Apollo 17 is on its third orbit around the Moon and has just reacquired communication with Earth as it came around the eastern limb. While around the far side, the CSM's main engine was fired for 22 seconds to lower the spacecraft's nearside apolune down to become a 14.3-nautical-mile (26.5-kilometre) perilune. Immediately, Jack, ever the scientist, begins geological observations.
093:41:00 Schmitt: Houston, this is the LMP. There seem to be two general kinds of ray patterns: those associated with a lot of secondaries and light colored, and those that have no visible secondaries. And that's independent, yet, from the irregular light-colored areas we've been calling swirls.
093:42:14 Schmitt: Houston, there also - a lot more - there is - there is a lot more of that light-colored swirl-like irregular material, or discoloration - if - whatever you want to call it, in the back side highlands, particularly as we approach Marginis, than I had previously gathered from the available photography.
093:42:48 Overmyer: Roger, Jack. [Pause.]
093:42:54 Schmitt: And there still seems to be no relief associated with it. Although, in many cases, it seems to follow ridge lines, or crater rims part way. In other cases, it's quite irregular in its distribution.
093:43:09 Overmyer: Okay. [Long pause.]
093:43:32 Evans: And bank A, that time, with the chamber pressure, was up to 95.
093:43:38 Overmyer: Roger, Ron. And we got tracking data on you; has a 13.1 perigee - peri - perilune, rather.
Later on this pass, the PAO officer will state the current orbital dimensions as 58.9 by 14.3 nautical miles (109.1 by 26.5 km).
093:43:49 Cernan: Roger.
093:43:49 Evans: Okay, that's great, Bob, and we're still looking at that zero bias on the DC meter of about 5 to 7 psi.
093:45:51 Schmitt: Some of the boys might be interested to know that in a place where the Sun is just grazing the slope - it's a steep slope on the north rim of Crisium, I can see the horizontal lineaments that were such a controversy on 15.
093:46:08 Overmyer: Roger. Understand. The north rim of Crisium?
093:46:09 Cernan: [Garble] big one with the central peak.
093:46:13 Schmitt: Roger. There are some very steep slopes that just have grazing Sun on them now, and with the binocs, you can see that horizontal lineation pattern.
093:46:25 Overmyer: Roger. [Pause.]
During Apollo 15, CMP Al Worden mentioned seeing layering in the sides of two major craters within Mare Crisium, Picard and Peirce, the latter of which does have a small central peak. It may be Peirce that Jack is referring to.
093:46:36 Evans: There it is. T-horizon will be good. Yeah. Okay, I've got the edge of Crisium now. [Garble.] Getting hills on the side of Crisium, there. [Pause.] Sure a lot smoother-looking material than I thought it would be.
093:47:03 Overmyer: Ron, you're about 1 minute from T-horizon.
093:47:09 Evans: Okay, Bob. Thank you. Oh. [Laughter.] Here.
093:47:26 Overmyer: And, Ron, we - we're copying you on VOX, we believe. Is that affirm?
093:47:32 Evans: Yes, that's right.
093:47:33 Overmyer: Roger.
093:47:34 Evans: You're not supposed to copy the other guys, though. Are you copying the other guys?
093:47:37 Overmyer: No, just you, Ron.
093:47:40 Evans: Okay.
093:47:43 Cernan: I may have been talking loud. [Long pause.]
093:48:02 Overmyer: Okay, Ron. You should be at T-horizon.
093:48:06 Schmitt: Mark. T-horizon.
093:48:09 Evans: Okay, that's pointing at the horizon all right. I don't see the crater, yet. [Pause.]
093:48:19 Evans: Okay. [Long pause.]
093:48:38 Evans: Okay, I can see the rims of Microbus [sic] A and B. [Long pause.]
093:48:59 Evans: Okay. [Long pause.]
The audio recording has a series of repeated sounds, each about three or four seconds long with ticks at one-second intervals. This is likely to be the sound of a Maurer 16mm movie camera being operated for a few seconds at a time with its frame-rate set to one frame per second.
093:49:25 Evans: Okay, I really don't see it yet. I can see Microbus A and B, real well. [Long pause.]
093:50:02 Evans: Okay, I'm going to pick out one and start marking on it.
093:50:08 Evans: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. That's the wrong one. Okay, now I see what I'm supposed to mark on; okay.
Page 3-90 of the Flight Plan indicates that the target that Ron is aiming for is designated J-3. Page 2-17 of the Flight Plan gives a position of J-3 as 19.948°N, 40.102°E and if that is correct, it appears to be a small crater just outside the north rim of Carmichael. Once landmark J-3 is out of the way, Ron will move to landmark 17-1 which is a 450-metre crater about a kilometre east of the eventual landing site.
093:51:22 Evans: No, the ones I just wrote in there. Right? [Long pause.]
093:51:44 Evans: Okay? And, lets [pause] now I'm going to take a look and see if it looks like a cinder cone. Hey! There's Maraldi Gamma, the mound sticking up there right beside Maraldi. Hey, you guys are going to have some good hills to run down in there. [Long pause.] Can you see it all - at all, coming up?
093:52:28 Evans: [Garble] north. That crazy radar is going to be in the way - the LM [laughter]. Okay, it's going through the landing site, now. The shadow is just up to [pause] You can really see the scarp on there.
093:52:59 Schmitt: See what they mean by Sculptured Hills, Gene? See the knobby characteristics in that...
093:53:02 Cernan: Yes. That'll be [garble]
093:53:03 Schmitt: ...area down there. That's part of the Sculpured Hills.
093:53:04 Cernan: That's a massif there, too. [Pause.]
093:53:12 Schmitt: Now, we're just over the rim of Serenitatis, looking over the Graben Plains...
093:53:19 Evans: There, you can just see. I'm going to switch to 17-1. 3, 4, 5, 6 - just got six of them on 17-1 and then the other three were were on F - F Crater; 17-1 was just barely in the - Sherlock was just barely beyond the shadow.
093:53:46 Schmitt: This is all supposedly covered with the dark mantle, Gene, what you're seeing down there.
093:53:50 Cernan: Yeah, the Sun angles are so that you can't tell the difference in albedo.
093:53:53 Schmitt: And look at those mare ridges, though.
093:53:57 Cernan: I tell you, that's looking out into the gray...
093:53:58 Schmitt: That's the old Littrow site.
093:53:58 Cernan: ...gray desert down in there. [Pause.]
093:54:08 Cernan: I think so. I think we're just about ready to climb.
093:54:11 Schmitt: I think the terminator's giving you the feeling of that, maybe. Ain't nothing out there.
093:54:17 Overmyer: Jack, Houston. Can you see any albedo difference in the landing site area between the dark massif and the light area?
093:54:28 Schmitt: We can't see any difference between - in the low areas, between the dark mantle and other materials right now. We're right at the terminator.
093:54:39 Cernan: Yeah, but Jack and I weren't really looking at the landing site. I think Ron was.
093:54:43 Overmyer: Roger. [Pause.]
093:54:53 Evans: Yeah, you could really see a difference between the - the South Massif and the - the mantle material around through there. The mantle is not nearly as dark as it looks on the pictures, though. But the massif, South Massif especially, looked almost a whitish color. I guess it's because the, partly the Sun was shining on it. But then...
093:55:19 Cernan: Could you see anything that looks like the slide?
093:55:20 Evans: Oh, yeah. You can see the slide on the thing and definitely see the scarp going across through there. I was primarily concentrating on looking for the various craters so I didn't spend that much time, you know, concentrating on how the thing looked. But in the marks on the thing, the first about four or five marks were on F Crater and then I saw Sherlock about halfway through it and I got about five marks on the Sherlock for 17-1. [Pause.]
093:56:00 Schmitt: [Garble] Gene. [Long pause.]
093:56:23 Schmitt: Houston, in crossing Crisium and Marginis, it looked fairly clear that with the small fresh craters, and I don't have a good size estimate right now - I think I'm looking in terms of 100 or 2 meters. You can distinguish where blocks have been thrown up by them, or not - possibly giving depth of the local regolith from the pictures you'll get in there.
093:57:05 Overmyer: Roger, Jack. [Pause.]
093:57:12 Schmitt: And, also, on that lineation question, not only, where the Sun grazes a - a slope do you see the horizontal lineations, but they're at the southern end of the shadowed area on a slope. You get a couple other lineations showing up at least in a couple places I saw. One would be parallel to the slope - that is cross-contour, and the other was at a - an angle to that direction - oh - say of about 30 degrees. [Pause.]
093:58:02 Overmyer: Roger, Jack. We're copying you loud and clear and no problem with comm at all. [Pause.]
093:58:10 Schmitt: Okay. We just had sunset.
