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Wake-up for EVA-2 Down the Ladder for EVA-2

 

Preparations for EVA-2

Corrected Transcript and Commentary Copyright © 1997 by Eric M. Jones.
All rights reserved.
Scan credits in the Image Library.
Video credits in the Video Library.
Except where noted, audio clips by Roland Speth.
Last revised 26 September 2014.

 

[Note, the time mentioned by the PAO Commentator is 11 minutes 48 seconds later than the corresponding transcript time because of a clock update in Houston at 118:06:31.]
MP3 Audio Clip at 140:10 ( 1 min 47 sec )

MP3 Audio Clip ( 2 min 17 sec )

140:17:43 Duke: Houston, 16.

140:17:46 England: Go ahead, Charlie.

140:17:50 Duke: Okay, Tony, we're going to pick up the ETB (tasks), and try to get a handle on going through this procedure. We're on (Surface Checklist page) 3-7 and the eat period. We're going to pick up on 3-7. Do you want us to top off the PLSS (with) O2? (Pause)

[Because of the six-hour landing delay, John and Charlie had a rest period before doing the first EVA. The handwritten notes on Page 3-7 - which are in Charlie's hand - represent procedure changes made prior to that first rest period. At the bottom of the left-hand column, they had deleted the oxygen top-off after the first rest period because, of course, the PLSSs had not yet been used and still had their pre-flight charges.]
140:18:21 England: Stand by one. (Pause)

140:18:30 Duke: (Very Faint) And how do we look right now on your timeline (garbled)?

140:18:42 England: Okay, go ahead on 3-7 there and top off the PLSS O2, and say that last comment again.

140:18:53 Duke: Okay, how are we on the timeline? We're just about through eating.

140:19:02 England: Okay, stand by one.

140:19:03 Young: It's a one-minute (oxygen) top off, is it not? (Long Pause)

140:19:30 England: Okay, Charlie, you're in good shape. You look like you're about on it.

[They had planned to finish the eat period 70 minutes after wake-up. John's first call of the morning was at 139:07:43 and, consequently, they are virtually on schedule.]

[Comm Break]

MP3 Audio Clip ( 4 min 53 sec )
There is no comm during the first 53 seconds of this clip.

140:21:06 Young: Charlie will be off comm for a while.

140:21:09 England: Okay, fine. And, John, if you have a minute there, you might consider attaching a lanyard to your (Red) Apple on the purge key and attaching the lanyard to one of the fittings on the front of the suit so that if that key comes out, you won't have to go looking for it. (Pause) But that's a crew preference; whatever you think's necessary.

[Three times during EVA-1, the locking pin on John's purge valve pulled out when he climbed out of the Rover and caught the pin, probably on his seat belt. The Red Apple is simply a red ball attached to the pin by a cord so that the pin is easy to pull in an emergency. On all three occasions, they found the pin - primarily because the Red Apple was easy to spot on the gray lunar surface - and Charlie re-installed it. See the discussion following 128:46:06.]
140:21:34 Young: Okay. (To Charlie) Attach a lanyard so the purge key doesn't get away from us.

140:21:45 Duke: Huh?

140:21:46 Young: Attach a lanyard so the purge key doesn't get away from us. (Garbled)

[Although the discussion between John and Charlie is difficult to make out, it is clear they don't think much of the idea. Based on the conversation Tony had with them during the EVA-1 debreifing and his emphasis, here, that they should do 'whatever you think's necessary, he doesn't think much of the idea, either.]
140:21:54 England: We just aim to please, John.

140:21:59 Young: Say again.

140:22:01 England: We just aim to please, John.

[Comm Break. During the next several minutes, we hear fragments of unintentional transmissions from John.]
140:23:23 Young: No, we're not supposed to bring it back! (Brief Pause) Huh? (Unintelligible)
[Comm Break]
MP3 Audio Clip at 140:25 ( 0 min 34 sec )
[Note, the time mentioned by the PAO Commentator in the following clip is 11 minutes 48 seconds later than the corresponding transcript time because of a clock update in Houston at 118:06:31.]
MP3 Audio Clip ( 6 min 03 sec )
(The clip starts with 50 seconds of static. Charlie can be heard faintly, but indistinctly, throughout the following.)

140:26:22 Young: I don't know, Charlie. I can't remember where it comes in the Flight Plan. I think it's right at 130 hours. (Pause) (Garbled) Yeah. (Pause) No, what? (Garbled) what? (Pause)

140:27:16 Young: Look at that! If anybody ever said, "you'll be sitting in a spacecraft naked with a 134-pound backpack on your knees charging it", I'd have said "Aw, get serious". (Long Pause)

140:27:47 Young: It all depends on if you have your mags changed right, Charlie. You've gotta sort of sit up above the ground. (Long Pause)

["Mags" is probably a reference to the ETB stowage on Surface 3-7. In his second statement, John may be referring to the considerable amount of dust on the LM floor. See the discussion following 126:37:37.]
140:28:20 Young: Yeah. (Long Pause) (Garbled). (Long Pause) I'm going to leave my protective cover on my gloves this time, in case Houston gets some wild ideas (garbled) (Pause)
[Here, John is referring to the fingerless cover gloves - much like a golf glove - they wore over their EVA gloves to protect them from abrasion during the ALSEP deployment. They had planned to discard the cover gloves after the first EVA because they add bulk to the hands and reduce finger dexterity. John is concerned about working on the cosmic ray experiment and/or the heat flow connector without the added protection the cover gloves provide.]
140:29:33 Young: Is that yours? Is this yours right here? (Pause) (Garbled) (Long Pause) (Garbled) one more time. Make sure. (Pause) Really need those things (possibly the cover gloves). (Long Pause)

MP3 Audio Clip ( 12 min 07 sec )

140:31:38 Young: Okay, Charlie did you dump all your urine? No. Huh?

140:31:40 Duke: (Faint; garbled)

140:31:43 England: Say again, Charlie.

[Here, Tony is taking the opportunity to let the crew know they are hot-miked.]
140:31:50 Young: Am I hot-miked to you? Over.
[Long Comm Break]
140:40:23 Young: Okay there, Houston. I'm checking the LCG now.

140:40:30 Mitchell: Roger, Orion.

[Comm Break]

[I am not absolutely certain that John said "LCG" in his last transmission. Charlie will report that they are donning their suits in just a couple of minutes and it is possible that John is checking his over before donning it.]

[Tony could be taking a toilet break or, more likely, getting the final word on any last minute changes to the checklists or plans for the upcoming EVA. He returns as CapCom at 140:43:56.]

140:42:32 Young: Houston, Orion.

140:42:34 Peterson: Go ahead, Orion.

140:42:40 Duke: Right. Do we have any updates to the EVA-2 checklist?

140:42:49 Peterson: Orion, you're very garbled there. We don't have the updates yet, I guess.

140:43:01 Duke: Okay; be advised that we're starting to put on our suits right now (as per Surface 3-8). Over.

