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Apollo 8

Day 4: Lunar Orbits 4, 5 and 6

Corrected Transcript and Commentary Copyright © 2004 by W. David Woods and Frank O'Brien. All rights reserved.

[It is 24th December, 1968; Christmas Eve and Apollo 8 has completed three full orbits of the Moon. Its crew of Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders are well into the thick of their tasks. Prime among these is to extensively photograph the ground passing beneath the spacecraft and to visually appraise the approaches to two possible landing sites on the southern plains of Mare Tranquillitatis.]

[Around the far side, as they began flying over the sunlit half of the Moon, Bill started taking a long series of stereo photographs of the surface, as per the Flight Plan, using magazine D on a Hasselblad camera mounted in one of the forward-facing windows. The camera is controlled by an intervalometer that takes frames at preset intervals. While the intervalometer operates one camera, Bill has been taking photographs of so-called "targets of opportunity" on mag E. Meanwhile, Frank flies the spacecraft and currently has it pointed vertically down so that the mounted camera gets a view of the ground below through the only clear windows in the spacecraft.

075:46:33 Borman (onboard): Ready? Set.

[As instructed by the Flight Plan, Frank executes a 180° roll to the right, a maneuver that is beautifully portrayed in the series of frames from the bracket-mounted Hasselblad by virtue of the camera being aimed along the spacecraft's roll axis.

This is a composite of images from frames AS08-12-2136 to 2149. As the spacecraft moves from right to left with the camera automatically taking regular images, the rotating frames betray Frank's maneuver. The whole of crater Meitner is visible slightly left of centre, revealed by its darker floor and the lightening of some of its inner rim. The composite stretches from 122° on the right to 105° on the left.]

[Frank's rotation of the spacecraft is bringing the three main windows around to look towards their direction of travel. Meanwhile, Bill, who has been taking target-of-opportunity images with the 250-mm lens on black & white film, is using the DSE voice recorder as a log of his work.]

[At this point, one of the crew looks out of a window and catches sight of a beautiful, coloured orb coming over the Moon's western horizon. The event becomes historic and the result is one of the most famous photographs to emerge from the Apollo program, as well as a controversy about who took it that has sustained for over a generation.]

[To help with this, we have two versions of the recording made on the DSE voice track at this time. The first version, kindly supplied by Andy Chaikin, author of A Man on the Moon, is unedited and has a great deal of background noise, presumably from cabin fans and the like.

Recording of Earthrise event, unedited MP3 file (2.9 MB)

To try and improve the clarity of the voices, I produced a second version of the same file with aggressive noise reduction applied. This version also has the pauses shortened to aid voice comparison.

Recording of Earthrise event, edited MP3 file with noise reduction (2.68 MB)

These files are presented to allow readers to make their own minds up on who said what.]

075:47:37 Anders or Borman (onboard): Hey, don't take that, it's not scheduled. (Chuckle.)

[At this point, a photograph is taken on magazine E, loaded with black & white film. Obviously, whoever took this image is not the person who made the admonishment about leaving the schedule.

Click for a larger version.

This is the first photograph taken of Earthrise taken by a human as he watched the event unfold. Interestingly, it is not the image that has become iconic over the years by virtue of the fact it is monochrome. Two colour photographs taken in a minute or so will become the images that are favourite of photo editors around the world. Note how close the Earth is to the lunar horizon. We are looking across the middle of Pasteur, a large degraded mini-basin at 224-km diameter. The lighting renders its rim invisible but the distinct crater in the central foreground is Pasteur G. A cluster of craters at the top of the frame are centred around Pasteur U.]

[We have presented this photograph in an unconventional orientation with the Moon's horizon vertical. On Earth, the convention for a sunrise or moonrise shot is to have the horizon running left to right. Bill Anders has said that this is how he see this image. They were orbiting around the Moon's equator and with north being to the top, Earth came out from behind a vertical horizon.]

[To return to the question of who took this image, it seems to this author (Woods) that it was Bill who jokingly made the admonishment at 075:47:37. This means it is most likely that Frank took the black & white shot, perhaps having grabbed the camera Bill had been using. The reasons for settling on this version are many. 1. Frank was controlling the spacecraft's attitude and was more likely to be looking outside when Earthrise occurred. 2. Bill was preoccupied with making his verbal log on the DSE. 3. To my ear, the line at 075:47:37 sounds like Bill though, as I am not American, perhaps my ear is less attuned to variations in accent. 4. Bill is deeply concerned with his photography task. As a Lunar Module Pilot without a Lunar Module, his photographic schedule is particularly important to him. 5. Bill has a dry sense of humour which makes it more likely that these are his words.]

075:48:10 Lovell (onboard): C 368.

[368 refers to film type, SO-368, which is essentially an Ektachrome-type transparency film manufactured by Kodak. Bill has found magazine B whose images will eventually get the prefix "AS08-14".]

075:49:17 Lovell (onboard): Just take another one, Bill.

AS08-14-2383 - Click for a larger version.

[This is Bill's first colour image of Earthrise over the Moon and is likely the photograph that has become an icon for environmental groups around the world. It manages to contrast the rugged, hostile, barren landscape of the Moon with the dynamic, colourful life-giving sphere of the Earth. The second image is taken after a minor exposure change.

AS08-14-2384 - Click for a larger version.

[So who took the famous Earthrise photograph? Bill Anders had always been sure he had taken it, and strictly speaking he had, as it is quite clear he did take the two colour images. Yet, in his book, Countdown, Frank Borman claims that the famous colour image was taken by him.]

[There are competing theories to explain this difference which were laid out in an article and subsequent letters in The Sciences magazine on the thirtieth anniversary of the flight by Robert Zimmerman, author of Genesis: The Story of Apollo 8, and Andrew Chaikin. Both of these historians agree that Bill took the two colour images and can take credit for the famous image. Their discussion hinges on the identity of the speaker at 075:47:30 who expresses astonishment at the sight of the rising Earth. However, as stated above, this author focusses on the next utterance and comes to the conclusion that Bill said it, leading to the conclusion that Frank took the first black & white photograph. The unfortunate fact about this controversey is that Frank and Bill have very similar voices and it can often be difficult to distinguish between them.]

[As the crew are enjoy an historic view of their home planet, the other Hasselblad in its mounting is still photographing the landscape below.

This strip from the vertical stereo sequence passes through the northern half of Pasteur. The crater itself is virtually invisible in this image, but for reference, Pasteur G is slightly east of the crater's centre and its northwest rim runs roughly from Pasteur U around north of Pasteur Y.]

075:50:08 Collins: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over [No answer.]

Public Affairs Officer - "And we are advised that we are having antenna problems at our prime site. We have handed it to another site, Goldstone, I believe. You will notice, on some of these transmissions, a lot of background noise, that is being done on the smaller-powered antennas from the spacecraft. Around the High Gain Antenna - the one which transmits the television pictures and other data, the reception is much clearer. Another call has gone out, here is the conversation."

075:50:26 Collins: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over

075:50:33 Borman: Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8 here.

075:50:36 Collins: Roger. We have been having a little antenna problem on the ground here. We are reading you now with a lot of noise in the background. How me?

075:50:46 Borman: Loud and clear, Michael.

075:50:59 Collins: Roger. Frank, we are still trying to get a little bit better comm here. Stand by; you're unreadable.

[Comm break.]

[Their current attitude is unfavourable for the High Gain Antenna (HGA) so communications will be via the omnidirectional antenna whose performance can be marginal at this distance.]

075:52:30 Borman: Loud and clear, Houston. Apollo 8

075:52:32 Collins: I understand you are reading us loud and clear; we are barely reading you. Would you go to P00 and Accept, please? We are going to send you a P27 update.

075:52:45 Borman: Roger. Going to P00 and to Accept, Houston. [Long pause.]

075:53:47 Borman: We are in P00 and Accept.

075:53:51 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. You are not readable. We are going to delay the P27 until we get a little bit better lock on you. [Long pause.]

Public Affairs Officer - "This is Apollo Control, Houston. We are having antenna difficulties. We are going to try some more. Stand by. Let's continue to monitor."

[The vertical stereo sequence is still being taken, now looking at terrain that can be seen, if somewhat obliquely, from Earth.

To the left of this image, compiled from frames AS08-12-2164 to 2177, the flooded craters Kiess and Helmert represent the southern limits of Mare Smythii. The three craters, Hirayama Q, M and K lie along the degraded southern rim of Hirayama itself.]

[These images essentially form the last of the stereo sequence as Frank is about pitch the spacecraft away from its nose-down attitude.]

075:54:49 Borman: Roger. Roger. We copy.

[The computer's knowledge of where it is and how fast it is going is about to be updated by information uploaded directly into its memory by the flight controllers on the ground. There are two slot in memory where this information is stored, known as the LM slot (for when the spacecraft has a Lunar Module attached) and the CSM slot. The LM slot is being used as a back-up copy for this mission. There is a specific command, Verb 47, for the computer to transfer the contents of the LM slot to the CSM slot.]