093:58:15 Evans: And, Houston; America. On mag Bravo Bravo, 75 to 70 percent were utilized on J-3 and F Crater and 17-1 through the sextant.
093:58:33 Overmyer: Roger. Just want to confirm, Ron. You started on J-3 and then you went to F Crater and... [Pause.]
093:58:43 Evans: Yeah. I went to F Crater and then back to Sherlock or 17-1.
093:58:48 Overmyer: Roger.
093:58:51 Evans: Actually, on J-3, I took four marks on a crater that was to the west of J-3 and then I finally saw J-3 and started marking on it.
093:59:01 Overmyer: Roger, Ron. [Pause.]
093:59:06 Schmitt: Okay, Houston. Mag Oscar Oscar is 85.
093:59:13 Overmyer: Roger, Jack. Thank you.
093:59:15 Schmitt: And, there - okay; and there's a number of pictures - Now, just a minute, let me try to give you a general feeling for where they were taken. Stand by one. [Long pause.]
093:59:51 Schmitt: Okay; a number of the last pictures that were taken on that series, or that rev, were taken between - say about 115 east, and... [pause] oh, about 100 east and they show several examples of the light-colored or swirl...
094:00:27 Evans: Coming up now.
094:00:28 Schmitt: ...alterations to the surface. And that's in highland country where that is a distinct gray against the tan-gray or tan highland background - general highland color.
094:00:45 Overmyer: Okay, Jack. I got that. [Long pause.]
094:01:03 Evans: And, all my pictures, Jesus [laughter]. [Pause.]
094:01:13 Overmyer: Ron, Houston. We'd like you to move up and do the waste water dump starting now and the O2 fuel cell purge.
094:01:24 Schmitt: Okay, we'll get to that and mag Quebec Quebec is on frame 50.
094:01:31 Overmyer: Roger. Copy.
094:01:34 Evans: Okay, you want to dump the waste water on the front side?
094:01:39 Overmyer: That's affirm, Ron. We'd like to get a start dump now, so we have it dumped prior to the camera pass, or...
094:01:48 Evans: Oh, okay.
094:01:48 Overmyer: We want to get a dump prior to the UV work there, Ron.
094:01:56 Evans: Okay, that's right - I'm sorry, I forgot about that.
094:02:02 Evans: [Garble] how [garble] going to go, with Battery Vent to... [pause] Okay, Battery Vented, Battery Vent is Closed and going to Dump A.
094:08:50 - This is Apollo Control at 94 hours, 8 minutes. Apollo 17 now is maneuvering to the attitude from which the ultraviolet spectrometer and the infrared scanning radiometer experiments will be performed. The start of those experiments on this pass will be after LOS, behind the Moon.
094:09:23 Cernan: Hey, Gordo. I think we're still in LM Pressure up there in the tunnel. You want us to go back to LM/CM Delta-P?
094:09:36 Overmyer: Okay, Gordo's off. I'll have to wait a minute here, Gene. [Pause.]
094:09:49 Cernan: God, for a Sun - for a Sunday night, you're - you're hard to get along with.
094:09:56 Overmyer: Oh, come on.
094:09:58 Schmitt: Wise Marines end up - wise Marines end up in Antarctica.
094:10:06 Overmyer: Roger. Can't do that. They don't have any gates down there.
094:10:15 Schmitt: That sounds like a job you could probably handle.
094:10:19 Cernan: Listen, after that answer, I'll build one down there for you.
094:10:22 Overmyer: Thank you, sir. Hey, you can go to LM/CM Delta-P.
094:15:48 - This is Apollo Control at 94 hours, 15 minutes. Apollo 17 is just south of the Oceans of Storm - Ocean of Storms now. Shortly, we'll be coming up on the crater Grimaldi again. That's where Jack Schmitt saw a flash on the last pass. We're showing an orbit of 58.9 by 14.3 nautical miles (109.1 by 26.5 km) at the present altitude of 28.1 nautical miles (52.0 km).
094:17:34 Cernan: Hey, Bob. Who you talking to us with, Honeysuckle or Goldstone? Honeysuckle, I'd guess. [Pause.]
094:17:50 Overmyer: We're talking through Goldst - Goldstone, Gene. [Pause.]
094:17:59 Cernan: Okay, looks like about a toss-up from here. I'll tell you, there is really one heck of a big low-pressure area developing somewhere off the coast of California, Washington, or Canada, out in the Pacific Northwest part of the country.
094:18:17 Overmyer: Roger. We copy. [Pause.]
094:18:26 Cernan: We were watching it earlier today, but I tell you, now, it's really dragged in some other clouds with it. It must cover an enormous distance and it's got some real spectacular circulation.
094:18:39 Overmyer: Just for curiosity, are you using a monocular on that? [Pause.]
094:18:49 Cernan: No, I'm using a binocular.
094:18:52 Overmyer: Roger. [Long pause.]
094:19:33 Schmitt: Bob, it's - it's got a trailing front. I can't really see the States, or even the North American continent, because...
094:19:40 Overmyer: Stand by, Jack, we'd like to - or Gene. We'd like for you to terminate...
094:19:43 Schmitt: ...pretty well covered...
094:19:44 Overmyer: ...waste water dump.
094:19:47 Schmitt: Okay.
094:19:49 Overmyer: Sorry about that. Go ahead.
094:19:54 Schmitt: Okay, I was just going to say, it's got a - looks like a tremendous trailing front. Roughly, north-northwest, south-southeast, and it looks like it may just sweep up the - the western coast. It's hard to tell how far off the actual center rotation or even a front is. I just remember from earlier this morning, when I could see landmasses, that it appeared to me to be off the Pacific Northwest out in the ocean.
094:22:21 Overmyer: Jack, Houston here. We've just been kicking around with Farouk, and if you get - if you want to, during your - any of your free time, if you have any, you might look at Copernicus with your binoculars and see if the dike goes all the way - all the way across. He would recommend using the binoculars. Don't take any of your eat or sleep time at all, but you might get a chance on this one eat pass to, as you go by there. [Pause.]
094:22:54 Schmitt: Okay. I'll give her a try. You might give me a couple minutes' warning the next time around.
094:23:06 Overmyer: Okay, Jack.
094:23:10 Schmitt: I'm not sure the attitude is too good for that. I wish I'd thought of it this round.
094:23:15 Overmyer: Rog. Well, we were pretty busy coming up on it this time. I think the - that's why we mentioned the attitude may be okay during the eat period. We don't want you to break away from your eat period unless you see you can spare the time. [Long pause.]
094:24:04 Schmitt: Just looking at the southern edge of Grimaldi, Bob, and we probably have it covered on photos, but there's a nice tangential to slightly circumferential graben along the southern wall and climbs out over the western rim and off the eastern rim, and that graben is premare - premare.
094:24:40 Overmyer: Okay, I copy on that, Jack, and as long as we're talking about Grimaldi, you might just rem - we'd like to have you brief Ron exactly on the location of that flash you saw. We'll probably ask him to take a picture of it, maybe during one of his solo periods. [Long pause.]
094:25:11 Cernan: Hey, Bob, before we get awfully involved, just let me tell you what our motive is here in the next couple of hours. That's to eat and get done what's in the Flight Plan, and come our rest period, we're probably going to turn out the lights and make sure everything's done by then so we can start it on-time tonight.
094:25:32 Overmyer: Yes, that's a definite - we concur with that definitely, Gene. Don't want you to work into your sleep period. [Pause.]
094:27:27 Overmyer: Gene, last night you didn't use a tone booster, and the word you gave us was that it had - it wasn't working, and we're just wondering if you want - we're thinking about working up a test board to see if - did you test it out thoroughly to make sure it wasn't working, or was that just your desire not to use it?
094:27:46 Cernan: We tried it, Bob, and it did not work. The only reason I'm reluctant on a test is I just don't want it to take much time.
094:27:57 Overmyer: I don't think it would take much time. The only thing I could say is it would - you know - two obvious things I'm sure you checked them, Gene, would be the utility power and make sure you had the right lamp tests on when you tried it, and that's the only - I'm sure you did it, and that's the only obvious thing - maybe a circuit breaker or something like that.
094:28:19 Cernan: Well, we checked it both on the left side and on the right side with two separate Utility Powers and verified that the Master Alarms came on with the test on both sides, and nothing ever happened.
094:28:33 Overmyer: Rog. I was sure of that, Gene. Just wanted to make it - put everybody at ease that it's just not working. [Pause.] That was essentially the test. Just forget anything we said about tests. [Pause.]
094:28:51 Cernan: Okay.
094:28:55 Schmitt: What test?
094:28:57 Overmyer: Rog. Got you guys trained up there, finally. [Pause.]
094:29:07 Schmitt: Arf, arf.
094:29:13 Evans: Houston, America.
