camera photo patchup.
193:35:49 Allen: Okay, Al. And I - I forgot to tell you when you're dumping water, you can also go ahead with the urine dump if you need to do that. I just forgot to mention that. The Map Camera photo PADs for rev...
193:36:03 Worden: That's okay, we're doing it.
193:36:04 Allen: Yeah. For rev 60. T-start, 194:35:05, T-stop, 195:34:50. Image motion setting at T-start: barber pole plus 4; At 195 plus 20 plus 00: barber pole. And a couple of notes on this. Be sure to retract the Gamma-ray boom prior to the start of the camera pass. And be sure to go to 5 degrees deadband in P20 - I'm sorry, Al; that's 5/10ths of a degree deadband in P20 prior to camera pass. And you want to extend the camera and start the Laser Altimeter per the system's checklist, page S/1-38. Over. [Pause.]
193:37:41 Worden: Roger, Joe. Understand. Mapping Camera photo PAD: T-start, 194:35:05; T-stop, 195:34:50. Now for the image motion, you want a T-start barber pole plus 4, and at 195:20:00, you want that increased to barber pole. And notes: Retract the Gamma-ray boom before taking the pictures; go to half-degree deadband; and extend the Mapping Camera; and start the Laser Altimeter as per system's checklist S/1-38.
Whereas the science instruments in the SIM bay do not require accurate pointing, the Mapping Camera does. The deadband, the allowable error in the spacecraft's attitude before corrective jet firings are made, must therefore be narrowed from 5° to ½°. The tracking program in the computer, P20, takes care of keeping one side of the spacecraft aimed at the Moon and this is where the new value must be entered.
193:41:16 Allen: Endeavour, this is Houston with the new O2 heater configuration for you. [Pause.]
193:41:25 Worden: Okay, Houston. Go ahead.
193:41:27 Allen: Rog, Al. We want O2 Heater in tank 3 to Auto and tanks 1 and 2, Off. Over.
193:41:40 Worden: Understand, Joe. You want O2 Heater in tank 3, Auto, and the other two, Off.
The heaters within the cryogenic storage tanks can be controlled automatically to keep tank pressures within limits. Pressure switches route power to energise motor-driven switches which, in turn, route current to the heaters when required. During periods of low power consumption, heat leakage from the tank's ambient environment can be enough to keep the tank pressurised and its contents flowing properly to the fuel cells and ECS (Environmental Control System). Otherwise, the heaters will come on to restore feed pressure.
This request from Allen is instead of a couple of lines in the Flight Plan which call for the exact opposite. (Tanks 1 & 2 to Auto, tank 3 to Off.)
193:41:46 Allen: That's right, Al. And we want you to proceed with your O2 fuel cell purge listed at 193 plus 58 in the Flightk Plan.
193:41:59 Worden: Roger, Joe. We'll get that in work here now.
193:44:38 Allen: Al, this is Houston. You can terminate the dump now. And turn the Alpha Particle experiment Off, please. [Long pause.]
193:45:30 Allen: Endeavour, Houston. Requesting Auto in the High Gain [Antenna]. And, troops, you may have to delay the P52 we've called out to you, and it's coming up shortly, until about 194 plus 20, to make sure most of the water's out of the way. Over. [Pause.]
193:45:56 Worden: Roger, Joe. I'll just go take a look here and see if I can pick up the star okay, I'll go ahead and do the P52.
To accomplish a realignment of the guidance platform, Al has to sight through the spacecraft's optics at two stars. Experience on previous flights has shown that soon after a water or urine dump, it can be difficult to distinguish the stars among the cloud of tiny ice crystals reflecting the sunlight. However, as they have just passed into lunar night a few minutes ago, this will not present a problem and Al can proceed with the task.
193:46:02 Allen: Okay, Al. And you got the call about the Alpha Particle counter, I hope.
193:46:11 Worden: Right. Roger. We got it turned off.
193:51:19 Worden: Okay, Joe. I got the gyro torquing angles up, and I'll torque them out on the minute.
193:51:26 Allen: Standing by.
Comm break.
Al calls up three angles on the DSKY (Display and Keyboard) to allow Mission Control to make a note of them. They are the angles by which the three gimbals supporting the guidance platform must be rotated to restore perfect alignment.
193:53:17 Irwin (onboard): I'll get out of your way, Al, so you can get down in here.
193:53:39 Allen: Al, we no - noted the termination of your fuel cell 3 purge. At your convenience, open the X-ray and the Alpha Particle experiment covers, please, and turn the Alpha Particle back on. Over.
193:53:54 Worden: Okay, Joe. We'll be about another 2 or 3 minutes finishing up all the dumps, and then we'll do that.
193:54:00 Allen: Okay. Fine. We do want you to wait until all the dumps are completed, and then open the doors and turn Alpha Particle on at your convenience, really.
193:54:11 Worden: Roger.
Comm break.
193:54:17 Scott (onboard): [Garble] this morning.
193:54:19 Irwin (onboard): Yes, Myrtle. I didn't use - I didn't - hadn't used Myrtle this morning. I didn't use Myrtle this morning.
193:54:25 Scott (onboard): I think that checklist is [garble] 5 minutes and then closed.
193:54:29 Irwin (onboard): Yes, it does.
193:54:30 Scott (onboard): Yes, that's [garble]. Yes. Yes. [Garble].
193:54:36 Irwin (onboard): Yes. Yes. I didn't use that this morning.
193:54:40 Scott (onboard): [Garble] Al. [Garble].
193:54:50 Irwin (onboard): That's true.
193:54:51 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
193:54:56 Irwin (onboard): Yes. You were smart.
193:55:20 Allen: Good ship Endeavour, this is Houston. We'll see you on the other side.
193:55:26 Worden: Okay, Joe.
Very long comm break.
193:55:43 Irwin (onboard): Okay, we got...
193:55:44 Scott (onboard): We stow this in that Jum [?] bag down there? When I took that [garble], Al? Okay.
This is Apollo Control at 193 hours, 56 minutes. We've had Loss Of Signal on this revolution. Endeavour and its crew performing orbital science throughout the day. We passed up an update to the Flight Plan for today. Crew reporting 9 hours of sleep last night and no medication. The briefing on the subsatellite will begin momentarily in the MSC News Center briefing room. We'll reacquire Endeavour again at 194 hours, 41 minutes, about 30 seconds on its 60th revolution. At 193 hours, 57 minutes; this is Mission Control, Houston.
193:56:28 Irwin (onboard): How about this? Go Manual and Wide. Right, Al? That what you say? Then - then go to Reacq? Just leave it in Manual and Wide until we come around, right?
193:56:41 Worden (onboard): What?
193:56:42 Irwin (onboard): Manual and Wide. How about the Squelch Enable?
193:56:56 Irwin (onboard): I have the Squelch Enable on.
193:59:17 Irwin (onboard): I'll get it. This is [garble].
194:00:20 Irwin (onboard): Okay, all [garble] be done behind here.
194:01:02 Scott (onboard): You want to - I don't care. Where is the best place for you to be?
194:01:08 Worden (onboard): Here [garble].
194:01:09 Scott (onboard): Okay. I'll just stay here in the center.
194:01:20 Worden (onboard): [Garble].
194:01:22 Scott (onboard): I know. You [garble] put mine on.
194:01:25 Worden (onboard): [Garble] launch.
194:01:27 Irwin (onboard): We might have them sorted out by then.
194:01:36 Scott (onboard): Old Al, he's a gentleman [garble].
194:01:40 Irwin (onboard): No, don't bruise him.
194:01:53 Irwin (onboard): Yes?
194:02:43 Scott (onboard): [Garble] read that [garble] now?
194:03:05 Scott (onboard): [Garble] Magic Marker [garble]. Besides, these used to be the guys [garble] all versions [garble] all the cross-subjects of the Command Module. Although [garble] all the stuff [garble].
194:03:43 Scott (onboard): [Garble] a lot of garbage. [Garble].
194:03:55 Scott (onboard): [Garble], Jim. [Garble] all garbage [garble].
194:04:08 Irwin (onboard): Yes. [Garble] put the garbage in here all [garble].
194:04:46 Scott (onboard): I don't...
194:04:49 Irwin (onboard): We do? Shoot, I - I feel great today.
194:04:56 Scott (onboard): [Garble] gone from one [garble] to the two.
194:04:59 Irwin (onboard): What do I have to do?
194:05:01 Scott (onboard): Photograph that [garble].
194:05:02 Irwin (onboard): Oh, yes.
194:05:12 Irwin (onboard): I should have brought that LEC hook back. It sure was handy in the LM. Trying to grab stuff with the EV gloves was like work.
194:05:37 Scott (onboard): [Garble] 5 minutes [garble] did you get them - did you get them back [garble].
194:05:49 Irwin (onboard): You know, Dave, we had probably - we had the worst condition possible for getting up and down that front ladders. That's the problem...
194:05:55 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
194:05:56 Irwin (onboard): For getting up and down that front ladders. The gear hadn't stroked at all. And it was, you know, practically off the surface. If I didn't have anything, if I could give a good leap, I could make it to the first rung. Most times, while carrying something, I ended pulling myself up with my arms to get to the first rung.
194:06:15 Worden (onboard): [Garble] the gear didn't stroke [garble].
194:06:16 Irwin (onboard): Didn't stroke at all. In fact, the front pad wasn't even on the surface. No, the pad was loose...
194:06:24 Worden (onboard): Yes.
194:06:25 Irwin (onboard): ...free to rotate, so it wasn't even - it wasn't making a firm contact at all with the surface.
194:06:36 Scott (onboard): [Garble] sticking to the bottom, to me. I'll tell you, Jim, it sure is a lot easier than that damn [garble].
194:06:45 Irwin (onboard): Oh, yes, particularly, you know, if there is a little time. I - I could transfer the bags up and just leave them on the porch, wait for you to get up there, and you pass them, then I could grab them with that LEC hook.
194:06:55 Scott (onboard): [Garble] in three times to try it. [Garble] once to transfer the LEC [garble].
194:07:02 Irwin (onboard): Yes.
194:07:48 Worden (onboard): Try your scissors. You [garble]. Your scissors are over there, on your left of your - O2 Flow, Hi. Help me dump it.
194:08:07 Scott (onboard): Oh, shit! [Garble] ketchup [garble].
194:08:13 Irwin (onboard): Here's some, Dave. Right here.
194:08:15 Scott (onboard): Okay. Now [garble].
194:08:36 Irwin (onboard): Want some more?