075:55:03 Borman: Roger. Loud and clear.

075:55:05 Collins: All right. I'll go ahead with a map update when you're ready to copy.

075:55:17 Borman: Okay. Can you hold off a minute? [Long pause.]

075:56:17 Collins: Apollo 8, this is Houston. How are you reading now?

075:56:34 Borman: Go ahead, Houston. This is Apollo 8. [Long pause.]

075:57:04 Collins: Apollo 8, this is Houston with a map update. Are you ready to copy?

075:57:12 Borman: Just a minute, Mike.

075:57:20 Collins: Roger. Apollo 8, Houston. Your map update for rev 4 to 5: LOS, 76:59:59; sunrise, 77:09:06; prime meridian, 77:15:47; AOS, 77:45:50; sunset, 78:22:03; IP-1 position time for control point 2, 77:29:42; IP-1 time closest approach for target B1, 78:10:25. Over.

075:58:23 Borman: We'll have to get that data later on.

075:58:31 Collins: We'll try it again later, Frank.

075:58:38 Borman: Thank you.

[Long comm break.]

[The map update will be read up at 076:20:26.]

[As they head towards the terminator, Frank begins pitching the spacecraft up to a 'sharp-end-forward attitude. This maneuver results in the windows facing the black sky while the optics on the opposite side of the Command Module are directed downwards for Jim to make an evaluation of the landing site. As the pitch maneuver progresses, the camera taking the vertical stereo sequence continues recording the view and shows the pitch motion occurring. Frames AS08-12-2178 to 2186 have been brought together in an animated GIF file that shows the horizon pass through the field of view until the Earth is at the edge of frame, at which point Frank stops the maneuver. The first frame of the animation shows a collection of craters between Kiess and Kastner. Just before the horizon goes out of shot, we see a glimpse of the eastern edge of Mare Fecunditatis towards the bottom of frame and Mare Spumans towards the top.]

[Bill stops the mounted camera as it is no longer looking at anything useful. Magazine D will not be used again until after the Trans-Earth Injection (TEI) burn as the Moon is receding.]

076:03:14 Collins: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

076:03:23 Anders: Do you want to take this nav sighting?

[Comm break.]

076:06:17 Anders: Roger, Houston. How do you read?

076:06:19 Collins: Reading you a lot better, Bill. How are you reading me?

076:06:25 Anders: I'm reading you five - loud and clear, and [are] you copying our low bit data to record these tracking passes? Over.

076:06:35 Collins: That is affirmative. We are getting low bit data now.

076:06:41 Anders: Okay. I've played - run the tape recorder back to the beginning. We have quite a bit of high bit, so all you'll have to do is start recording when you are ready.

076:06:55 Collins: Roger. Stand by one, Bill. [Long pause.]

076:07:27 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. Stand by one on the tape recorder dump. We would like you to look at your steam pressure. We think that the primary evaporator may have dried out, and if the steam pressure shows off-scale low, would you please close the back pressure valve and reservice the evaporator? Over.

076:07:50 Borman: Roger.

076:08:49 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. We are ready to send you the P27 LM state vector update when you are ready. Over.

076:08:58 Borman: You will have to wait until this tracking exercise is over with, Mike.

076:09:02 Collins: Roger. Thank you.

[Long comm break.]

[With the HGA being on the same side of the spacecraft as the optics, both of which are facing the Moon while Jim completes his tracking exercise, the communications with Earth are poor.]

[At 074:27:40, times were read up by the ground that included two which represented the acquisition times of two "initial points" that Jim would view on the lead up to tracking the B-1 landing site. Jim will take marks on these points and the landing site so that comparison with their orbit will allow accurate surface coordinates to be computed.]

Public Affairs Officer - "Apollo Control, Houston here. 76 hours, 24 minutes. Communication much improved now as we move out on the front side of the Moon. Here is how it is going."

076:18:09 Anders: Apollo 8.

076:18:14 Collins: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Were you calling? Over.

076:18:19 Anders: Roger. You can go ahead now and give the computer the updates, and let's get going on the PAD messages.

076:18:26 Collins: Roger. [Pause.]

076:18:36 Anders: It is in P00 and Accept. [Pause.]

076:18:44 Anders: Okay, Houston. Are you ready to talk about the water boiler problem?

076:18:49 Collins: Roger. We copy you in P00 and Accept, and we are sending you a P27 LM state vector. On the water boiler, it looks to us like the evaporator has been reserviced. How does it look to you? Over.

[Bill is in charge of the spacecraft's systems and he has had trouble with the evaporator since halfway through the translunar coast. If water was passing through the evaporator's cooling plates, the pressure of the vapour on the other side would be measurable. Mike Collins commented earlier that this steam pressure was lower than the sensor's range could show, so the implication is that the evaporator has dried out and is no longer functioning.]

076:19:25 Collins: Roger. Understand you tried to reservice it twice, both times steam pressure has gone to zero, and now you are closing the back-pressure valve manually.

076:19:36 Anders: Roger. Each time I have reserviced it, the steam pressure came up to about 0.07 to 0.1; but as soon as the steam and water were put to Auto, the steam pressure went right back down again.

076:20:01 Collins: Roger. We copy, and we are reading you loud and clear now, Bill. On your map update, did you copy that that I gave you previously?

076:20:13 Lovell: Negative. We have not copied it yet.

076:20:14 Anders: Negative.

076:20:17 Collins: Okay. I have it for you again when you are ready to copy.

076:20:24 Lovell: Ready to copy.

076:20:26 Collins: This is a map update for revs 4/5: LOS, 76:59:59; sunrise, 77:09:06; prime meridian, 77:15:47; AOS, 77:45:50; sunset, 78:22:03. Remarks: IP-1, acquisition time for CP2 is 77:29:42; IP-1 time closest approach for target B1, 78:10:25. Over.

[This map update refers to events and landmarks that will be encountered as the spacecraft ends the fourth and begins the fifth orbit around the Moon. It is interpreted as follows:

Loss Of Signal (LOS) before start of rev 5: 76:59:59.

This is the time they lose contact with Earth as they go behind the Moon.

Spacecraft Sunrise in orbit: 77:09:06.

At this time, the spacecraft will emerge into sunlight. About 6 minutes later, it will pass over the Moon's sunset terminator.

Passing over Prime Meridian of 150°W: 77:15:47.

At this time, they will be passing over the eastern rim of the large far-side crater Korolev which coincides with the 150°W line of longitude.

Acquisition Of Signal (AOS): 77:45:50.

Communications with Earth will be re-established 45 minutes, 51 seconds after LOS.

Spacecraft sunset in orbit: 78:22:03.

As the spacecraft moves across the near-side face of the crescent Moon, this is the time it will pass from lunar daytime into the lunar night 6 minutes after it passes over the sunrise terminator.

Jim has an exercise to track a control point on the Moon's surface about 150 km west of crater Keeler. To help him lead to it, he has a recognisable initial point that he can track which becomes visible earlier. He will acquire this point at 77:29:42.

Additionally, he will make sightings of the possible landing site B-1 for which he also has an initial point. The update PAD includes the time of closest approach to this initial point, at 78:10:25.]

076:21:52 Collins: That's right, and the prime meridian time is 77:15:47, and you got your computer back. We've got a good P27 update.

076:22:04 Borman: Okay. We will go to P00 and Transfer.

076:22:07 Collins: Roger. [Long pause.]

076:22:45 Borman: Houston, do you have a TEI-5 for us?

076:22:48 Collins: We are working on it now, Frank. [We will] have it for you momentarily.

076:22:56 Borman: Roger. [Long pause.]

[Each time they come across the Moon's near side, Houston gives the crew a PAD that would allow them to make an accurate return home in case of an emergency during their next far-side pass.]

[Apollo 8 has just passed into the Moon's shadow. Frank stops the spacecraft's orb-rate maneuver and instead adopts an inertial attitude while they coast through the Earthlit darkness. Bill aims the HGA]

076:23:32 Anders: Go.

076:23:33 Collins: Roger. On your back-pressure valve, we would like to know how long after you closed the back-pressure valve the first time - how long was it from the time you closed it until the time you started the reservicing. We would like for you to wait about 15 minutes to prevent any ice from forming due to flash freezing. Over.

076:23:59 Anders: Okay. I started immediately to reservice it. [Long pause.]

076:24:17 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. We showed that you closed it this last time about 4 minutes ago, so we would like you to wait another 15 minutes and then try to reservice it again at that time and then go to Auto. Over.

076:24:41 Anders: Roger.

[What Collins is referring to as the back-pressure valve is the Steam Pressure Control Valve. This valve controls the flow of water vapour into space and therefore the degree of evaporation from the wick. If needed, it can be used to close the steam duct completely from the vacuum of space. If Bill closes the valve, he can restart the flow of water into the metal wick. However, when he first closes the Steam Pressure Control Valve, the space in the steam duct that has been isolated is still at a vacuum. Mission Control are aware that the sudden presence of water in a vacuum would cause quick evaporation, hence rapid cooling and possibly the formation of ice. This would be a dangerous situation as the expansion of ice could damage the structure of the evaporator and perhaps the integrity of the spacecraft's pressure hull. Waiting for 15 minutes would allow vapour to slowly build up in the closed-off steam duct and make the introduction of water into the wick a safer operation.]