094:29:14 Overmyer: Roger. Go ahead, Ron.
094:29:19 Evans: If I don't find my scissors here one of these days, I think it takes about four bolts on either side of the - you know the optics, where they stow the optics? it looks like there are four little tool E bolts that'll come out. And I think maybe they might be back behind there, I don't know. [Pause.] See, there's a great big slot up at the top of that - oh, it's at least an inch - inch between the top of the optics thing and the top of the spacecraft. I looked back in there with a flashlight and can't see anything, but it's a big hole back there anyhow.
094:30:07 Schmitt: I think the commander might have something to say.
094:30:12 Cernan: Hey, Bob, just ignore everything he said. We'll leave him a pair of our scissors, and he's just worried about being hungry.
094:30:21 Overmyer: Roger. Those are your EVA scissors, too, aren't they?
094:30:24 Cernan: But, he is not - Yeah, but we can handle - we can handle it with one down there. He is not taking the spacecraft apart to find his scissors, and I will not let him go hungry.
094:35:46 Schmitt: Hey, Bob, before we lose you, how did the Oilers do today? [Laughter.] [Pause.]
094:35:57 Overmyer: 9 to 3. Steelers over the Oilers.
094:36:02 Schmitt: 9 to 3?
094:36:04 Overmyer: That's affirm. [Pause.]
094:36:09 Schmitt: 9? 09 to 03?
094:36:12 Overmyer: That's affirmative. Played one of their better games, I guess. [Pause.]
094:36:21 Schmitt: How about the Chicago Bears? You got their score handy?
094:36:25 Overmyer: Hey, Jack, how about if we pick you up during the eat period. While you're eating, we'll brief you of the whole NFL situation for today. Okay? [Pause.]
094:36:36 Schmitt: Well, we are eating. I guess we wait until we come around next time. Okay.
094:36:39 Overmyer: Oh - I - well, the Bears were [garble] losing but...
094:36:48 Schmitt: Bob, we'll wait and you can get up the late evening news prepared for us here the next time around.
094:36:55 Overmyer: Okay. Have your gourmet dinner and I'll give you the news.
094:38:13 Overmyer: America, Houston. We're going to lose you here in about 2½ minutes. We'll see you at 95:28, according to the Flight Plan, and you're looking good. We don't have anything, any anomalies or anything against you right now. You look great. [Pause.]
094:38:33 Cernan: Thank you, Robert. We'll see you coming around the horn.
094:38:36 Overmyer: Roger. [Pause.]
094:38:46 Cernan: Hey, Bob, if you could, it might be appreciated with a word or two from our home fronts.
094:38:54 Overmyer: Yeah, yip. You didn't let me do it. I was going to give them all a call while on this LOS here, Gene.
094:39:02 Cernan: It's that thing again. I bet you were concentrating on the dot.
Comm break.
094:39:39 Evans (onboard): There he goes. Which way is he going to go?
Cernan (onboard): Down.
Schmitt (onboard): He got to go down that way.
Cernan (onboard): Down that way?
Evans (onboard): Depends on how you orient it.
Schmitt (onboard): The tape recorder.
094:40:15 Overmyer: Hey, guys. The Bears 21 to 12 over Philadelphia.
094:40:23 Schmitt: Thank you. We're going to watch your signal get cut off here.
094:40:28 Overmyer: Roger. Was touch and go on that because at one time they're losing that game.
094:40:31 Cernan: I [garble]
Very long comm break.
Evans (onboard): [Garble.]
Cernan (onboard): Oh, on the top [garble].
Evans (onboard): No.
Cernan (onboard): Unbelievable. Just like the big-old-hand-of-God signal. Look at that.
Evans (onboard): Yes. See the relief on the surface?
Cernan (onboard): Yes.
Schmitt (onboard): Oh, yes.
Evans (onboard): Look at that [garble].
Cernan (onboard): Watch where North America ought to be now.
Schmitt (onboard): Ping, there!
Cernan (onboard): Yes? A little grazing. It didn't drop off right in the [garble].
Evans (onboard): [Garble.]
Cernan (onboard): Shove it.
Schmitt (onboard): When was I supposed to do [garble]? Didn't they - Weren't they supposed to - Oh, Reacq, okay.
094:41:12 Cernan (onboard): Okay, Ron, you can go - after Jack does that Telcom Group 2, AC2.
Evans (onboard): Okay.
094:41:08 - This is Apollo Control at 94 hours, 41 minutes. We've had Loss of Signal on the third revolution. Ron Evans performed some landmark tracking on the front side of the Moon during this pass and we got some Earth weather reports from lunar orbit, believed to be a first, in the Apollo series. And spacecraft is in the attitude now to perform the Ultraviolet Spectrometer and the Infrared Scanning Radiometer experiments. We - we expect to acquire Apollo 17 next at 95 hours, 28 minutes. Will come back up then. At 94 hours, 42 minutes; this is Mission Control, Houston.
Evans (onboard): Okay. Is the door open on all that stuff on the lunar grav...
Cernan (onboard): No. You go to Group 2 first.
094:41:26 Evans (onboard): Telcom Group 2, AC2, Okay.
Cernan (onboard): When in UV grazing attitude, UV Cover, Open. And it's 42, so we can do it now.
094:41:40 Evans (onboard): What's that? Is that High Gain, Manual?
094:41:43 Cernan (onboard): Manual; plus 23 and plus 260 - plus 23 and plus 260.
Evans (onboard): Okay. Now what?
Cernan (onboard): And then nothing. Auto and Narrow for AOS.
Evans (onboard): Okay.
094:42:07 Cernan (onboard): And UV Cover, Open.
094:42:12 Cernan (onboard): And we got the IR Cover, Open here in about 15 minutes.
Evans (onboard): Okay. Just UV Cover, Open? Nothing else, huh?
Cernan (onboard): That's all. Is that experiment on - with UV Cover, Open?
Evans (onboard): I hope it is. I haven't even touched the SIM bay today. Jack's been doing it all.
Cernan (onboard): I tell you, that first two revs is a bear, you know.
Evans (onboard): Yes.
Cernan (onboard): Because, first you got all...
Evans (onboard): I'll tell you.
Cernan (onboard): ...you know, you need a guy to fly, a guy to take pictures, a guy to handle SIM bay, and all three guys trying to observe. It's - it's a four-man job.
Schmitt (onboard): That's right. But I think we got through it better than anybody else ever did.
Cernan (onboard): Oh, I'm [garble]...
Evans (onboard): Oh, I think we did, too.
Cernan (onboard): ...[garble] be. We got...
Schmitt (onboard): The only thing is on the [garble] SIM Bay Flight Plan.
Evans (onboard): I blew there.
Schmitt (onboard): And the high bit rate probably, but...
Cernan (onboard): Well, that's all right.
Schmitt (onboard): They got it on the - on the short burn, I'm sure.
Evans (onboard): Yes.
094:43:03 Cernan (onboard): UV is On.
094:43:12 Cernan (onboard): You know, you're going to get - tape's not in [garble].
Cernan (onboard): You're going to get blamed. When you were talking in Vox there in landmark tracking, I didn't know Jack was in Vox.
Evans (onboard): Yes [laughter].
Cernan (onboard): And - and then I - I yelled over his shoulder, "Perfect!"
Evans (onboard): [Laughter.]
Cernan (onboard): [Laughter] And I also said, "Look at those hills."
Schmitt (onboard): The trouble is, it sounded just like the way you'd say, "Perfect."
Evans (onboard): [Laughter] That's right.
Cernan (onboard): Then Bob says, "Ron, are you in Vox?"
SC: [Laughter.]
094:43:44 Cernan (onboard): Oh, well, Gene. I shouldn't have gotten into that yet. Ron, would you...
Evans (onboard): What have you got going there, hot or cold?
Cernan (onboard): Hot now.
Evans (onboard): Oh.
094:44:12 Cernan (onboard): Where are the pills? Not the ones I eat - the ones I put in the food.
Evans (onboard): Somebody put them all away, I guess. I don't know where'd you put them.
Schmitt (onboard): There's some up there.
Evans (onboard): We got some over here.
Schmitt (onboard): If we'd get this eating out of the way, we'd get all that other stuff out of the way and...
Cernan (onboard): I don't know. Where did you put them all?
Evans (onboard): Here.
Schmitt (onboard): No. This is my pack that had disappeared.
Cernan (onboard): Huh?
Schmitt (onboard): My - I had my pack, too [garble]...
Evans (onboard): Watch it. They'll all come out at once.
Schmitt (onboard): ...I don't know.
Cernan (onboard): Well, this is a new one. I haven't seen it.
Schmitt (onboard): No. Well, that's the one I've been using and I thought it'd disappeared.