194:08:39 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
194:09:20 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
194:09:42 Irwin (onboard): Cabin pressure's are [garble].
194:09:44 Scott (onboard): Cabin pressure's are what?
194:09:45 Irwin (onboard): Split at 5.
194:09:51 Scott (onboard): What? This vent is open [garble].
194:10:05 Scott (onboard): Myrtle was [garble] and the [garble] valve was just open [garble] back up.
194:10:50 Irwin (onboard): [Garble] your burn's out if you leave your flow valve in normal? [Garble].
194:11:15 Scott (onboard): Jim, I think this little valve in your Jiminy [?] bag is all clogged up. That's your problem. Because I just tried that, and it works fine - transferred to a new Jiminy [?] bag. [Garble] valve.
194:11:26 Irwin (onboard): Yes, I think my valve is probably a little clogged.
194:11:28 Scott (onboard): Well, you got to keep it clean.
194:11:29 Irwin (onboard): Yes.
194:11:59 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
194:12:02 Irwin (onboard): [Garble] I don't think any [garble] in there.
194:12:58 Irwin (onboard): Anyone for chewing gum this morning?
194:13:53 Irwin (onboard): Want some chewing gum, Dave?
194:13:55 Scott (onboard): What?
194:13:56 Irwin (onboard): Want any chewing gum?
194:13:57 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
194:14:37 Irwin (onboard): Do you have all the parts there, Al?
194:14:38 Worden (onboard): They're in here if you need them. [Garble].
194:14:47 Irwin (onboard): Good.
194:14:56 Irwin (onboard): They go on here [garble]. Take a whole piece.
194:15:24 Irwin (onboard): [Garble].
194:15:39 Irwin (onboard): [Garble] stuff like that.
194:15:53 Irwin (onboard): [Garble].
194:16:16 Irwin (onboard): Watch it. This washer over here slipped.
194:16:33 Irwin (onboard): If you had a screwdriver, I think we could push the washer on this side down a little bit, Al. This washer here's slipped up.
Endeavour's 60th orbit of the Moon begins at about 194:18 GET.
194:18:37 Irwin (onboard): Okay. I've got it through now.
194:18:40 Worden (onboard): You've got it a little apart.
194:18:44 Irwin (onboard): [Garble].
194:18:46 Worden (onboard): Where is the other part? I got it through the washers. Go ahead. [Garble] be tighter than that.
194:18:56 Irwin (onboard): Man!
194:19:10 Irwin (onboard): I don't see it. Okay. Tightened it up to some extent [garble] this screwdriver. Why don't we try them out.
194:19:42 Irwin (onboard): Tool E fit in this socket over here? It's too big?
194:20:05 Irwin (onboard): Yes?
194:20:06 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
194:20:10 Irwin (onboard): Okay, I think we got it. O2 Flow, Hi again.
194:20:33 Irwin (onboard): I think you almost got it. You want me to try it ...
194:20:50 Worden (onboard): Better put some chewing gum on it; maybe some tape. That's what we need. Put some tape around it. That will keep it from backing off.
194:21:06 Irwin (onboard): Guess we ought to check those screens on the - on the hoses, too; they're probably - should be changed this morning.
194:21:23 Scott (onboard): [Garble] get the vacuum cleaner, pull all the filters out, and we'll [garble]...
194:21:38 Irwin (onboard): Okay.
194:21:39 Scott (onboard): ...Get the vacuum cleaner [garble] off, lay down every bag and [garble] everything before we leave. [Garble] shoes [garble] stow away [garble]. In the mean time, I'll go around and [garble] get it [garble] all the little bags we have and [garble] all the goodies from the LM, put them in that one camera bag [garble] bag, and [garble]. And [garble] check. It would be nice to log all [garble] before we start taking [garble]...
194:22:26 Irwin (onboard): Yes.
194:22:27 Scott (onboard): ...Exactly what we're [garble].
194:22:30 Irwin (onboard): Yes, okay. Okay, Dave. If you hand me the tape. I think this is about as tight as we'll get this.
194:23:27 Irwin (onboard): Dave Scott taught me. Tape everything. Yes, I don't know what we would have done if we hadn't had the tape along. I might have been without comm on the surface.
194:23:53 Worden (onboard): Okay, I think your seat's fixed.
194:25:17 Irwin (onboard): You know what we can also do, Dave, is wet wipe the MAGs. Might be even better then - wet wipe them - get a towel - damp towel here - Just wipe them off.
194:25:27 Scott (onboard): Mags?
194:25:28 Irwin (onboard): Yes, rather than vacuuming.
194:25:36 Irwin (onboard): Procedure says to unstow them, vacuum, and then wet wipe. Yes.
194:25:41 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
194:25:47 Irwin (onboard): Yes, I was just going [garble] LM Timeline.
194:26:01 Scott (onboard): I think I would follow the [garble].
194:26:06 Irwin (onboard): Yes.
194:26:07 Scott (onboard): You know why I vacuum [garble].
194:26:11 Irwin (onboard): Okay.
194:26:12 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
194:26:16 Worden (onboard): Can't we use this little square?
194:26:17 Irwin (onboard): Yes. Yes.
194:26:18 Scott (onboard): Make sure you [garble].
194:26:20 Worden (onboard): Use those little square jobbies, you mean - we have around. Yes.
194:26:24 Scott (onboard): And I think vacuuming would be easier to get in the cracks. And I certainly think that dirt will - dirt can get in the cracks [garble]. Maybe wipe the surface clean. [Garble]. Okay. [Garble].
194:27:31 Worden (onboard): Yes. Okay.
194:27:33 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
194:27:52 Irwin (onboard): You don't have another bag we can put this - this trash in?
194:28:02 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
194:28:04 Irwin (onboard): I was wondering if we had another big feed bag that was just about empty - the food locker, we could put this in there. Better than making two transfers.
194:28:39 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
194:29:08 Irwin (onboard): [Garble] CG
194:29:10 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
194:29:21 Irwin (onboard): Well, where's the Jett bag? Let's put it in the Jett bag.
194:29:24 Scott (onboard): We can't use the Jett bag. If we do that you've got to get the [garble].
194:29:32 Irwin (onboard): Okay, okay.
194:29:34 Scott (onboard): Get your own C [garble].
194:29:35 Irwin (onboard): Okay.
194:29:58 Irwin (onboard): We don't put up with it.
194:30:17 Irwin (onboard): Do you want to take this down with you? Just transfer all the stuff up - out of that bag and into this one here, Al.
194:30:22 Worden (onboard): Yes.
194:30:28 Scott (onboard): [Garble]. We got Jett bag in 3 - 310B [garble]. Turn around and look [garble].
194:30:46 Worden (onboard): [Garble].
194:31:12 Scott (onboard): No, that's [garble] canister.
194:31:25 Scott (onboard): Hey, I got a Mapping Camera PAD [garble].
194:31:31 Irwin (onboard): Yes.
194:31:33 Scott (onboard): [Garble]?
194:31:35 Irwin (onboard): Which one do you want to get in? This one? Okay.
194:31:51 Irwin (onboard): I'll just unplug here.
194:33:35 Worden (onboard): [Garble].
194:33:37 Scott (onboard): What?
194:33:38 Worden (onboard): I got the LM Timeline [garble].
194:33:56 Irwin (onboard): Yes, I have.
194:33:57 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
194:34:09 Scott (onboard): Yes.
194:34:10 Irwin (onboard): [Garble] cooled things off, too, huh? Beat his ass, too.
194:34:15 Scott (onboard): No, I [garble].
194:34:18 Irwin (onboard): Oh, I don't know.
194:34:20 Scott (onboard): No, I [garble] something.
Six minutes before AOS (Acquisition Of Signal), Endeavour passes across the terminator and into lunar day. In preparation for this, Al has extended the Mapping Camera out on its track ready to begin a period of mapping photography which will continue until they reach the opposite terminator. The start time for this photography is 194:35:05. During the pass, 145 images will be taken; AS15-M-1947 to 2091 (1946 is a double exposire with the final frame from the previous pass.). Beginning with AS15-M-1950, every tenth frame is presented here at the approximate time it was taken.
AS15-M-1950 - Metric Camera image of farside craters Schaeberle, Zhiritsky and Izsak. Image taken at about 194:37. (250 megapixel version), (labelled version) - Image by NASA/ASU.
This period of mapping photography was essentially postponed from this morning as the crew were allowed an extended rest. At this time, the deadband is changed from 5° to ½°.
194:37:21 Scott (onboard): Daylight. Oh, okay. Sure will. [Garble].
194:37:35 Worden (onboard): [Garble].
194:38:41 Scott (onboard): You know, I figure we got almost exactly a 100 hours. As a matter of fact, this ent - this orbit entry, or - Entry Interface, is at - 291:30 - huh - 294:43. It is now 194 and some.
194:39:25 Irwin (onboard): Not as bad as [garble].
This is Apollo Control at 194 hours, 40 minutes. We're less than a minute away from Acquisition Of Signal on Endeavour's 60th lunar revolution. We'll stand by for air/ground during this pass.
AS15-M-1960 - Metric Camera image of area southwest of Crater Hilbert, including craters Perel'man and Bowditch. Image taken at about 194:41. (250 megapixel version), (labelled version) - Image by NASA/ASU.
194:43:09 Allen: Hello, Endeavour. This is Houston. [No answer.]
194:44:24 Allen: Hello, Endeavour. This is Houston.
194:44:32 Worden: Hello, Houston; Endeavour. Loud and clear.
194:44:35 Allen: Roger, Al. I wanted to tell you that, except for a couple of minor changes, you'll shortly be back on the nominal Flight Plan. I do have a Pan Camera photo PAD to be copied into your Flight Plan at 195 plus 00 when you're ready.
194:44 :55 Worden: Okay, Joe. Go ahead.
194:44:58 Allen: All righty. At 195 plus 00, Pan Camera Mode, Standby; Power, On; Stereo, Exposure, Normal. At 195:04:13, Pan Camera Mode, Operate. At 195:14:30, Pan Camera Mode, Standby. Pan Camera Mode, Mono. At 195:18:23, Pan Cam Self Test to Self Test. The talkback should be barber pole for 30 seconds and then gray. And after the talkback is gray, Pan Camera Self Test to Heater. At about 195 plus 21, Pan Camera Power, Off, on a cue from MSFN. At - at 195 plus 34 plus 50, Laser Altimeter, Off; Retract Map Camera; and Close Map Camera Cover, per steps 7 and 8, page S/1-39 in your checklist. Over.