[The Mission Report indicates that Jim has just perfomed a realignment of the guidance platform using stars 22 (Regulus) and 30 (Menkent).]

076:25:15 Collins: Roger. We copy that, Bill. And we confirm that's a good configuration.

076:25:28 Anders: Right now, I've got the H₂O flow, Off. Do we stay that way?

076:25:32 Collins: Affirmative. [Long pause.]

076:25:45 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. On your television update, we propose that you start the TV at the Flight Plan time of 85 hours, 37 minutes and simply extend the stop time a few minutes. You're currently scheduled to stop at 86 hours, and we would like to keep it going until the terminator, which should be approximately 86:14. Over.

[At 074:40:51 Frank asked for a slight readjustment of the Flight Plan during the ninth rev so that he could include TV imagery of the terminator while he and his crew make what will become an historic TV transmission to Earth.]

076:26:27 Collins: Frank, I know you are busy up there. We've got the daily news for you whenever and if ever you'd like to hear it.

076:26:38 Borman: I'll give you a call.

[Comm break.]

076:27:51 Borman: Go ahead.

076:27:53 Collins: I have the TEI-5 PAD for you whenever you are ready to copy.

076:28:05 Borman: Okay. Go ahead.

076:28:07 Collins: Okay. TEI-5; SPS/G&N; 47 - correction - 45701; minus 0.43, plus 1.16; 079:21:26.03. Are you with me so far?

076:28:41 Borman: Roger.

076:28:43 Collins: Plus 3117.1, minus 0076.7, minus 0021.4; 180, 017, 001; not applicable, plus 0018.8; 3118.1, 2:59, 3100.3. Are you with me? Over.

076:29:44 Borman: Roger.

076:29:47 Collins: Roger. 40, 271.1 39.8; 033, down 04.3, left 2.3; plus 08.32, minus 165.00; 1295.6, 36208, 146:39:44; north set of stars remain Sirius and Rigel; roll, pitch, and yaw remain same angles, 129,155, 010; ullage remains 2 quads for 20 seconds, quads B and D. Horizon on 4 degree line at T_IG minus 3 minutes. Over.

[The PAD is interpreted as follows:

Purpose: The PAD is for an emergency burn to return to Earth at the end of Rev 5.

Systems: The burn would be made using the SPS engine, under the control of the Guidance and Navigation system.

CSM Weight (Noun 47): 45,701 pounds (20,730 kg).

Pitch and yaw trim (Noun 48): -0.43° and +1.16°.

Time of ignition (Noun 33): 79 hours, 21 minutes, 26.03 seconds.

Change in velocity (Noun 81), fps (m/s): x, +3,117.1 (+950.1); y, -76.7 (-23.4); z, -21.4 (-6.5).

The large positive number in the X direction inplies a large prograde component, essentially adding to their orbital velocity, exactly what would be expected from an escape maneuver.

Spacecraft attitude: Roll, 180°; Pitch, 17°; Yaw, 1°.

The crew will be in a heads-down attitude at ignition with the nose pitched slightly above the horizontal.

Expected apogee of resulting orbit (Noun 44): Not applicable. Being initiated around the Moon, the apogee of the resulting orbit around the Earth is too large to register on the computer.

Expected perigee of resulting orbit (Noun 44): 18.8 nautical miles (34.8 km).

Delta-V_T: 3118.1 fps (950.4 m/s). The total sum of the three velocity components.

Burn duration or burn time: 2 minutes, 59 seconds.

Delta-V_C: 3,100.3 fps (945.0 m/s). A suitable figure to enter in the EMS to allow it to shut down the engine as a backup in case the G&N system fails.

Sextant star: Star 40 (Altair, or Alpha Aquilae) visible in sextant when shaft and trunnion angles are 271.1° and 39.8° respectively.

Boresight star: Star 33 (Antares, Or Alpha Scorpii).

COAS Pitch Angle: Down 4.3°.

COAS X Position Angle: Left 2.3°.

Expected splashdown point (Noun 61): 8.32° north, 165° west; which is in the mid-Pacific.

Range to go: 1,295.6 nautical miles (2,339.4 km). This nautical-mile figure is used to set up the EMS.

Expected velocity at Entry Interface: 36,208 fps (11,036 m/s).

Time of Entry Interface: 146 hours, 39 minutes and 44 seconds GET.

Stars to be used for GDC align purposes are Sirius and Rigel. The align angles are roll, 129°; pitch, 155°; yaw, 10°.

There are two additional points given in the PAD. An ullage burn of 20 seconds should be made by two of the RCS jets to settle the contents of the half-empty SPS tanks prior to the burn. This is minimise the chance of helium gas being ingested when the engine ignites.]

076:32:23 Collins: No objection to four-quad ullage, Apollo 8.

076:32:28 Borman: Okay. We'd like to just go ahead and use four quads all times, unless we get a lot shorter on fuel than we are now.

076:32:34 Collins: Understand. [Pause.]

076:32:39 Borman: And is that 15 seconds?

076:32:42 Collins: Affirmative: 15 seconds, four quads.

076:32:49 Collins: Apollo 8...

076:32:50 Borman: Thank you, and horizon is 4 degrees at minus...

076:32:54 Collins: That readback is correct, Frank, and we'd like to advise that the voice quality on that high bit rate is excellent. Over.

076:33:04 Borman: Thank you. Mike, it's 4 quads for 15 seconds. Is that right?

076:33:12 Collins: That is affirmative, Apollo 8: 4 quads for 15 seconds.

076:33:18 Borman: Thank you.

[Comm break.]

076:35:45 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston.

076:35:50 Borman: Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.

076:35:53 Collins: Roger for Bill. He can go ahead and do his standard reservice on the water now. It's looking good.

076:36:05 Borman: Okay. You want us to reservice it now?

076:36:07 Collins: That's affirmative, and on completion, go back to Auto.

076:36:19 Anders: Roger.

[Long comm break.]

Public Affairs Officer - "This is Apollo Control, Houston. Our time 76 hours and 40 minutes, and I think Mike Collins is about to advise the crew that they have a Go for rev 5. Stand by."

076:40:21 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston.

076:40:27 Borman: Go ahead, Houston.

076:40:28 Collins: Roger. We are still dumping your tapes. The voice quality on high bit is coming through superb, and you are Go for next rev. And we would like to get a brief status report on your rest between 60 hours and LOI-1, just to fill in some information for us.

076:40:56 Borman: We only got a couple of hours rest.

076:40:58 Collins: Okay. [Pause.]

076:41:06 Borman: We're tired right now, but we will have to wait until TEI before we get back to the regular cycle.

076:41:12 Collins: All right. I suspect you're right.

[Sleep has been an abiding problem throughout mission. Not only did the crew find it difficult to sleep in shifts due to the close quarters of the other crewmembers, they are noy keyed up and very busy fulfilling the major goal of the mission around the Moon. They will struggle to get rested during their 20-hour stay in lunar orbit and yet must be alert enough to complete the complex procedures for the burn to get them home.]

[By the Flight Plan, Frank is due to begin his meal. For this, Bill should be taking his seat on the left ready to control the spacecraft in preparation for Jim's next tracking exercise.]

076:41:30 Collins: Roger. We copy, Bill. [Long pause.]

076:41:56 Anders: If we have a problem, a similar problem, again on the back side in the sunlight, might be a good idea to crank the secondary loop until we have AOS. What do you think about that?

[As well as the primary cooling system, whose evaporator is prone to drying out, the spacecraft has a secondary circuit that can be brought into play should the primary fail to provide enough cooling. The evaporator in the secondary loop is entirely automatic.]

[Comm break.]

076:43:23 Lovell: Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8.

076:43:25 Collins: Roger, Jim. In regard to your evaporator, we feel that if you do have a similar problem next time on the back side in the sunlight, check the evaporator outlet temperature, and if it gets above 60, we concur that it would be a good idea to bring up the secondary loop. Over.

076:43:47 Lovell: Roger. [Long pause.]

076:44:17 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. When we say bring up the secondary loop, we mean bring up the evaporator only on the secondary loop. Copy?

076:44:28 Borman: Roger.

076:44:29 Lovell: Roger.

[Long comm break.]

076:49:56 Collins: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

076:50:02 Anders: I say how about a little bit of that news you promised?

076:50:05 Collins: Roger. We got the Interstellar Times here, the December 24 edition. Your TV program was a big success. It was viewed this morning by most of the nations of your neighboring planet, the Earth. It was carried live all over Europe, including even Moscow and East Berlin. Also in Japan and all of North and Central America, and parts of South America. We don't know yet how extensive the coverage was in Africa. Are you copying me all right? Over.

076:50:38 Borman: You are loud and clear.