Evans (onboard): Here's another one.
Schmitt (onboard): Okay. I'm not going to touch it.
Cernan (onboard): Yes. All you do is verify tape motion. That means they put you in this - right?
Evans (onboard): Right.
Schmitt (onboard): Okay. I'll [garble].
094:48:16 Cernan (onboard): Hey. How did you sleep up here - when you slept up here? If you didn't sleep well, let's have Ron sleep up here again tonight, and you and I go down on a sleeping bag, because we really need a good night's sleep.
Schmitt (onboard): Oh, moderately well. Not as well as down below, I don't think.
Cernan (onboard): Ron, how does that sound to you?
Schmitt (onboard): But, I just...
Evans (onboard): [Garble.]
Cernan (onboard): They obviously didn't.
Evans (onboard): Yes. Just fill it.
Cernan (onboard): I'm not saying you don't have a long day tomorrow, but...
Schmitt (onboard): You got hot water in there - while you're cooking?
Evans (onboard): Wonder where it is.
094:50:06 Evans (onboard): Nine minutes to IR coming open.
Schmitt (onboard): Huh?
Evans (onboard): Nine minutes to IR ccming open.
Cernan (onboard): Look at that. I almost got all air.
Evans (onboard): What you - what you...
Cernan (onboard): Where are our urine [garble.]?
Evans (onboard): Over there. [Garble.]
Schmitt (onboard): Huh? They over in the [garble] here? No, they [garble].
Evans (onboard): Why don't we dump them when we dump that waste water?
Evans (onboard): [Garble] hours up [garble] take them off. [Garble] dump [garble].
Schmitt (onboard): Well, we don't have a urine dump here?
094:53:25 Evans (onboard): It is, huh. It's not a bad view. The old grazing attitude. Are you sure it's the right attitude? Huh?
SC: [Garble.]
Evans (onboard): No, I just looked. I thought they told me there wasn't - You couldn't...
SC: [Garble.]
Cernan (onboard): Even in the camera, I can see some bright, white stuff down there.
SC: [Humming.]
Schmitt (onboard): [Garble] going to be a [garble].
Cernan (onboard): Maybe we ought to turn the...
094:55:42 Evans (onboard): [Garble] 4 minutes.
Cernan (onboard): Huh?
Evans (onboard): Four minutes.
Cernan (onboard): You got it? IR?
Evans (onboard): Yes.
Cernan (onboard): Oh, man. That gas really does accumulate.
Schmitt (onboard): Have you looked down [garble].
094:58:41 Schmitt (onboard): [Garble] whole floors of some of these new craters are just - You can't see where anything - where anything flowed in, but it's Just molten - you know the, dark floors [garble].
Evans (onboard): Yes, I know what you mean.
Cernan (onboard): You just - You look at them and you can just see it - it's just boiled right there.
Evans (onboard): It doesn't look like debris from the sides or anything. Yes.
Cernan (onboard): No, it's a lake - right there at the bottom of the crater. It's a dark lake, and you can just see right into them.
Schmitt (onboard): [Garble] collapse [garble].
Evans (onboard): Yes, yes. In fact, this is characteristic of the [garble] craters of all sizes back here, but particularly that size and - and some - say three or four, five times that is that they're filled with something. They're flooded. Some with...
Cernan (onboard): Like [garble]?
Evans (onboard): ...very smooth, some with a turtleback, and then some with this. If I had to put an age sequence on it, I'd say it was the very smooth, the turtleback, and then this stuff would be the [garble].
095:00:00 Evans (onboard): IR Cover, right?
095:00:00 Cernan (onboard): It's IR Cover, Open.
095:00:00 Evans (onboard): Yes. It's Open. Shoot! Watch it. Danger, you run in an orbit.
Cernan (onboard): [Garble], Ron.
Schmitt (onboard): 10 into B, and B [sic] in B6.
SC: [Sneeze] Excuse me. [Sneeze]
095:02:07 Evans (onboard): Aitken has those dome [?] holes filled [garble] in the crater.
Cernan (onboard): [Garble], Ron, [garble].
Evans (onboard): Yes, that's Aitken.
Schmitt (onboard): On all the pictures [garble] taken [garble] that floor comes out black.
SC: [Sneezing.]
Evans (onboard): Simon and Garfunkel.
095:05:30 Schmitt (onboard): Well, it's my time to don a biomed harness.
Cernan (onboard): Maybe I'll going to try to take that [garble] - after you guys are through eating.
Cernan (onboard): Stuffed, absolutely stuffed.
095:07:27 Evans (onboard): Well, I had some chocolate around, you know, but I don't know what happened to it.
095:07:59 Cernan (onboard): Ron, before we go, you're going to have to brief us on - what you're going to decide to jettison - what you need to jettison - so we don't lose anything we want to keep or not jettison something.
Evans (onboard): [Garble.]
Cernan (onboard): The unused [garble].
095:09:42 Cernan (onboard): What's that? Cocoa?
Cernan (onboard): Yes, I had that with the corn chowder [laughter].
095:10:12 Cernan (onboard): No, Gagar - No, that's - that's that one that Lovell tracked. No, that's that one that Lovell tracked - whatever it was.
Cernan (onboard): Oh, it was a part of the Apollo 8 task of landmark tracking.
Cernan (onboard): Did a lot of landmark tracking tasks in that flight.
Evans (onboard): [Garble] there. [Garble] coming up, coming up or couldn't see what the heck it was [garble]. [Garble] my time before I saw the other one come up.
Schmitt (onboard): What do you want to - Ron, what would you use up here? Would you use the gingerbread?
Evans (onboard): Yes.
Schmitt (onboard): You ought to tell us what you want to keep. Pudding?
Evans (onboard): [Garble] that?
095:12:36 Schmitt (onboard): How about some cans of pudding?
Evans (onboard): That canned pudding; I like that.
Schmitt (onboard): How about diced peaches?
Schmitt (onboard): No diced peaches, huh?
Schmitt (onboard): Just a minute, Ron. I'll have some puddings for you.
Schmitt (onboard): How about sausage, cheddar cheese, tomato soup, mustard.
Evans (onboard): They got about three or four meals back there in - in the other end.
095:14:56 Schmitt (onboard): Okay. Don't jettison stuff that's in the small pocket. Is that okay?
Cernan (onboard): Huh?
Schmitt (onboard): In case you get around to looking for stuff to jettison.
Cernan (onboard): Okay.
Schmitt (onboard): Whoops, excuse me. Did I kick you?
Cernan (onboard): No.
Evans (onboard): Okay.
095:15:33 Schmitt (onboard): How about the LPG - or CWG? Used.
Schmitt (onboard): Well, I was thinking it might be later on when we run out of tissues. There's a deal of vanilla pudding.
Schmitt (onboard): Yes. I think...
Schmitt (onboard): I'll just leave that in my bag. I think my bag is cleaned out. All I have to do is make a decision on the CWG - dirty old CWG.
Schmitt (onboard): Well, I was just thinking, you know, if you ever had a big water spill or something like that. What do you do? Vacuum cleaner?
Schmitt (onboard): Okay. We'll throw it away. Huh?
Schmitt (onboard): Okay.
095:17:23 Cernan (onboard): If you get a chance, would you get [garble].
095:18:42 Schmitt (onboard): No, I'm fine. I had to [garble]. Yours [garble], Ron?
095:39:13 Evans (onboard): No, I'm putting on my harness. The next thing is AOS.
Cernan (onboard): [Garble] chocolate bar [garble]. Want any Jack?
095:21:37 Schmitt (onboard): No, thank you. Come here, Ron. Is that a darker - is that darker inside that halo or not? Now think about it; be objective.
Schmitt (onboard): Yes, sure does to me, too. I've seen that three times now.
Evans (onboard): [Garble] of it.
Schmitt (onboard): Get a picture of it.
Evans (onboard): [Garble.]
Schmitt (onboard): Yes. Yes.
Evans (onboard): Don't [garble] any directional [garble]...
Schmitt (onboard): Most of them seem - Well, I don't know if there are any directional, but they're really metrical halos, in general, rather than just a light - a light area. There are quite a few of them.
Schmitt (onboard): Well...
Evans (onboard): [Garble.]
095:22:55 Evans (onboard): Whose ambrosia?
Cernan (onboard): Take my pineapple drinks up there. I don't know what I'm going to do with it now that I made it [garble].
095:23:09 Schmitt (onboard): [Garble] this darned canister in [garble].
Cernan (onboard): [Humming] Well, I think it is time to get organized. Let's see, we have one pass to see the landing site here. Do you want those, or shall I open them?
Evans (onboard): [Garble] won't be on this side because the edge of the shadow [garble] right up to [garble].
Cernan (onboard): AOS is what?