AS15-M-1970 - Metric Camera image of craters Schorr, Ritz and Sklodowska. Image taken at about 194:45. (250 megapixel version), (labelled version) - Image by NASA/ASU.
194:47:38 Worden: Okay, Houston; understand. And I'll go through the whole thing here for you. At 195, Pan Camera Mode, Standby; Power, On; Stereo and Exposure, Normal. At 195:04:13, Mode to Operate. At 195:14:30, Mode, Standby, and Stereo to Mono. At 195:18:23, Self Test to Self Test, and barber pole for 30 seconds and then Self Test to Heaters. At 195:21:00, Pan Camera Power to Off on your cue. At 195:34:50, Laser Altimeter, Off; Retract the Mapping Camera, and close the covers per steps in checklist S/1-39.
194:48:39 Allen: Okay, Al. Right on. And could you verify for us, please, that the Alpha Particle Spectrometer's been turned On and that the X-ray and Alpha Particle covers are Open. Over. [Pause.]
194:48:55 Worden: Okay, Joe. The covers are open. X-ray is On, and Alpha Particle coming On now.
194:49:02 Allen: Okay, thank you. And, Endeavour; we need Narrow Beam on the High Gain [Antenna], please. [Pause.]
194:51:29 Worden: Joe, looking ahead a little bit in the Flight Plan, I see we've got gegenschein coming up on this rev. And I guess my question is do you want me to change the film in the - in the camera now? In other words, have we missed any picture taking with the - the - the Nikon that maybe we want to pick up with that mag before I offload that mag?
Al is referring to the second, ultimately unsuccessful attempt to photograph the gegenschein, a patch of light believed to be caused by the scattering of sunlight off particles that have collected at one of the Lagrangian points. To do this, he uses the Nikon 35-mm camera with a f/1.2 55-mm lens and 6,000 ASA film.
194:51:55 Allen: Al, I'll have an answer for you in just a minute on that. In the meantime, could you reverify that the covers on the X-ray and Alpha Particle are open, and we're getting some problems on that, and I guess the best thing to do would be - to just go to your checklist, page 1-33, and do that Cover, Open, couple of steps - which is listed "Number 1, Cover, Open"...
194:52:22 Worden: Okay, now, Joe. You're right. I don't know - I don't know where we got - got our wires crossed, but the covers were closed and they're now open.
194:52:31 Allen: Okay, no problem. Good. [Long pause.]
194:53:33 Allen: Al, on your question on the gegenschein experiment, we want you to go ahead and change the mag to Victor, just per the Flight Plan.
194:53:44 Worden: Okay, Joe. Thank you.
Long comm break.
AS15-M-1990 - Metric Camera image of craters Bom, von Behring, Kapteyn and Barkla. Image taken at about 194:53. (250 megapixel version), (labelled version) - Image by NASA/ASU.
AS15-M-2000 - Metric Camera image of Sinus Successus including craters Webb and Naonobu. Image taken at about 194:57. (250 megapixel version), (labelled version) - Image by NASA/ASU.
194:57:42 Allen: Hello, Al. This is Houston. [Pause.]
194:57:51 Worden: Hello, Houston. This is Al.
194:57:54 Allen: Roger, babe. Requesting you - give us a Gainstep on the Gamma experiment up three clicks, please. And we're also wondering what mag you've taken off the Nikon to put mag Victor on. There's some confusion in our minds. I guess we thought Victor was already on there. Over.
194:58:18 Worden: Negative. Mag U was on there before, Joe, and I had just taken it off.
194:58:23 Allen: Okay, thank you, Al. That helps us. And once again, the Gainstep on the Gamma, up three clicks. And we're showing that now.
195:02:11 Allen: Endeavour, this is Houston. Requesting Auto on the High Gain, please.
195:02:11 Worden: Auto it is.
Comm break.
195:03:59 Allen: Endeavour...
195:04:00 Allen: Mark. 15 seconds to Pan Camera, Off - On, Pan Camera, On. Sorry.
195:04:06 Worden: Rog. Rog. Got you, Joe.
195:04:14 Allen: Pan Camera, On.
195:04:20 Worden: It's On.
Long comm break.
The Panoramic Camera is photographing a swathe of lunar terrain that stretches from the Cauchy Rille on the east side of Mare Tranquillitatis to crater Archimedes on Mare Imbrium. In all 101 images are taken. The first 91, AS15-P-9828 to 9919, are in stereo mode, the camera alternately tilting forward and back so that every fifth frame is a reapeat, but at a different angle of view. The final 10 frames, AS15-P-9920 to 9929, are in mono mode with the camera looking straight down. A selection are preseted here.
AS15-P-9838 - Panoramic Camera image of eastern Mare Tranquillitatis. Rupes Cauchy is in the centre and crater Cauchy A to the right (north). A 385 megapixel PNG format version can be had from the ASU Apollo Image Archive. Image taken at about 195:04 - Image by NASA/ASU.
AS15-M-2020 - Metric Camera image of Mare Tranquillitatis and the Cauchy rilles. Image taken at about 195:04. (250 megapixel version), (labelled version) - Image by NASA/ASU.
AS15-P-9856 - Panoramic Camera image of Mare Tranquillitatis. Crater Cajal is in the centre. A 385 megapixel PNG format version can be had from the ASU Apollo Image Archive. Image taken at about 195:06 - Image by NASA/ASU.
This is Apollo Control at 195 hours, 6 minutes. Endeavour's present orbit: 67 by 51.9 nautical miles [124.1 by 96.1 kilometres]. The orbital period: 1 hour, 58 minutes, 38 seconds; and we're showing a weight of 36,310 pounds [16,470 kg]. Present altitude for Endeavour is 65.6 nautical miles [121.5 km], velocity 5,315 feet per second [1,565 m/s].
Readers should note that NASA habitually uses the term "weight" although it was and is generally recognised to be erroneous in this context. The correct term is "mass". Mass refers to the quantity of matter within a particular body, be it atom, spacecraft or galaxy. Place a mass within a gravity field and it will experience a force pulling it towards the source of the field. On Earth, though many of our scales are calibrated in kilograms, the standard unit of mass, in truth they depend on measuring the force acting on the body. This force is what we know as weight and it will vary from place to place. In the free-fall condition that the spacecraft is in, it has no weight. It is weightless. However, it still has mass.
AS15-P-9869 - Panoramic Camera image of Mare Tranquillitatis. Crater Jansen is in the centre with Vitruvius to the right (north) and Carrel to the south (left). A 385 megapixel PNG format version can be had from the ASU Apollo Image Archive. Image taken at about 195:07 - Image by NASA/ASU.
AS15-P-9885 - Panoramic Camera image of northwest Mare Tranquillitatis. Crater Plinius is in the centre with Ross to the left (south). The slightly lighter basalt of Mare Serenitatis is to the right (north). A 385 megapixel PNG format version can be had from the ASU Apollo Image Archive. Image taken at about 195:08 - Image by NASA/ASU.
AS15-M-2030 - Metric Camera image of the mare that links Mare Tranquillitatis and Mare Serenitatis, including craters Plinius, Dawes and Al-Bakri. Image taken at about 195:08. (250 megapixel version), (labelled version) - Image by NASA/ASU.
AS15-P-9902 - Panoramic Camera image of southern Mare Serenitatis. Crater Menelaus is to the left (south) and Bessel is to the right (north). A 385 megapixel PNG format version can be had from the ASU Apollo Image Archive. Image taken at about 195:10 - Image by NASA/ASU.
AS15-M-2040 - Metric Camera image of the southwest shore of Mare Serenitatis including Montes Haemus and the crater Sulpicius Gallus. Image taken at about 195:12. (250 megapixel version), (labelled version) - Image by NASA/ASU.
195:14:42 Allen: We copy, and thank you, Al. And I've got a UV photo PAD, a big one liner, when you're ready to copy that.
By switching the Panoramic Camera to Mono, it no longer tilts back and forth to take stereo shots, but instead looks straight down. AS15-P-9923 includes the Hadley landing site.
AS15-P-9923 - Panoramic Camera image of part of the Montes Apennine chain that includes the Apollo 15 landing site to the right (north) and crater Conon to the left (south). A 385 megapixel PNG format version can be had from the ASU Apollo Image Archive. Image taken at about 195:15 - Image by NASA/ASU.
195:15:01 Worden: Okay, Joe. Go ahead.
195:15:02 Allen: Rog. This is for your PAD located at 196 plus 50. And it is T-start, 196:56:19. [Pause.]
195:15:28 Allen: Right on, Al. Thank you. [Long pause.]
195:16:01 Allen: Endeavour. 30 seconds to Self Test. [Pause.]
195:16:13 Worden: Rog. [Long pause.]
AS15-M-2050 - Metric Camera image of the southeast part of Mare Imbrium where the Apennine Bench Formation interrupts the mare surface. Includes Montes Archimedes and Rima Bradley. Image taken at about 195:16. (250 megapixel version), (labelled version) - Image by NASA/ASU.
195:16:27 Allen: Al, I gave a bad call. I was 30 seconds premature on that. Stand by.
195:16:35 Worden: Okay. [Pause.] Looks like you'll get two Self Tests, Joe. [Long pause.]
195:17:06 Allen: Al, that's no problem. We'll take both of them, and I'll cue you for the next.
195:17:14 Worden: Okay. I'll give you a whole series of them if you want them. [Pause.]
195:17:27 Allen: Negative, Al. [Long pause.]
195:17:54 Allen: 30 seconds to Self Test.
195:18:00 Worden: Rog. [Long pause.]
195:18:22 Allen: Mark. Self Test. [Pause.]
195:18:29 Worden: Rog.
Comm break.
This sequence of Panoramic Camera photography comes to an end. The Mapping Camera will continue until they reach the sunrise terminator.
195:20:00 Worden: Houston, 15. Pan Camera is in Heater Mode now.
195:20:04 Allen: Thank you, Al. [Long pause.]
195:20:19 Allen: Okay, Al, and on the Map Camera, Image Motion to barber pole, please.
195:20:28 Worden: Rog.
Long comm break.
AS15-M-2060 - Metric Camera image of Mare Imbrium and crater Timocharis. Image taken at about 195:21. (250 megapixel version), (labelled version) - Image by NASA/ASU.
AS15-M-2070 - Metric Camera image of Mare Imbrium including Mons La Hire and Dorsum Zirkel. Image taken at about 195:25. (250 megapixel version), (labelled version) - Image by NASA/ASU.