076:50:40 Collins: Good. San Diego welcomed home today the Pueblo crew in a big ceremony. They had a pretty rough time of it in the Korean prison. Christmas cease-fire is in effect in Vietnam, with only sporadic outbreaks of fighting. And if you haven't done your Christmas shopping by now, you better forget it.

076:51:02 Anders: Thank you.

076:51:04 Collins: A couple of [Houston] Oilers made the All Star team, Webster and Farr.

076:51:14 Anders: Roger. [Pause.]

076:51:22 Collins: And that's about all our news. How about your news?

076:51:28 Borman: Well, we'll be looking forward to a big burn here shortly.

076:51:34 Collins: Roger.

076:51:39 Lovell: Mike, I think I can say it without contradiction, it's been a mighty long dry spell up here.

076:51:48 Collins: I guess you can say anything you like without contradiction.

076:51:56 Borman: When do we dump water, Houston?

076:52:00 Collins: Say again, Frank.

076:52:04 Borman: When can we dump water?

076:52:06 Collins: Stand by.

[Comm break.]

[Water builds up from two sources, the excess produced by the fuel cells and urine passed by the crew. It is the latter that Frank is most concerned with. Both are ejected through two ports on the side of the Command Module, as shown in this image of Charlie Brown, the Apollo 10 CM. As the water hits the vacuum of space, it quickly evaporates while at the same time freezing. By this vigourous evaporation, it imparts a tiny thrust on the spacecraft that has measurable effects on its trajectory. At some point, such perturbation must be compensated for.]

076:53:38 Borman: Go, Houston.

076:53:39 Collins: We will get you the number after a while on your water dump. It looks like the quantity isn't increasing very slightly, and we're considering not only the quantity in regard to the dump, but also its effects on the trajectory relative to TEI and so forth, but we will have a good answer for you shortly.

076:54:00 Borman: We are not just thinking about the waste water tank: we're thinking about some other kind of water that has to get dumped out of the spacecraft, slightly used water.

076:54:11 Collins: Roger. We understand.

[Comm break.]

076:56:35 Borman: Go ahead.

076:56:36 Collins: Roger. We have about three and a half minutes to LOS. We'll give you back the DSE under your control, and in regard to your water dump, we are tentatively predicting a waste water tank dump at about 80 hours GET and any other dumps are your discretion, any time you would like to make them.

076:57:00 Borman: Thank you. [Pause.]

076:57:08 Collins: People listening to the high bit rate down here say it's like sitting in your living room listening to a good hi-fi.

076:57:21 Borman: Sounds like a good idea. [Long pause.]

076:58:03 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. Coming up on two minutes to LOS. We got a good reservice on the primary evaporator, and everything is still looking very good down here.

076:58:16 Borman: Okay. Thank you. [Long pause.]

[The evaporator will function normally for the rest of their stay at the Moon. After they begin their coast home, they will deactivate it so that the vapour coming from the steam vent does not influence their trajectory. Prior to re-entry, it will be reactivated, only to dry out again.]

076:59:12 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. One minute to LOS. Are you still reading us loud and clear?

076:59:18 Borman: Loud and clear. Loud and clear.

076:59:20 Collins: Okay, fine. We've been noticing a little bit of increase in our background noise as you approach back-side.

076:59:30 Borman: Roger. We had to go off the High Gain. That's why.

076:59:35 Collins: Roger. [Pause.]

076:59:44 Collins: Have a good back-side; we'll see you next time around.

076:59:49 Borman: Okay, Mike.

Public Affairs Officer - "Mike Collins has reminded the crew one minute to LOS and Frank says, "Loud and clear. Loud and clear". They will say their goodbyes on, you heard nothing much from Bill Anders on this pass and you are not likely to for several more. He is an extremely busy photographer. His column in the Flight Plan is almost solid with instructions. He is moving from one couch to another. He is using several kinds of cameras, changing lens, and he is as busy as one man - one astronaut could be. Jim Lovell is working down at the G&N station, getting pointing data. And the Command Pilot in addition to flying the spacecraft, having lunch, is been carrying on a running conversation with his compatriot, Mike Collins, down here on the Earth. We have lost lock, we should be back with the crew in 44 minutes. This is Apollo Control at 77 hours into the flight."

[As Apollo 8 moves around behind the Moon, Jim prepares for a series of tracking exercises. By the Flight Plan, this will require him sighting on a landmark on the far side known as Control Point 2 which is situated in the vicinity of crater Keeler. His subsequent comm after AOS shows that he also sights on Control Point 1, a keyhole-shaped pair of craters within Korolev. Using an adapter, he will attach the 16-mm movie camera to the sextant so that it can simultaneously film the sightings.]

[Part of the mission objectives for Apollo 8 is to demonstrate the ability of the spacecraft's optics and computer to determine the position of a landmark. Up to this time, much of the Moon's far side had been photographed by the Lunar Orbiter probes though the photography provided could not allow accurate determination of positions of surface features. Jim will use the computer to approximately aim the optics at the landmark. He will then aim them accurately and take marks. Using its knowledge of their orbit, the computer will calculate where it thinks the landmark really is with three parameters; latitude, longitude and altitude. Note that their computer is not programmed to deal directly with longitude. Instead it was programmed to work with longitude divided by two so that the limited range of its registers can deal with longitude to the required precision.]

077:19:13 Lovell (onboard): Latitude, minus 06269; longitude over two, minus 78954; altitude, plus 00152.

[Jim's figures represent the computer's idea of where CP-1 is. This is a small crater next to this keyhole-shaped feature in Korolev.

The Keyhole is quite distinctive in this image from Bill's stereo sequence. There are spaces on page 2-59 of the Flight Plan where these figures can be written in. By looking up these coordinates in the Clementine Lunar Atlas, it appears Jim's mark is very close, much more so than the mark given in the Flight Plan which appears to be 140 km to the west. Subsequent comm will show that Jim has decided to choose his own marks for the tracking exercise rather than use those given in the Flight Plan.]

077:32:51 Lovell (onboard): Altitude is minus four balls 7.

[These are the computer's figures for Jim's mark on CP-2. By the Clementine Lunar Atlas, this is a point just north of the crater Plante, itself within the larger crater Keeler.]

077:33:04 Lovell (onboard): Okay.

077:34:17 Lovell (onboard): Okay, could you read off the latitude and longitude [garble].

077:34:23 Anders (onboard): [Garbled.]

077:34:29 Lovell (onboard): 06?

077:36:56 Anders (onboard): [Garble.] Okay, f - f:11. 250th.

077:37:40 Lovell (onboard): Okay, 37:48. You can go right [garble] this will give us the - [garble] 37:48 [garble].

077:38:34 Anders (onboard): Well, if it's not [garble]; It'll drop to zero, if it doesn't [garble] because [garble] yes.

077:40:47 Anders (onboard): Okay.

077:41:02 Borman (onboard): The [garble] says we have to go about 50 before this should start falling.

077:41:17 Anders (onboard): We can do nothing at the [garble] before high bit rate.

077:41:27 Anders (onboard): Yes, I'm going - Are you positive about that?

077:41:29 Borman (onboard): Yes.

077:41:33 Anders (onboard): Give me a 30-second warning when you want to say something. I'll have to stop it, [garble] that leaves 30 seconds [garble].

077:42:47 Borman (onboard): Yes.

077:43:23 Borman (onboard): If it would have been Lock, we've got - got two of them.

077:43:46 Lovell (onboard): Bill, [garble]. Do you know I can see the horizon? Can you see the horizon?

077:43:59 Anders (onboard): Pitch up?

077:44:00 Lovell (onboard): Yes, pitch up to...

077:44:20 Borman (onboard): Pitch is about 50.

077:44:23 Lovell (onboard): Can you pitch up some more?

077:45:20 Lovell (onboard): No, that's about right. Let's take pictures of [garble]. You see the [garble] right there.

077:46:37 Borman (onboard): Houston, Apollo 8. How do you read?

077:46:40 Lovell (onboard): You have the (garble)?

077:46:43 Anders (onboard): Yes, I've got it over here.

077:46:45 Lovell (onboard): You've got it?

077:46:46 Anders (onboard): Here you go; I'll pass (garble).

077:46:48 Collins: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over. [Long pause.]

077:47:05 Anders: Houston, Apollo 8. Go ahead.

077:47:07 Collins: Roger. Read you loud and clear. Welcome back.

077:47:13 Anders: Roger. Looks like the evaporator - looks like the evaporator is holding okay, or at least it's trying to. It dropped the temperature down to about 32 and now it's come back up again and stabilized at about 42 degrees.

077:47:31 Collins: Roger. Copy you, Bill.

[Comm break.]

077:48:32 Lovell (onboard): Huh? Okay.

077:48:41 Lovell: Houston, Apollo 8.

077:48:44 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston.