095:24:00 Schmitt (onboard): [Garble] are you putting that in B? [Garble] the number 107 [garble]. Is that right?
095:25:04 Cernan (onboard): Well, it looks like - you're going to do a P52.
Cernan (onboard): Well, I think I'm going to be able to take a [garble] tonight - again.
095:25:54 Cernan (onboard): What's the best time here? We're coming up on AOS. You got the Flight Plan. Got some PADs coming up. I guess as soon as it gets dark - take a [garble]. Ron's got to do a P50 - Well, maybe that won't be required. If required, what do you think?
Evans (onboard): Geno? Jack?
Cernan (onboard): What? No, thank you.
Cernan (onboard): Oh, I got to - didn't log them today. I never logged any nuts.
095:27:07 - This is Apollo Control at 95 hours, 27 minutes. We should be acquiring Apollo 17 on it's fourth revolution of the Moon in about 45 seconds. We'll stand by for the first words.
095:28:02 Evans (onboard): Well, I guess - do I want to be Auto? Okay.
095:28:25 - We have a signal and are receiving data.
095:28:44 Evans (onboard): You're right. Very [garble] right.
095:28:59 Cernan: Hello Houston, America.
095:29:03 Overmyer: Hello America. Reading you loud and clear.
095:29:09 Cernan: Bob, the Flight Plan is complete through 95:30.
095:29:13 Overmyer: Roger. [Pause.]
095:29:22 Schmitt: And Bob, the IR cover came open about 1 minute late.
095:29:27 Overmyer: Okay, Understand. [Pause.] Might be interested, the latest tracking data has you at about 14.1 [nautical miles] perilune. It's coming up closer to your CMC data. [Pause.] And, America, we'd like to have the H2 tank, H2 tank 1, fans off. We'll be letting that pressure decay on that. We'll be bringing them back on prior to sleep period.
095:30:04 Schmitt: Okay, that's Off.
095:30:08 Overmyer: I've got a number of PADs and Flight Plan update any time you're ready for them, if you want or you can hold off it awhile. [Long pause.]
095:30:28 Cernan: Why don't you start with Flight Plan updates Bob?
095:30:29 Overmyer: Okay, At 97:30, 97:30. [Pause.]
095:30:41 Cernan: Okay.
095:30:42 Overmyer: You should have a pen and ink change there that says UV cover, Close. After that add UV, Off. [Long pause.]
095:31:03 Cernan: Okay, got it.
095:31:04 Overmyer: Okay, now, just a note, or you can jump way ahead to 106:51, where it says delete, see where it says UV, Off, just delete that, or else make it a verify, because it will be off during that whole period. [Pause.]
095:31:22 Cernan: 106. Yeah, I'll just put a verified by that. 106:51.
095:31:27 Overmyer: Roger. The next thing I've got are the PADs. The TEI-12 and TEI-19 PAD. [Pause.]
095:31:42 Schmitt: Okay. Go ahead.
095:31:44 Overmyer: First one is TEI-12, SPS G&N: 38570; plus 0.49, plus 0.92; Noun 33 times, 111:54:42.86; plus 2543.8, minus 1765.6, minus 0795.0; Roll is 186, 109, 328. The rest of the PAD is not applicable. Break - Break Jack, we'd like an Accept on the computer please. [Pause.]
095:32:51 Schmitt: You got it.
095:32:53 Overmyer: Okay. The set stars are as always, Sirius and Rigel; 133, 200, 030. Four Jet, 12-second on the ullage. Three notes: Burn undocked, assumes no Circ, longitude of the Moon at TIG will be minus 140.19°. Over. [Long pause.]
095:33:56 Schmitt: Bob, give me note two again please.
095:34:00 Overmyer: Okay, Jack, the three comments are: assumes burn undocked, assumes no Circ burn, and the Moon at TIG, the longitude will be minus 140.19°. Over.
095:34:26 Schmitt: Okay, I got everything, but number 2. All right, here's your readback. TEI-12, twelve that is, SPS/G&N; 38570; plus 0.49, plus 0.92; 111:54:42.86; plus 2543.8, minus 1765.6, minus 0795.0; 186, 109, 328. Rest of the PAD is NA. Sirius and Rigel; 133, 200, 030. Ullage is 4 Jets for 12 seconds. Remarks: (1) burn undocked, (2) assume no Circ, (3) longitude, lunar longitude at TIG minus 140.19°, .19°.
A full interpretation of the PAD follows:
Purpose: This PAD is for an early return to Earth at the end of the twelfth lunar orbit in case an abort situation develops.
Propulsion/guidance: This burn would utilise the SPS engine under the control of the G&N system.
CSM weight (Noun 47): 38,570 pounds (17,495 kg).
Pitch and yaw trim (Noun 48): +0.49° and +0.92°. These are the angles away from the longitudinal axis the SPS engine bell will be set to for the burn.
Time of ignition, TIG (Noun 33): 111 hours, 54 minutes, 42.86 seconds.
Change in velocity (Noun 81), fps (m/s): X, +2,543.8 (+775.4); Y, -1,765.6 (-538.2); Z, -795.0 (-242.3). These velocity components are expressed with respect to the local vertical.
Spacecraft attitude: Roll, 186°; Pitch, 109°; Yaw, 328°. The attitude figure is with respect to the IMU orientation at the time of the burn.
Overmyer notes that the remaining items on the standard form are not applicable in this case, bar one.
GDC Align stars: Stars Sirius (number 15) and Rigel (number 12) would to be used for backup GDC Align in case the IMU is unavailable for this task.
GDC Align angles: 133°, 200° and 30°.
Additional notes are that the four plus-X RCS jets would be fired for 12 seconds to settle propellants in the tanks prior to ignition, the burn would be made without a LM attached, that the CSM would still be in its present orbit and not have circularised it, and Overmyer also gives the longitude over the Moon at the moment of ignition as minus 140.19° or 140.19°W.
095:35:22 Overmyer: Roger. Good readback, Jack, and I've got the TEI-19 PAD, if you're ready. [Long pause.]
095:35:43 Schmitt: Okay, go ahead.
095:35:44 Overmyer: TEI-19, SPS/G&N; 38023; plus 0.49, plus 0.86; the TIG time, 125:46:47.22; plus 2456.3, minus 1925.3, minus 0731.3; 186, 108, 325. Rest of the PAD is not applicable. All the notes are the same as on the TEI-12 PAD, except the longitude is minus 147.62. Over. [Long pause.]
095:37:06 Schmitt: Stand by 1. [Long pause.]
095:37:50 Schmitt: Okay. Here's your readback. TEI-19, SPS/G&N; 38023; Plus 0.49, plus 0.86; 125:46:47.22; plus 2456.3, minus 1925.3; minus 0731.3; 186, 108, 325. Rest of PAD is NA. And the remarks are the same as for TEI-12; that includes set stars. And the only change is in 3, which is lunar longitude at TIG of a minus 147.62. Over.
A full interpretation of the PAD follows:
Purpose: This PAD is for an early return to Earth at the end of the 19th lunar orbit in case an abort situation develops.
Propulsion/guidance: This burn would utilise the SPS engine under the control of the G&N system.
CSM weight (Noun 47): 38,023 pounds (17,247 kg).
Pitch and yaw trim (Noun 48): +0.49° and +0.86°. These are the angles away from the longitudinal axis the SPS engine bell will be set to for the burn.
Time of ignition, TIG (Noun 33): 125 hours, 46 minutes, 47.22 seconds.
Change in velocity (Noun 81), fps (m/s): X, +2,456.3 (+748.7); Y, -1,925.3 (-586.8); Z, -731.3 (-222.9). These velocity components are expressed with respect to the local vertical.
Spacecraft attitude: Roll, 186°; Pitch, 108°; Yaw, 325°. The attitude figure is with respect to the IMU orientation at the time of the burn.
Overmyer tells tham that the notes appended to this PAD as the same as for TEI-12 except that the longitude over the Moon at the moment of ignition is minus 147.62° or 147.62°W. Soon he will point out another difference, and that is that the burn does assume that he has circularised his orbit.
095:38:40 Overmyer: That's a good readback Jack. I've got a LM DAP read-up here for you. [Pause.] They recommend this be copied on page 1 of the LM Data Card Book, Jack.
095:39:00 Schmitt: Well, strangely enough, the LM Data Card Book's in the LM.
095:39:04 Overmyer: Yes, I figured as much.
095:39:04 Schmitt: We'll put it in our Activation Book. Let me find the right page.
095:39:08 Overmyer: Okay.
095:39:08 Schmitt: Let me find the right page.
095:39:10 Overmyer: Roger. [Pause.]
095:39:15 Overmyer: And, Jack, the computer's yours. [Pause.]