140:43:07 Peterson: Roger. (Long Pause)

[Note, the time mentioned by the PAO Commentator in the following clip is 11 minutes 48 seconds later than the corresponding transcript time because of a clock update in Houston at 118:06:31.]
MP3 Audio Clip at 140:43 ( 0 min 44 sec )
[They had planned to start the suit donning 1 hour 25 minutes after wake-up and are now about 11 minutes behind schedule.]
MP3 Audio Clip ( 10 min 52 sec )

140:43:56 England: Okay, Orion; Houston. You should have all your (EVA-2 checklist) updates. We've gone around the room again and there's nothing coming up.

[Very Long Comm Break. During this comm break, there is a receiving-site handover from Honeysuckle to Madrid. At Madrid, only the 85-foot dish is operational. The comm during the upcoming EVA will not be quite as good as was possible during the first EVA when the 210-foot dish at Goldstone was in use. That handover occurs at 2:21 in the following clip which, otherwise, contains no comm.]
MP3 Audio Clip ( 10 min 00 sec )

MP3 Audio Clip at 141:11 ( 0 min 37 sec )

[Note, the times mentioned by the PAO Commentator are 11 minutes 48 seconds later than the corresponding transcript time because of a clock update done in Houston at 118:06:31.]
MP3 Audio Clip ( 7 min 58 sec )

141:21:12 Duke: Okay, Houston; Orion. Over.

141:21:16 England: Go ahead, Charlie.

141:21:21 Duke: Okay, I've got my suit on and John's going off comm and getting his suit on.

141:21:26 England: Okay. Very good.

141:21:31 Duke: Okay, how we doing timewise? (Pause)

141:21:39 England: Stand by one. (Long Pause) Okay, Charlie, in about 7 minutes you would nominally be through suiting.

141:22:18 Duke: Through suiting in 7 minutes. We're going to be a little behind, then.

141:22:22 England: That's okay. You've got a good long day today.

141:22:30 Duke: Where does this 2 hours come in, Tony? Is that supposed to be at the end?

141:22:34 England: Rog. That'll be after the EVA.

141:22:42 Duke: Okay, so we could eat into that and not affect our sleep period. Is that right? (No answer)

[Very Long Comm Break. Charlie's question about the "2 hours" is a reference to a discussion they had with Tony before the rest period at 128:18:33. At that time, Tony told them that the EVA-2 day - from wake-up to "good night" - would be longer than planned by one two-hour Command Module orbit.]

[In the following clip, the PAO Commentator discusses the clock update that was done in Houston at 118:06:31.]

MP3 Audio Clip at 141:27 ( 4 min 26 sec )

MP3 Audio Clip at 141:34 ( 1 min 15 sec )

MP3 Audio Clip ( 11 min 45 sec )

141:36:28 Young: Okay, Houston, I'm suited. (Pause)

141:36:36 England: Okay, John.

141:36:39 Young: We're starting into our Equipment Prep for EVA-2. (Long Pause)

[They are now on Surface 4-2 and had planned to reach this point 2 hours 30 minutes after wake-up. and they are now about on schedule. As John's next set of transmissions indicate, they haven't quite started the Equipment Prep.]
141:37:12 Young: Okay, Houston. (Making the report called out on Surface 4-1) Charlie's PRD is 21118.

141:37:18 England: Okay, 21118.

141:37:25 Young: Mine is 22054...(correcting himself, 220)56. (Long Pause)

141:37:48 Young: Houston, do you want us to go to Normal Voice like we've got in the checklist (at the bottom of the right-hand column on page 3-8)?

141:37:52 England: Stand by one.

141:37:57 Young: Do you want us to go Normal Voice? (Hearing Tony) Okay.

141:38:03 England: No, we'd like to stay Down Voice Backup.

141:38:08 Young: Roger; Down Voice Backup. Biomed is Left.

[Comm Break. The Flight Surgeon is now getting John's biomed telemetry.]
141:39:52 England: And John, Houston. (Pause)

141:40:04 Young: Go ahead. Over.

141:40:06 England: Okay, I got this result on the quick look on the X-ray (fluorescence experiment in the CSM SIM Bay). I just thought I'd pass it up to you. The Descartes area is higher in aluminum/silicon (ratio) than mare, but it's not as high as the highlands east of Smythii.

141:40:26 Young: Well, we can't land there.

141:40:29 England: You're right.

141:40:30 Young: (Laughing) Okay, thank you. What you're saying is the back side is where the action is? (Pause) Hang in there, Tony. We'll give you a little action today.

141:40:44 England: Okay.

[Long Comm Break]

[The x-ray fluorescence experiment uses the intensity and energy distribution of secondary x-rays emitted by the lunar surface as a result of illumination by solar x-rays. The instrument produces maps of the abundance ratios of magnesium, aluminum, and silicon.]

[Journal Contributor David Harland notes "As can be seen in table 19-1 in the Apollo 16 Preliminary Science Report, the highlands are generally rich in aluminum while the mare are rich in magnesium. This is the lunar equivalent of the terrestrial distinction between the continental crust and the ocean floor. The continental crust can be thought of as a silicon-aluminum rich scum floating on silicon-magnesium rich silicate mantle."]

[Mare Smythii is on the eastern limb of the Moon. In Table 19-1 in the Preliminary Science Report, the Al/Si and Mg/Si ratios for the East Smythii highlands are 0.61 and 0.20, respectively, while the values for Mare Foecunditatis are 0.41 and 0.26.]

[John's comment about not being able to land in the East Smythii highlands is a reference to the fact that a crew who wanted to land there would have to do so without the benefit of communications and guidance from Earth unless a comm relay satellite was put in lunar orbit in conjunction with the mission. See the discussion in the Apollo 17 Lunar Surface Journal about a proposed landing on the lunar Farside.]

141:46:19 Young: Okay, Houston. We're down to PLSS donning (on Surface 4-2).

141:46:26 England: Okay; and you're right back on the timeline.

141:46:29 Young: Yeah, there was a little slack in (garbled).

141:46:35 England: Rog.

141:46:43 Young: Okay.

[They had planned to reach this point in the checklist 2 hours 46 minutes after wake-up and are now about 7 minutes ahead of the timeline.]

[Very Long Comm Break]

MP3 Audio Clip ( 1 min 35 sec )
[Note, the time mentioned by the PAO Commentator is 11 minutes 48 seconds later than the corresponding transcript time because of a clock update in Houston at 118:06:31.]

[Jones - "Can you describe for me how you get the PLSSs on or off?"]

[Duke - "If I remember what we did, John would hold mine and I'd turn backwards and I could reach back and get the straps and pull them over and hook the two up here, at the sternum, on that little hook that we had up there. And then I'd take the waist strap and hook it up. And then, I'd hold John's - I've forgotten who went first - and, in one-sixth gravity, it was real easy to hold them up there. To get 'em off, first we unbuckled the waist strap. If I remember, just unbuckle one of the upper straps and then undid the other one and just let it slide off your back. Then, you know, you could hold it with one strap, easy, and bring it around. I mean, doing that in 1 g in training was awful. We struggled and puffed and grunted and cussed; but, up there, it didn't turn out to be any problem."]

[Jones - "How did the RCU hook on?"]

[Duke - "If I remember, it was a clamp and you just pushed it down...It was a spring-loaded clamp, if you will, that fit next to the body of the RCU and you just pushed it over the hook and it forced the clamp open and, when it got over center, then it clicked back again. And that held it."]