077:48:50 Lovell: Roger. Houston, this is Apollo 8. What we are doing on the control point tracking - I managed to look for a CP-1 at the same time we were trying to do a CP-2 on this rev. I picked up two marks which are just as small, but more easily recognizable, than the ones that were given to me. I know that I can repeat the process and pick the same small point on the next rev. Now I can try to look for the control points that are written down, but I think that I have better control over the ones that we have.

[Jim's comm implies that he has chosen points like Keyhole to suit himself rather than using ones which are chosen for him. As long as he can reference them after the flight. this should not be a problem.]

077:49:29 Collins: Roger, Jim. Understand. We'll check that for you.

077:49:34 Lovell: Roger. One more point: the control point times which you have given me are a little bit off, and I can notice, by comparing these maps, that these maps are not too well aligned either.

077:49:47 Collins: Roger, these two small points that you can repeat your marks on: will you be able to identify those precisely on a map? Over.

077:50:00 Lovell: That's affirmative; that is why I picked them. They are both - they're both very prominent features, and they are both very small craters about the same size as the ones we are looking for, but I can pinpoint them on a map.

077:50:13 Collins: Roger. [Long pause.]

077:50:41 Lovell (onboard): Yes, you need about a 10-degree pitch up from that attitude. 077:50:48 Lovell: Houston, Apollo 8.

077:50:49 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

077:50:54 Lovell: Roger. One more comment: is just that what with all the controversy at data priority meetings, it looks like 10 degrees pitch-up is the best attitude to obtain the horizon so that you can follow the landmark down through the scanning telescope. If you pitch down any more, a full-up trunnion will not get the horizon, and the horizon is a great help in leading yourself into the control point.

077:51:28 Collins: Roger. Understand.

[Comm break.]

077:52:30 Lovell (onboard): Let's see, do you have that [garble] thing? Is that it?

077:52:40 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston.

077:52:45 Lovell: Go ahead.

077:52:47 Collins: Jim, we concur with your use of the two small craters which you can repeatably mark on and find on the map; and also, if you will give us your new latitudes and longitudes, we can compute for you a time of closest approach to those points with the spacecraft 10 degrees pitched up. Over.

077:53:12 Lovell: Roger, Houston. CP-1, latitude, minus 6 - 06269; longitude over 2, minus 78954; altitude, plus 00152; for CP-2, latitude, minus 09638; longitude over 2, plus 81691; altitude, minus 00007. I tried to get CP-3 at the same last pass, but I let it go by to get set up for this first crack at the landing site.

077:54:05 Collins: Roger, Houston. CP-1: would you say again the latitude, and on CP-2, say again the longitude CP-2, please.

077:54:15 Lovell: Roger. CP-1, latitude, minus 06269 - that's the latitude; and for longitude over 2 for CP-2, plus 81691.

077:54:34 Collins: Okay. We copied them. Thank you.

077:54:43 Lovell: And it appears that Resolve, Medium is a very good combination to use around the track.

077:54:53 Collins: Roger. I understand. Resolve medium.

077:54:54 Borman (onboard): Yes.

077:54:59 Lovell: And it appears so far, Houston, that no spacecraft pitch motion is required to get 5 marks on the target in plenty of time.

077:55:10 Collins: Roger. I understand you require no spacecraft motion to get 5 marks.

[Long comm break.]

078:04:07 Lovell (onboard): Okay, we'll stop and compute the (garble) right now.

Public Affairs Officer - "And that brings us up to this point, we have had no additional comments now, for a half a minute or so, that is excellent data to have, precisely the kind of data that we had hoped to get. The navigational side of lunar orbit which will be flown by both the command - future command module and LM flights around the Moon. Lovell will continue to his navigational work; and dear old Bill Anders, sitting off in one corner there, squeezing off pictures that the most professional photographers wouldn't believe. Frank Borman is entering a rest period here, which is to extent of three hours. It is doubtful that he will really go to sleep, but he has been excellent about following Flight Plan today - he probably needs rest. At 77 hours, 57 minutes into the flight; this is Apollo Control, Houston."

078:04:15 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston.

078:04:20 Lovell: Go ahead.

078:04:21 Borman (maybe Anders): Go ahead, Houston.

078:04:23 Collins: Roger. I am about 15 minutes early with the TEI fix update and the map update. I will have them here whenever it's convenient for you to copy.

078:04:36 Anders: Okay. Just a little bit, Mike.

[Long comm break.]

078:13:26 Lovell (onboard): Call them (garble).

078:13:28 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston.

078:13:35 Lovell: Go ahead. Houston.

078:13:37 Collins: Roger. We would like to ask you to stop using auto optics on the pseudo-landing site. It's necessary that we send you up a P27 to update the RLS values stored in the computer. Over.

078:13:54 Lovell: Roger. I found out it didn't work [garble] I went to manual optics on B-1.

078:14:01 Collins: Roger. Understand.

[Comm break.]

078:16:44 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

078:16:49 Borman: Go ahead, Houston.

078:16:51 Collins: Roger. If you would go to P00 and Accept, please, we are going to send you a P27 load which will update an RLS value which will be followed by a procedural change, Jim, we will give you later; and auto optics should be working shortly.

078:17:12 Lovell: Roger. Or I could use no-landmark Auto Optics instead of the code. [Pause.]

078:17:31 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. We are also sending you up a state vector update at the same time.

078:17:39 Lovell: Okay. We will be expecting that. [Long pause.]

078:18:14 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. We taking the DSE for a dump. Over. [Pause.]

078:18:31 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

078:18:36 Lovell: Go ahead, Houston.

078:18:38 Collins: Roger. We would like to take Bill's DSE for a dump. Over.

078:18:44 Lovell: Roger. Go ahead.

078:18:46 Collins: Thank you.

[Long comm break.]

Public Affairs Officer - "Our orbit this rev 6 - shows a 62-[nautical] mile apogee [means apolune or apocynthion] and a 60.1-[nautical] mile perigee [means perilune or pericynthion] - perigee occurring at 10 degrees south by 101 degrees east and apogee occurring at 10 degrees north by 78 west. Here goes a call."

078:24:33 Anders: Houston, Apollo 8. We're ready for the - your updates, your PADs.

078:24:38 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. Roger. I have updates, a map update for rev 5/6, and TEI-6 update. Which would you like first?

078:24:51 Anders: Okay. I've got the map update page now. Why don't you give me that one?

078:24:55 Collins: Okay. Map update for rev 5/6. LOS, 78:58:49; sunrise, 79:08:07; prime meridian, 79:14:30; AOS, 79:44:36; sunset, 80:21:05; IP-1, time of closest approach to target B-1, 80:09:08. Now your two new control points that Jim gave us: control point number 1, acquisition, 79:10:32; control point number 2, acquisition, 79:23:14. Over.

078:26:16 Anders: Roger. Copy. Ready for the TEI

078:26:26 Collins: Okay, Bill. Before we read the big TEI update here, I'd like to give Jim, briefly, a procedure for P22. When he comes to Noun 89, we request that he do a Verb 34, Enter. Do not Proceed, and by so doing then, he will not incorporate the lat. and longitude from his mark, and he will not change the reference value of the landing site, and we will solve this auto optics problem. Over.

078:27:08 Lovell: Let me see if I have this correct, Mike. When flashing [Verb] 06 [Noun] 89 comes up with the latitude and longitude information, I will not Proceed but will go to Verb 34 and terminate. Is that correct?

078:27:24 Collins: Yes, that is affirmative. Do a Verb 34, Enter, instead of a proceed. And that will...

078:27:34 Lovell: All right. Is this technique true? [Pause.]

078:27:45 Lovell: Houston, is this technique true for both the node control point auto optics on P25?

078:27:52 Collins: Stand by one, Jim.

078:27:54 Lovell: And the len [garbled]. [Long pause.]

078:28:09 Collins: That is affirmative, Apollo 8. That is always true.

078:28:16 Lovell: Okay. Roger. True for the code auto optics and no landmark. I'll proceed instead of going on - or I'll use 34 instead proceeding on 89.

078:28:25 Collins: Roger. Thank you, Jim, and I have the TEI-6 hour, when you are ready - or TEI number 6.

078:28:45 Borman: Go ahead. [Pause.]

078:28:52 Anders: Ready to copy.

078:28:54 Collins: Roger. I'm glad you are ready to copy TEI number 6. I've got one last comment for Jim before you do so. The Verb 89 - or correction - the Noun 89 we are talking about is the one that he gets after marking. There are two Noun 89s, one prior to marking and one after, and our procedure references Noun 89 after marking. Over.

078:29:21 Lovell: Roger. Understand.

078:29:24 Collins: Thank you, and, Bill, you still ready to copy?

078:29:29 Anders: Ready to copy, Mike.

078:29:31 Collins: TEI-6, SPS/G&N; 45701; minus 0.40, plus 1.57. Are you with me so far?

078:29:56 Anders: Roger.

078:29:57 Collins: 081:21:24.43; plus 3177.6, minus 0082.3, minus 0136.5; 180, 016, 001; not applicable, plus 0018.8. Are you still with me? Over.

078:31:56 Anders: That's Roger.