095:40:55 Schmitt: Okay, the DAP load is LM weight, 36714; CSM weight, 38078.
These numbers are required by the computer so that it can calculate the correct impulse to use when making rotation manoeuvres of the stack.
095:41:02 Overmyer: Roger, Jack, and I'd like to correct one call on my, the TEI PADs. There is one other difference between the TEI-19 and the TEI-12 under notes. And the TEI-19 assumes the circ burn, over. [Long pause.]
095:41:36 Schmitt: Okay, that's corrected to assume circ on the TEI-19.
095:41:41 Overmyer: Roger, Jack. I'm sorry on that. I've got some notes from the Flight...
095:41:45 Schmitt: That's alright, Bob.
095:41:50 Overmyer: Got some notes for Gene from the Flight Surgeon. He promised an update to you on some meal recommendations here on food, if you'd - you might want to copy this into the supplement. [Pause.]
095:42:09 Schmitt: Okay. Just standby one, please.
095:42:12 Overmyer: Roger.
Comm break.
095:43:25 Schmitt: Bob, let's - let us take a look at the landing area and we'll be right back with you.
095:43:30 Overmyer: Okay. Just whenever you want it, there's no hurry on this at all. Jack, you just might put a little note there somewhere for yourself that Copernicus is at 96.03 if you want to look at it.
095:45:45 - Apollo 17's coming up over the Taurus Littrow landing site now.
095:46:27 Schmitt: Now we're getting some clear - look like pretty clear high-water marks on the...
095:46:31 Evans: There's high-water marks all over the place there.
095:46:33 Schmitt: ...on the north part of Tranquillitatis in here - mare onto the highlands.
095:46:41 Overmyer: Roger. [Long pause.]
095:47:11 Evans: Yeah, there's high-water marks all over that - that - I think that's Maraldi there. [Pause.] Are you sure we're at 13 miles up?
095:47:28 Overmyer: You're at 14.1 [nautical miles, 26.1 km], to be exact there, Ron.
095:47:34 Evans: [Laughter.] Looks pretty low.
095:47:38 Cernan: Gee, I wonder what it feels like to be at 8 to 10.
095:47:45 Overmyer: You're going to find out, I think. [Long pause.]
095:48:17 Schmitt: I tell you there's some mare ridge or scarps, very sinuous - just passing one. They not only cross the low planar areas but go right up the side of a crater in one place and a hill in another. And it's not at all like a fault scarp. It looks very much like a constructional ridge. And it has the sinuousity of a, pardon the expression, rattle snake.
095:48:42 Overmyer: Roger. Does it look like that one we saw on the track the other day?
095:48:49 Schmitt: Yeah, very much like that one that you almost caught. Look at that. There's a tongute - there's a tongue depressor - several of them - grabens in here. We must be out on the edge of Serenitatis now, right?
095:49:08 Overmyer: Yeah, we show you on the edge of Serenitatis, Jack.
095:49:15 Schmitt: Rog. I just - we didn't get a view of the site, though, going over this time. I think it was off to the north of us just a tad. [Pause.] That's the best example of a mare - a mare-like ridge that was as clearly constructional as I would want to see it. Out on the mare, it's never quite that obvious. But there, it climbed up over a hill and then back down again.
095:49:43 Overmyer: Roger. [Pause.]
095:49:50 Schmitt: And that was just east of the - an area just east of the edge of Serenitatis and probably a little bit south of the landing site. [Pause.]
095:50:05 Cernan: Say, Bob, rather than copy specific recommended changes or deletions to a diet, can you have a general comment that's any different than what I already understand?
095:50:18 Overmyer: Right. It's no problem.
095:50:19 Cernan: If not, I would rather delay it.
095:50:20 Overmyer: No, it's no problem, Gene. Two quick comments: the next couple of days, delete the peach ambrosia and the mixed fruit bar, and don't delete anything from the LM menu. And make sure you get all the water in for rehydration, and take - bias it if you think you get 30 percent gas, then put in 30 percent more so you get all the water that is required. And take two anti-gas tablets after each meal instead of one. That sums it up.
095:50:53 Cernan: Okay - Okay. Very good. I'll - I'll handle all those words according to their need.
095:51:19 Evans: We're shooting magazine QQ, frame 50 - frame 50, 51, and 52. We're taking - looking south at the terminator. [Pause.]
Four frames appear to be taken around this time looking towards the southwest region of Mare Serenitatis. These are AS17-154-23641 to 23644.
AS17-154-23641 - West region of Mare Serenitatis. Crater Banting on bottom left of frame - National Archives
AS17-154-23642 - Southwest region of Mare Serenitatis. Crater Hornsby on right of frame on terminator - National Archives
AS17-154-23643 - Southwest region of Mare Serenitatis with crater Bobillier cut off at top. Craters Bessel F and G are near frame centre - National Archives
AS17-154-23644 - Southwest region of Mare Serenitatis with crater Bobillier and wrinkle ridge Dorsum Buckland - National Archives
095:51:36 Overmyer: Ron, we need to get looking at the Pan Camera here, per the Flight Plan. [Pause.]
095:51:45 Evans: Thank you. [Long pause.]
095:52:14 Schmitt: Okay, Bob. Power on the Pan Camera now. [Pause.]
095:52:23 Schmitt: Mark it. [Pause.]
095:52:33 Overmyer: Roger. We got it.
095:52:37 Schmitt: Okay. And has my biomed been looking all right?
095:52:43 Overmyer: That's affirmative. [Pause.]
095:52:52 Schmitt: Okay. [Long pause.]
095:53:42 Overmyer: America, you can turn the Pan Camera, Off. [Pause.]
096:00:29 Schmitt: Okay, Bob. Let's see. Will Copernicus - will be north of our track. Is that correct?
096:00:39 Overmyer: I believe so, from my charts here, but let me doublecheck that. That is affirmative. Tommy just gave me the up on that one. [Long pause.]
096:01:22 Overmyer: If you guys got time to listen, I can update you on the home front while you're wor - looking out the windows. [Pause.]
096:01:34 Cernan: Go ahead, Bob.
096:01:36 Overmyer: Let's see. For the CDR, they're eating beans and cornbread over at Nassau Bay tonight. Probably a good thing they're eating beans there, Gene, because you're feeding 25 tonight. And the horse is getting fed, also. [Pause.]
096:01:55 Cernan: Beans and cornbread? It's a good thing I'm eating up here.
096:02:00 Overmyer: You better believe it. And, of course, everybody sends their love. And over in El Lago, they're...
096:02:10 Cernan: Well...
096:02:11 Overmyer: Go ahead, Gene.
096:02:16 Cernan: I was just going to ask you to return mine for me, would you?
096:02:20 Overmyer: Oh, you better believe it. They're listening to the squawk box. You don't have to say anything to me. And over in El Lago, Jamie's says - is saying her prayers ending them with, "God bless America and Challenger from now on." And John is saying, "There's Daddy's rocket - makes it go pitch, light out." And of course, everybody sends their love...
096:02:42 Evans: They're great.
096:02:46 Overmyer: And they're all listening right now if you'd...
096:02:48 Evans: Tell John, though, that I shaved the other night.
096:02:51 Overmyer: Roger. He'll be listening, hearing that. They're all over at the - in Nassau Bay at a big meeting of the Flight Plan. The Parkers are briefing the Cernans and the Evans on the Flight Plan tonight. And out in Tucson, for the LMP, it's kind of cloudy and cold out there today. It's colder than normal. Everything's working fine on the speaker out there, Jack, and they're just listening, and Mother - your Mother is really tickled and just pleased as all get out.
096:03:23 Schmitt: That sounds like Mother. And I just got a real good view of Copernicus, but I'm afraid I can't help you out on that structure in the central peak. Just a little too dark.
096:03:36 Overmyer: Okay.
096:03:40 Schmitt: But it's a fantastic sight at this altitude. It is a big crater. It looks like it's about 80 kilometers in diameter.
Sources quote the diameter of Copernicus as between 93 and 96 kilometres.
096:03:54 Overmyer: I'll drink to that.
096:03:59 Schmitt: And put down a verify on those dark deposits in the wall. And also on the southeast wall, there's one right on the rim. I think we mapped that one, too, but I'll have to go back and check.
096:04:20 Overmyer: Okay.
096:04:22 Schmitt: That one looked like it had a crater in it. [Pause.] However, they all tend to be elongate radially, with respect to the crater. But that's about all I can add now. [Pause.]
096:04:46 Overmyer: Okay. [Long pause.]
096:04:58 Schmitt: Bob, I'm glad, the squawk box is fixed. And, of course, send my love and best wishes out there to Tucson.