This is Apollo Control at 195 hours, 28 minutes. The flight controllers who are monitoring the data from the SIM bay, report that it looks good, and the status check indicates that all systems on Endeavour are normal. All temperatures [are] within limits. Displays and controls, instrumentation, power distribution and sequencing, communications, guidance and control, crew systems, propulsion and power, all parameters normal. We have 25½ minutes remaining in this front-side 60th revolution.
195:29:28 Allen: Hello, Endeavour, this is Houston.
195:29:35 Worden: Houston, Endeavour. Go ahead. [Pause.]
195:29:41 Allen: Roger, Al. I've got what they tell me is the last change to your Flight Plan to put you back on the nominal.
195:29:52 Worden: Okay, Joe; stand by just one.
195:29:54 Allen: Okay. No hurry.
Comm break.
Al should begin getting ready for the gegenschein photography about now. The Nikon camera is installed in window 4, the right rendezvous window, and will therefore be looking along the spacecraft's longitudinal axis.
AS15-M-2080 - Metric Camera image of Mare Imbrium and crater Ångström. Image taken at about 195:30. (250 megapixel version), (labelled version) - Image by NASA/ASU.
195:31:00 Worden: Okay; Houston; 15. Go ahead with the Flight Plan update. [Long pause.]
195:31:14 Allen: Okay, Al. The first change is at 195 plus 36 in your Flight Plan. And it is "Gamma-ray Boom, Deploy, talkback barber pole for about 2 minutes and 40 seconds, then gray, and then to Off. Center position." Over. [Pause.]
195:31:54 Worden: Roger, Joe. Understand. At 195:36:00, "Gamma-ray Beam - Boom, Deploy, talkback barber pole about 2 minutes, 40 seconds, then gray, and switch Off."
195:32:07 Allen: Okay, Al. That's good, and the next two items are deletes over at 196 plus 31. And that is, delete...
195:32:22 Worden: Okay, go ahead.
195:32:23 Allen: ...delete "Map Camera/Laser Experiment Covers," et cetera, and delete "Map Cam Track," et cetera, and at 196 plus 37, delete "Laser Altimeter, On." Over. [Pause.]
195:32:51 Worden: Roger; understand. At 196:30, delete the 2 lines dealing with the Mapping Camera, and at 196:37 delete the Laser Altimeter function. [Pause.]
195:33:12 Allen: Okay, Al, and you're now back on your Flight Plan except for the additional couple of Pan Camera bursts and a Map Camera pass, that you already have copied down. And while I've got you on the line here, I'd like for you to think back yesterday, and I've got a question to ask concerning your suit integrity check. We're trying to go through this and reconstruct exactly what had happened. And I guess what we need is a - a comment about your third suit integrity check. And, that one was the one you did just after the first LM jett had been scrubbed and you went around the back side and did a suit integrity check, and we're wondering if you can recall any of the details of that check for us? Over.
Before jettisoning the Lunar Module yesterday, the crew had problems getting a good pressure integrity check on their suits and on the forward hatch.
AS15-M-2090 - Metric Camera image of the sunrise terminator at Montes Agricola. Icludes crater Raman. Image taken at about 195:34. (250 megapixel version), (labelled version) - Image by NASA/ASU.
195:34:03 Worden: Okay, understand you're concerned about the second suit integrity check we did. The third one was okay. The suits were - held integrity fine, and we had an O2 flow of about .6 to .7. So, I guess you're talking about the second one, huh? [Pause.]
195:34:27 Gordon: Dave, we're talking about the one you did before the last one, whatever number you call that.
195:34:36 Worden: Yes, Dick, that - that was the one we recycled quickly onboard up here, and it was because we had one of the gloves that wasn't fastened on exactly right.
195:34:52 Allen: Roger, Al. Map Camera and Laser, Off, please. [Pause.]
195:35:02 Worden: Okay, Map Camera and Laser, Off. And, did you understand the comment on the suit integrity check?
195:35:10 Allen: Fine, Al. Thank you. That helps us a lot.
195:35:16 Worden: Okay.
Long comm break.
This is Apollo Control at 195 hours, 36 minutes. That last bit of information was for the Environmental Control Systems officer [EECOM] on shift now, who wanted to reconstruct the events of the suit integrity checks yesterday. The - a bad glove on that - bad glove connector prevented a good check on the one they were discussing. They, since that time, did get a good suit integrity check.
The stop time for the Mapping Camera on this pass is 195:34:50.
195:39:21 Allen: And Pan Camera Power, Off, when convenient, please. [Pause.]
195:39:21 Worden: Okay, it's Off.
195:39:33 Allen: Roger.
Very long comm break.
195:51:15 Irwin (onboard): Roger.
195:51:16 Scott (onboard): Roger. Let's go back to P00.
195:51:19 Irwin (onboard): Mine, too. Is mine in work?
195:51:22 Scott (onboard): No [laughter]. I got mine.
195:51:26 Irwin (onboard): Yes.
195:51:27 Worden (onboard): [Garble] went that-a-way, huh? Okay. I got tape motion going, so I guess we might as well...
195:51:42 Irwin (onboard): We don't need those guys.
195:51:50 Scott (onboard): Oh - beautiful. Fine.
195:51:58 Worden (onboard): [Garble] your private beverage.
195:52:03 Allen: Endeavour, this is Houston. You're coming up on LOS in about 2 minutes, and everything's looking just as slick as glass.
195:52:13 Worden: Okay, Joe; and, we're just sitting here in [the deep space] attitude, all set to dim the lights and do the gegenschein [photography].
195:52:21 Allen: Okay, Al; sounds like fun. Enjoy the back side, and see you in a few minutes. And if there's anything you need from us down here, just give a call. [Pause.]
195:52:30 Worden (onboard): [Laughter.]
195:52:35 Worden: Certainly, Joe.
195:52:36 Worden (onboard): [Laughter.]
195:52:38 Allen: Knew you would.
Very long comm break.
195:52:38 Scott (onboard): "Anything you need, give us a call."
195:52:42 Worden (onboard): [Laughter] Just like we're assigned right behind [garble].
195:53:02 Worden (onboard): Better check our camera time here.
195:53:08 Scott (onboard): 153 even is where the Flight Plan calls us.
195:53:50 Worden (onboard): Go ahead.
195:53:52 Scott (onboard): Okay, in one minute, Al.
195:53:55 Worden (onboard): Yes. What frame time?
195:53:57 Irwin (onboard): One frame, the whole minute.
195:54:01 Worden (onboard): Yes.
This is Apollo Control at 195 hours, 54 minutes. We've had Loss Of Signal on Endeavour. Photography of the lunar surface and orbital science being conducted throughout this revolution. Data from the science experiments coming in good. We'll acquire Endeavour on its 61st revolution at 196 hours, 39 minutes, 20 seconds. At 195 hours, 55 minutes; this is Mission Control, Houston.
Endeavour has been maneuvered out of the orb-rate explanation attitude that had the SIM bay continually facing the Moon, to the Deep Space Measurement attitude which is defined with respect to the stars. The spacecraft's motions are given time to damp and Endeavour is allowed to pass into LOS where it is shielded by the Moon's mass from the light of both Earth and the Sun. The Deep Space Measurement photographs provide a pair of control frames against which the gegenschein frames can be compared. With a 1-minute and a 3-minute exposure done, Endeavour is reoriented to face the Moulton, or L2 Lagrangian point.
Once the camera is facing the Moulton point, another two frames are taken with 1-minute and 3-minute exposures. Unfortunately, pre-mission calculations of the attitude to which they should orient the spacecraft were incorrect and the photography is unsuccessful. This period of photography should be complete by the time Endeavour commences its 61st revolution at about 196:15 GET.
195:54:04 Scott (onboard): Ten seconds.
195:54:05 Worden (onboard): One in each hand. [Garble] look all right? Okay?
195:54:19 Scott (onboard): Looks like we're 1 minute and 18 seconds down in the Flight Plan.
195:54:23 Worden (onboard): Bravo. I want to go get a star mark.
195:54:27 Scott (onboard): Okay.
195:54:31 Worden (onboard): Hey. Got coffee?
195:54:36 Irwin (onboard): Yes.
195:54:38 Worden (onboard): Yes. [Garble].
195:54:40 Scott (onboard): Okay, Jim, if you'll give us Free.
195:54:53 Worden (onboard): And turn the lights off down there.
195:55:19 Scott (onboard): Can't get used to it. We're getting free light out there.
195:56:04 Worden (onboard): Yes, that's some stuff, ain't it?
195:56:06 Scott (onboard): That's really bright.
195:56:22 Worden (onboard): Now we're trying the gegenschein, the midway point, and the Moulton point. But we got to do an attitude maneuver here in just a minute. In fact, in 3 minutes from now, to be precise, since we're getting a 3-minute exposure.
195:56:52 Worden (onboard): Yes, we're all right for that.
195:57:03 Worden (onboard): Here.
195:57:05 Scott (onboard): That's - that's in some bunch of ... anyway.
195:57:17 Scott (onboard): Well, you see the gegenschein?
195:57:21 Worden (onboard): Well, it should be straight ahead of us, Dave.
195:57:30 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
195:57:36 Worden (onboard): No.
195:57:54 Scott (onboard): Well, I'm not sure. I think we ought to get [garble] I - I - Why don't you look - I think it would be...
195:58:00 Worden (onboard): No. If there is such a thing, there's a - there's a very definite branch off from the Milky Way. Floating almost to big B. Well, it's not long.
195:58:19 Scott (onboard): No - no, the big hairy one.
195:58:28 Worden (onboard): Yes, that's right. No, it's - it's a localized area, you know. But it would probably be in the shape of an oval. Well, anyway, that's the only thing - that's the only thing that came close to that, was that thing that looked like a branch off the Milky Way. Double or nothing.
195:59:34 Worden (onboard): Okay, turn the lights up there, Jim.
195:59:54 Worden (onboard): No. Okay, go to CMC, Auto. Okay, now we want to maneuver to another point there: Midpoint attitude, Flight Plan.
196:00:05 Irwin (onboard): Midpoint. I understand.
196:00:09 Worden (onboard): Okay, plus .6900.
196:00:14 Irwin (onboard): Let's see.
196:00:17 Worden (onboard): 5100? And minus 021.
196:00:35 Worden (onboard): No, 261.
196:00:46 Scott (onboard): Yes. Okay.
196:00:48 Irwin (onboard): [Garble].
196:00:54 Worden (onboard): It's - it's in the [garble].
196:00:56 Irwin (onboard): Oh, Jesus!
196:00:58 Worden (onboard): [Garble].
196:01:10 Irwin (onboard): Shouldn't laugh at me.