078:31:57 Collins: Good. 3181.6, 3:02, 3162.4; 40, 269.9 39.6; 033, down 05.4, left 2.1; plus 08.10, control minus 165.00, 1296.8, 36222, 146:42:04; GDC align remains the same, Sirus and Rigel; roll 129, pitch 155, yaw 010; ullage, 4 quads for 15 seconds. Horizon on 6 degree line at T_IG minus 3 minutes. Over.

078:32:46 Anders: Roger, Houston. TEI-6; SPS/G&N; 45701; minus 0.40, plus 1.57; 018:21:24.43; plus 3177,6, minus 0082,3, minus 0136,5; 180, 016, 001; N/A, plus 0018.8; 3181.6, 3:02, 3162.4; 40, 269.9. Are you with me?

078:33:39 Collins: Yes, I'm with you, Bill.

078:33:44 Anders: 39.6; 033, down 05.4, left 2.1; plus 08.10, minus 165.00; 1296.8, 36222, 146:42:04; same GDC align, Sirius and Rigel, 129, 155, 010; 4 jet, 15 seconds; horizon, 6 degrees, T_IG minus 3. Over.

078:34:27 Collins: Roger, Bill. On your ignition time, GET_I is 81 hours, 081. Over.

078:34:39 Anders: Roger. Got it, 081.

078:34:42 Collins: Thank you, sir.

078:34:46 Anders: Thank you, Michael. As a matter of interest, these side windows are so hazy, that when the Sun shines on them, they just about - they are real poor for any visual observation or photography - heads up.

078:35:04 Collins: Roger. Understand.

[Comm break.]

078:36:27 Anders (onboard): No, I never got around to that.

078:36:30 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

078:36:36 Lovell: Go ahead, Houston.

078:36:35 Anders (onboard): Hey, that thing is so loose it's coming apart.

078:36:37 Collins: Roger. The last state vector updates we sent you, Jim, was to the LM slots and you will have to transfer that over to the CSM slots using Verb 47 Enter. Over.

078:36:52 Lovell: Roger. Will do.

078:36:54 Collins: Thank you.

[Comm break.]

078:33:07 Anders (onboard): Yes.

078:38:16 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston.

078:38:19 Anders (onboard): I got it.

078:38:21 Lovell: Go ahead, Houston.

078:38:23 Collins: Roger. Bill has got his tape recorder back, and we noticed during that last dump, it was all in low bit rate. We wonder whether that was intentional or not? Over.

078:38:35 Anders (onboard): Yes, he's asking if we didn't have anything to say.

078:38:38 Lovell (onboard): Yes.

078:38:42 Anders: Roger. We didn't have much to say; we couldn't see out of the windows very well, Mike.

078:38:47 Collins: Roger. Understand. Thank you, Bill.

078:38:53 Anders: It's really too bad.

[Comm break.]

078:39:07 Lovell (onboard): Okay. Here's a piece of camera equipment. Where does this go?

078:39:18 Anders (onboard): Stick it down in that box on the left - on your right-hand side - in one of those boxes.

078:39:22 Lovell (onboard): You still got about a quarter of a roll of film left a little more than that.

078:39:30 Anders (onboard): Okay, man.

078:39:31 Lovell (onboard): I'll stick it in my pocket.

078:39:32 Anders (onboard): We might an well use it.

078:39:36 Lovell (onboard): In order to identify it, why don't I just take this one off?

078:39:50 Anders (onboard): Here's your map, and here's your book, Jim.

078:39:52 Lovell (onboard): Okay. Okay, let me make sure I'm (garble).

078:40:05 Anders (onboard): Have you got through reviewing your landmark map?

078:40:09 Lovell (onboard): Okay, now here's what we have to do this time, Bill. I've got two AUTO OPTICS positions in, and - and - I've got to get a third landmark. Okay, let me see. The time would be...

078:40:31 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston.

078:40:38 Anders: Go ahead...

078:40:39 Collins: Roger, Bill. This next time around into the sunlight, we don't expect any problem with the primary evaporator. If it does start drying out, we think it is best just to close the back-pressure valve, and there is no need to activate the secondary boiler. Over.

078:41:02 Anders: Okay. I guess the 60-degree limit will still hold then.

078:41:12 Collins: Stand by. [Long pause.]

078:41:40 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. We are suggesting you disregard the 60-degree limit, and let it go ahead and rise up above 60. There is no need to activate the secondary. Over.

078:41:54 Anders: Okay. We just don't want to boil our IMU.

078:41:57 Collins: [Laughter.] Roger. Understand then.

078:41:59 Anders (onboard): No, the...

078:42:XX Collins: Apollo 8, you are Go for the next lunar orbit rev.

078:42:06 Anders: Roger, Houston.

078:42:06 Anders (onboard): No, they just said don't worry about the sixt - No, it's working, but they said if it does act up, don't worry about the...

078:42:11 Lovell: Roger, Houston. I'll read the book this time.

078:42:14 Collins: Roger.

[Very long comm break.]

078:54:03 Lovell (onboard): Well, let's get out the book.

Public Affairs Officer - "This is Apollo Control here. We are 15 minutes to Loss Of Signal. We will take the line down and bring you any additional comments that may occur between now and Loss Of Signal. This is Apollo Control, Houston; at 78 hours, 43 minutes."

078:54:08 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

078:54:13 Lovell: Go ahead, Houston. Apollo 8 here.

078:54:16 Collins: Roger. We have about 4½ minutes left before we have LOS; we'd like your last PRD readout. Over.

078:54:29 Lovell: Stand by. The commander is asleep; we'll get his when he wakes up.

078:54:39 Anders (onboard): The LMP is still 6 - 0.6, correction, 0.64.

078:54:57 Lovell (onboard): Here's mine: CMP is 0.09.

078:55:07 Collins: Roger. Copy 0.64, 0.09. Thank you.

[Comm break.]

078:57:27 Anders (onboard): That's right. (Laughter)

078:58:04 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. About 40 seconds to LOS, and everything's looking good down here.

078:58:14 Lovell: Roger. Houston. We will give it another try here.

078:58:19 Collins: Roger.

[Very long comm break.]

079:44:25 Anders (onboard): This hand controller's armed.

079:45:36 Collins: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over. [No answer.]

079:46:32 Collins: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over. [No answer.]

Public Affairs Officer - "This is Apollo Control, Houston. 79 hours, 46 minutes into the flight. Mike Collins has sent up two calls and has gotten no response - we think we have some key action, but that's all. To date, we've - on the basis of earlier revs, we've gotten used to now, turning to our EECOM and asking the first question as we come around the corner - how is the evaporator and the answer is this time it is working great. They apparently have the right handle on it. As I mentioned earlier, it is seeing large temperature excursions - apparently no larger than people within the project office and at North American and, I'm sure, at the Air Corporation had felt they might see. And I know many people in those positions who are very much relieved to see these excursions and all - excursions of only 40 to 50 degrees."

079:46:47 Lovell (onboard): This should be [garble] or [garble]?

079:47:16 Collins: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over. [No answer.]

[Comm break.]

079:47:30 Anders (onboard): Houston, Apollo 8.

079:48:43 Collins: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over. [No answer.]

079:48:47 Anders (onboard): Houston, this is Apollo 8. Over.

Public Affairs Officer - "It still no answer, no additional calls or anything. Mike Collins tries again. And we might have a ground antenna problem. Checking our ground stations now. In this temperature area, the evaporator, of course, isn't the only area seeing the same order of temperature excursions. I am looking at a Command Service Module RCS summary here, which shows - presents temperature readings at four or five points, on various tanks surfaces in the Service Module and see one valve in the temperature here which is a specific ... digit identified point which marries the low and the high over any given rev and they happen to range from 50 degree Fahrenheit to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. There are four other readings in the Service Module, which range from 50 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. It's been nearly six minutes now since we acquired and just getting a general back ground noise in orbit. No additional attempts to raise the spacecraft. So based on what EECOM says, we may wait a few minutes before trying additional calls, we will be back up then. It is 79 hours, 51 minutes into the flight, this is Apollo Control, Houston."

079:50:09 Lovell (onboard): Did you see our landing site, Frank?

079:50:11 Borman (onboard): Huh?

079:51:56 Collins: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

079:52:05 Anders: Houston, Apollo 8. Over.

079:52:07 Collins: Reading you very weak but - a lot of background noise. Welcome back around. How are you reading us?

079:52:18 Anders: Reading you fine.

079:52:20 Collins: Okay.

[Long comm break.]

079:55:45 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. Go ahead.

079:55:51 Lovell: Roger, Houston. A few words about our optics tracking system. I used auto optics for control points 1 and 2 on the backside, and they worked beautifully, tracked both the targets for me. And I went to the control point 3, as designated in our orbital control book, to see the latitude and longitude that was given to me and used auto optics to track that particular coordinate with it, and it was very close to the actual tracking plot. I picked the mark there where I did a final marking and recorded latitude and longitude. I'm now about to come up on the landing site and using auto optics in the coded input to see how that works.