[Jones - "Were there any particular problems because of the lack of room in there?"]

[Duke - "Oh well, yeah. It was awful. We had rock boxes out and we had ETBs and we had helmet bags and we had gloves everywhere. You know, it just got real crowded in there. And oxygen hoses going everywhere. Two sets. If you didn't really watch it, you could lose things, easy."]

[Jones - "Kind of like trying to get dressed in a coat closet."]

[Duke - "Right."]

[In the following sequence, Flight Director Pete Frank responds to the call from Orion.]

MP3 Audio Clip ( 13 min 56 sec )
This clip starts with a 13 minute 01 second interval with no comm.

142:00:54 Duke: Tony, how do you read? (No answer; Pause) Houston, Orion. Over.

142:01:12 Frank: Go ahead, Orion.

142:01:16 Duke: Okay, we're back on Comm now and we're ready for the PLSS comm checks (on Surface 4-3). Over.

142:01:24 Frank: Roger. (Long Pause) Orion, this is Houston. Could you stand by one minute, please. (Pause)

[Duke - "Tony must have had to go make a pit stop."]

[England, from a 1997 e-mail message - "It seems unlikely that this was a pit stop so early in the shift. It may have been a visit to the science room to get something clarified or to suggest some options that they might want to consider. Generally, it wasn't a good idea to ask hypothetical questions on the loop. You tended to get hysterical responses and start 'what-if' examinations that were premature. I may have been concerned that my idea was dumb and preferred to find out about it quietly."]

[I asked Tony if it was normal to have someone sitting with him at the CapCom console, because during many of the missions it is clear from the dialog at various points that the backup Commander or someone else was sitting with the CapCom.]

[England, from a 1997 e-mail message - "As you know there were CSM and LM CapComs (starting with Apollo 14) when the vehicles were separate. While there were two seats at each station, I remember only one person at each position most of the time. I am sure that there were pit stops, but there weren't many - and, frankly, I can't remember how we did them. Generally, I would not have hesitated to let the Flight Director handle comm during EVA prep or post if there were no systems issues being worked. There would be many people in the MOCR who understood what was going on. During the EVA, I would have been very reluctant to leave for any reason. It is possible that this was a precautionary pit stop to lessen the likelihood of having to leave during the EVA. I am sure that I drank fluids sparingly to reduce the risk."]

[My thanks to Journal Contributor Cathy James who suggested that I ask Tony about this procedural issue.]

[Now, Deke Slayton takes over as CapCom.]

MP3 Audio Clip ( 8 min 30 sec )

142:01:48 Slayton: Go ahead, Orion; Houston. (Pause) Orion, Houston. You call?

142:02:03 Young: Yeah, we want to know if we can do the PLSS comm checks. We just got a call to stand by. It sounded like Flight!

142:02:16 Slayton: Stand by one.

142:02:20 Young: Okay. (Long Pause)

142:02:39 England: Go ahead, Orion.

142:02:43 Young: Go ahead. Over. (Pause) Go ahead! Over.

142:02:59 England: Orion, this is Houston. You called?

142:03:04 Young: Yes; we thought you were calling us. We got a call from somebody that sounded like Flight to stand by on the comm check. Over.

142:03:13 England: Okay, fine.

142:03:19 Duke: (Annoyed) What do you mean, "fine", Tony? Are we go for the comm check? Over.

142:03:22 England: Yes, we're go for the comm check.

142:03:27 Young: (Satisfied) Okay. (Pause) Okay, (reading Surface 4-3) "Audio LMP: S-Band to T/R; ICS is T/R; Relay to On; Mode to Vox; Vox Sensitivity to Max; VHF A to T/R and B to Receive."

142:03:52 Duke: A to T/R, B to Receive...

142:03:53 Young: Okay...

142:03:54 Duke: I got mine.

142:03:55 Young: Okay. And, then, here's this second thing that goes in there. Remember, you copied it last night (at 130:28:20 onto the Prep & Post card).

142:03:58 Duke: Okay.

142:04:02 Young: "S-Band PM to PM."

142:04:03 Duke: Go.

142:04:04 Young: "Secondary-Transponder to Secondary."

142:04:07 Duke: I got all that.

142:04:08 Young: "PWA to Secondary?"

142:04:09 Duke: Yeah.

142:04:10 Young: "Down Voice Backup?"

142:04:11 Duke: Yeah.

142:04:12 Young: "PCM to PCM."

142:04:13 Duke: Yeah.

142:04:14 Young: "Ranging to Off."

142:04:15 Duke: Yep.

142:04:16 Young: Okay. (Returning to 4-3) "VHF A Transmitter to Voice."

142:04:19 Duke: Go.

142:04:20 Young: "A Receiver to On."

142:04:21 Duke: Go.

142:04:22 Young: "B Receiver to Off."

142:04:23 Duke: Go.

[John has mis-spoken. He should have read "B Transmitter to Off" instead of "B Receiver to Off". He catches his mistake in just a moment.]
142:04:24 Young: "B Receiver to On."

142:04:25 Duke: Go.

142:04:26 Young: Wait a minute. B Transmitter to Off and B Receiver, On.

142:04:28 Duke: I got that.

[Charlie's relaxed tone of voice indicates that he recognized John's verbal mistake when it happened and ignored it.]
142:04:30 Young: Okay. Telemetry Biomed to Left. (Long Pause)
[Next, they will configure John's audio panel and we next hear John near the bottom of the right-hand column on Surface 4-3. Charlie is probably reading the steps to John but neither of them is transmitting.]
142:05:03 Young: Okay, Sensitivity is Max. Can you hear me, Charlie? VHF A to T/R; B to Receive. (Pause) Okay. (Pause) I'll get you, Charlie. (Long Pause)
[Here, John is connecting Charlie's PLSS comm as per the second line on Surface 4-4.]
142:06:05 Duke: Got it?

142:06:07 Young: And locked. (Pause) Okay, "Audio (circuit breaker on panel 16), Closed. PLSS, Main, right; verify. PLSS, Main, right, verify. PLSS mode LMP, A, CCW (counter-clockwise). Tone, on; vent flag, P. Press flag, O; O2, momentary." PLSS pressure gauge should be greater than 85, Charlie.

142:06:39 Duke: It is.

142:06:40 Young: What is it?

142:06:41 Duke: It's about 94.

142:06:44 Young: Okay. Comm check with me and Houston.

142:06:46 Duke: Okay, how do you read, Houston?

142:06:49 England: Okay, we copy you, Charlie. You've got a lot of hash in the background, but we can make do. It's about like yesterday.

142:06:58 Duke: Okay, John's reading me 5 by and you're super. We're going to get John up now. "CB Comm, Commander Audio, Open."

142:07:05 Young: It's open.

[Comm Break.]
142:09:02 Duke: "VHF A, Off."

142:09:03 Young: It's Off.

142:09:08 Duke: Go to "PTT, Main right, verify". Then you go to B and you get a tone. (A brief, high-pitch tone is audible.)

142:09:17 Young: Okay. Can you get the LCG pump?