196:01:18 Worden (onboard): Give him my regards.
196:01:21 Scott (onboard): Now break down a little bit. Look, he'll stay crazy if you're acting crazy. Look, Al, he doesn't understand.
196:01:29 Worden (onboard): We're down in the time line. Getting slightly green, Jimmy, my boy?
196:01:34 Irwin (onboard): No.
196:02:00 Scott (onboard): I got to get it into Auto.
196:02:08 Worden (onboard): [Garble] getting [garble]?
196:02:12 Irwin (onboard): Christ!
196:02:17 Worden (onboard): Yes, I know.
196:03:08 Scott (onboard): Now let the rate damp there for a second; hope it improves.
196:03:48 Scott (onboard): Okay, you're not losing face.
196:03:52 Worden (onboard): Yes. Right. Okay.
196:04:19 Worden (onboard): As I was saying...
196:04:22 Irwin (onboard): Ah, go to hell, MDC.
196:04:24 Worden (onboard): What's that time on the other one? Time on the DSKY?
196:04:45 Irwin (onboard): [Garble].
196:05:37 Worden (onboard): Mm-hmm. Yes, I used them, too.
196:05:51 Worden (onboard): What elevation? Yes.
196:06:32 Worden (onboard): Yes, there's quite a few stars out there, aren't there?
196:06:35 Irwin (onboard): Christ! [Garble] given you?
196:06:38 Worden (onboard): A little darker now. Let's see. There's my star right up over there. Yes, that's...
196:06:49 Irwin (onboard): [Garble].
196:07:02 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:07:38 Scott (onboard): Damn! You always seem to take it bad when you do an alignment.
196:07:45 Worden (onboard): Well, you can't be all crude and all. But that little - that - that little - that thing there is something. Might be another planet.
196:07:54 Scott (onboard): Why don't you [garble]?
196:07:56 Worden (onboard): Yes. Yes.
196:08:18 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:08:28 Worden (onboard): Yes.
196:08:47 Irwin (onboard): [Garble].
196:08:54 Worden (onboard): Yes, trying to move [garble]. We've got another 5 minutes to go. Anyway, we've used...
196:09:02 Scott (onboard): Okay. Okay, Jim, lights up.
196:09:14 Worden (onboard): And we got a P20 coming then.
196:09:19 Scott (onboard): Yes, CMC, Auto. And this time we want maneuver to...
196:09:38 Worden (onboard): Yes. We have [garble].
196:09:46 Scott (onboard): We haven't [garble].
196:09:54 Irwin (onboard): [Garble].
196:09:57 Worden (onboard): Well, got the housekeeping done.
196:10:02 Scott (onboard): We're not going to have a [garble].
196:10:09 Irwin (onboard): That's a shame. [Garble].
196:10:25 Worden (onboard): I can't find...
196:10:26 Scott (onboard): Turn the lights down and look for a few minutes, if you want.
196:10:29 Worden (onboard): We don't have to stop for another 10 minutes yet.
196:10:33 Scott (onboard): So you can go to Attitude Hold there, Jim.
196:10:36 Worden (onboard): Or go to CMC, Auto.
196:10:48 Worden (onboard): Got it. Turn it down. Turn that damn thing down.
196:11:37 Worden (onboard): [Garble].
196:11:39 Irwin (onboard): I want to look for a few minutes.
196:11:56 Irwin (onboard): God damn. Is it in there?
196:11:59 Worden (onboard): You can see something bright down in there.
196:12:27 Irwin (onboard): Al, could you move it?
196:12:29 Worden (onboard): No, it's [garble].
196:12:50 Worden (onboard): Yes.
196:12:59 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:13:05 Irwin (onboard): No, can't see. I just can't see. [Garble] lights wouldn't come down. It's a function of lighting.
196:13:22 Worden (onboard): No. [Garble]. got [garble] something else.
196:13:26 Irwin (onboard): No, I really can't see anything, Dave. [Garble].
196:13:28 Worden (onboard): Oh, shit. You're too easily impressed.
196:13:33 Irwin (onboard): No one thinks like me.
196:13:35 Worden (onboard): Yes. As a matter of fact, that's what I keep saying.
196:13:44 Irwin (onboard): Freak you.
196:13:45 Worden (onboard): That's not nice.
196:13:48 Scott (onboard): See if I can see that.
196:14:01 Scott (onboard): Oh, let me see. That's - that's too hard to see.
196:14:09 Worden (onboard): Okay.
196:14:15 Irwin (onboard): [Garble].
196:14:17 Scott (onboard): They're not - they're not as bright as I thought they'd be, either.
196:14:20 Worden (onboard): They're not?
196:14:21 Irwin (onboard): Is that right?
196:14:22 Scott (onboard): Yes. They're not - they're not much brighter than they are on Earth. Okay, lights up. Camera's off?
196:14:42 Worden (onboard): No, the guy wants that - business here. Yes.
With the gegenschein photography out of the way, Al returns the spacecraft to the SIM bay attitude that has the pointy end of the CSM facing forward. This returns the science instruments to an appropriate attitude for sensing the lunar surface.
196:15:50 Worden (onboard): Okay, Dave, will you put these back in B-2 for me, please?
196:16:30 Scott (onboard): Jim? Is that breaker off?
196:16:59 Scott (onboard): Yes, might as well call.
196:17:01 Worden (onboard): All right. I want to move these before I - [garble]. Ow!
196:17:09 Scott (onboard): All right.
196:17:11 Worden (onboard): Too early.
196:17:28 Irwin (onboard): [Garble].
196:17:45 Worden (onboard): [Garble].
196:20:33 Worden (onboard): Yes.
196:20:45 Worden (onboard): Huh? Yes. Yes, I'm a person. Right here, Jim.
196:20:51 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:20:52 Worden (onboard): Well, put the TV back in...
196:20:56 Scott (onboard): If you will, snap that one.
196:20:58 Worden (onboard): It kind of gets in the way of everything else. Let me stick it down here for now.
196:21:08 Irwin (onboard): Sure is fun with lots of people.
196:21:12 Worden (onboard): Stow them.
196:21:54 Scott (onboard): Put that one down here with mine.
196:22:11 Scott (onboard): What's that, Jim?
196:22:13 Irwin (onboard): No!
196:22:14 Worden (onboard): Good. Very good.
196:22:17 Scott (onboard): Okay?
196:22:18 Worden (onboard): Yes. You got to - yes. We've already signed those, haven't we? We haven't signed these? It really doesn't make much difference, does it?
196:22:26 Scott (onboard): No.
196:22:27 Worden (onboard): We don't really have to sign them now I guess. We can do that anytime.
196:23:10 Worden (onboard): Yes, those - those covers would have been infinitely more valuable, I think.
196:23:17 Scott (onboard): Oh, well.
196:23:21 Worden (onboard): Maybe, Dave, it's just as well we didn't.
196:23:27 Irwin (onboard): Okay.
196:23:30 Worden (onboard): Bastard.
196:23:35 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:24:49 Scott (onboard): I've got one. Come down.
196:24:51 Worden (onboard): God damn. Is it - is it in there?
196:24:56 Scott (onboard): Oh, I've only been changing the film; one in the LM and one in there. Come on down.
196:25:02 Worden (onboard): I'm going to have to go all the way back to the Moon to come on some of that.
196:25:06 Scott (onboard): [Laughter.]
196:26:13 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:26:21 Worden (onboard): Yes, very good. [Garble] that move.
196:26:30 Scott (onboard): [Garble]?
196:26:31 Worden (onboard): Yes.
196:26:32 Scott (onboard): What? No more film.
196:26:36 Worden (onboard): What?
196:26:37 Scott (onboard): [Garble]. I need more film [garble] camera [garble].
196:26:39 Worden (onboard): Can you change it?
196:26:42 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:26:45 Worden (onboard): Yes, but you know the way he is.
196:26:49 Irwin (onboard): Feel around here.
196:26:50 Worden (onboard): Yes, sir.
196:26:57 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:27:04 Worden (onboard): Oh, no. But I don't think you are. [Garble].
196:27:10 Irwin (onboard): That's the reason. Yes, yes, yes.
196:27:20 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:27:22 Worden (onboard): That doesn't take very long.
196:27:26 Irwin (onboard): Where you going?
196:27:30 Worden (onboard): This guy's got more pens somewhere, because I need one to keep track of the Flight Plan, too.
196:27:35 Irwin (onboard): Here's one.
196:27:54 Scott (onboard): [Garble], Al.
196:27:55 Worden (onboard): I got one.
196:28:25 Worden (onboard): Excuse me, Jim.
196:28:28 Irwin (onboard): Excuse me.
196:29:33 Irwin (onboard): Sure can.
196:29:57 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:29:59 Worden (onboard): Yes. I got one. Yes.
196:30:01 Irwin (onboard): [Garble] solution in color [garble].
196:30:19 Irwin (onboard): You got a mag that hasn't been used at all?
196:30:32 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:30:37 Worden (onboard): Huh? Just as - it may be just as well. Tell me we don't have any.
196:30:43 Scott (onboard): We don't - we don't have any of that left.
196:32:10 Worden (onboard): Hey, gang, they don't have another eat period for 6 hours.
196:32:12 Scott (onboard): What?
196:32:13 Worden (onboard): There's not another eat period in the Flight Plan for 6 hours.
196:32:16 Scott (onboard): Six more hours? Jesus Christ!
196:32:21 Worden (onboard): That's right. And that's just before our sleepy time.
196:32:28 Scott (onboard): Six hours to bed.
196:32:43 Scott (onboard): Yes. I don't think we need the contingency anymore. We don't need that one. Or these. Or these.
196:33:21 Scott (onboard): Can I get that map you got over there?
196:33:24 Worden (onboard): Okay. Yes, got...
196:33:29 Scott (onboard): Two of them here. Have three.
196:33:41 Worden (onboard): Okay, David.
196:33:42 Scott (onboard): Most of these don't.
196:33:45 Worden (onboard): Yes. Got two fresh maps here. One's labeled CMP and the other is labeled nothing.
196:34:36 Worden (onboard): Well, we missed some spectacular terminator photos. Damn. You know, I was wondering. You want to get the terminator photos if still possible. That would have really been spectacular.
196:34:54 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:34:55 Worden (onboard): Well, yes. The terminator's on the Flight Plan.
196:35:00 Scott (onboard): Yes.
196:35:56 Worden (onboard): Well, if we've got the film, by golly, I'd like to take a lot of terminator photos.
196:36:09 Scott (onboard): Yes.