079:56:57 Collins: Roger, Apollo 8.

[Comm break.]

Public Affairs Officer - "Apollo Control here. In this lull, we perhaps should take advantage at least to point to the people in the news rooms, who, may not - have not noticed it yet. Our latest data display on one of our walls, there's the words Merry Christmas, Apollo 8. The Merry is in red letters, the Christmas is in white letters, and the Apollo 8 is in blue letters. That display went up about an hour ago. I guess it technically should be called data. The consensus here is of course, that the crew is and remains quite busy and we are going to have some updates in the course of this pass, the sixth rev. ..."

079:59:28 Collins: Apollo 8. Houston.

079:59:34 Anders: Go ahead.

079:59:35 Collins: Roger. We know you're busy so we are not going to bother you. We are watching your progress on the DSKY. You are looking good; all your systems are looking good and we have maneuver PADs for you any time at your convenience.

079:59:52 Anders: Roger. We will take them when we are doing the P52, if that's okay.

079:59:56 Collins: That is just fine.

[Long comm break.]

080:01:05 Anders (onboard): Yes.

080:02:48 Lovell (onboard): Well, you can almost (garble).

080:02:53 Lovell (onboard): I'll do one thing until I get up there, but [garble].

080:06:25 Lovell (onboard): You want to take a look at this? (Garble) it's something - I don't know what.

080:06:52 Lovell (onboard): Just wonderful [garble] right on [garble].

080:07:56 Anders: Mike, Apollo 8.

080:07:58 Collins: Apollo 8, go ahead.

080:08:03 Lovell: Roger; I'm in Auto Optics now on the landing site. It would just warm up old Jack Schmitt's heart. This auto optics is tracking perfectly on the target, and the two IPs turned out beautifully. I have a beautiful view of it. The first IP's just barely beneath the vertical now, and the second one is coming up - it's just a grand view.

080:08:28 Collins: Roger, Jim. Glad to hear it. Jack's listening.

[Comm break.]

080:10:01 Anders: If Jack's listening, tell him that the optics may be doing all right, but the eyeballs are having a little trouble looking through all this smear on the windows.

080:10:25 Collins: Roger. Understand the optics are doing better than the eyeballs. How about the cameras?

080:10:33 Anders: The windows have the same smear to - The rendezvous windows are okay, but they're so small and looking in the wrong directions here so far.

080:10:42 Collins: Roger.

080:10:43 Anders: I think the vertical stereo will be okay. [Long pause.]

080:11:10 Anders: It certainly looks like we're picking the more interesting places on the Moon to land in. The back-side looks like a sand pile my kids have been playing in for a long time. It's all beat up, no definition. Just a lot of bumps and holes. [Pause.]

080:11:27 Lovell: I'm looking IP-2 right now, Houston, and it's a great spot.

080:11:33 Anders: The area we're over right now gives some hint of possible volcanic, though I can't eyeball it at the moment to pin that down. There are some craters and build-ups that just definitely suggest volcanic activity.

080:11:52 Collins: Roger. Understand, Bill, and understand Jim thinks the ole IP-2 is a winner.

080:12:06 Anders: Yes, that backside doesn't look good at all.

080:12:10 Collins: Roger. [Pause.]

080:12:15 Anders: That's relatively speaking, of course.

080:12:18 Collins: Of course.

[Long comm break.]

080:12:29 Lovell (onboard): Frank, we're just finishing up the (garble) here. (Garble).

080:14:56 Lovell (onboard): We've got to copy this (garble), too.

080:16:55 Anders (onboard): (Garble) Frank, the SPS is about (garble) hours (garble).

080:16:59 Borman (onboard): Okay.

080:17:06 Lovell (onboard): Okay.

080:17:07 Anders (onboard): We got about 4 hours (garble). It's about 4½ hours.

080:17:32 Lovell (onboard): You know, (garble) the trash bag, we ought to get out that (garble) and look it over.

080:18:04 Anders (onboard): Same set.

080:18:05 Lovell (onboard): Do you need that any more, Bill?

080:18:07 Anders (onboard): Lan - landing site, landing site. Yes.

080:18:13 Lovell (onboard): Do you need that any more, Bill?

080:18:14 Anders (onboard): Do I need what? No, I don't need any more.

080:18:19 Anders (onboard): You might as well sleep, or one of us might as well, because it doesn't - doesn't take two guys to do it, and you can't see anything else anyway. The other guy's just sitting around scratching his rear.

080:18:43 Lovell (onboard): Have they sent us updates, yet?

080:18:45 Borman (onboard): No.

080:18:52 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston.

080:18:53 Lovell: Houston, Apollo 8.

080:18:56 Collins: Roger, Jim.

080:18:57 Lovell (onboard): Go ahead, Houston.

080:18:58 Collins: We have you on the High Gain Antenna. We'd like you to take the DSE and dump it over.

080:19:05 Lovell: Roger. [onboard] Get all - the figures?

080:19:07 Anders (onboard): Roger.

080:19:08 Lovell (onboard): Okay.

080:19:09 Anders (onboard): It's up to him.

080:19:13 Borman (onboard): Have we lost contact with them?

080:19:XX Lovell: Houston. Are you going to use our computer to update our state vector?

080:19:34 Collins: That's affirmative, Jim. We'd like to - stand by one, and I'll tell you when to go to P00 and Accept.

080:19:45 Lovell: Roger. Then I'll work my 52 around your [garble].

080:20:05 Collins: Jim, would you please go to P00 and Accept, and we'll send you a P27 and run a state vector update.

080:20:12 Lovell: Roger. You have P00 and Accept.

080:20:16 Collins: Thank you. [Long pause.]

080:20:36 Lovell: Houston, this is Apollo 8. We have a little piece of useful information if you're interested in deliberating over it.

080:20:46 Collins: Go ahead. Say again?

080:20:51 Lovell: Roger. Our first control point is very near the terminator, and as the optics were tracking it, I had occasion to watch the Sun come up. And at about 2 minutes before sunrise, you get - the limb begins to brighten up into sort of a fine white haze, a faint glow completely over the space just behind the limb.

080:21:23 Collins: Roger. I understand. About 2 minutes before the Sun comes up, you get a fine white haze radiating out from behind the limb. How far out does it extend?

080:21:34 Lovell: It goes up quite a ways. It takes a fan shape, unlike the sunrise on Earth where the atmosphere affects it. This is just sort of a complete haze all over the local area. It's concentrated at the exact spot the sun comes up at ignition and then goes away from the sun spots. Very interesting.

080:21:54 Collins: Thanks you, Jim. Thanks you. [Long pause.]

080:22:36 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. We're standing by with your map and TEI-7 updates.

080:22:48 Lovell: Stand by. [Pause.]

080:22:54 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. You can go back to Block with your computer.

080:23:02 Lovell: Roger. [Long pause.]

080:23:31 Anders: Okay, Mike. We're ready for the map update and then the TEI

080:23:38 Collins: Okay. When you get your - before you get your map book out, the Houston Comm Techs have got a little word for an old ex-CapCom. They say they consider you in NonRemote. Over.

080:23:54 Anders: Not permanently, I hope.

080:23:59 Collins: Okay. Your map update for rev 6/7: LOS, 80:57:24; sunrise, 81:06:57; prime meridian, 81:13:02. Are you with me?

080:24:29 Anders: You cut out after the prime meridian. I got it, but not AOS

080:24:33 Collins: AOS, 81:43:05; sunset, 82:19:54; remarks: IP-1, TCA for B-1, 82:07:39; and now I've got four more times for you which - acquisition times for when various things come over the horizon. Over.

080:25:09 Anders: Roger. Go ahead.

080:25:12 Collins: Okay. Control point 1, acquisition time, 81:09:05; control point 2, acquisition time, 81:21:48; control point 3, acquisition time, 81:43:17; B-1 acquisition time, 82:03:54. And I say again, all those ACQ times are when they first come over the horizon. Over.

080:25:54 Anders: Roger. Copy, Houston. In about 2 seconds, I'll be ready for the TEI.

080:26:01 Collins: All right. [Long pause.]

080:26:13 Anders: I'm ready.

080:26:16 Collins: TEI-7; SPS/G&N - stand by one, Bill. [Long pause.]

080:26:55 Anders: Just a matter of general interest, Houston: everybody is feeling good, and the CDR is taking a snooze.

080:27:01 Collins: Roger. Glad to hear it. We were just talking about a water dump down here. We've got one coming up, and it looks like on this rev prior to the time around LOS or just prior to LOS, would be a convenient time to do it. Do you concur?

080:27:20 Anders: Okay. We will. Down to 25 percent again?

080:27:24 Collins: That's affirmative, and we'd also be interested in any comments about what these various dumps have done to your optics, if anything, and how long the effects last after a dump.

080:27:38 Anders: Don't seem to have done anything to the optics, but they've definitely got in some of the windows. There are a few little chunks of ice on window number 1, which is nearest the vent, and also on window number 5 a little bit; windows 2 and 4 remain amazingly clear.