142:09:20 Duke: Yeah.

[Charlie will turn on the LCG pump, briefly, so they can get some cooling.]
142:09:21 Young: Okay, I got a tone on.

142:09:25 Duke: Should have a vent flag.

142:09:26 Young: Vent flag: P, O.

142:09:30 Duke: (O2), Momentary. Should be greater than 85.

142:09:32 Young: Okay. (Pause) I'm reading 92 percent on the oxygen.

142:09:40 Duke: Okay. Now comm check (at the top of the right-hand column on Surface 4-4). "Crewman in (Mode) B (which is John at present) cannot hear Houston." Houston, this is the LMP. How do you read? Over.

142:09:53 England: Okay, we hear you with a lot of noise in the background.

142:09:58 Duke: Okay. John's coming up. (Pause)

[Note that the time mentioned by the PAO Commentator in the following clip is 11 minutes 48 seconds later than the corresponding transcript time because of a clock update in Houston at 118:06:31. The PAO Commentator's remarks cover John and Charlie's transmissions prior to 142:11:34.]
MP3 Audio Clip ( 1 min 30 sec )

142:10:04 Young: Read you loud and clear, Charlie.

142:10:06 Duke: Okay, let's go. "PLSS mode to (LMP) B and (CDR) A."

142:10:15 Young: Okay, Houston, how do you read me on A?

142:10:18 England: Okay, we're copying, with a lot of noise.

142:10:24 Young: Say again, Houston.

142:10:27 England: We copy you fine, but you have a lot of noise.

142:10:29 Young: Charlie cut you out.

142:10:32 Duke: Roger.

142:10:33 Young: Okay.

142:10:34 Duke: "(Both) go to AR."

142:10:35 Young: Go to AR.

142:10:39 Duke: Okay, Vox volume's going to max.

142:10:44 Young: Max.

142:10:47 Duke: Okay, Houston, how do you read?

142:10:49 England: Okay, we are loud, and so is the hash.

142:10:56 Duke: Okay, John's got 92 percent (oxygen) and I got 94 percent. And I'm turning VHF-B Squelch to Full Decrease.

142:11:05 England: Okay.

142:11:08 Young: Okay; "Final Systems Prep".

142:11:10 Duke: Are you cold enough, John, or do you want to get some more cold?

142:11:13 Young: I think we should get some more.

142:11:15 Duke: Okay, we'll get some more cold. Instant cold coming up.

142:11:19 Young: "Circuit breaker (panel) 16 ECS: Cabin Repress, Close, Verify."

142:11:22 Duke: Verify.

142:11:24 Young: "Suit Fan Delta-P, Open."

142:11:25 Duke: Okay, open.

142:11:27 Young: "Suit Fan number 2 to Open."

142:11:28 Duke: Open.

142:11:29 Young: "Verify ECS caution and warning SEP light's...(correcting himself) component light's on (in) about a minute."

MP3 Audio Clip ( 10 min 40 sec )

142:11:34 Duke: Okay.

142:11:35 Young: Okay. (Reading Surface 4-5) "Suit Gas Diverter (Valve), Pull to Egress, verify."

142:11:38 Duke: Okay, that's not...(Pause) Yeah, that is...No, that's Push-Cabin. Pull-Egress.

142:11:47 Young: Pull-Egress.

142:11:48 Duke: Okay.

142:11:49 Young: "Cabin Gas Return (Valve) to Egress."

142:11:50 Duke: Go.

142:11:51 Young: "Suit Circuit Relief (Valve) to Auto."

142:11:52 Duke: Go.

142:11:53 Young: Verify.

142:11:54 Duke: Yeah. Is that cold enough, John?

142:11:56 Young: Yeah.

142:11:57 Duke: Okay. Phew! Okay.

142:12:03 Young: "OPS connect." Okay, we got the hoses...

142:12:06 Duke: Hmm.

142:12:10 Young: Okay, you're first.

142:12:12 Duke: Okay. (Garbled) We got to go over...(Garbled)

142:12:19 Young: Isolate. (Pause)

[John may be reminding Charlie to put the Suit Disconnect valve in Override/Suit Disconnect as per Surface 4-5.]
142:12:24 Duke: Okay.

142:12:25 Young: Okay. You got both of them?

142:12:27 Duke: Okay, there's the MA (Master Alarm) caution light (as per the last line on Surface 4-4). (Pause)

142:12:38 Young: Okay, your OPS is on and co-nected (sic).

142:12:40 Duke: Okay, I need the purge valve.

142:12:47 Young: Here's the purge valve. (Pause) (Garbled) a long time ago.

142:12:50 Duke: John, maybe if I clocked yours outboard, would it stay?

142:12:55 Young: That may be a good idea.

[Charlie is suggesting that they change the orientation of John's purge valve pin and Red Apple to prevent it from pulling out. This change works very well. See the discussion following 128:46:06.]

[Jones - "Could you put the pin in either way?"]

[Duke - "Yeah, it didn't matter how you put it in. We just practiced to put in so the thing (meaning the Red Apple) was down."]

142:12:58 Duke: Okay. (Pause) "Verify, lock-pin closed. Lock-pin in and Low flow."

142:13:08 Young: You got Low flow. Low flow mode, I should say.

142:13:15 Duke: Okay, my PGA diverter valve is vertical. (Pause)

[As shown in Figure I-23 in the EMU Handbook, the diverter valve is part of the oxygen inflow connector and gives them the option of directing the PLSS oxygen flow entirely into the helmet (the vertical position) or partly into the suit torso (the horizontal position). Generally, the astronauts put the diverter valve to horizontal only when they were in the cabin and were trying to dry the suits out a little. In the hoizontal position, used in the cabin, all the incoming oxygen stream is divided between a duct leading to the helmet vent and a duct leading the vents in the torso. In the vertical position, used outside, all the oxygen goes to the helmet vent. Figure I-10 from the EMU Handbook shows the layout of the ducts.]
142:13:23 Duke: Okay, you're...You got it? Okay. How come you can't...Huh? Get your purge valve out and then I'll hook up your (garbled). 142:13:32 Young: All righty.
[Charlie will connect John's OPS O2 hose before installing John's purge valve, but he wants John to have the purge valve at the ready.]
142:13:35 Duke: Why don't you hold that and let me get your O2 hose. (Garbled) Got it? (Garbled)

142:13:46 Young: You look pretty clean, Charlie. Compared to how dirty you were yesterday.

142:13:55 Duke: That's in; lock-locked; cover's coming up.

[Charlie has installed John's OPS hose, engaged the lock and the lock-lock, and is putting a dust cover over the connector.]

[Jones - "Were the hose connectors relatively easy to use?"]

[Duke - "Yeah. The hard ones for me was the gloves. I had a tough time. You had to squeeze the locks and then rotate, and I think you had to...And it was hard for me to get my hand around and put enough pressure on it to close the locks. The suit things, I just used two fingers - one on each of the little locks. And then you could pull those out and rotate it around and then the hose would pop out. And the same for the purge valve."]

[Jones - "And you could do that gloved."]

[Duke - "Yeah."]