196:36:10 Worden (onboard): No, that'd really be neat; take a bunch of terminators. And the setting should be the same regardless of where the terminator went.
196:36:18 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:36:21 Worden (onboard): Yes.
196:36:22 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:36:23 Worden (onboard): Boy. That one's - Look at that.
196:36:29 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:36:44 Worden (onboard): Do you know how to change the settings from 250 to 500?
196:36:49 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:36:57 Worden (onboard): No, I mean - I mean what the comparable settings are. Like f/5, 1/50th and all that.
196:37:04 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:37:05 Worden (onboard): Yes.
196:37:07 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:37:09 Worden (onboard): Terminator photos for the 250, they call out f/5.6 and 1/125th. And that's for the very-high-speed black and white. Yes. You don't have any left though, do you? No. Yes.
196:37:31 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:37:35 Worden (onboard): No. No, that's not fast enough. That's all right. Listen, I got lots of brand R left. Use it.
196:37:59 Scott (onboard): [Garble] something.
196:38:02 Worden (onboard): Yes.
196:38:16 Worden (onboard): Yes. It sure would be nice to get a - some pictures down into the bottom of [garble] bottom. [Garble].
This is Apollo Control at 196 hours, 39 minutes. Apollo 15 will be within range of Earth tracking stations in about 15, 20 seconds. We'll stand by for first conversation.
196:40:25 Worden (onboard): Oh, deary.
196:40:34 Scott (onboard): The old Earth is real impressing down there. [Garble] get some.
196:41:16 Scott (onboard): [Garble].
196:41:19 Worden (onboard): Oh, boy! God, I guess. That thing was huge.
196:43:05 Allen: Roger, Al. Copy. And I've got a TEI-64 PAD when you're ready.
196:43:19 Worden: Okay, just a minute. [Long pause.]
196:43:39 Worden: Okay, go ahead with the PAD.
196:43:41 Allen: Rog, Alfredo. SPS/G&N for a TEI-64; 36310; plus 0.61, plus 0.92; 204:08:11.62, plus 3011.0, minus 0019.6, plus 0048.8; 180, 102, 002. All the rest NA. Ullage: 4 jet, 12 second. Over.
An interpretation of the PAD follows:
Purpose: This is another abort PAD for an early return to Earth, with an ignition time right at the end of the 64th orbit around the Moon.
Systems: The burn would use the SPS engine under the control of the Guidance & Navigation System.
CSM Weight (Noun 47): 36,310 pounds (16,470 kg).
Pitch and yaw trim (Noun 48): 0.61° and 0.92°.
Time of ignition, TIG (Noun 33): 204 hours, 8 minutes, 11.62 seconds.
Change in velocity (Noun 81), fps (m/s): x, +3,011.0 (+917.8); y, -19.6 (-6.0); z, +48.8 (+14.9). These velocity components are expressed with respect to the local vertical frame of reference.
Spacecraft attitude: Roll, 180°; Pitch, 102°; Yaw, 2°. The spacecraft attitude for the burn is expressed relative to the lift-off REFSMMAT.
SPS propellants are settled in their tanks by firing the plus-X thrusters on all four quads around the Service Module for 12 seconds.
196:44:41 Worden: Roger, Joe. Understand TEI-64, SPS/G&N; 36310; plus 0.61, plus 0.92; 204:08:11.62; plus 3011.0, minus 0019.6, plus 0048.8; 180, 102, 002. The rest is NA. Four jet, 12 seconds.
In the meantime, Al should be configuring the Hasselblad EL camera to take a series of images of the lunar maria in ultraviolet light. However, according to the 'Apollo 15 Index of 70-mm Photographs', no UV photos are taken until the next planned opportunity at 201 hours GET. Yet, the same index ascribes a large amount of photography to this orbit, using the 500-mm lens onto black and white film, and the 250-mm lens onto colour film.
The first sequence of photographs on the black and white magazine, mag QQ, are five images taken under high sun conditions of two linear features which run southeast to northwest across the northeastern side of Mare Tranquillitatis. These are AS15-81-10869 to 10873. The first three images show Rima Cauchy, a 210-km long rille similar in cross-section to Rima Hadley.
The final pair from this region show the end of Rupes Cauchy, a fault type scarp which runs parallel to and about 50 km south of Rima Cauchy. This fault is about 120 km long and becomes a rille before terminating in the two craters shown in the photograph. The rille and scarp are named after a 12.4-km crater, Cauchy which lies between them, itself named after a French mathematician, Augustin L. Cauchy, 1789-1857.
AS15-81-10874 to 10883 are a sequence of ten shots looking at features around the southwestern rim of Mare Serenitatis, just northwest of the crater Sulpicius Gallus. AS15-81-10874 (and photographed again as 10879) is of a bright, diminutive unnamed crater with a classic ray pattern which lies beside the Montes Haemus range.
AS15-81-10874 - Unnamed ray crater in the Sulpicius Gallus region at 21.55°N, 8.93°E. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10875 - Crater Sulpicius Gallus A. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10876 (and also 10881 and 10883) is of a nearby crater on Mare Serenitatis which has a less well-developed ray system and a tongue of dark material splayed out to one side. This is in an area that, like the valleys at Taurus-Littrow, is noted for the presence of dark mantling.
AS15-81-10876 - Crater on Mare Serenitatis at 22.96°N, 8.65°E. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
Two touching rilles from the Rimae Sulpicius system are well shown in AS15-81-10877 (and also in 10882).
AS15-81-10877 - Rilles on Mare Serenitatis at 22.19°N, 9.37°E. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10878 - Bright area next to Rimae Sulpicius Gallus. Centre coordinates are 21.46°N, 9.66°E. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10879 - Unnamed ray crater in the Sulpicius Gallus region at 21.55°N, 8.93°E. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10880 - Crater Sulpicius Gallus A. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10881 - Crater on Mare Serenitatis at 22.96°N, 8.65°E. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10882 - Rilles on Mare Serenitatis at 22.19°N, 9.37°E. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10883 - Crater on Mare Serenitatis at 22.96°N, 8.65°E. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
Photography on magazine QQ continues further west at the 10.6-km crater Aratus, a simple bowl-shaped crater with a flat floor and walls that show the down-slope movement of the lunar dust. The creater is captures in AS15-81-10884 and 10888. The three shots between them look north to the landing site. There are AS15-81-10885 to 10887
AS15-81-10885 - Rima Hadley and landing site. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
In these picture, the lighting over the landing site is very high. Shadows are almost nonexistant and instead, the tone reflects more of the true refectivity of the landscape, its albedo. As a result, even at this distance, the ground that had been disturbed by the engine exhaust plume of Falcon as it landed can be seen, as in this crop from AS15-81-10885.
Detail from AS15-81-10885 pointing out the lightening of the surface where the LM landed.
AS15-81-10886 - Rima Hadley and landing site. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10887 - Rima Hadley and landing site. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10889 - Palus Putredinus and landing site. Rima Hadley is visible lower left at Elbow Crater. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
The next sequence follows Rima Hadley upstream to its apparent source.
AS15-81-10890 - Rima Hadley and landing site. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10891 - Rima Hadley northwest of the landing site including Durin's Bridge. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10892 - Rima Hadley and Palus Putredinus west of the landing site. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10893 - Rima Hadley southwest of the landing site. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
The ejecta blanket of crater Hadley C, seen in AS15-81-10894, interrupts the path of Hadley Rille due to its more recent formation.
AS15-81-10894 - Rima Hadley and crater Hadley C. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10895 - Rima Hadley and crater Hadley C. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10897 - Rima Hadley and the arcuate cleft, Béla, that appears to be its source. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10898 - Rima Hadley and the arcuate cleft, Béla, that appears to be its source. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10899 - Rima Hadley and the arcuate cleft, Béla, that appears to be its source. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10900 - Rima Hadley and the arcuate cleft, Béla, that appears to be its source. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10901 - Rima Hadley and the arcuate cleft, Béla, that appears to be its source. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10902 - Rima Hadley and the arcuate cleft, Béla, that appears to be its source. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10903 - Rima Hadley and the arcuate cleft, Béla, that appears to be its source. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
To show the full extent of Rima Hadley, from Béla to the landing site, ten of these images have been composited.
Montage of images from Magazine QQ to show Rima Hadley.
As Endeavour sweeps out over Mare Imbrium, two images, AS15-81-10904 and 10905, are taken of one of the most prominent sections of Rimae Archimedes, 100 km southeast of the great crater itself.
AS15-81-10904 - Section of Rimae Archimedes named Kathleen at 25.3°N, 0.8°W. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-81-10905 - Section of Rimae Archimedes named Kathleen at 25.3°N, 0.8°W. Image is contrast stretched. Image without contrast stretching - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
This is Apollo Control at 196 hours, 55 minutes. In addition to the Scientific Instrument Module experiments being performed on this pass, the crew will perform the light flash experiment again, and we'll be taking some science visuals. These are observations of selected points on the Moon, visual observations of topographic features. In effect, orbital geology by observation.
And the backup crew commander astronaut Dick Gordon has joined Joe Allen at the CapCom console.
196:58:46 Allen: Endeavour, Houston. [Pause.]
196:58:52 Worden: Hello, Houston; Endeavour. Go ahead.
196:58:54 Allen: Al, could you give us the Mass Spec. Discriminator switch to Low, please. [Pause.]
196:59:03 Worden: Mass Spec. Discriminator to Low.
196:59:05 Allen: Okay, thank you. And did you get a volunteer for [the] eye flash experiment?
196:59:15 Worden: Yes, I think we have a volunteer for you.
196:59:21 Allen: Okay.
196:59:22 Irwin: Your volunteer is checking in here, Joe.
On three occasions throughout the flight, time is set aside for the analysis of flashes seen within the eye by many lunar travellers. See the journal covering the first light flash experiment in section 7 of the Apollo 15 Flight Journal - 'Day 3: Flashing Lights'; and again starting at 264:26:15 GET for the third light flash experimentin section 23, 'Science and a Press Conference' for accounts of the other two experimental periods. The flashes are believed to be caused by high energy cosmic rays passing through the spacecraft and impinging on the eyeball.
196:59:24 Allen: Okay, Jim. A quick word on it. Everything per the Flight Plan. We are going to ask you to go ahead and give us your description real-time on the downlink and your choice if you want to push-to-talk or go on to VOX. And then, when you go around the corner you can put it on the DSE like you did before, in High Bit Rate.
