Apollo 16

This is Apollo Control at 141 hours, 39 minutes. [sic - the actual GET is 141:27, but the PAO is about to explain the reason for the difference.] We just a minute ago reacquired [the] spacecraft, Casper. Ken Mattingly is in the midst of his sleep period at the present time. He has about one hour, 20 minutes in that sleep period [ sic - see next PAO statement at 141:34]. And is essentially back on the flight plan. Yesterday at 118 hours, 30 minutes we updated the clocks here in Mission Control and at the same time synchronized the clock aboard the Command Module to the updated time. That time update was 11 minutes, 48 seconds. At 118 hours, 30 minutes the clocks here in Mission Control and the clock aboard the Command Module were moved ahead to 118 hours, 41 minutes, 48 seconds. The clock aboard the Lunar Module Orion is not yet been updated with the new time and won't be until sometime prior to LM liftoff and the rendezvous sequence. [The] primary reason for this is that the crew on the Lunar surface is little concerned with Ground Elapsed times. They will be of course concerned with the Ground Elapsed Times when it becomes time to get back into synchronization with the Command Module and to get into orbit around the Moon. But while on the lunar surface they're primarily concerned with segment times - with the elapsed times. [That is, with] the amount of time - until an EVA the amount of time lapsed during an EVA and that sort of thing. And it has not been necessary at this point to update the clock in the Lunar Module, although for the flight planning purposes we are using the updated Ground Elapsed Time. The principle reason for the time update for setting the clocks ahead in Mission Control and on the Command Module was as a result of the orbital changes resulting from the late lunar landing and the late circularization maneuver, which was performed by the Command Module. This changed the orbit about the Moon and got the orbit out of sequence with the flight plan so that Ken Mattingly was finding that his acquisition of signal times, his loss of signal times and the events in between primarily (garble) of opportunity and so on were not coming up at the same time that they were listed in the flight plan. The alternatives at this point are to do one of two things. Either to change all of the numbers in the flight plan all the way through or simply to change the clock and leave the flight plan as it is. And it has been a procedure for the last couple of missions to make the change simply by changing the clocks. This is the simpler thing to do. We just simply move the clock ahead to the point that it then agreed with the acquisition and lose of signal times in the flight plan. And as I said previously at the appropriate time, the Lunar Module clocks will also be sync to this new time. We now show one hour 20 minutes until cabin depressurization, just prior to the start of the EVA. Based on yesterday's experience we'd expect that the EVA - the crew would begin getting out of the Lunar Module and down to the lunar surface roughly 10 minutes after we start the cabin depressurization. A short while ago Flight Director, Gene Kranz, who is still on the console, checked with the LM's systems engineer for a status report on the Lunar Module Orion and the report was that the LM looks very good this morning. The manned space flight network station, which will be covering most of the extravehicular activity, will be the station at Madrid, Spain. The station uses an 85 foot [26 metre] diameter dish antenna. At about 148 hours into the mission, which will be a good way through the EVA, we will begin to get coverage from the 210 foot [64 metre] dish antenna at Goldstone, California.

This is Apollo Control at 141 hours, 46 minutes [adjusted GET, 141:34 real GET]. We'd like to correct one portion of a previous statement, that is in regard to the flight plan for Casper. Mattingly is, indeed, back on the original flight plan. However that plan calls for him to be awake at this time and we have just put in a call to the Command Module. Capsule Communicator Hank Hartsfield called Mattingly to see that he was awake. Mattingly came back with a cheery good morning and he'll be going through his wakeup routine - primarily getting something to eat and then getting ready for a busy days activities in lunar orbit. The Flight Director for the Command Module, Casper is again Don Puddy. Casper [is] now in its 35th revolution of the moon, having just come around the front side and moving toward the Descartes site.

This is Apollo Control. Through the rather noisy communications, that sounded like John Young, reporting that he and Charlie Duke are now getting into their portable life support systems, and based on our experience yesterday, we found that the communications improved noticeably when they got on the communication unit in the portable life support system, and a mode in which their communication is relayed through the Lunar Module. As mentioned previously we are receiving the spacecraft on Earth through the 85 foot dish antenna at Madrid, Spain. And a good way through the EVA, at 148 hours approximately, we'll begin getting coverage from the 210 foot dish at Goldstone, California. Our best estimate at the present time is that the crew will be ready to get out of the Lunar Module at 143 hours, 15 minutes [143:03], or about one hour, 15 minutes from now. The Command Module, Casper, is presently in an orbit 55.5 by 64 nautical miles. Ken Mattingly is up and about, getting ready for an active day of orbital experiments and photography.