142:14:00 Young: (I'll) make sure yours is locked. Yeah, it's locked. Locked.
[While Charlie is installing John's purge valve, John is double checking Charlie's connectors.]
142:14:10 Duke: You have Low flow.

142:14:11 Young: Locked.

142:14:12 Duke: Pin's in. A little bit anyway. Okay. Stand up; I'm going to clock this outboard vent, John.

142:14:20 Young: Okay, fine. (Pause)

142:14:24 Duke: (Garbled) outboard much. It'll have to come way up.

142:14:28 Young: That's all right. Do that.

142:14:30 Duke: That all right?

142:14:31 Young: Yeah.

142:14:33 Duke: Okay. (Pause) Wait a minute. Okay, that's in and lock-locked. Okay, the...

142:14:45 Young: It's right up here.

142:14:47 Duke: Okay.

142:14:48 Young: Okay.

142:14:49 Duke: I'll have to (garbled).

142:14:50 Young: Yeah.

142:14:51 Duke: Yeah. Okay, we've done that. Let's take a drink of aqua.

142:14:57 Young: You bet! Slurp-slurp.

142:15:02 Duke: She's unlocked.

142:15:08 Young: Gonna have another shot of (LCG cooling) water, too. (Pause)

142:15:16 Duke: I'll bet [on] the metabolic rate, I've committed a million Btu's turning around to get...

142:15:21 Young: To get the water...

142:15:22 Duke: ...to get the water pump going. (Pause)

[Charlie seems to be saying that he has expended a lot of energy from turning around so often to start and stop the LM LCG pump.]
142:15:28 Duke: (To himself) There we go. Man, my hands are black already. Golly. (Long Pause) You want to put some more in those drink bags?

142:16:00 Young: No, I don't think...Do you want to?

142:16:02 Duke: No, I got plenty.

142:16:04 Young: Okay.

142:15:05 Duke: Okay, (LM LCG) pump's going open. Descent H2O's coming off (as per the last line in the left-hand column of Surface 4-5). Let me lock this (water) gun in place.

142:16:10 Young: Okay.

142:16:16 Duke: (Garbled) (Long Pause) There we go. Locked. Okay, we're back to here, to "position mikes".

142:16:39 Young: Yep. "Position mikes, both." We already done that. Okay. PLSS Fan is On; Vent Flag cleared.

142:16:47 Duke: PLSS Fan is On.

142:16:49 Young: "Don helmets with LEVAs, check drink bag positions."

142:16:52 Duke: Okay, let me get yours first. (Long Pause)

[They planned to start the helmet/glove donning 3 hours 21 minutes after wake-up. Wake-up was at about 139:07:43 and, consequently, they are 3 hours 9 minutes into the day and about 16 minutes ahead of the timeline.]
142:17:37 Young: (Garbled)

142:17:38 Duke: Okay. (Pause) Drink bag's inside. Alignment marks are good. Can you feel it's locked?

142:17:59 Young: (Garbled)

142:18:00 Duke: It did. Super.

142:18:02 Young: Ohh, beautiful!

142:18:03 Duke: How about that? The first...(Pause)

142:18:08 Young: Okay. (Pause)

142:18:14 Duke: Go. Now, let me get your back here. Turn around. Just a minute. (Pause)

[Charlie is making sure that the thermal cover at the back of the helmet is down and smooth.]
142:18:25 Duke: Okay, done.

142:18:26 Young: Okay, Charlie, let me get this Vel...This Velcro is up on your...

142:18:29 Duke: Thing again, huh?

142:18:30 Young: Yeah. Jack it around.

142:18:32 Duke: All right.

142:18:34 Young: Got it. That'll keep it from getting in there.

142:18:41 Duke: I can't understand where I got that white paint on the outside of my LEVA!

142:18:44 Young: (Laughing) I don't either.

142:18:46 Duke: Huh?

142:18:47 Young: Helping somebody on a fence, no doubt. (Pause)

[This is probably a reference to the fence-painting scene in Mark Twain's "Tom Sawyer".]
142:18:53 Young: (Getting Charlie's helmet on) Okay. Wait a minute. There you go. Wait a minute. You're getting them all...You got to keep your head up while we're...

142:19:05 Duke: Okay, get an alignment there while...(Pause) There you go.

142:19:16 Young: Did you hear it lock?

142:19:18 Duke: I didn't hear any (clicks) at all. (Pause)

142:19:24 Young: Didn't have...Wait a minute, wait a minute.

142:19:28 Duke: Sounds like it's got part of the LEVA in it, John. (Pause)

[Charlie suspects that part of the thermal covering on the LEVA has gotten in the helmet ring lock.]
142:19:37 Duke: Take it off; it's not locking at all. (Pause) Yeah, it's right back here.

142:19:51 Young: Yeah, I couldn't get it down back there.

142:19:53 Duke: Yeah.

142:19:55 England: And you're doing fine up there. You're about 15 minutes ahead (of the timeline).

142:20:03 Young: Roger; thank you. (Pause)

142:20:10 Duke: Now, that ought to do it. (Long Pause)

142:20:28 Young: I got it, Charlie. Whoa! (Audible click) It's locked.

142:20:33 Duke: Great!

142:20:34 Young: There you go. A millstone...(correcting himself) Milestone. (Pause) Okay. Charlie, I want to get the Velcro down in the back to get the thermal (covering) fixed for you. (Pause) Okay, it's down good, Charlie.

[Duke - "The back of the LEVA went over the suit to protect the neckring and stuff. That's what he's referring to."]
142:21:02 Duke: Okay. (Pause) Okay, "don helmets" we've done; we've checked drink bag; lowered protective visors.

142:21:14 Young: Okay. "Secure tool harness self-doff straps".

142:21:16 Duke: Okay. (Pause)

142:21:27 Young: Tool harness is on the floor.

142:21:29 Duke: (Incredulous) My tool harness is on the floor. (Pause) You're kidding!

142:21:36 Young: No. (Long Pause)

[Jones - "I assume it was going to be difficult to retrieve the tool harness."]

[Duke - "Well, I was just amazed it came off. You know, it wasn't supposed to come off. And, yeah, it was hard to get up. We had two PLSSs on and to pick something off the floor was tough."]

[Young, from the 1972 Technical Debrief - "The first thing that happened to us that really slowed us down on EVA-1 was that Charlie's tool harness fell off, and we both had PLSSs on. It was really tough to get the tool harness up off the floor, or off the side and underneath Charlie and put (it) back on with both PLSSs on. We should be able to belt that tool harness on so it wouldn't fall off until such time as somebody makes a positive motion to get it off. That's really a drag, that tool harness. Not only could we never keep it from falling off, but we could never keep it on once we got it put on. We could never keep it on in the vehicle; we always had to tighten it down. We tightened it down repeatedly inside the vehicle. Once we got outside the vehicle, we'd have to tighten it down for the last time."]

MP3 Audio Clip ( 10 min 34 sec )

142:22:05 Young: Okay, can you turn around?

142:22:07 Duke: Yeah.

142:22:08 Young: The other way, Charlie.

142:22:10 Duke: Okay, if you'll give me one side to hold for you.