On the first occasion, the crew had wanted to use the voice track of the DSE (Data Storage Equipment) to verbally record the characteristics of each flash, giving only a verbal mark on the air/ground comm. As the transcript of this is not in the record, their idea may not have worked although the air/ground information was recovered.
Allen (continued): And Al, we got a one-time-special good deal for you in the meantime. We're coming up - you're going to be flying over the LM impact point shortly, where your trusty Falcon augered into the Moon, and we're going to ask for a short Pan Camera burst there. We'll come up with that photo PAD to you in a minute. In the meantime, at your convenience, could you go to Free, load Noun 79 to .5 deadband and - then go on back, please.
Program 20 is controlling the attitude of the spacecraft at the moment with a 5° deadband. Whenever they wish to narrow the deadband, they place the computer mode switch to Free whereby it is no longer driving the RCS, then they enter the figure for the revised size of the deadband before returning the spacecraft's attitude to computer control. This procedure may be to force the computer routines to start from scratch. A deadband of 0.5° is used whenever the SIM bay cameras are operating to ensure accurate pointing.
197:00:22 Worden: Okay, we'll do that, Joe. Stand by. That ought to be good. [Long pause.]
197:00:40 Allen: And, Endeavour, you'll be interested to know that the impact of Falcon was picked up on three beautiful seismometers on the Moon. A really remarkable record.
197:00:53 Scott: Which ones were they, Joe?
197:00:55 Allen: Apparently, they were the ones from Apollos 12, Apollos 14, and Apollos 15. We haven't had reports from other seismometers yet. [Pause.]
197:01:09 Scott: That's very interesting.
Of course, there are only three working seismometers on the Moon at this time and well Al knows it.
197:01:14 Scott: Tell us, Joe, did they get the LM impact close to where they wanted it? [Pause.]
197:01:23 Allen: Roger. It went in to within about a degree and in fact, as you know, it doesn't - the exact point isn't all that important. It - it went in just about where we wanted it, though. [Pause.]
197:01:45 Allen: And Al, as soon as you have Noun 79 and you give us Accept, we'll give you a state vector. Over.
197:01:57 Worden: Okay, Joe. You have it.
197:01:58 Allen: Rog. We see it. Thank you.
197:02:04 Irwin: Okay, Joe, I'm ready to start the - experiment.
197:02:09 Allen: Okay, Jim, we're copying.
197:02:15 Irwin: Okay. [Long pause.]
197:03:01 Allen: Endeavour, Auto on High Gain, please. [Pause.]
197:03:08 Irwin: Rog. Auto.
Comm break.
197:04:48 Allen: Al, this is Houston. You can go back into Block. We still need a half a degree deadband. And you can delete two lines in your Flight Plan, one at 197:04 and one at 9 - 197:09, both the "Pan Camera" lines there. Delete them. Over.
197:05:12 Worden: Rog, Joe. Understand. Delete the "Pan Camera" lines at 197:04 and 197:09.
197:05:19 Allen: Roger. You can Block the computer but we need a half a degree deadband.
197:05:29 Worden: Roger, Joe. I've loaded it a couple of times. Let me check it again. [Long pause.]
197:06:08 Worden: Okay, Joe. I've got half a degree in. Guess I'm having a hard time counting today.
197:06:13 Allen: Thank you, Al. I'm not doing any better.
197:06:18 Worden: Rog.
Comm break.
What Al is actually entering are five digits into the second register of Noun 79. This early computer software is written without routines to handle the decimal point. Therefore, the computer assumes that values are properly scaled before they are entered. The value Al is entering always represents the deadband in hundredths of a degree and he does not enter a decimal point. The difference between entering a 5° and a 0.5° figure is 00500 versus 00050 and it is likely Al simply placed the "5" in the wrong place.
197:08:36 Irwin: As long I'm lying here waiting for a flash, I might comment that Dave and I both observed the flashes while we were on the surface, while we were in the bunks down there. We observed the flashes with the - oh, about the same frequency as we observed in orbit. One night there was about a 5-, 10-minute period there where I was awake, and I ran a little experiment by just turning over in the bunk. It seemed like the frequency was much less when I was lying on my stomach as opposed to lying on my back. It's just a - anote of interest.
197:09:18 Allen: Okay, Jim. That's a most interesting comment. And as you know, with about 10 minutes to go during the experiment today, we'll ask for you to - to turn over and be oriented with your face away from the Moon, and we might very well get the same sort of information this time.
If the Moon acts as a shield, it would be expected that the radiation causing the flashes would preferentially arrive from one side of the spacecraft when in close lunar orbit. By placing the eyes between the head and the Moon, the head would also act like a shield and further reduce the number of flashes seen. If so, then the frequency of flashes would be expected to increase when Jim turns to face away from the Moon.
Allen (continued): Al, I've got a photo PAD for you to copy when you're ready. And then, Jim, you can just go ahead and switch to VOX mode, if you don't want to push your push-to-talk [switch] while you transmit to us. Your choice on that, though.
In VOX mode, a voice-operated switch automatically transmits when Jim talks.
197:09:55 Irwin: Okay, no problem.
197:09:57 Worden: Okay, Joe. Go with the PAD.
197:10:00 Allen: Roger. Pan Camera PAD at 197 plus 16 plus 22. And you're to go to Operate per step 5 in your checklist, page S/1-38. And at 197 plus 18 plus 22, the Pan Camera to Standby. And at 197 plus 40, you can delete the P52 scheduled then. Over.
197:10:53 Worden: Roger, Joe. Understand. You want the Pan Camera to - to Operate at 197:16:22 as per the system's checklist 1-38 and to Standby at 197:18:22. And delete the P52 at 197:44 - or - 40.
197:11:13 Allen: Right on, Al. Thank you. And, Jim, we're standing by to copy your comments. [Pause.]
197:11:23 Irwin: Roger, Joe. [Long pause.]
197:12:01 Allen: And, Jim, this is Houston. We'd like for you to transmit your description as well as the mark call, please.
197:12:04 Irwin: Understand. [Long pause.]
197:12:39 Irwin: Mark. And it was at the left eye; 8 o'clock, and it was a streak, and it seemed to be moving from 8 o'clock to maybe the 1 o'clock position, about - it covered about 20 degrees of arc out to a position - periphery at 8 o'clock into midway on our sphere of reference. An intensity of three. And...
197:13:13 Irwin: Mark. I just had a flash at 1 o'clock, moving to the center - the center of - moving toward the 12 o'clock position. It was intensity 3. And that last one was the right eye.
197:16:13 Irwin: Mark. A flash at the 12 o'clock, intensity 4.
The Pan Camera is due to be started at 197:16:22 for two minutes. According the photo index, four images are taken with the camera pointing straight down, AS15-P-9930 to 9933.
AS15-P-9930 - Panoramic Camera image of the Apennine Bench Formation including Rima Bradley. A 385 megapixel PNG format version can be had from the ASU Apollo Image Archive - Image by NASA/ASU.
AS15-P-9931 - Panoramic Camera image of the Apennine Bench Formation. A 385 megapixel PNG format version can be had from the ASU Apollo Image Archive - Image by NASA/ASU.
AS15-P-9932 - Panoramic Camera image of the Apennine Bench Formation. A 385 megapixel PNG format version can be had from the ASU Apollo Image Archive - Image by NASA/ASU.
AS15-P-9933 - Panoramic Camera image of the Apennine Bench Formation. Crater Archimedes L is in the centre. A 385 megapixel PNG format version can be had from the ASU Apollo Image Archive - Image by NASA/ASU.
197:16:25 Irwin: That was right down the plus-X axis, Joe. [Pause.]
Endeavour is approaching the site where Falcon finally impacted and the Panoramic Camera is taking two minutes worth of pictures.
197:17:07 Irwin: Mark. A flash at the 8 o'clock, left eye, periphery, intensity 2. [Long pause.]
197:17:38 Allen: Al, Pan Camera Stereo switch to Stereo, please.
197:17:46 Worden: Okay, Stereo it is. [Long pause.]
Once in stereo mode, the Pan Camera takes eight images, AS15-P-9934 to 9941. Three examples are presented here.
AS15-P-9938 - Panoramic Camera image of Montes Archimedes. Crater Archimedes is at the extreme right (north). Mare Imbrium is at the extreme left (south). A 385 megapixel PNG format version can be had from the ASU Apollo Image Archive - Image by NASA/ASU.
AS15-P-9939 - Panoramic Camera image of the Apennine Bench Formation. Crater Archimedes is at the extreme right (north). Mare Imbrium is at the extreme left (south). A 385 megapixel PNG format version can be had from the ASU Apollo Image Archive - Image by NASA/ASU.
AS15-P-9940 - Panoramic Camera image of the Apennine Bench Formation. Crater Archimedes is at the extreme right (north). Mare Imbrium is at the extreme left (south). This image exhibits brightness variations due to a problem with the slit-based exposure mechanism. A 385 megapixel PNG format version can be had from the ASU Apollo Image Archive - Image by NASA/ASU.
197:18:28 Worden: And Pan Camera to Standby. [Pause.]
197:18:37 Allen: Okay, Al. Thank you. That might be a super picture.
197:26:54 Irwin: Mark. A first ray of flash, 10 o'clock, left eye, about three quarters of the way out to the periphery, intensity 5.
197:27:17 Irwin: Mark. A streak, at 1 o'clock, moving from the bottom to the top of the - our sphere. Moving - moving definitely vertically up, beginning at 1 o'clock, about three quarters of the way up - intensity 2.
197:29:58 Allen: Jim, this is Houston. And we're still listening to you. In the meantime, I've got a Map Camera PAD to give to Al when he's ready. Over.
197:30:10 Irwin: Okay, he'll be with you shortly.
197:30:13 Worden: Yeah. Hold on, Joe. We're going over the Harbinger Mountains and right over the Aristarchus Plateau right now. And Dave and I are looking like mad and taking pictures.
197:30:23 Allen: Fine, Alfredo. When you get back to me, I'll give you this other PAD. It's got to be within the next 15 minutes though.
197:30:34 Worden: Okay, Joe. No problem, we're about done. [Long pause.]
They have good reason to be concentrating on this region as it is one of the most spectacular on the Moon and one to which they will return later in the mission. Aristarchus itself is perhaps the brightest large crater on the near side and is visible with the naked eye, even in the gloom of Earthshine. It was formed about half a billion years ago on a large plateau that is the source of a great many sinuous rilles, large and small. These were cut by flowing lava in much the same way as Hadley Rille was formed, when they fed the expanse of Oceanus Procellarum surrounding the plateau. Often these rilles begin in crater-like bowl-shaped depressions, including the largest, Vallis Schröteri or Schröter's Valley. The landscape around Aristarchus is probably more than six times older than the crater itself.