This is Apollo Control at 142 hours, 22 minutes [142:10] and we're experiencing the same sort of noisy communications we did yesterday at the beginning of the first EVA or during the EVA preparation. While the crew is still using the LM as the relay from the Portable Life Support System. Once we go on the lunar communications relay unit using the high gain and the low gain antennas instead of the LM omni-directional antenna we should see the same sort of a marked improvement in the communications that we did on the first EVA. There will be an informal briefing in about 15 minutes in the MSC news center briefing room on orbital science. That again is a briefing in about 15 minutes in the MSC news center briefing room and the subject will be the orbital science being performed by the Command and Service Module, Ken Mattingly aboard Casper. We have an updated time of egress, time that the crew will be getting out of the Lunar Module, Orion, on the lunar surface. It looks as if from the progress they are making in the checklist at the present time that they will be getting out about 15 minutes earlier than we had previously estimated. That new egress time again an estimate is about 143 hours or about 37 minutes from now.

This is Apollo Control at 150 hours, 25 minutes. The Lunar Module cabin pressure is back now to about its normal level of around 5 pounds per square inch. During the next hour and half Duke and Young will be getting things clean up, stowed in the cabin, getting out of their suits and that will be followed by a debriefing on the EVA. We'll then allow them about 30 to 45 minutes to eat. They'll recharge the potable life support systems in preparation for the 3rd EVA tomorrow. And get ready for an 8 hour rest period which is scheduled to begin at about 154 hours 30 minutes. During the 2nd EVA while Young and Duke were on the lunar surface, Ken Mattingly in the Command Module Casper was making good progress carrying out all his flight plan activities, photography and operating the experiments in the scientific instrument module bay of the service module. Flight Director Donald Puddy who has been following the activities of the CSM reports that everything is looking good with the spacecraft and the experiments. With one relatively one minor exception the laser altimeter is returning about 50 percent useable data. About 1 out of every 2 altimeter readings that we're getting back is not usable. But with that exception, all the SIM bay experiments appear to be functioning properly. And Mattingly is reported to be in good spirits. Very chipper with the words that Don Puddy used in describing him. And things going very well aboard Casper. At the present time the CSM is in its 39th revolution of the Moon. And we'll be losing radio contact about 15 more minutes as Ken Mattingly goes around the corner behind the Moon. When we next see him about 45 minutes thereafter he'll be in his 40th revolution.

This is Apollo Control at 150 hours, 33 minutes. We don't expect to hear a great deal from Young and Duke while they're getting the cabin in order, getting out of their suits. We have about 9 minutes of contact left with Ken Mattingly in the orbiting Command Module Casper. We're going to switch over to that conversation and we'll tape record any comments from the lunar module crew Young and Duke aboard Orion on the lunar surface. And we'll switch over at this time to the live conversations with Ken Mattingly.

This is Apollo Control at 150 hours, 42 minutes [150:37 GET]. We have about 5 or 6 seconds before we lose radio contact with Ken Mattingly as he goes around the corner of the Moon on the 39th revolution and we'll be switching back to the circuits with Orion on the lunar surface, although we haven't had a great deal of conversation with that crew in the last 35 or 40 minutes. You heard Ken Mattingly describe a communications problem, apparently on the uplink. We were getting good solid noise free communications from the Command Module but he described a situation that sounded as if there were at first background noise coming in from the room here but on evaluating it, it became obvious that this was not noise pickup from the Capcom's mike but was rather something that was getting into the lines. We have the network communications officer checking into the situation to see if we can have it resolved prior to the next acquisition of Casper. We are getting some communications now from the Lunar Module. We'll switch over to that at this time.

This is Apollo Control Houston at 150 hours, 49 minutes [150:37] Ground Elapsed Time. In the Mission Control Center Houston we've just had a change of shift, with Gene Kranz taking over as Flight Director and his White Team of flight controllers coming aboard at this time. Meanwhile aboard Orion, the crew of Apollo 16, astronauts John Young, Ken Mattingly apparently [sic - means Charlie Duke] in the process of performing their stowage duties aboard the spacecraft and doffing their spacesuits. We'll keep the line up and continue to monitor. We're at 150 hours 50 minutes [150:38] Ground Elapsed Time.

This is Apollo Control Houston at 155 hours, 25 minutes [155:13]. We're coming up on acquisition with Casper in less than one minute, approximately. We'll open our line to Air [to] Ground [Channel] 2 and monitor for conversations that may very well take place between CapCom Stu Roosa here in Mission Control and Ken Mattingly aboard Casper. Mattingly is not scheduled to start his sleep period until about midway through this front side pass on the 42nd revolution around the Moon. We're at 155 hours 26 minutes. This is Apollo Control Houston standing by. We're now acquiring telemetry data on Casper.

This is Apollo Control Houston at 156 hours, 03 minutes [155:51] Ground Elapsed Time. The long exchange between CapComs Stu Roosa and Ken Mattingly was principally involved with Flight Plan updates for tomorrow's rendezvous and docking. Mattingly now readying himself for the - for a night's sleep prior to rejoining his fellow crewmembers tomorrow. We're at 156 hours and 03 minutes. This is Apollo Control Houston.