[Charlie will hold one side of the tool harness while John stretches the other side around Charlie's PLSS.]
142:22:13 Young: Okay, the other side is over there for you to hold.

142:22:15 Duke: Okay. (Pause)

142:22:21 Young: Hold that thing.

142:22:22 Duke: I missed it.

142:22:23 Young: Okay, just hold your doffing/donning strap there.

142:22:25 Duke: I can't see it. Okay.

142:22:26 Young: Just hold it. Now, just don't pull up on it.

142:22:28 Duke: Okay, yeah. (Pause)

142:22:34 Young: I can't...

142:22:35 Duke: If I squat down, would it help?

142:22:36 Young: No. (Pause) Yeah, maybe it would. (Long Pause) Okay, Charlie. (Pause) Okay, I got it. You can stand up.

142:23:23 Duke: Okay.

142:23:24 Young: How about a shot of liquid water while you're (garbled) metabolic rate to get you there. (Pause)

[Charlie was probably facing his circuit breaker panel while John installed the tool harness and, probably, John is suggesting that he turn on the LCG pump for a moment before he turns back around, thereby saving some energy.]
142:23:30 Duke: There you go.

142:23:34 Young: Got it. (Pause)

142:23:39 England: John, Houston.

142:23:43 Young: Go ahead. Over.

142:23:45 England: Okay. We understand you put your purge valve in so that the apple's outbound. Are you pretty confident you can operate it out there?

142:23:58 Young: Yep.

142:24:02 England: Okay, fine. (Long Pause)

[The Purge valve is on the right side of the suit and, in the normal position, the Red Apple is on the left side of the valve, toward the centerline of the chest. John's Red Apple is now on the outside of the valve, relatively close to his right arm.]

[Jones - "Let's see. On this business about operating the apple. How did you do it in the normal position?"]

[Duke - "If I remember, the thing came this way (on the left side of the valve) and you could just reach across and pull it with your left hand."]

[Jones - "And, with it switched over to the other side?"]

[Duke - "If it was outbound, you had to pull it this way."]

[Jones - "Pull it with your right hand."]

[Duke - "And it wasn't any big deal."]

[Jones - "I assume it would have been difficult to get your left hand all the way across there."]

[Duke - "Well, you could reach over there but, when you try to pull, you're pulling 180 (degrees) against the direction you're supposed to go."]

[Jones - "And you certainly couldn't have gotten out, away from the suit (to the right) with the left hand, so it had to be a right hand pull."]

[Duke - "Uh-huh."]

142:24:14 Young: Well, Charlie, (garbled) turned sideways. (Garbled) It is.
[Charlie's tool harness may still be loose.]
142:24:21 Duke: Probably those snaps up there.

142:24:25 Young: (Garbled) Did you just pull it loose?

142:24:31 Duke: No. (Pause)

142:24:37 Young: Okay, turn around again.

142:24:42 Duke: I can't go much farther; I'm wrapped up in my (LM) water hose.

142:24:45 Young: Understand. (Pause) But with the...Have to be routed underneath your...

142:25:00 Duke: Look, why don't you just undo the bottom and leave it like it is? Undo the bottom and cinch it up real loosely at the bottom? It won't stay like it is?

142:25:11 Young: I got it, Charlie.

142:25:13 Duke: Okay. (Pause)

142:25:25 Young: Okay, Charlie. Just stand up now...

142:25:29 Duke: I'm against the roof. (Pause)

[Figure 1-6 from the LM Operations Handbook shows various cross-sections of the LM cabin. The inner diameter of the cabin is 92 inches or 2.34 meters. Directly in front of the hatch, the distance from the floor to the roof is about 2.03 meters and, where Charlie is standing, there is even less headroom. The astronauts in the figure are each 6 feet 0 inches or 1.83 meters tall.]

[Jones - "Could you have stood on the midstep?"]

[Duke - "No. I don't know anybody short enough to do that. You couldn't stand up straight in the normal position, where you stood when you were flying the machine. Well, you could without the OPS and the PLSS on; but when you put the PLSS on and the OPS, (gesturing) it stuck up here."]

[Jones - "Three or four inches above your head."]

[Duke - "Or so. I don't remember; but it was high. So you had to move inboard and it put you almost shoulder to shoulder. When he said 'stand up', you know, I was bumping the top already with the OPS."]

[Note added in August 2006: I asked Charlie about standing on the midstep because I didn't properly understand what the midstep was. I had thought that the flooring on which the astronauts stood was at the same level throughout the cabin and that the midstep was a small step of a few inches on the front of the ascent engine cover. I didn't understand that there was an eighteen-inch rise from the floor at the front of the cabin up to decking that surrounds the ascent engine cover and extends to the back of the cabin. The 'midstep' is that eighteen-inch rise. Even at the centerline of the cabin where the ceiling is about 203 cm above the floor in the front of the cabin, the 18-inch (46 cm) midstep reduces the standing room to 157 cm (5 feet 2 inches). As Charlie says, none of the astronauts is short enough to be able to stand upright on the midstep, even in street clothes.]

142:25:37 Young: Okay.

142:25:38 Duke: Copasetic.

["Copasetic" is a word meaning "very satisfactory" which was a part of popular, coffee-house culture during the early and mid-1950s when Charlie was in high school and at the Naval Academy.]
142:25:39 Young: Got it.

142:25:40 Duke: Okay, I'm going to spin around to the left. (Pause)

142:25:47 Young: Getting another shot of water? Or are we getting it.

142:25:50 Duke: (A little frustrated) No, we're not getting it. (Pause) Okay.

142:25:57 Young: Okay, now we're ready. Just as soon as we get this water, we'll go on...

142:26:02 Duke: Right now, we got to hook up these LEVA (tool harness) straps. (Pause)

142:26:20 Duke: Okay. (Long Pause)

142:26:44 Young: Okay. (Pause) Good?

142:26:55 Duke: Okay. Okay, we're down to turning off the (LM LCG) pump.

142:27:01 Young: Okay.

[They will now open the LCG pump circuit breaker as per the line at the middle of the right-hand column on Surface 4-5.]
142:27:02 Duke: "Disconnect the (LM) water (hoses)." And while I'm around here, I'm going to check my circuit breaker configuration.

142:27:09 Young: (Garbled), Charlie?

142:27:10 Duke: Okay, it's fine.

142:27:13 Young: (My) circuit breaker configuration looks good, too.

142:27:17 Duke: Okay. (Long Pause)

142:27:30 Young: Okay, "verify the following".

[John has skipped three steps in the checklist.]
142:27:32 Duke: No, we're not that far yet. We got to hook up the (PLSS) water. If you bring it (probably John's LM water hoses) around this way, you'd be better, John.

142:27:45 Young: Okay. (Pause)

142:27:48 Duke: Okay, you keep...(Pause)

142:27:52 Young: Am I out of your way now?

142:27:53 Duke: No, something's got me back there. (Pause)

142:28:06 Young: You're hooked on a comm hose back there, Charlie.

142:28:09 Duke: Yeah, I know it. (Pause)

142:28:14 Young: Wait a minute.

142:28:17 Duke: Got it?

142:28:19 Young: Yeah.