080:28:11 Collins: Roger. Thank you, Bill, and I'm ready to resume the PAD when you are.

080:28:19 Anders: Okay. Press on with the weight.

080:28:22 Collins: All right. Weight, 45701; minus 0.40, plus 1.57; 083:18:20.80; plus 3234.6, minus 0116.8, plus 0573.0. Are you with me so far? Over. [Pause.]

080:29:08 SC (onboard): I think there's pieces of a (garble).

080:29:10 SC (onboard): I think I'll just hold onto this thing (garble).

080:29:28 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

080:29:33 Anders: Go ahead, Mike.

080:29:35 Collins: Roger. I got down through Delta-V, minus-X, minus-Y, and minus-Z. Did you copy these? Over.

080:29:44 Anders: No I didn't read a word. I'm still waiting for the weight.

080:29:49 Collins: Roger. Let's go back to the weight: 45701; minus 0.40, plus 1.57. Are you with me? Over.

080:30:09 Anders: Sounds good.

080:30:11 Collins: Okay. GETI, 083:18:20.80; plus 3234.6, minus 0116.8, plus 4 - correction - plus 0573.0. Are you with me, over.

080:30:52 Anders: Roger.

080:30:53 Collins: Thank you. 179, 009, 001; not applicable, plus 0018.7; 3287.0, 3:07, 3267.6, 42, 088.0,25.3; 033, down 121, left 27; plus 07.90, minus 165.00; 1297.3, 36238, 146:44:14; same north set, Sirius and Rigel, roll 129, pitch 155, yaw 010; 4 quads for 15 seconds; horizon on the 2-degree mark at P_ignition. Over.

080:32:53 Anders: Roger. TEI-7; SPS/G&N; 45701; minus 0.40, plus 1.57; 083:18:20.80; plus 3234.6, minus 0116.8, plus 0573.0; 179, 9 - correction - 009, 001; N/A. Are you with me?

080:33:28 Collins: Yeah, I'm with you, Bill.

080:33:32 Anders: Plus 0018.7; 3287.0, 3:07, 3267.6; 32 - correction - 42, 088.0, 25.3; 033, down 121, left 27; plus 07.90, minus 165.00; 1297.3, 36238, 146:44:14; same north set, Sirius, Rigel, 129, 155, 010; 4 jet, 15 seconds, 2 degrees, now horizon and P_ig.

080:34:26 Collins: That's all correct.

[Long comm break.]

080:39:12 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

080:39:18 Anders: Go ahead, Houston.

080:39:20 Collins: Roger. You got your DSE back, and you are Go for the next lunar orbit. Over.

080:39:27 Anders: Roger. How far did you want us to dump that water?

080:39:34 Collins: 25 percent, please, Bill.

080:39:44 Anders: Roger. 25 percent.

[Comm break.]

080:39:49 Lovell (onboard): Because I can be - we can be tracking while we're dumping, too.

080:40:52 Lovell: Houston, Apollo 8.

080:41:07 Collins: Apollo 8, this is Houston. Over.

080:41:13 Lovell: Are you receiving our tracking data?

080:41:24 Collins: That's affirmative, Jim. We are receiving.

080:41:29 Lovell: Okay. Thank you.

080:41:33 Collins: And also, Jim, we are - That last P27 we sent was for the LM state vector only, and it will require a Verb 47 Enter to transfer to the CSM slot. Over.

080:41:48 Lovell: Roger. Will do.

080:41:49 Collins: Thank you.

080:41:5X Lovell (onboard): Now, isn't this (garble) in the Flight Plan, some place along the way, there?

080:42:04 Lovell (onboard): Are you getting out, Frank? You getting out?

080:42:37 Anders (onboard): Wait a minute; pitch up. You (garble) you pitch down (garble).

080:42:56 Lovell (onboard): Well, let me see now. That's the right connection; I think so. We got - Where is the filter, Bill?

080:43:05 Anders (onboard): I think they made a mistake here in the Flight Plan.

080:43:07 Lovell (onboard): Oh, you have it on here, huh?

080:43:11 Lovell (onboard): Do you have the water - This - Urine Heater's been On, right?

080:43:14 Anders (onboard): If you pitch down, yes...

080:43:37 Lovell (onboard): Okay, we have the hose connected, so we want to go through the procedure.

080:43:47 Anders (onboard): Okay, Waste Stowage Vent, Vent for 5 seconds.

080:43:51 Lovell (onboard): You want to be...

080:43:52 Borman (onboard): (Garbled.)

080:43:54 Lovell (onboard): I'll show you; just a minute.

080:44:00 Lovell (onboard): Yes, they're Opened and Closed (garble) here. I'm in 4-A? Okay, if it's reading 1, I could put Waste - Waste Tank's Vent for 5 seconds, huh?

080:44:12 Anders (onboard): Right, Waste Stowage, Vent, yes, for 5 seconds.

080:44:17 Lovell (onboard): Done.

080:44:21 Lovell (onboard): Battery, Vent.

080:44:22 Anders (onboard): 4-A?

080:44:25 Lovell (onboard): Yes. Take her down?

080:44:27 Anders (onboard): Take the Battery, Vent, down. It's not down; let it come down.

080:44:31 Lovell (onboard): Well, it's getting real close to it.

080:44:32 Anders (onboard): Oh, there it goes. Okay, it's down.

080:44:34 Lovell (onboard): It's down?

080:44:35 Anders (onboard): Okay, close them both.

080:44:37 Anders (onboard): Make sure your Urine Heater's On.

080:44:44 Lovell (onboard): Urine Heat's on A.

080:44:45 Anders (onboard): Okay. And - go ahead and dump the waste.

080:44:48 Lovell (onboard): Okay, we take that over and put it an - where it says, "Open/Close, Waste Tank Servicing."

080:44:55 Anders (onboard): Yes.

080:44:56 Lovell (onboard): Put that to Open. Leave it go in there.

080:45:03 Lovell (onboard): Okay, now we got to watch the waste tank.

080:45:11 Anders (onboard): Yes, I'm watching it.

080:45:13 Lovell (onboard): You're watching it? Okay. You got Waste Tank, On, then?

080:45:16 Anders (onboard): Yes.

080:45:17 Lovell (onboard): Okay.

080:45:20 Anders (onboard): I don't know, Frank.

080:45:36 Lovell (onboard): It's still pretty good. Let's see here (garble).

[Long comm break.]

080:45:44 Collins: Roger, Bill.

[Long comm break.]

080:51:42 Anders (onboard): Yes, it's going down.

080:52:57 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. Over.

080:53:02 Lovell: Go ahead, Houston.

080:53:04 Collins: Roger. We've got four minutes 'til LOS, and everything is looking good down here.

080:53:13 Anders: Roger. How much longer do you think we have to go into battery charge there, Mike?

080:53:19 Collins: I'll find out for you. [Pause.]

080:53:26 Anders: If you can wake up the EECOM, why don't you have him ask the back room?

080:53:33 Collins: Oh, you really know how to hurt a guy. [Pause.]

080:53:36 Anders (onboard): (Laughter)

080:53:40 Anders (onboard): Yes, it is. Yes.

080:53:41 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. We estimate the charge will be complete in another 45 minutes. Over.

080:53:51 Anders: Okay. Thank you very much.

[Comm break.]

080:55:59 Anders (onboard): I said, just hope we don't do it on New Year's.

080:55:59 Collins: Apollo 8, Houston. One minute 'til LOS, and standing by.

080:56:06 Anders: Okay. See you on the other side, Mike.

080:56:09 Collins: Looking forward to it.

080:56:21 Anders: Me too.

[Very long comm break.]

080:56:41 Lovell (onboard): Yes, (garble).

Public Affairs Officer - "This is Apollo Control, Houston, at 80 hours, 57 minutes. We're - we've just lost signal with the spacecraft. ... I want to mention one or two things. I don't think we've made mention of the fact today that we have finally, after 6 revolutions, gotten used to watching the spacecraft go from the right side of your front wall map to the left, just as it is proceeding around the Moon in a retrograde orbit. This, after all these years of watching the spacecraft move from the left side of the wall map to the right. It's quite a transformation in just one brief day. Another point regarding the windows; obviously that this has to be the worst system we've turned up with on this flight, and we've been talking to several experts about it here. This particular condition that we're seeing, the fogging on the hatch window and on - to a considerable degree - and on windows one and five, is similar to a condition that existed on spacecraft 101, commonly known as Apollo 7. The situation has, within very recent days, been - if not duplicated very closely - approximated in test within the Spacecraft Industrial Government Complex. The test has shown that the material used in the window caulking, if you will, substance around the window that provides the trough in which the three pane windows ride. It has been demonstrated that some outgassing occurs. That's the particular kind of rubbery material being used in these windows joints, that is the window joints in windows 1, 3, and 5. In the rendezvous windows 2 and 4, a different material treated under different conditions is being used and apparently it is quite successful. Some changes will be made on the next spacecraft. And that represents about all the information we have on that particular area."

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