096:05:08 Overmyer: That's a Roger, Jack. You guys might also be interested, here in the Houston area, all of the ground voice or air-to-ground is being carried on FM stations a hundred percent of it. And KUHT, the television station, will cover the - educational TV station - is going to cover 100 percent of the EVAs, all three of them, for all the time. [Pause.]
096:05:41 Cernan: That sounds great. We hope we can provide them with as much education as we can entertainment.
096:05:49 Overmyer: We're counting on it. [Pause.]
096:05:55 Cernan: I guess Parker's all we had left down there to brief them on the landing site, huh? [Pause.]
096:06:07 Overmyer: I won't even comment on that one.
096:06:12 Cernan: [Chuckle.] Okay. I figure he will later. [Long pause.]
096:06:27 Cernan: I'd like, also, to send my best up north to the Bellwood - the Bellwood area up there, because I think there's a squawk box up there, too.
096:06:39 Overmyer: Beautiful. [Pause.]
096:06:45 Cernan: And, Bob, it's - all in all, it's been a pretty exciting day. I think a pretty accomplishing day, and certainly a rewarding day on our part. It's also been a long day, but we're hoping that it can only be superseded by tomorrow. And judging from what we've got in store, it might very well be.
096:07:07 Overmyer: I think that sums up the day. It's a day of anticipation for what's going to happen tomorrow. Everything's gone off real well here, and we're just glad you're in the orbit you're in and ready for tomorrow.
096:07:21 Schmitt: My goodness, Bob. This is Jack. It's awful hard to spend much time up here anticipating. The events come so fast and certainly are exciting and rewarding, each one, one at a time. But obviously, tomorrow is going to be the biggy.
096:07:39 Overmyer: Roger. [Pause.]
096:07:50 Overmyer: Ron, we're watching your 52; and just be advised you do not have to do the option 1.
096:09:26 Schmitt: Bob, I'm not sure whether it's entirely proper, being a bachelor, but I'd like to send my regards to everybody - all the families listening to squawk boxes tonight. [Pause.]
096:09:42 Overmyer: Roger. [Long pause.]
096:09:55 Schmitt: Bob, we're going right over the Procellarum Ridge now, if I'm not mistaken, out in the middle of Mare Procellarum. And we're low enough now that you can see some of the terrain.
096:10:09 Overmyer: Okay.
096:10:12 Schmitt: That is - that is, some of the hills and rilles and valleys associated with that ridge system.
096:10:24 Overmyer: Roger. Break - Ron, we've got the 52, and it looks good. You can torque.
096:10:31 Evans: Okay. I'll torque it 10, 3, 0.
Comm break.
096:11:08 - This is Apollo Control. Gene Cernan's remark about up north in Bellwood is a reference to his mother, Mrs. Andrew Cernan, who is following the course of the mission at her home in Bellwood, Illinois.
096:12:04 Evans: Houston, America. You want an E-memory dump?
096:12:08 Overmyer: Roger. We're standing by. We're ready for it.
096:16:28 Overmyer: While you're eating or getting ready to eat, I can update some of the news with you tonight, if you're away from the windows. Or are you all still looking out?
096:16:38 Cernan: No. Go ahead, Bob.
096:16:39 Overmyer: Okay. There's not a whole lot of news on the wire tonight, matter of fact. President Nixon received a firsthand report on private Vietnam peace negotiations today from a key member of the US negotiating team, General Alexander Haig, Jr., Henry Kissinger's Chief Lieutenant. Haig flew back from Paris to report to the President, while technical experts from both sides held an unusual Sunday meeting in the French capital. Presidential Assistant Kissinger will resume his talks with North Vietnam's Le Duc Tho on Monday after a 1-day recess. And former President Harry Truman continued to show some signs of improvement late today after he was earlier removed from the critical list at Research Hospital up - up in Kansas City. His cardiac situation has improved, and this improvement included a slower and stronger pulse and a stable blood pressure. The football scores are as follows in the National Football League today: The Bears defeated the Eagles 21 to 12; the Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills played to a 21-21 stand-off; Dolphins extended their undefeated streak 23 to 13 over the New York Giants; the Patriots defeated the New Orleans Saints 17 to 10; Green Bay sewed up the Central Division of the NFC by defeating the Vikings 23 to 7; the Cardinals upset the Rams today 24 to 14; Denver defeated San Diego 38-13; Kansas City upset Baltimore 24 to 10; the 49ers defeated the Falcons 20 to nothing, 20 to 0; and Pittsburg defeated Houston 9 to 3, and they - they took the Central Division of the AFC. So the playoff picture is becoming a little clearer. You've got - in the NFC, you've got Washington, Dallas, and Green Bay. And the fourth team will either be San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Atlanta. That will be decided next week. In the AFC, Pittsburg, Miami, and Oakland are in it. And the fourth team will be either the Jets [pause] and another team. They've got the Giants listed here, but it can't be the Giants because that's the wrong division. So we'll - we'll check that one out. Cleveland; okay, Cleveland. The fourth team is either going to be Cleveland or the Jets. [Pause.]
096:19:49 Overmyer: And did you get a spurious Master Caution and Warning? [Pause.]
096:19:56 Cernan: No. Ron was retesting our bleeper again.
096:20:01 Overmyer: Okay.
096:20:02 Cernan: And it's one of those that works in lunar orbit, I guess. It doesn't work during coast because it's working now.
096:20:10 Overmyer: Good show. [Pause.]
096:20:16 Cernan: Sounds like there's going to be some good football games coming up.
096:20:19 Overmyer: Yes, indeed. You really can't call...
096:20:24 Cernan: Who is playing tomorrow night? [Pause.]
096:20:30 Overmyer: Stand by. [Long pause.]
096:20:52 Overmyer: That's the Oakland - Oakland and the Jets.
096:20:59 Cernan: Okay.
Comm break.
096:22:16 Overmyer: Ron, the up-link is complete. The EMP is running, and the computer's yours. [Pause.]
096:24:10 Overmyer: Ron, we'd like the H2 Tank Fans, On, and that will be the sleep configuration. H2 Tank 1 Fans, On, [pause] and leave 3 in Auto.
096:24:23 Cernan: You want H2 Tank 1 - You want 1 and 2, On?
096:24:30 Overmyer: Negative. Tank 1, On.
096:24:36 Cernan: Okay, that leaves us with Tank 1, On; Tank 2, Off; and Tank 3 in Auto. Is that what you want?
096:24:45 Overmyer: Roger. If you're calling the H2 fans; that's what we want.
096:24:53 Cernan: Yeah, H2 Fans, Bob; I'll say it again. H2 Fans: 1 is On, 2 is Off, and 3 is Auto.
096:25:01 Overmyer: That's a good configuration, and that will be the sleep configuration.
096:25:06 Cernan: Okay. [Long pause.]
096:25:27 Cernan: Hey, Bob, it looks like we might make - getting to sleep on time tonight, and - well, we will make it. And I think it goes without saying, we definitely want to get up on time tomorrow.
096:25:42 Overmyer: Rog. [Long pause.]
096:25:55 Evans: I'm going to have the tone booster plugged in, and also I want to make sure the suit power and audio power and all that stuff is on.
096:29:39 Overmyer: If Ron's listening, just some words about the Mapping Camera extend/retract times. We came up with slightly different times than what he'd called and we were wondering if his were just ballpark or whether he had timed it? In either case, the times are a little bit long on extend/retract which is a little cause for worry about that - the Mapping Camera may fail and later on downstream, we may want to change our operating mode on that Mapping Camera and he might want to time it a little closer. If he - if he can - the chance should come up.
096:30:15 Cernan: What - what times...
096:30:15 Evans: Hey, Bob, that's a good point on the thing. Those weren't exact times and, as matter of fact, we looked - kind of looked away and it was about in - you know, somewhere around that - that period of time. We looked away and when - when we looked back, it was gray again, so - next...
096:30:31 Overmyer: Okay...
096:30:31 Evans: ...next time we extend them, I'll get a good accurate indication.
096:30:36 Overmyer: Okay. Well, no problem.
096:30:38 Evans: [Garble]...
096:30:38 Overmyer: We'll believe the strip chart. We'll take the strip chart data. We've got 01:24; 1 minute, 24 seconds for extend and 01:51; 1 minute, 51 seconds for retract. And both those are a little bit on the high side. [Long pause.]
096:31:02 Evans: Okay. I would believe the strip charts.
096:31:06 Overmyer: Rog, Ron. You all are about 4 minutes from LOS. [Pause.]
096:31:20 Overmyer: Okay, we might lose you a little bit earlier than that. INCO. [Long pause.]
096:31:41 Overmyer: Okay, we may lose you a little early due to the SIM bay attitude and we'll pick you up at 97:22. [Pause.]
096:31:53 Cernan: Okay, Bob. Once more around at 97:22.