142:28:20 Duke: Okay, thanks. Hoses. (Long Pause) Okay, I'm going to move yours back to the back.

[Charlie is probably getting John's LM hoses back into the space over the Ascent Engine cover.]
142:28:43 Young: Okay, Charlie; I'd like to get this strap a little better on you.

142:28:50 Duke: Which one, the comm thing?

142:28:52 Young: I got it, I got it. That looks good. (Long Pause) I'm gonna secure your hoses up here.

142:29:19 Duke: Okay. (Pause) There we go. That's great. (Long Pause)

142:29:38 Young: Okay, the circuit breakers are verified. Now...

[John is about to skip some more steps in the checklist.]
142:29:41 Duke: Okay, now, we got to hook up some (PLSS) water.

142:29:44 Young: Can't get much cooling without that. (Pause) That's yours. Okay, yours is in and locked. (Pause) In and locked, Charlie.

142:30:03 Duke: Okay, thank you, John. (Pause) Okay, "verify the following locked. Helmets and vizzers (sic) aligned and adjusted."

[As readers will have noted by now, Charlie frequently engages in verbal play, saying "vizzers" rather than "visors" just for fun.]
142:30:12 Young: Go.

142:30:13 Duke: That feels good. "O2 connectors, three, locked."

142:30:17 Young: Go.

142:30:18 Duke: Checked that. "Purge valve, one, locked; H2O connector's locked."

142:30:21 Young: Go.

142:30:22 Duke: "Comm connector's locked." Okay, we verified the CB (circuit breaker)s.

142:30:25 Young: Right.

142:30:26 Duke: Turn the page (to Surface 4-6). And turn the page says "Don EV gloves; wrist locks, four; and glove straps adjusted." (That's) the trick of the week.

142:30:42 Young: Say, "If PLSS biting, O2 On/Off."

142:30:47 Duke: Okay; it's not biting.

142:30:51 Young: (Chuckling) Any more than usual.

142:30:54 Duke: No more than usual. (Long Pause) (Grunting) Okay. (Long Pause)

142:31:54 Young: Okay; mine on and locked.

142:31:57 Duke: Boy, it's amazing. I can't even get the first one on.

142:31:59 Young: (I'll) get it, Charlie. (Pause)

142:32:09 Duke: Looking good. (Pause)

142:32:17 Young: I think it's got to go on the bottom, Charlie. (Long Pause)

142:32:38 Duke: There we go.

142:32:39 Young: Got it locked?

142:32:40 Duke: Yeah.

142:32:41 Young: Okay.

142:32:42 Duke: Locked. Let me get it. I can get this other one.

142:32:49 Young: Okay, I'm going to turn my PLSS O2 on a little. Okay?

142:32:51 Duke: Okay.

[Long Pause. John is going to partly inflate his suit to get it off his body.]
MP3 Audio Clip ( 0 min 46 sec )

[Note that the time mentioned by the PAO Commentator is 11 minutes 48 seconds later than the corresponding transcript time because of a clock update in Houston at 118:06:31.]
MP3 Audio Clip ( 5 min 42 sec )

142:33:25 Duke: Okay, can you get that one for me?

142:33:26 Young: Okay. (Pause) Got it, Charlie.

142:33:37 Duke: Oops; that went on pretty good, didn't it? Yeah. Right on.

142:33:39 Young: Right on. (Pause) Okay, get that down good on the...

142:33:46 Duke: Yeah. It's over and good. (Pause)

142:33:55 Young: Okay, the EVA gloves are on and locked.

[The helmet/glove donning was supposed to have taken 12 minutes but, because of the problems they had with Charlie's tool harness, it took about 17 minutes. They are still about ten minutes ahead of the timeline.]
142:33:57 Duke: Okay, (reading Surface 4-6) "Pressure Integrity treck (sic)".

142:33:59 Young: PLSS...

142:34:00 Duke: "PLSS Diverter."

142:34:01 Young: Min.

142:34:03 Duke: Okay, mine won't...(Pause)

142:34:08 Young: Mine is Min.

142:34:10 Duke: Okay, Pump's going On.

142:34:12 Young: Pump's On. "Press(ure) Reg(ulators) A and B to Egress."

142:34:15 Duke: Okay. Read the integrity check for me.

142:34:19 Young: Okay.

142:34:20 Duke: Okay; mine is in Egress. Both of them in Egress.

142:34:22 Young: Both of them in Egress.

142:34:23 Duke: Okay.

142:34:23 Young: Turn "PLSS O2, On", Charlie.

142:34:25 Duke: Okay. (Pause)

142:34:36 Young: "Press flag clear at 3.1 to 3.4."

142:34:40 Duke: Okay.

142:34:42 Young: "Cuff gauge 3.7 to 4.0 and the O2 flag will be clear."

142:34:49 Duke: Okay, I'm coming up. (Long Pause) That feels good! Mmmm.

142:35:06 Young: I can get that valve myself right here. See there?

142:35:10 Duke: What valve?

142:35:13 Young: That purge valve.

142:35:15 Duke: Oh, good.

142:35:16 Young: See?

142:35:18 Duke: Yeah, I see. (Long Pause)

[John has re-positioned his purge valve and is making sure he can still reach the Red Apple. EVA-3 photo AS16-117-18825 shows it just below his camera handle, peeking out from behind the sample bags hooked to his finger.]
142:35:51 Young: Okay. Are you holding at 3.85 (psi)?

142:35:54 Duke: I'm 3.85.

142:35:56 Young: Okay. "PLSS O2 to Off and monitor cuff gauge for 1 minute." (Pause) Mine's Off. Okay.

142:36:10 Duke: Get mine, John.

142:36:11 Young: Okay.

142:36:12 Duke: I can't quite reach it.

142:36:14 Young: Okay, Houston. I'm gonna Mark on a one-minute pressure-decay check on me.

142:36:18 England: Okay, fine. We're timing.

142:36:20 Young: Charlie's is Off...

142:36:21 Duke: And Mark. (Long Pause)

142:36:52 Duke: Well, for once, I got my drink bag in the right position. It's not leaking. (Pause) Tony, we'd like to change our call signs to Pig-Pen 1 and Pig-Pen 2.

[Pig-Pen is a character in the Charles Schulz comic strip "Peanuts" who is perpetually dirty and walks around in a self-generated dust cloud .]
142:37:14 England: We thought about that last night. And one minute's up.

142:37:22 Duke: John, let me get yours off. Wait, we can't do it both (at the same time). At least, I can't reach yours if you're going to mine.

142:37:31 Young: Okay, mine decayed about 0.2 (psi). Actually, it was a little less than 0.2 because I ran it for about a minute (and) twenty (seconds).

142:37:41 Duke: Okay, mine was less than 0.2; about one and a half (tenths). Okay, would you turn my oxygen On, please, John? Yours is On.

142:37:51 England: Okay, we copy.