This is Apollo Control Houston at 156 hours, 13 minutes [156:01] Ground Elapsed Time. In the mission control center we're in the process of having a shift change over. Gerry Griffin, whose team of gold flight controllers now taking over - Griffin's team of Gold flight controllers are now taking over from Gene Kranz's White Team of flight controllers. There will be no change of shift briefing or news conference following this change over. We're at 156 hours 14 minutes [156:02] Ground Elapsed Time and this is Apollo Control Houston.

This is Apollo Control, 157:12 minutes [157:00] into the mission of Apollo 16. All three crewmen aboard both Casper and Orion [are] tucked in for the night, on what should be about 8 hours sleep period on both spacecraft, for both sets of crews. Ken Mattingly signed off during the 42nd lunar rev and he and Casper are some ten minutes away from Acquisition of Signal coming around on lunar orbit number 43. [The] Gold Team of Flight Controllers came on at midnight Central Time here at [the] Control Center, and are fine tuning the flight plan items; sorting out systems status and so on for the Lunar Module, for the EVA 3 to take place today at 157:14 [157:02] this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control, [at] 158 hours and 12 minutes [158:00] Ground Elapsed Time. Command Service Module Casper [is] more than midway across the front - face of the Moon in revolution number 43, 23 minutes away from Loss of Signal. Meanwhile, Young and Duke are still asleep at Descartes Landing Site. The Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package that has been erected at Descartes Landing Site by Young and Duke continues to operate normally at this time. 149 commands have been uplinked to the station scientific station. The input power from the thermoelectric generator is steady at 70.4 Watts. The Passive Seismic Experiment and the Lunar Surface Magnetometer Experiment are both downlinking scientific data, and all of their subsystems are performing satisfactorily. All of the thermal characteristics of the ALSEP equipment are nominal and are following the predicted temperature values. The central station of the ALSEP is showing thermal plate temperatures rising at the expected rate of 4 degrees Fahrenheit per hour. At 158:15 [158:03] Ground Elapsed Time, this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control at 159 hours, 12 minutes [159:00] Ground Elapsed Time. About 4 hours remaining in the sleep period for Duke and Young aboard ORION, in as much as they'll probably sleep about 30 minutes past the normal wake up time - the pre planned wakeup time. Casper meanwhile, the Command Service Module is in a 56.2 by 63.5 nautical mile lunar orbit coming up on the front side pass for Rev 44 in about 9 minutes. Gold Team, flight control team here in Mission Control [are] watching a playback of the video tape [of] EVA number 2. At any rate those members of the team who were not involved in planning the day's activities. That's one way to stay awake. At 159 14 [159:02] this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control [at] 160 hours, 12 minutes [160:00] Ground Elapsed Time into the Mission of Apollo 16. Command Service Module, Casper, [is] nearing the end of the 44th revolution on side pass. Two and a half hours showing in the sleep period clock for Duke and Young aboard Orion. However, likely [that it] will run closer to 3 hours before the crews is waked [sic] up. Twenty-one minutes to Command Service Module LOS [on] Rev 44. [A] Rather quiet night here in Mission Control. Some of the console positions doing a little homework study for the day's activities, straightening out the accumulation of paperwork, still running the video tape playback of EVA 2, and at 160:14 [160:02] , this is Apollo Control.

This is Apollo Control [at] 162 hours, 12 minutes Ground Elapsed Time. About 37 minutes showing on the wakeup clock until the crew of Orion is called for the start of their final days activity at Descartes landing site. Briefly summarized the EVA 3 activities will begin with some 45 minutes after depressurization being spent in the immediate area of the Lunar Module. Getting the LRV loaded with all the gear for the geological sampling. Getting everything prepared for the trek out to North Ray Crater. The arrival at North Ray Crater at what's called Stations 11 and 12 will be at 1 hour and 25 minutes after start of EVA. Total distance out to this particular point 4.9 kilometers. At 2 hours 30 minutes into EVA 3 they will return back some &frac12 kilometer, that is south from North Ray Crater to Station 13, arriving there some 4 minutes later. They will spend 20 minutes at Station 13 collecting documented samples and rake soil samples. Young and Duke will leave Station 13 at 4 hours and 5 minutes into EVA, return to what is called the 10 prime area, that is at Station 10 from EVA 2, going back again for a second look, therefore, it is called 10 prime. They will arrive at this location at 3 hours 31 minutes into EVA. Then they will return to the immediate area of the Lunar Module Orion at 4 hours and 5 minutes into the EVA and spend the remaining 55 minutes of the 5 hour EVA 3 in closeout. Parking - parking of the Lunar Roving Vehicle, stowing all the film gear for transfer into the Orion, all the sample bags, doing all the general housekeeping, grounds-keeping that has to be done prior to closing out the final EVA. The total distance estimated for the EVA 3, that is LRV mileage or kilometrage, will be 9.85 kilometers. Command module Casper [is] nearing the end of its 45 - 45th lunar orbit some 17 minutes away from Loss of Signal. At 162 16 [162:04], this is Apollo Control.