According to the Apollo 15 Photo catalogue, the sequence of photographs that Dave and Al are taking goes from AS15-96-13042 to 13064. The first eight images show an area north of the flooded crater Prinz, Rimae Prinz, that is rich in the rilles that once fed lava into Oceanus Procellarum.
AS15-96-13042 and 13043 are of two rilles just east of the westernmost outcrop of Montes Harbinger. One of these rilles is bisected by an extraordinary depression somewhat like an elongated stadium. This may be a pre-existing crater chain which was inundated by the lavas that were delivered by the rille. 13043 includes a depression, Ivan, that is clearly the source of one of these rilles. Ivan is an example of the many small features on the Moon that have been assigned arbitrary male or female forenames rather than the more usual name of a deceased scientist.
AS15-96-13042 - Rimae Prinz - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13043 - Rimae Prinz and the volcanic depression Ivan - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13044 and 13045 show the north rim of the flooded crater Prinz, named after Wilhelm Prinz, 1857-1910, a German selenographer. A small crater just behind that rim, Vera, is the source of another sinuous rille which runs west then north from Prinz.
AS15-96-13044 - North rim of crater Prinz - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13045 - North rim of crater Prinz - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13046 to 13049 follow the two main rilles north of Vera until they fade out past Krieger C.
AS15-96-13046 - Rimae Prinz - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13047 - Rimae Prinz and crater Keieger C - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13048 - Rimae Prinz and crater Keieger C - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13049 - Rimae Prinz and crater Keieger C - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
These four frames have been composited to show the continuation of the rilles.
Montage of AS15-96-13046 to 13049, Rimae Prinz and crater Keieger C.
A wider context of these features is shown in one of the frames, AS15-M-2195, taken by the Mapping Camera on the spacecraft's next orbit.
AS15-96-13049 - Crater Aristarchus - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13050 is an oblique image of Aristarchus looking roughly north. Note the texture of the surrounding ejecta blanket and how it covers the southern basalt plain in the foreground indicating that the crater is younger than the mare. The terracing or slumping of the wall of this spectacular 40-km diameter, 3-km-deep feature is also well shown. The crater's name comes from the Greek astronomer, Aristarchus of Samos, c. 310-230 B.C.E., who is notable for professing that Earth rotates on its axis and that it revolves around the Sun.
Northwest of Aristarchus, the mighty Vallis Schröteri meanders towards Oceanus Procellarum. The lighting is still too oblique to show much detail although its entire length is photographed in AS15-96-13051 to 13062. The first of this sequence, 13051, shows the source of the rille, the "Cobra's Head".
AS15-96-13050 - Detail of Vallis Schröteri. This is the source of the rille, the "Cobra's Head" - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13051 - Detail of Vallis Schröteri - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13052 betrays the existence of an inner rille which loops along the floor of the main feature.
AS15-96-13052 - Detail of Vallis Schröteri - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13053 - Detail of Vallis Schröteri - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13054 - Detail of Vallis Schröteri - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13055 - Detail of Vallis Schröteri - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13056 - Detail of Vallis Schröteri - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13057 - Detail of Vallis Schröteri - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13058 - Detail of Vallis Schröteri - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13059 - Detail of Vallis Schröteri - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13060 - Detail of Vallis Schröteri - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13061 - Detail of Vallis Schröteri - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
AS15-96-13062 - Detail of Vallis Schröteri - Image by NASA/Johnson Space Center.
A frame from the Mapping Camera, AS15-M-2610, shows the rille's course and context.
AS15-M-2610 - Metric Camera image of The Aristarchus Plateau in Oceanus Procellarum, including Vallis Schröteri and craters Herodotus and Aristarchus. (250 megapixel version), (labelled version) - Image by NASA/ASU.
The crew will photograph Vallis Schröteri again later in the mission once the Sun has risen higher.
Scott, from the 1971 Technical debrief: "I thought the view was spectacular. Every time we came around the corner and had another chance to look at the surface, I saw something entirely new and different."
Worden, from the 1971 Technical debrief: "It was interesting too, from my standpoint. I'd been there for quite a while just looking at the surface go by while you were on the surface. I did the plane change [burn] at 6 hours before rendezvous, and I never had a chance to look at the ground track from the time I did the plane change until after we all got together in the Command Module. It was completely new terrain to me, too (because of the Moon's rotation moving their ground track). We were all sitting there looking at something very new."
Scott, from the 1971 Technical debrief: "The terminator is the most interesting part, by far. You can see so much. It is just spectacular. I saw something at Hadley as we went over that was surprising. It's a continuation of the rille into the mountains. As you looked out, it was quite obvious that Hadley Rille was much longer than we had thought before the flight, from the Orbiter photos and the maps. It goes right into the mountains."
197:31:16 Irwin: Mark. Flash at, seems like it was in both eyes, at about the 7 o'clock position, one quarter of the way out the periphery, intensity 5.
Comm break.
197:33:23 Worden: Houston, 15. Ready to copy the PAD.
197:33:30 Allen: Roger, Al. At 198 plus 25, [pause] go to narrow deadband in P20; Verb 22, Noun 79, plus 000.50. Open Cover and Extend Map Camera, per steps 3 and 4 in your checklist. 198 plus 31, Map Camera Image Motion, On. 198 plus 32 plus 10, Map Camera, On; Image Motion, increase, barber pole plus 4 steps; Laser Altimeter, On. 199 plus 19, Image Motion, increase, talkback barber pole. 199 plus 31 plus 56, Map Camera, Off; Laser Altimeter, Off; wait 30 seconds then Map Camera, On - That - that should read, Map Camera, On, to Standby; and then Retract and Close Cover, per steps 7,8 - 7 and 8 in the checklist. And that brings you to 199 plus 31 in your Flight Plan and you can delete the three lines at that point, "Map Camera Image Motion, On; Map Camera, On; Map Camera Image Motion, increase." Over. [Pause.]
197:36:00 Worden: Roger, Houston. Copy. At 198:15, go narrow deadband at P20. Open Mapping Camera Covers and Extend the Mapping Camera. At 198:31 plus 00, Mapping Camera, On. - Oh, I'm sorry, Image Motion, On. And 198 plus 32 plus 10, Mapping Camera, On; Image Motion to barber pole plus 4; and Laser Altimeter, On. At 199:19:00, Image Motion to barber pole. At 199:31:56, Mapping Camera, Off; Laser, Off; wait 30 seconds, Mapping Camera to Standby - No, that's Retract and Close Covers.
197:36:55 Allen: That's correct, Al; and you can delete those three lines at 199 plus 30. And - and there's a note that goes with this, that this particular pass will be taken with the Gamma[-ray] experiment and the Mass Spec. experiment booms extended. So don't worry about the fact they're out. One number you gave to me, the first one, should be 198 plus 25, go to narrow deadband. Over.
197:37:28 Worden: Roger. 198:25. That's what I had written. [I] read it wrong.
197:37:32 Allen: Okay, thank you.
197:37:37 Irwin: Okay, Joe. During that conversation, I saw two - both at 8 o'clock. First one was three-quarters of the way out, intensity 2. The last one was at intensity 3, about halfway out, appeared to be at left eye.
197:46:33 Irwin: Mark. Flash, left eye, 9 o'clock, on the periphery, intensity 5.
197:46:44 Allen: Roger. [Long pause.]
197:47:23 Scott (onboard): Well, we ought to be able to tell in an hour.
197:47:24 Irwin (onboard): Okay.
197:47:30 Scott (onboard): The what? Oh, yes. Okay?
197:47:30 Irwin: Joe, how's the time going on my one hour?
197:47:33 Allen: Okay, Jim. My sand dial shows about 15 minutes remaining. You'll be going around the corner LOS shortly. We don't have any more instructions for you on the experiment or in fact on anything else going on. We would like your present - a description of your present position in the spacecraft. And, we'd like for you to remain in that position for the rest of the 15 minutes in the experiment. Over.
197:47:55 Irwin (onboard): [Garble].
197:47:57 Scott (onboard): We are, Jim. I got it hot for you. Don't worry, pal, we won't forget you.
197:48:05 Irwin (onboard): I'll bet you [garble].
197:48:04 Irwin: Okay, understand you don't want me to turn over.
197:48:09 Scott (onboard): No. I think he's right here.
Irwin (continued): I'm in the left couch and, of course, facing the plus - plus-X, and just when we started that conversation, I had a flash at 11 o'clock on the periphery, intensity 4, and then just at the - at the end of your conversation, I had a streak moving from the 3 o'clock to the 9 o'clock, right to left. Right through the plus-X position.
The Flight Plan instructions called for Jim to sit facing the Moon. He seems to have misinterpreted this as he is in the left couch and is facing towards the apex of the spacecraft, looking along its X-axis. In the current attitude, with the SIM bay facing the surface, this axis and the apex are pointing in the direction of travel, at right angles to the Moon's surface.
197:48:15 Scott (onboard): Neuter? Okay, that spaghetti is mine. Hamburger wet pack. Pea soup, ham and salad, applesauce, cheese crackers. Brack!
197:48:32 Scott (onboard): Blach! Does it look like it, Jim?
197:48:34 Irwin (onboard): Yes.
197:48:36 Scott (onboard): You say it looks like it, Jim?
197:48:39 Irwin (onboard): No.
197:48:42 Allen: Okay, Jim, copied that and that's correct. Just - just stay in your present position, and we'll see you on the other side.
197:48:45 Worden (onboard): You got eyes, they're almost 20 - 20, so - (laughter) Okay, it's a...
197:48:52 Irwin: Okay.
Very long comm break.
197:48:53 Scott (onboard): I think it's time to raid you. I want to make sure they get it all down - down on the - on the file there.
197:50:26 Scott (onboard): Very good.
197:50:28 Irwin (onboard): What?
197:50:30 Scott (onboard): That one's for you. Here. Have at it. [Garble] turn around [garble].
This is Apollo Control at 197 hours, 52 minutes. We've had Loss Of Signal on revolution number 61. Throughout this pass, the orbital science experiments have been conducted. Al Worden did Panoramic Camera photography of the Lunar Module impact point and Jim Irwin has been conducting the light flash experiment throughout most of the front side pass and will continue it as the spacecraft goes around behind the Moon. Our unofficial count of the flashes he marked while we were in contact comes to an even dozen. At 197 hours, 53 minutes; this is Mission Control, Houston.