[Duke - "What we were seeing was leaks in the suit. And that was real good. They were real tight suits. I forgot the limit we had (0.3 psi in one minute), but we were real pleased with this. As dirty as those suits were, I thought it was amazing that they were holding pressure. We'd cleaned them the night before, you know, when we took 'em off. We had some wet wipes and we wiped out the connectors and all the seals and the neckring and wiped out the ring around the helmet and the gloves. And we took a wet towel and we cleaned 'em off as much as we could on the outside. But the lunar dust is so fine it would just get into that fabric, even though the fabric's a real tight weave. It would just get on the fabric and you couldn't get it off. That's why I was referring to us as Pig-Pen; we were really dirty looking. But the suits were really good."]

[As indicated on Surface checklist page 3-8, they also applied lubricant to the various sealing surfaces during the EVA Preps.]

142:37:54 Young: Okay, yours is back On, Charlie.

142:37:55 Duke: Okay.

142:37:56 Young: Get your tone?

142:37:59 Duke: Yeah.

142:38:01 Young: "Confirm Go for depress from Houston." Okay, Houston, we're back up and we're requesting a Go for depress.

142:38:06 England: Okay, you're Go.

142:38:11 Young: Okay, "circuit breaker (panel) 16."

142:38:13 Duke: Go ahead.

142:38:14 Young: "Cabin Repress (valve) to Open."

142:38:16 Duke: Just a minute; let me get in the right position here.

142:38:19 Young: Okay. (Pause) Let me get out of the way.

142:38:29 Duke: That would be great. Good. Okay. Go ahead. What's next? It's open.

142:38:33 Young: "Cabin Repress valve to Close."

142:38:36 Duke: Okay, it's going closed.

142:38:37 Young: "Overhead or forward dump valve, Open, then Auto. At 3.5. Verify cuff gauge does not drop below 4.6." You gonna get the overhead...

142:38:48 Duke: Yeah. Okay, there it comes. Man, that's a big haul up there (to reach the overhead valve).

142:38:53 Young: Okay, we're at 4, 3.8, 3.7, 3.5. Close.

142:38:59 Duke: Okay, it's closed.

142:39:01 Young: Okay, "verify cuff gauge does not drop below 4.6".

142:39:06 Duke: Mine is 5.

142:39:09 Young: Verify. Okay, "cabin at 3.5, suit circuit is locked up at 4.3".

142:39:16 Duke: That's true.

142:39:21 Young: Okay, start the watch. Go ahead, Charlie.

142:39:25 Duke: Okay, let me get my watch started. Okay. Okay, here we go. Open. (Long Pause)

[The EVA starts when they open the valve at 3.5 psi.]

[Note that the time mentioned by the PAO Commentator in the following clip is 11 minutes 48 seconds later than the corresponding transcript time because of a clock update. Crew audio resumes at 142:41:40.]

MP3 Audio Clip at 142:39 ( 2 min 57 sec )

142:40:00 Young: Man, that's wild on your ears.

142:40:01 Duke: Yeah.

[Duke - "The overhead valve made a hissing sound."]

[Jones - "Do you have the impression that opening the overhead valve cleaned any of the dirt out?"]

[Duke - "No, not then. When we opened the bottom hatch - the door - it took a little bit out. That comes up later. Most of it was on the floor. We didn't have any floating around. It's not like zero-gravity."]

[Jones - "Was there a film of dust on the instruments?"]

[Duke - "No."]

[See below, at 142:41:49.]

142:40:03 Young: Old pressure relief valve's working.
[As the cabin depressurizes, the relative pressure in the suit increases and the relief valve opens.]
142:40:24 Young: (Looking out his window to the south) Man, that South Ray is really something.

142:40:41 Young: Coming up on 0.3 (psi).

142:40:51 Young: Okay, coming up on 2 minutes. Supposed to be able to crack the hatch at 2 minutes.

142:40:55 Duke: Yeah, there's the water flag.

142:40:58 Young: Okay. Must be getting up there somewheres.

142:41:03 Duke: Yeah.

142:41:07 Young: ... water flag A. Okay, see if you can torque the - Open forward hatch, I guess.

142:41:13 Duke: Okay.

142:41:15 Young: It's down to...

142:41:16 Duke: That ought to work right.

142:41:18 Young: It's coming up 2 minutes, right now.

142:41:24 Duke: Okay.

142:41:25 Young: Mark. (Pause)

MP3 Audio Clip ( 3 min 02 sec )

142:41:40 Young: There it is. Man!

142:41:42 Duke: Now, go out, dust and everything.

142:41:46 Young: I'll tell you why you can't open it is on account of there's air behind it.

142:41:49 Duke: You can tell that. Look at the particles flying out of here.

142:41:54 England: Maybe it'll clean some of that dirt out.

142:41:56 Young: Okay.

142:41:56 Duke: You got it? (Responding to Tony) It does a pretty good job at that. (To John) Hey, John, you're gonna have to turn around and get over next to your circuit breaker panel for me to get any (PLSS sublimator feed) water on or anything.

142:42:12 Young: Okay. Which way?

142:42:16 Duke: Turn to your right. (Pause)

142:42:25 Young: Can you get it?

142:42:26 Duke: Well, I can; my darn...(Pause) Both hands are all...

142:42:34 Young: Okay, let me get yours.

142:42:36 Duke: Can you reach it?

142:42:39 Young: Watch it that that hatch don't fall shut. Can you turn around?

142:42:43 Duke: That's where I'm gonna head. Wait a minute. Okay, there we go. (Pause)

[Charlie is trying to turn enough toward the rear of the cabin so John can reach the feedwater switch on the bottom right front corner of Charlie's PLSS.]

[Duke - "We were almost face-to-face most of this time, 'cause we were helping one another with the connectors and gloves and stuff. The only time you had to turn around is when...When I was facing John, of course, my circuit breaker panel was behind me and the ECS controls - which faced forward - it was right over here to the right rear; and so you had to turn around. If you didn't watch it you'd keep wrapping yourself up in the hoses. I had a lot of hoses over on my side and it was crowded. But, in this case, I think I'm just turning towards the aft so John can get my water on."]

142:42:55 Young: Can you raise up?

142:42:56 Duke: Not much more; I'm hitting the ceiling. (Long Pause)

142:43:18 Young: There you are.

142:43:19 Duke: Okay. Water's On.

142:43:21 Young: Water is On!

142:43:22 Duke: Okay. Turn back around, I think. I hope. Okay, let me have the hatch.

142:43:30 Young: Okay. Going to hand me the jettison thing and...

142:43:34 Duke: Yeah, when you get out on the porch, I'll hand you everything. Okay?

142:43:37 Young: All right. (Pause) Okay, (garbled). (Long Pause) Okay, I don't have any flags. That thing (meaning the PLSS sublimator) must be working like a champ.

142:44:03 Duke: I've still got a water flag. I can see yours is sublimating. You can really see it. Or you can see some ice building up back there anyway. (Pause)

[The sublimator plates are positioned horizontally at the top of the PLSS, just below the OPS. There is an opening in the PLSS thermal cover just behind the astronaut's neck where the water vapor given off by the sublimator escapes to the lunar vacuum.]
142:44:27 Duke: I'm getting good cooling. I can feel it.

142:44:29 Young: Yeah, so do I.

142:44:31 Duke: Okay, let's go.

142:44:32 Young: Okay.

 

Wake-up for EVA-2 Apollo 16 Journal Down the Ladder for EVA-2