096:34:22 - This is Apollo Control at 96 hours, 34 minutes. Apollo 17 has turned the corner a little early, about 50 seconds early. We've lost contact with the antenna because of it's attitude, about 50 seconds early. During this fourth pass on the front side of the Moon there was considerable description of the lunar surface and photography was accomplished. The Mapping Camera experts will continue to study the extension and retraction times of the camera. If those times continue to grow, they will probably revise the Flight Plan somewhat to reduce the number of times that camera must be extended and retracted. At the present time though they're just keeping a close eye on those times to see whether they will continue to grow. We'll next acquire Apollo 17 on it's fifth revolution of the Moon at 97 hours, 22 minutes.
097:21:25 - This is Apollo control at 97 hours, 21 minutes. We're 50 seconds away from the time Apollo 17 should be within communications range on it's fifth revolution of the Moon. We'll stand by for first contact.
097:22:45 - We have a signal now.
097:23:33 Schmitt: Houston, 17.
097:23:35 Overmyer: 17, Houston. Go ahead.
097:23:40 Schmitt: Roger. We're just about ready to finish up here. I have a couple of questions. Do you want us to cycle the cryo fans or just leave them alone now? [Pause.]
097:23:54 Overmyer: We'd like them just left alone, left in your configuration you are now, Jack.
097:24:01 Schmitt: Okay, there will be no cycling then.
097:24:07 Overmyer: Roger. We have one question. Who's got the duty tonight or will he be wearing a headset? [Pause.]
097:24:20 Schmitt: Yeah, he - Ron has the duty. He will be wearing a headset, but I will be on the biomed underneath.
097:24:26 Overmyer: Understand that. And one note for Gene. It's an addition to that Flight Surgeon's note. When you rehydrate your food, make sure that you go the - let it rehydrate for the maximum amount of time. I know you miss it on this one, but the next - like tomorrow morning, make sure it rehydrates the maximum amount of time.
097:24:49 Schmitt: Okay, I'll tell him.
097:24:51 Overmyer: Roger. [Pause.]
097:25:00 Schmitt: And we got the star crater stereo trio.
097:25:07 Overmyer: Roger.
097:25:09 Schmitt: And that - we're - mag - Oscar Oscar is on 93 now. The last three pictures were that trio.
Long comm break.
The 'star crater' that Jack refers to is a bright, relatively fresh 1.5-km ray crater on the northeast rim of the farside crater Chaplygin. It is now called Chaplygin B.
097:28:20 - This is Apollo control at 97 hours, 28 minutes. We're showing...
097:28:25 Schmitt: Bob, we're essentially complete on the presleep checklist. And except for computing communications configuration and Ron will take care of that.
097:28:39 Overmyer: Roger. [Long pause.]
097:28:57 Schmitt: And, Bob, while we're gradually getting in configuration here, let me reiterate something that I've been watching this rev as we did a lot of other things. And that was this relationship of the light-colored or light gray swirl patterns on the surface to patterns - associated pattern - parallel patterns that are darker than the average of the surrounding area. And this is true both in Mare Marginis and in most cases on the back side. [Pause.]
097:29:48 Overmyer: Roger, Jack. We'll get that to the PI.
097:29:54 Schmitt: Roughly, although they're very irregular patterns - roughly it's concentric zoning of dark to light within a intermediate albedo surface. Now there are variations on that theme; sometimes you don't get the symmetry quite as good, but it's common enough that I think it's worth noting.
097:30:20 Overmyer: Roger. [Long pause.]
097:30:35 Schmitt: Also, there's a sequence of different kinds of crater filling on the far side, and I think that, as the orbital stay progresses, we may be able to pin down the relative age relationships and the characteristics of those crater fill - filling episodes. Whether they are single episodes that happen in a variety of crater or they're a function of the age and characteristics of the craters in which you find them is not clear right now, but the - they seem to form fairly distinct groupings of crater-fill material.
097:31:20 Overmyer: Roger. Jack. [Long pause.]
097:32:07 Schmitt: One of those crater-fill materials that you also see in other kinds of depressions other than craters is a very smooth, light, plains-forming material. And it is, although cratered, when you see it at the terminator, it is smoother than the mare; that is, it does not seem to have the swell, the sea swell characteristics or ridges or any other features other than the crater's superimposed on it.
097:32:39 Overmyer: Roger. We copy.
Comm break.
097:33:12 - Apollo 17's orbit now 59.2 by 13.7 nautical miles [109.6 by 25.4 km]. The present altitude, 17.8 nautical miles [33.0 km].
097:35:20 Overmyer: 17, Houston. You can go ahead and close the UV cover. We'd like to hold off 1 minute before you turn the UV off. We want to look at 1 minute of data with the cover closed. [Long pause.]
097:35:41 Schmitt: Oh, okay. Roger. A walk-on. I see it now. [Long pause.]
097:36:09 Schmitt: Okay, it's Closed.
097:36:11 Overmyer: Okay, We'll give you a cue when you go UV, Off, and INCO would like to know what you've got on your High Gain pitch and yaw knobs. Not the dials but the knobs. [Pause.]
097:36:26 Schmitt: All right. The knobs are - about plus 20 and 185.
097:36:44 Overmyer: A Pitch of plus 20 and 185 on the Yaw. [Pause.]
097:36:53 Schmitt: That's affirm.
Comm break.
097:38:22 Overmyer: And, Jack, you can turn the UV off now. [Long pause.]
097:41:54 Schmitt: Okay, I got the landing site. We're right over the top of it, and the scarp is fantastically detailed at this - Can you see in there, Gene? Right down, right down, straight down there.
097:42:07 Cernan: No, I can't. [Pause.]
097:42:16 Schmitt: Okay, well, the sli - the light mantle is ob - very obviously mantling the area. The scarp was very detailed, and, so far, could not see any structure in the massifs at all, but I haven't had any - didn't have much time to watch it on that pass. [Pause.]
097:42:47 Schmitt: The slide very definitely subdued the general detail in the plains area - or the light mantle, if you will, rather than slide. [Pause.] MOCR Crater was finally out of the dark.
097:43:07 Overmyer: Roger.
097:43:11 Overmyer: Jack, we'd like to know if you think you can adjust the High Gain as close to plus 15 and Yaw 190 as possible? [Long pause.]
097:43:43 Schmitt: Okay, Bob, that's adjusted plus 15 and 190, and I suspect I was a little closer to 15 than 20 when I called you before.
097:43:51 Overmyer: Rog. [Pause.]
097:43:58 Schmitt: I'll tell you, from this altitude and with that low Sun, there's no question of the sharpness of the topographic features in the landing area. The - the scarp, and even some of the apparent back - pardon - backflow features - and Parker will know what I'm talking about - that is apparent flows to the west in the light mantle area were extremely sharp, even those fronts going west were sharp. It looked even more like a mare ridge than it ever did before.
097:46:02 Cernan: Okay, Bob, this is Gene. I had a - just a quick view of the site, and if we're anywhere near it, we'll recognize it, I think, without question. And, I think with that, we'll bid farewell and good night.
097:46:18 Overmyer: Okay, gang. And looking for a busy day tomorrow - -
097:46:20 Evans: Never fear. Your old CM...
097:46:26 Overmyer: Go ahead; I cut you out.
097:46:30 Evans: I say never fear, your CMP is watching.
097:46:34 Overmyer: Roger. And, just a reminder S-Band...
097:46:35 Evans: He's got the watch tonight.
097:46:36 Overmyer: ...Normal Voice to Off tonight, please? [Pause.]
097:46:44 Evans: Okay, okay, as soon as I get bedded down, I'll do that.
097:46:48 Schmitt: Don't worry, he's got a batch of guys up here reminding him of that one.
097:46:53 Evans: And I've checked out the little whistle, and it works like a charm.
097:46:59 Overmyer: Roger. I was betting on...
097:47:02 Evans: Just to make sure, I'm going to check it again.
097:47:03 Overmyer: ...you guys to get that switch last night, and I lost my bet. [Pause.]
097:47:15 Schmitt: And, Robert, good night to all.
097:47:18 Overmyer: Good night up there.
097:47:23 Schmitt: And that is a test. This is a test, test, test.
097:47:28 Cernan: Good night, babe.
Very long comm break.
097:48:22 - This is Apollo Control. We said goodnight at 97 hours, 47 minutes. We'll leave the line up for a few minutes longer, to see whether there is any further conversation.
097:53:55 - This is Apollo Control at 97 hours, 53 minutes. Crew has just turned off the voice switch on the spacecraft, indicating they do not intend to talk anymore tonight, and we do not intend to put in anymore calls to them, so we'll take this line down now and come back up with hourly reports, during the sleep period, which has just started.
